Background

Dread was born in a noble human house. At birth, their mother loved them regardless of their unexpected appearance, but their father rejected them and insisted Dread be eliminated. Dread’s mother gave her beloved child to her handmaiden, who took the child to a local farmer, who passed the child to a traveling merchant. In their first year, Dread moved from home to home, each of their foster parents caring for them but unable to give them a forever family until a vigneron (winemaking) couple in a distant country finally adopted them. Over time, the tiefling chose the name “Dread,” after the reaction their appearance caused, embracing the irony of people’s reaction based solely on their vision.

Dread loved their family and worked hard in the vineyard, learning to assess the health and maturity of the grapes by touch and smell. On the other hand, they found their relationship with their parents strained, both desperately clinging to and pushing them away. As Dread tried navigating relationships with other children in the countryside, they often found themself betrayed by those they believed to be friends.

Dread decided to trust nobody, not even their parents, and set out on their own, hiring themself out to farms but never staying long, always looking for companionship but unable to discern true friends.

Eventually, they met a person they believed to be a fellow tiefling who offered them the promise of true companionship and power to protect Dread from those who would betray them. Though wary, Dread accepted the offer for what they wanted most, and learned too late that the tiefling was a devil. They did finally gain a trusted companion — their raven familiar, Void — and the warlock abilities to protect themself, but their difficulties with relationships remain.

Personality

Dread listens more than they talk, but if asked to commit to anything, they begin talking, asking many often-redundant questions before agreeing. Dread keeps to themself and prefers to work alone but will help those in need if Dread perceives an opportunity to help.

Dread uses Void’s Perception or Gaze of Two Minds when needing to see something, but they find vision disorienting and uncomfortable, so they only use it when necessary.

Plot Hooks

• Dread is investigating rumors of a fiend sighting to determine the truth, and suspects the party’s involvement based on circumstantial evidence. The party must find the truth to clear their names.
• Dread is trying to find their birth family and uncover their origins. They enlist the adventurers to follow a lead while Dread investigates another.
• A local farm has been attacked, and Dread is rushing to investigate and help if possible. Dread encounters the party on the way, notices the adventuring gear, and insists that the party help.

Medium humanoid (tiefling), Chaotic Neutral
Cisgender, he/him

Armor Class 16
Hit Points 87
Speed 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	19 (+4)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	15 (+2)	10 (+0)

Skills Acrobatics +8, Athletics +5, Insight +6, Religion +4
Damage Resistances fire
Damage Immunities poison; disease
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Gnomish, Goblin, Infernal
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Traits

Muscle Control [IE 4]. Precision's arms and hand muscles don't always act the way he wishes. The muscles are permanently contracted, and allow him only slight fine motor control. Precision’s IE serves as a guideline for specific effects and, generally, a −4 penalty on all Strength checks and saving throws and attacks. Precision has learned to use his feet for unarmed attack rolls and can use his tail to draw and load his hand crossbow.

At the same time, the extra balance and exertion required tires him, so every time Precision attempts a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check, he must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or reduce his movement by 5 until taking a short rest.

Abilities

Infernal Legacy. Precision's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: Thaumaturgy
1/day each: Hellish Rebuke, Darkness

Ki. Precision can spend Ki Points to fuel ki features. He has 12 points per short rest, and his Ki save DC is 14.

Patient Defense. Precision can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on his turn.

Step of the Wind. Precision can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on his turn, and his jump distance is doubled for the turn.

Stunning Strike. When Precision hits with a melee weapon attack, he can spend 1 ki point to make the target stunned until the end of Precision's next turn if he fails a Constitution saving throw (DC 14).

Evasion. When Precision is subjected to an effect that allows him to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, he instead takes no damage if he succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if he fails.

Open Foot Technique. Whenever Precision hits with one of his Flurry of Blows attacks, he can impose one of the following effects on that target: fall prone if it fails a Dexterity saving throw (DC 14), get pushed up to 15 ft. if it fails a Strength saving throw (DC 14), or it can't take a reaction until the end of Precision's next turn.

Stillness of Mind. Precision can use an action to end one effect on himself that is causing him to be charmed or frightened.

Unarmored Movement Improvement. Precision can move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on his turn without falling during the move.

Wholeness of Body. Once per long rest as an action, Precision can regain 36 HP.

Tranquility. At the end of a long rest, Precision gains the effect of a Sanctuary spell (DC 14) that lasts until the start of his next long rest (unless it ends as normal).

Actions

Dart. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.

Flurry of Blows. After he takes the Attack action on his turn, Precision can spend 1 ki point to make two unarmed strikes as a bonus action.

Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.

Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage. When Precision uses the Attack action on his turn, he can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action. Unarmed strikes count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity.

Extra Attack. Precision can attack twice, instead of once, whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.

Reactions

Deflect Missiles. Precision can use his reaction to deflect or catch the missile with his toes when he is hit by a ranged weapon attack. When he does so, the damage he takes from the attack is reduced by 1d10 + 16. If he reduces damage to 0 and has a free foot, he can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged attack with the same missile (as with a monk weapon) with range 20/60.

Slow Fall. Precision can use his reaction when he falls to reduce any falling damage he takes by 60.

Background

Precision’s parentage is unknown, as he was found as an infant on the steps of a monastery. The monks sought an adoptive home for him, but the local villages had no home for a tiefling with cerebral palsy. But Precision never missed what he never knew, and he loves the 22 monks who raised him and taught him the Way of the Open Fist, which he adapted to follow using his feet and tail.

As a young adult, he had a vivid dream about other tiefling children being taken by devils, and he believed it to be a sign. Not knowing whether the dream referred to literal devils recruiting tieflings into their army or to the hellish situations many tieflings endure, he dedicated himself to finding other tieflings and helping them choose their own future—a future of hope.

As he travels, he watches for and keeps track of people who seem kind and accepting, who might be willing to foster or adopt an abandoned disabled or tiefling child.

Personality

Many people don’t take Precision seriously, seeing his contracted arms and the way his muscles tend to tilt his head, and underestimate him as a result. He also tends to see humor in most situations in life, and is quick to laugh at irony or add a joke to bring a grin to any encounter. But when he sees someone in distress, especially a child, a tiefling, or anyone being mistreated, his smile disappears as he springs into action, typically leading with the hand crossbow strapped to his leg as he closes any distance, followed by a series of devastating kicks.

Plot Hooks

• Precision asks the party to help him find a kidnapping victim.
• Rumors are reporting that a portal to the hells has opened, and devils are abducting tieflings. Precision is investigating the rumors and invites the party to assist him.
• The party finds an abandoned tiefling child along the road. If they rescue them, they will eventually encounter Precision, who will help them find a suitable home.