Pleasant smoke filled the temple, blanketing over the gore-smeared altar and throwing the cultists present into a trance. This was the right time to strike, take down the priest that had corrupted these otherwise normal people, and bring the horror to an end. Something else waited in the smoke, however, or rather produced it. As soon as your party breathed the gas with ill intent in your hearts, the parishioners snapped out of their haze and into a murderous frenzy. You managed to drive your blade through the priest's back... but then the censure he carried whipped around and bit you in the face. Fight's not over yet, boyo.

Polyps of the deadly idolatrous mimic, the censer mimics also use religion to their advantage. The smoke they produce lulls the unwary into a strange manner of worship. No matter what deity they serve, their rituals become bloody affairs to keep the mimic well-fed so it might bloom into a greater terror. The self-same smoke can suss out those full of ill intent as soon as it enters their lungs and directs the throng onto the disbelievers. Some censer mimics choose to remain big fish in a small pond, like a lazy cat growing fat due to an overindulgent owner.

Censer Mimic

Tiny fiend (shapechanger), neutral evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

58 (9d4 + 36)

Speed 30 ft

Str 16 Dex 10 Con 18 Int 6 Wis 16 Cha 12

Skills Religion +0, Stealth +4

Damage Resistances necrotic, radiant

Damage Immunities acidn

Condition Immunities prone

Sensesdarkvision 60 ft, passive Perception 13

Languages -

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Shapechanger.

The mimic can use its action to polymorph into a censer or back into its true, amorphous form. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Adhesive (Object Form Only).

The mimic adheres to anything that touches it. A Medium or smaller creature adhered to the mimic is also grappled by it (escape DC 13). Ability checks made to escape this grapple have disadvantage.

Censure Smoke (Object Form Only).

When the mimic is lit, it produces a sweet-smelling smoke in a radius of 30ft. This smoke does not obscure sight. All creatures that start their turn within the smoke or enter it for the first time and are not hostile toward the mimic must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or be Enraptured by the mimic for the next hour. Enraptured creatures are Charmed by the mimic and hostile to any creature seeking to harm it. Creatures that fail the save by 5 or more are Enraptured for the next 24 hours instead. This effect ends if the mimic is slain.

If a creature begins its turn within the smoke or enters it for the first time, it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom save or be Censured for the next minute. A Censured creature suffers the effects of the Bane Spell. This effect ends if the mimic is slain.

False Appearance (Object Form Only).

While the mimic remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an ordinary censer.

Fanaticism.

All Enraptured creatures within 30ft of the mimic, if it is not incapacitated, have advantage on attack rolls against another creature if at least one of the attacking creature's allies is within 5 feet of the target creature and the ally isn't incapacitated. If their target is Centured, their attacks deal an additional 3 (1d6) damage against that target.

Grappler.

The mimic mimic has advantage on attack rolls against any creature grappled by it.

Actions

Pseudopod.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage. If the mimic is in object form, the target is subjected to its Adhesive trait.

Bite.

Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d4) acid damage.

Reactions

Flail.

If a creature holding the mimic hits a target within 5ft with a melee attack, the mimic may make a bite attack against that target.