D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[Mind of tempest]

Zakum
Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 370 (20d20 + 160)
Speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	18 (+4)	26 (+8)	30 (+10)	24 (+7)	27 (+8)

Savings Throws Dex +12, Con +14, Int +18, Wis +15
Skills Arcana +26, History +18, Intimidation +16, Perception +15, Persuasion + 16
Damage Resistances force, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical and is not adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages All, telepathy 240 ft., see also telepathic bond
Challenge 28 (120,000 XP)

Arcane Mastery. A zakum can cast spells without material components, it can concentrate on up to two spells at a time and only one spell is interrupted each time it fails a concentration check. Additionally, after the zakum finishes a Short Rest, it regain expended spell slots with combined levels of ten or less.

Magic Resistance. The spell weaver has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects and any creature that makes a spell attack against the zakum has disadvantage on the attack roll.

Metamagic (4/Rest). The zakum can use a bonus action to apply one of the following metamagic traits to spell it is casting:

• Double the range of the spell.
• Add 10 to the damage of the spell's damage type.
• Double the duration of the spell.
• Force the target of the spell to make the first saving throw against the spell with disadvantage.
• Exclude up to 10 creatures of its choice from the affects of the spell.

Shielded Mind. Attempts to communicate telepathically with the zakum, or to read its mind, always fail. A creature making an attempt must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by a confusion spell.

Spellcasting. The zakum is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 26, +18 to hit with spell attacks). The zakum has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): mage hand, mending, minor illusion, ray of frost, shocking grasp
1st level (at will): charm person, detect magic, magic missile, shield, sleep
2nd level (at will): blur, knock, hold person, invisibility, scorching ray, suggestion
3rd level (at will): clairvoyance, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, lightning bolt, sending
4th level (4 slots): banishment, blight, ice storm, phantasmal killer, polymorph
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, hold monster, scrying, wall of force, telekinesis
6th level (3 slots): chain lightning, circle of death, disintegrate, mass suggestion
7th level (3 slots): finger of death, forcecage, plane shift, teleport
8th level (2 slots): feeblemind, mind blank, power word stun
9th level (2 slots): power word kill, prismatic wall, time stop

Telepathic Bond. Zakum are telepathic connected to each other and can communicate telepathically with each other as long as they are on the same plane.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The zakum can make two Slam attacks or cast two at will spells.

Slam. Melee weapon attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 23 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone, pushed 20 feet, or, if the target is Medium or smaller, grappled, the zakum's choice.

Fireball. The zakum selects a point it can see within 150 feet of it. A bolt of flame streaks from its hand to the point and explodes in a 20-foot radius ball of flames. Each creature in the area must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.

Lightning Bolt. A stroke of lightning forming a line 100 feet long and 5 feet wide blasts out from the zakum. Each creature in the line must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The lightning ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried

REACTIONS
Magic Absorption. When the zakum comes into contact with spell or magical effect, or it is the target of spell attack, or within the area of effect of a spell, it can attempt to absorb the magic. The zakum must make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with the DC equal to 25 + the spell's level. On a success, the zakum suffers no effects from the spell and instead regains one lost spell slot or use of meta magic. On a failure, the spell works normally, but the zakum's magic resistance still applies.

War Casting. When a creature provokes an opportunity attack, the zakum may cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action and that targets only that creature, rather than making an opportunity attack.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The zakum 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 zakum regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

At-Will Spell. The zakum casts one of its at-will spells.
Slam. The zakum makes a slam attack.
Teleport (Cost 2 Actions). The zakum, and anything it is wearing or carrying, can teleport to an unoccupied space it can see within 240 feet of it.
Spell Casting (Costs 3 Actions). The zakum casts a spell

I highlighted a bit where the terminology is odd otherwise thank you this is most kickass.
now I have to figure out what they look like?
any idea on what to name the servitor race?

 

[dave2008]

I highlighted a bit where the terminology is odd otherwise thank you this is most kickass.
now I have to figure out what they look like?
any idea on what to name the servitor race?

Corrected!
I tried to find an image, but no luck yet.
Not currently.

 

[dave2008]

I highlighted a bit where the terminology is odd otherwise thank you this is most kickass.
now I have to figure out what they look like?
any idea on what to name the servitor race?

PS I you want to give me a bit of descriptive text / lore I will added to the entry.

 

[Mind of tempest]

PS I you want to give me a bit of descriptive text / lore I will added to the entry.

this work?
The Arcane Lords of the Ending Empire the Zakum

the sky sharpers the makes of the great rings in the sky.

Once long ago no one had heard of them.

The ring did not sit in the sky.

Arcane magic was all but unheard of.

A petty war between the nations after the defeat of the elemental lords was across the continents

The ancestors of the undersea empire were winning most bowed to them. This was several thousand years ago and they are still bitter over what happened.

Under the bright light of the white moon, the sky erupted in colour and symbols and their otherworldly ships arrived.

Hunks of metal the size of mountains moved through the air dropping spells and monsters over the land.

Within two terrible years, the world fell to their banners.

Using humans as the most common subjects they built cities of great beauty.

Near endless infrastructure to support such cities.

School to teach their subjects how to do things.

About a thousand years in they built the great ring a vast ring that sits in the sky around the whole planet. (note kinda like this https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/s...edium-1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130731175731)

they built it to harness more magic for something.

Within the last five hundred years, they have been slowly disappearing apparently they are leaving for somewhere else.

Less than twenty remain on the planet

with their numbers falling things are being left abandoned or to revert to older ways.

Their Heir apparent being a bunch of smaller weaker successor creatures called the ???



what the Zakim look like.

An oddly per-portioned upper body with flesh like sword steel.

Two long oddly thin arms which end in eight-digit hand with two thumbs

Great wings that look like nothing else grow out of their back.

A slender lower torso joins with an almost swallow like tail and two massive digitigrade legs ending in six towed feet with two dewclaws.

The skin is oddly both armoured to look at but has a distinctive ethereal quality.

Whatever colour it is in it will always have a pearlescent sheen

Their heads are just alien with eight eyes large ears and a small three-part jaw.

They normally wear robes resembling a cross between wizard robes and the clothes of royalty.

Some most notably the lady of war wear huge suits of armour and carry a strange kind of sword along with an arcane energy gun.

 

[dave2008]

Vraxhin, Lord of Necromancy
Gargantuan undead, unaligned

Armor Class 22 (natural armor)
Hit Points 429 (22d20 + 198)
Speed 60 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
25 (+7)	18 (+4)	28 (+9)	30 (+10)	26 (+8)	29 (+9)

Savings Throws Dex +13, Con +18, Int +19, Wis +17, Cha +18
Skills Arcana +28, History +19, Intimidation +18, Perception +17, Persuasion + 18
Damage Resistances cold, force
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical and is not adamantine
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, stunned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 27
Languages All, telepathy 360 ft., see also telepathic bond
Challenge 29 (135,000 XP)

Arcane Mastery. Vraxhin can cast spells without material components, it can concentrate on up to two spells at a time and only one spell is interrupted each time it fails a concentration check. Additionally, after Vraxhin finishes a Short Rest, it regains expended spell slots with combined levels of ten or less.

Lord of Necromancy. Vraxhin knows all necromancy spells and does not need to prepare them. Additionally, it can cast any necromancy spell once per day without expending a spell slot and and necromancy spell that Vraxhin cast inflicts 10 additional necrotic damage (included in the attack).

Magic Resistance. Vraxhin has advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects and any creature that makes a spell attack against Vraxhin has disadvantage on the attack roll.

Marshal Undead. Unless the Vraxhin is incapacitated, it and undead creatures of its choice within 180 feet of it have advantage on saving throws against features that turn undead.

Metamagic (4/Rest). Vraxhin can use a bonus action to apply one of the following metamagic traits to spell it is casting:

• Double the range of the spell.
• Add 10 to the damage of the spell's damage type.
• Double the duration of the spell.
• Force the target of the spell to make the first saving throw against the spell with disadvantage.
• Exclude up to 10 creatures of its choice from the affects of the spell.

Shielded Mind. Attempts to communicate telepathically with Vraxhin, or to read its mind, always fail. A creature making an attempt must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by a confusion spell.

Spellcasting. Vraxhin is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 27, +19 to hit with spell attacks). Vraxhin has the following wizard spells prepared (see also Lord of Necromancy):

Cantrips (at will): chill touch*, mage hand, mending, minor illusion, ray of frost, shocking grasp
1st level (at will): charm person, detect magic, inflict wounds*, ray of sickness*, shield, sleep
2nd level (at will): animate dead*, bestow curse*, blur, hold person, invisibility, ray of enfeeblement, suggestion
3rd level (at will): clairvoyance, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, sending, vampiric touch*
4th level (4 slots): banishment, blight*, contagion*, ice storm, phantasmal killer, polymorph
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, hold monster, raise dead*, scrying, telekinesis, wall of force
6th level (3 slots): circle of death*, create undead*, disintegrate, harm*, mass suggestion
7th level (3 slots): finger of death*, forcecage, plane shift, teleport
8th level (2 slots): abi-dalzim's horrid wilting*, feeblemind, mind blank, power word stun
9th level (2 slots): power word kill, prismatic wall, time ravage*, time stop

*Necromancy spells

Telepathic Bond. Vraxhin is telepathically connected to other zakum and can communicate telepathically with each other as long as they are on the same plane.

Unstoppable (3/Rest). At any time, requiring no action, the zakum can take 30 hit points of damage and immediately end one condition or effects it is suffering. After taking the damage, the zakum cannot take reactions until the start of its next turn.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. Vraxhin can make two Slam attacks, cast two at will spells, or make one Slam attack and cast one at will spell.

Slam. Melee weapon attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage and the target must make a DC 23 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone, pushed 20 feet, or, if the target is Medium or smaller, grappled, the zakum's choice.

Fireball. Vraxhin selects a point it can see within 150 feet of it. A bolt of flame streaks from its hand to the point and explodes in a 20-foot radius ball of flames. Each creature in the area must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage on failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.

Inflict Wounds. Melee Spell Attack. + 18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit. 37 (5d10 + 10) necrotic damage.

Vampiric Touch. Melee Spell Attack. + 18 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit. 20 (3d6 + 10) necrotic damage and Vraxhin regains 10 hit points.

Conjure Undead (1/Day). Vraxhin conjures undead creatures whose combined average hit points don’t exceed 600. These undead magically rise up from the ground or otherwise form in unoccupied spaces within 500 feet of Vraxhin and obey its commands until they are destroyed or until Vraxhin dismisses them as an action.

REACTIONS
Magic Absorption. When Vraxhin comes into contact with spell or magical effect, or it is the target of spell attack, or within the area of effect of a spell, it can attempt to absorb the magic. Vraxhin must make an Intelligence (Arcana) check with the DC equal to 25 + the spell's level. On a success, Vraxhin suffers no effects from the spell and instead regains one lost spell slot or use of meta magic. On a failure, the spell works normally, but Vraxhin's magic resistance still applies.

War Casting. When a creature provokes an opportunity attack, Vraxhin may cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action and that targets only that creature, rather than making an opportunity attack.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Vraxhin 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. Vraxhin regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

At-Will Spell. Vraxhin casts one of its at-will spells.
Slam. Vraxhin makes a slam attack.
Teleport (Cost 2 Actions). Vraxhin, and anything it is wearing or carrying, can teleport to an unoccupied space it can see within 240 feet of it.
Spell Casting (Costs 3 Actions). Vraxhin casts a spell

 

[Stalker0]

Zakum
Challenge 25 (75,000 XP)

This guy definately brings the pain rain!

The magic absorb is really what makes this guy works, he's basically immune to 1st and 2nd level spells, and has a very good chance to absorb higher level spells as well. Physically he's not all that impressive, but it comes down to get through his control and wall spells and the like to actually deliver physical damage.

On the spells, you might swap blight for d door just to give more tactical mobility, as he already has plenty of area damage options. Also counterspell seems odd for 3rd, I feel like this guy would always rather absorb than counter, but I guess maybe for high level spells where his chance to absorb isn't so hot.

My main concern is adding unstoppable to this guy. Your already making casters go through a lot of hoops to get this guy, first I have to beat the magic absorption (which as a NPC ability means the players don't have control on when things get absorbed, so it will feel twice as strong as if the players made the roll....that's just the player mindset). But then they have to beat magic resistance, then they have to beat amazing saves in all the categories that matter.

That's a lot but its epic so fine. But then adding unstoppable on top I'm worried is too much. Then again by consuming his reaction that way you are pulling down his magic absorb which then gives the caster a chance to pounce, so it might be ok, but it would definitely be something to watch for in playtesting.

 

[dave2008]

This guy definately brings the pain rain!

The magic absorb is really what makes this guy works, he's basically immune to 1st and 2nd level spells, and has a very good chance to absorb higher level spells as well. Physically he's not all that impressive, but it comes down to get through his control and wall spells and the like to actually deliver physical damage.

On the spells, you might swap blight for d door just to give more tactical mobility, as he already has plenty of area damage options. Also counterspell seems odd for 3rd, I feel like this guy would always rather absorb than counter, but I guess maybe for high level spells where his chance to absorb isn't so hot.

My main concern is adding unstoppable to this guy. Your already making casters go through a lot of hoops to get this guy, first I have to beat the magic absorption (which as a NPC ability means the players don't have control on when things get absorbed, so it will feel twice as strong as if the players made the roll....that's just the player mindset). But then they have to beat magic resistance, then they have to beat amazing saves in all the categories that matter.

That's a lot but its epic so fine. But then adding unstoppable on top I'm worried is too much. Then again by consuming his reaction that way you are pulling down his magic absorb which then gives the caster a chance to pounce, so it might be ok, but it would definitely be something to watch for in playtesting.

I removed it. It didn't originally have it and then I went back to make some corrections and thought, "oh gosh I forgot unstoppable!" I should have stuck with my initial instinct.

 

[Mind of tempest]

This guy definately brings the pain rain!

The magic absorb is really what makes this guy works, he's basically immune to 1st and 2nd level spells, and has a very good chance to absorb higher level spells as well. Physically he's not all that impressive, but it comes down to get through his control and wall spells and the like to actually deliver physical damage.

On the spells, you might swap blight for d door just to give more tactical mobility, as he already has plenty of area damage options. Also counterspell seems odd for 3rd, I feel like this guy would always rather absorb than counter, but I guess maybe for high level spells where his chance to absorb isn't so hot.

My main concern is adding unstoppable to this guy. Your already making casters go through a lot of hoops to get this guy, first I have to beat the magic absorption (which as a NPC ability means the players don't have control on when things get absorbed, so it will feel twice as strong as if the players made the roll....that's just the player mindset). But then they have to beat magic resistance, then they have to beat amazing saves in all the categories that matter.

That's a lot but its epic so fine. But then adding unstoppable on top I'm worried is too much. Then again by consuming his reaction that way you are pulling down his magic absorb which then gives the caster a chance to pounce, so it might be ok, but it would definitely be something to watch for in playtesting.

these guys there is supposed to be more than one of them.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

You've got Fireball as a necromancy spell.

 

[Mind of tempest]

You've got Fireball as a necromancy spell.

name a wizard who does not end up with fireball.