Tarling

Type: elemental Creature Component: tar-rasque Bonus Tamer Improvement: Growth I and +2 Hit Dice

Tarlings can draw upon the arcane power source around which they're crafted in order to enhance the decompositive powers innate to tar elementals. They can even manipulate the corpses of the deceased, puppeteering them as flesh suits that can absorb incoming blows. Biomancers posit that such companions can even assume the immense size of tarrasques for a short time.

If any of the tarling's traits or actions require a saving throw, it is always against the tarling's save DC, as calculated below.

Save DC = 8 + the tamer's proficiency bonus + the tarling's Constitution modifier

Monster Trainer: In addition to the improvements you can normally give your companions, you can choose to grant the tarling the following improvements using your Monster Trainer feature:

Growth I: Prerequisite: become a tamer's companion Type: Passive (companion) The tarling's size increases to Small, its Hit Die size increases to a d6 (its hit point maximum consequently increases by 1 for each of its Hit Dice), and the damage die of its bite attack increases to a d6. The tarling gains this improvement when it becomes a companion; it doesn't cost an improvement.

Arcane Activation: Prerequisite: 3rd-level tamer Type: Active (bonus action) As a bonus action, the tarling can activate its arcane power source for 1 minute. For the duration, the tarling has resistance to necrotic damage and deals an additional 3 (1d6) necrotic damage when it hits a target with a melee attack. After the tarling uses this action, it can't do so again until its tamer finishes a long rest.

Growth II: Prerequisite: 3rd-level tamer, Growth I Type: Passive (companion) The tarling's size increases to Medium, its Hit Die size increases to a d8 (its hit point maximum consequently increases by 1 for each of its Hit Dice), and the damage dice of its bite and tail attacks (see below), as well as its Arcane Activation, increase from a d6 to a d8. This growth improvement ignores the normal maximum companion size for a tamer.

Multiattack: Prerequisite: 5th-level tamer Type: Active (action) The tarling gains two new action options: Tail and Multiattack. The damage die of the tail attack increases with the specified die size in the tarling's Growth improvements.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: Str modifier + PB to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + Str modifier bludgeoning damage. Multiattack. As an action, the tarling makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail.

Necrotar Tongue I: Prerequisite: 5th-level tamer Type: Active (action) As an action, the tarling can spew a whip-like tongue of elastic tar at a creature no larger than itself that it can see within 20 feet of it. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw or become grappled (escape DC equals save DC) by the tarling and be pulled up to 15 feet closer to the tarling. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, takes 9 (2d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns, and the tarling can't use its bite attack against a different target. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't grappled, pulled, or restrained.

After the tarling uses this action, it can't do so again until its tamer finishes a short or long rest.

When the tarling's tamer reaches 9th level in the tamer class, the recurring damage of this action increases to 13 (3d8).

Refractive Exterior: Prerequisite: 5th-level tamer Type: Passive (companion) When the tarling is targeted by a magic missile spell or a spell that requires a ranged attack roll, roll a d4. On a 4, the tarling is unaffected and the energy is refracted into a random elemental type and a bolt of energy fires back at the caster as a ranged spell attack, using the caster's spell attack modifier and dealing damage equal to the tarling's current Hit Die size (see Growth improvements) on a hit. Roll another d4 to determine the damage type: 1-acid, 2-cold, 3-fire, 4-lightning.

Arcane Animation: Prerequisite: 9th-level tamer, Arcane Activation Type: Active (action) As an action, the tarling can reanimate one corpse within 5 feet of it, merging its body with the corpse for the next hour. The corpse must have been a creature with a challenge rating equal to or lower than the tamer's proficiency bonus and been of a size equal to or smaller than the tarling.

For the duration, the tarling gains the non-flying speeds of the corpse's original creature and has two pools of hit points: its own and those from the corpse it inhabits. The corpse's pool of hit points equals half the original creature's hit point maximum. Whenever the tarling takes damage, half of the damage is transferred to the corpse and subtracted from that pool of hit points instead of the tarling's.

If the corpse's pool of hit points is reduced to 0, the reanimation ends and the corpse is destroyed.

After the tarling uses this action, it can't do so again until its tamer finishes a long rest.

Growth III: Prerequisite: 9th-level tamer, Growth II Type: Passive (companion) The tarling's size increases to Large, its Hit Die size increases to a d10 (its hit point maximum consequently increases by 1 for each of its Hit Dice), and the damage dice of its bite and tail attacks (see below), as well as its Arcane Activation, increase from a d8 to a d10. This growth improvement ignores the normal maximum companion size for a tamer.

Growth IV: Prerequisite: 13th-level tamer, Growth III Type: Passive (companion) The tarling's size increases to Huge, its Hit Die size increases to a d12 (its hit point maximum consequently increases by 1 for each of its Hit Dice), and the damage dice of its bite and tail attacks (see below), as well as its Arcane Activation, increase from a d10 to a d12. This growth improvement ignores the normal maximum companion size for a tamer.

Necrotar Tongue II: Prerequisite: 13th-level tamer, Necrotar Tongue I Type: Passive (companion) The range of the tarling's Necrotar Tongue action increases to 40 feet, it can pull the target up to 35 feet closer to it on a failed save, and the damage dealt to the grappled target increases to 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. When the tarling's tamer reaches 17th level in the tamer class, the recurring damage of this action increases to 22 (5d8).

Siege Monster: Prerequisite: 17th-level tamer, Growth IV Type: Active (bonus action) As a bonus action, the tarling can grow to Gargantuan size for 1 minute. It gains a number of temporary hit points equal to its maximum number of Hit Dice, and the damage dice of its bite and tail attacks increase to 4d4. For the duration, the tarling deals double damage to structures and objects.

Titanspawn: Prerequisite: 17th-level tamer Type: Passive (companion) The tarling is immune to the charmed and frightened conditions.