The Kal'Kikori

Melting into any background, the highly trained corps of Kal'Kikori are much more than elite Lizardfolk soldiers.

These troops specialize in covert operations and undercover investigations. They are gifted reptilians, able to easily mimic any background, or fake any accent, or pick up any skill. Some of them have been known to learn entire languages, including colloquialisms and regional accents, and a matter of months. They are chosen for their athletisism, mobility, and charisma, while they are still quite young, and trained extensively every day of their lives until they graduate from their school, which is hidden deep in the Nyssan Jungle.

Only ten or twelve of these troops will be chosen in a year, reflecting the exacting standards of membership, and the difficulty in finding such candidates in the first place. Then the same candidates need to survive the brutal training these special operatives receive.

Kal'Kikori Badge

Kal'Kikori

Medium humanoid, lawful neutral

Armor Class: 18

Hit Points: 135

Speed: 40ft Swim: 60ft Climb: 40ft

STR

15 +2

DEX

18 +4

CON

16 +3

INT

16 +3

WIS

12 +1

CHA

17 +3

Saving Throws: Cha, Dex

Skills: Athletics +5, Deception +6, Acrobatics +5

Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire

Damage Resistances: Cold, Necrotic, Slashing

Condition Immunities: Frightened

Senses: Blind Fighting 120', Darkvision 120'

Languages: Draconic, Common

Challenge Rating: 12

The Kal'kikori uses its Charisma modifier as its spellcasting ability, giving it a +8 spell attack, and a spell save DC of 15.

At will:

Darkness, Eldritch Blast

Unarmored Movement

Starting at 2nd level, your speed increases by 10 feet while you are not wearing armor or wielding a shield. This bonus increases when you reach certain monk levels, as shown in the Monk table.

At 9th level, you gain the ability to move along vertical surfaces and across liquids on your turn without falling during the move.

Step of the Wind

You can spend 1 ki point to take the Disengage or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn, and your jump distance is doubled for the turn.

Mind of Mercury

Starting at 11th level, you’ve honed your awareness and reflexes through mental aptitude and pattern recognition. Once per turn, if you’ve already taken your reaction, you may spend 1 ki point to take an additional reaction. You can use only one reaction per triggering effect.

Unarmored Defense

Beginning at 1st level, while you are wearing no armor and not wielding a shield, your AC equals 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Charisma modifier.

Slow Fall

Beginning at 4th level, you can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by an amount equal to five times your monk level.

Patient Defense

You can spend 1 ki point to take the Dodge action as a bonus action on your turn.

Stunning Strike

Starting at 5th level, you can interfere with the flow of ki in an opponent’s body. When you hit another creature with a melee weapon attack, you can spend 1 ki point to attempt a stunning strike. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of your next turn.

Purity of Body

At 10th level, your mastery of the ki flowing through you makes you immune to disease and poison.

Multiattack

The Kal'Kikori makes melee or ranged weapon attacks per round.

Ki Powered Strikes

The Kal'Kikori's strikes and blows count as magical attacks.

Actions

Unarmed Strike:

Melee attack +10, 1d8+7 Bludgeoning Damage

Shuriken

Ranged attack +12, 15'/60', 1d10+5 Slashing Damage

Javelin of Lightning

Ranged attack +12, 30'/120', 1d6+5 Piercing Damage, 4d6 Lightning Damage

Reactions

Deflect Missiles

Starting at 3rd level, you can use your reaction to deflect or catch the missile when you are hit by a ranged weapon attack. When you do so, the damage you take from the att⁠ack is reduced by 1d10 + your Dexterity modifier + your monk level.

If you reduce the damage to 0, you can catch the missile if it is small enough for you to hold in one hand and you have at least one hand free. If you catch a missile in this way, you can spend 1 ki point to make a ranged att⁠ack with the weapon or piece of ammunition you just caught, as part of the same reaction. You make this atta⁠ck with proficiency, regardless of your weapon proficiencies, and the missile counts as a monk weapon for the attack.

Kal'Kikori are highly trained Taishando Lizardfolk, who have specialized in hand-to-hand combat, and stealth.

Suggested Environments

The Nyssan Jungle; barring that, wherever the King of the Lizardfolk goes, there they will be.

Composition

Manpower

There are seven Lizardfolk per unit, reflecting the number of reptilians that will fit comfortably on the boats that they use to patrol the swamps. At any given time, there are fifty to sixty units, as well as up to two hundred support personnel.

Equipment

There have been many specialized weapons devised for the Kal'Kikori, most of which are easily disguised as simple, everyday tools. They do have a ceremonial sword that they receive when they graduate the academy, but it is never worn except for at ceremonies where they wear their dress uniform. It denotes their station, their sacrifice, and their commitment to the King.

Weaponry

Most Kal'Kikori favor using their open hands, but some few have been known to specialize in short bladed weapons, or a weighted dart upon a long chain, which they call a 'star hammer'. The Kal'Kikori's jobs depend so much on stealth and being unnoticed, however, that they hardly ever carry weapons.

Vehicles

The Kal'Kikori use seven-person rafts that enable them to easily travel long distances through the swamp, virtually silently. They are made of bamboo, and lashed together with twine made from hemp fibers.

Structure

The King is the ultimate commander of this elite corps of rugged survivalists, who answer to him before any general or other leader. The King will consult with his advisors, of course, but this covert group of soldiers is ultimately under his direct command.