My players, stay out!
I'm writing a fifthcore adventure (do a google search for fourthcore, but in brief: METAL!!! in aesthetic, difficult in challenge, tournament-style in sensibility) for my players.
I'm targeting 6 players at 13th level, and putting together a "beyond deadly" boss monster at the bottom of the dungeon for them.
Over the course of the dungeon, some side-treasures provide a few methods to wreck this thing down a peg from where it starts (in particular, I'm thinking things like a machine which iron-plates and removes a character's sentience, allowing them to resist the parasites and blasphemies below since the character is no longer alive & "aware"
, a drider archdruid's stash of poison which, when imbibed by a spellcaster, applies "poison" to their spells which pokes holes in the regen, a way to invoke deific displeasure on the temple in which the creature lives, starting the combat with its maximal hit points halved, and access to a Ring of 3 Wishes), so I'm not really expecting a stand-up fight here. But getting each of those "treasures" is hard and not assumed, so I need the base stats, just in case.
But still, here they are, in case some else would find it fun. I'll post the adventure, if I finish it, in this thread.
DEIFIC PARASITE
A winged leech, black and chitinous in body, with mouths running the length of each tentacle descending from its underside.
Tiny monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 7 (2d4+2)
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR 4 (-3) DEX 16 (+3) INT CON 11 (+0) 2 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 6 (-2)
Damage Immunities radiant, psychic
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, lightning, nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this range), passive Perception 9
Languages
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the parasite attaches to the target. While attached, the parasite doesn't attack. Instead, at the start of each of the parasite's turns, the target loses 5 (1d4 + 3) hit points due to blood loss. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the parasite. The parasite may also willingly detach by spending 5 ft. of movement, which it will do upon draining 10 or more hit points. If it reduces a creature to 0 hit points while attached, it immediately uses Body Thief.
Body Thief. Targets one small or larger incapacitated creature to whom the parasite is attached. The parasite burrows with the body, killing it and animating it as a zombie of the appropriate statistics as long as the parasite is inside of it. While inside a creature, the parasite has total cover against attacks and other effects originating outside its host. If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the parasite must depart it. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the body drives the parasite off as well.
WITHERED GOD
An enormous four-armed, four-winged, four-faced idol, easily more than 40 feet tall, sitting in lotus. One pair of hands clutches a mace more than half its own size, while another pair are empty, supporting its bulk. The misshapen head is ringed with demonic faces, one a devoured ruin, one with seven sword-bladed tongues, one blank but for a lamprey-like mouth.
Its eyes open and it is like staring at some dark and dying sun.
Gargantuan celestial, chaotic evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 333 (18d20 + 144)
Speed 40ft., fly 80ft.
STR 26 (+8) DEX 10 (+0) CON 26 (+8) INT 10 (+0) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con + 14, Wis +7, Cha +8
Skills Perception +13, Stealth +6
Damage Immunities radiant, psychic
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, lightning, nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charm, fear, blind, deafened
Senses blindsight 60ft., darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 23
Languages Celestial, telepathy 120ft.
Challenge 20 (24,500 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Withered God fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. At the start of each round, the Withered God heals 20 hit points. If it takes poison or necrotic damage, this ability is suppressed until the end of its next initiative count.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Withered God can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its gaze and two with its fists.
Gaze. Spell Attack: +14 to hit, reach 200ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) radiant damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 20ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Awesome Presence. Each creature of the Withered God's choice that is within 120 feet of the Withered God and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Withered God's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Blasphemies (Recharge 5-6). The Withered God speaks one of the listed power words, which are considered 9th level spells for interactions with spells or abilities.
Binding Word: All creatures within a 90-foot cone with fewer hit points than the Withered God that are aware of it are blinded, deafened, and muted for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns, a victim may make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw to end one if these effects of their choice.
Revelatory Word: Each creature within a 90-foot cone who is aware of the Withered God must make a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) psychic damage and 27 (6d8) radiant damage (56 total) on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In either case, a creature targeted by this ability then takes ongoing 2d8 psychic and 2d8 radiant (18 total), save ends.
Word of Creation: summons 6d6 (average 21) Deific Parasites anywhere the Withered God wishes within a 90-foot cone.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Withered God can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Withered God regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The Withered God makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Mace Attack. The Withered God makes a mace attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The Withered God beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the Withered God must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The Withered God can then fly up to half its flying speed.
I'm writing a fifthcore adventure (do a google search for fourthcore, but in brief: METAL!!! in aesthetic, difficult in challenge, tournament-style in sensibility) for my players.
I'm targeting 6 players at 13th level, and putting together a "beyond deadly" boss monster at the bottom of the dungeon for them.
Over the course of the dungeon, some side-treasures provide a few methods to wreck this thing down a peg from where it starts (in particular, I'm thinking things like a machine which iron-plates and removes a character's sentience, allowing them to resist the parasites and blasphemies below since the character is no longer alive & "aware"
, a drider archdruid's stash of poison which, when imbibed by a spellcaster, applies "poison" to their spells which pokes holes in the regen, a way to invoke deific displeasure on the temple in which the creature lives, starting the combat with its maximal hit points halved, and access to a Ring of 3 Wishes), so I'm not really expecting a stand-up fight here. But getting each of those "treasures" is hard and not assumed, so I need the base stats, just in case.But still, here they are, in case some else would find it fun. I'll post the adventure, if I finish it, in this thread.
DEIFIC PARASITE
A winged leech, black and chitinous in body, with mouths running the length of each tentacle descending from its underside.
Tiny monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
Hit Points 7 (2d4+2)
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR 4 (-3) DEX 16 (+3) INT CON 11 (+0) 2 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 6 (-2)
Damage Immunities radiant, psychic
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, lightning, nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, deafened
Senses blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this range), passive Perception 9
Languages
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the parasite attaches to the target. While attached, the parasite doesn't attack. Instead, at the start of each of the parasite's turns, the target loses 5 (1d4 + 3) hit points due to blood loss. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the parasite. The parasite may also willingly detach by spending 5 ft. of movement, which it will do upon draining 10 or more hit points. If it reduces a creature to 0 hit points while attached, it immediately uses Body Thief.
Body Thief. Targets one small or larger incapacitated creature to whom the parasite is attached. The parasite burrows with the body, killing it and animating it as a zombie of the appropriate statistics as long as the parasite is inside of it. While inside a creature, the parasite has total cover against attacks and other effects originating outside its host. If the host body drops to 0 hit points, the parasite must depart it. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the body drives the parasite off as well.
WITHERED GOD
An enormous four-armed, four-winged, four-faced idol, easily more than 40 feet tall, sitting in lotus. One pair of hands clutches a mace more than half its own size, while another pair are empty, supporting its bulk. The misshapen head is ringed with demonic faces, one a devoured ruin, one with seven sword-bladed tongues, one blank but for a lamprey-like mouth.
Its eyes open and it is like staring at some dark and dying sun.
Gargantuan celestial, chaotic evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 333 (18d20 + 144)
Speed 40ft., fly 80ft.
STR 26 (+8) DEX 10 (+0) CON 26 (+8) INT 10 (+0) WIS 13 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Saving Throws Dex +6, Con + 14, Wis +7, Cha +8
Skills Perception +13, Stealth +6
Damage Immunities radiant, psychic
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, lightning, nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charm, fear, blind, deafened
Senses blindsight 60ft., darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 23
Languages Celestial, telepathy 120ft.
Challenge 20 (24,500 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Withered God fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Regeneration. At the start of each round, the Withered God heals 20 hit points. If it takes poison or necrotic damage, this ability is suppressed until the end of its next initiative count.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Withered God can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its gaze and two with its fists.
Gaze. Spell Attack: +14 to hit, reach 200ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) radiant damage plus 9 (2d8) fire damage.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 20ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Awesome Presence. Each creature of the Withered God's choice that is within 120 feet of the Withered God and aware of it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Withered God's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Blasphemies (Recharge 5-6). The Withered God speaks one of the listed power words, which are considered 9th level spells for interactions with spells or abilities.
Binding Word: All creatures within a 90-foot cone with fewer hit points than the Withered God that are aware of it are blinded, deafened, and muted for 1 minute. At the end of each of their turns, a victim may make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw to end one if these effects of their choice.
Revelatory Word: Each creature within a 90-foot cone who is aware of the Withered God must make a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) psychic damage and 27 (6d8) radiant damage (56 total) on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In either case, a creature targeted by this ability then takes ongoing 2d8 psychic and 2d8 radiant (18 total), save ends.
Word of Creation: summons 6d6 (average 21) Deific Parasites anywhere the Withered God wishes within a 90-foot cone.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Withered God can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Withered God regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The Withered God makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Mace Attack. The Withered God makes a mace attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The Withered God beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the Withered God must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The Withered God can then fly up to half its flying speed.
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