D&D 5E 5e Updates: Monstrous Compendium

[dave2008]

I have added the Vampire Lord to the mythic monsters. I am still tweaking the spell list, but it is pretty good to go.

 

[dave2008]

I have added the Elder Black Pudding, an "elite" homage to the shoggoths that inspired the original black pudding.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Mythic Demogorgon
Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil
View attachment 125421
Armor Class 24 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 496 (34d12 + 272)
Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 50 ft.
View attachment 125422

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
29 (+9)	14 (+2)	27 (+8)	20 (+5)	18 (+4)	26 (+8)

View attachment 125423
Saving Throws STR +17, DEX +10, CON +16, WIS +12, CHA +16
Skills Acrobatics +10, Arcana +13, Athletics +17, Intimidate +16, Insight +12, Perception +20
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical Attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 360 ft., truesight 180 ft., passive perception 30
Languages all, telepathy 180 ft.
Challenge 28 (120,000 XP)
View attachment 125424

Grasping Tentacles. Demogorgon can use a bonus action to make a bite, fling or tentacle attack against a target it has grappled.

Innate Spellcasting. Demogorgon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks). Demogorgon can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect magic, dispel magic, fear, fly, major image, telekinesis, wall of ice
3/day each: contagion (flesh rot), charm monster, evard's black tentacles, project image, teleport
1/day each: feeblemind, plane shift (self only), time stop, weird

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Demogorgon fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Limited Magic Immunity. Unless Demogorgon wishes to be affected, it is immune to spells of 3rd level or lower. It has advantage on saving throws against all other spells and magical effects and any creature that makes a spell attack against Demogorgon has disadvantage on the attack roll.

Magic Weapons. Demogorgon’s weapon attacks are magical.

Maddening Gaze. When a creature that can see Demogorgon starts its turn within 120 feet of it, the creature must make a DC 18 Charisma saving throw if Demogorgon isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. On a failed save, the target must roll a d10, suffering one of the following effects determined by the roll:

1-4. Beguiling Gaze. The target is stunned until the end of Demogorgon’s next turn or until Demogorgon is no longer within line of sight.
5-8. Insanity Gaze. The target suffers the effect of the confusion spell without making a saving throw. The effect lasts until the start of Demogorgon’s next turn. Demogorgon doesn’t need to concentrate on the spell.
9-10. Hypnotic Gaze. The target is charmed by Demogorgon until the end of Demogorgon’s next turn. While the target is charmed this way, Demogorgon can use an action, legendary action, or bonus action to take precise control of the target as in the spell dominate monster.

Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can’t see Demogorgon until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at Demogorgon in the meantime, it must immediately make the save.

Necrotic Molt (Mythic Trait, recharges after a short or long rest). If Demogorgon is reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn’t die or fall unconscious. Instead, Demogorgon sheds its skin, all conditions and effects it is suffering end for it, it regains 496 hit points, all of its abilities recharge, and its space and the area within a 10-foot radius of it becomes difficult terrain for Medium and smaller creatures and any creature that ends its turn in the area takes 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.

Prince of Demons. Demogorgons attacks ignore all resistances of creatures CR or level 20 or below. Additionally, any demon within 120 feet of Demogorgon must make a DC 20 Charisma saving throw at the start of each of its turn or suffer the effects of Demogorgon's hypnotic gaze.

Regeneration. If Demogorgon has at least 1 hit point, it regains 20 hit points at the start of it's turn.

Siege Monster. Demogorgon deals double damage to objects and structures.

Teleport. Demogorgon can use a bonus action to magically teleport up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Two Heads. Demogorgon has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, deafened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. Demogorgon makes two attacks: any combination of bite, fling, tail, and tentacle attacks.

Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack. +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit. 22 (3d8 + 9) bludgeoning damage plus 33 (6d10) necrotic damage and if the target is a Medium or smaller creature it must make a DC 25 Strength saving throw or be grappled. A creature grappled in this way is also restrained. Additionally, the target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a Long Rest. The target dies if this Effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack. +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one grappled, charmed, or incapacitated creature. Hit. 28 (3d12 + 9) piercing damage or 61 (8d12 +9) damage on a critical hit. This attack scores a critical hit on a roll of 18 - 20.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d6 + 9) piercing damage and the target must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion on a failure or be poisoned on a success. These effects remain until the target takes a short or long rest, removing 1 level of exhaustion or the poisoned condition on a short rest or 4 levels for a long rest.

Fling. One Medium or smaller object or creature held or grappled by Demogorgon is thrown up to 120 ft in a direction of its choosing. The target must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or take 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown and knocked prone on a failure, or half as much damage one a success. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.

Summon Demon (1/short-rest). Demogorgon magically summons demons with a combined average hit points of not more than 500.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Demogorgon can take 2 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time at the end of another creature’s turn or any unspent legendary actions can be used at the end of each round. Demogorgon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Attack. Demogorgon makes a bite, fling, tail, or tentacle attack.
Move. Demogorgon can move up to half its speed.
Maddening Glare. Demogorgon chooses a creature it can see within 120 feet of it and forces it stare into its eyes. The target must make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by Demogorgon's Beguiling or Insanity Gaze, Demogorgon's choice.
Quick Casting. Demogorgon casts an at will spell.
Hypnotic Glare (Cost 2 Actions). Demogorgon chooses a creature it can see within 120 feet of it and forces it stare into its eyes. The target must make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by Demogorgon's Hypnotic Gaze.

MYTHIC ACTIONS
If Demogorgon’s mythic trait is active, it can use the options below as legendary actions for 1 hour after using Necrotic Molt.

Teleport. Demogorgon uses its teleport action.
Glare of Subjugation (Costs 2 Actions). Demogorgon can force a sighted creature it has grappled to see its eyes and be affected by its hypnotic gaze and the effect last for 1 minute. The target can make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself with a success.
Spell Casting (Costs 2 Actions). Demogorgon casts a spell.

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Demogorgon as a Mythic Encounter
Demogorgon is a terrifying opponent for high-level characters, but if you can increase the insanity of the encounter by using the Necrotic Molt trait. When this happens, Demogorgon rejuvenates and then can use its mythic actions when it uses a legendary action.

Read or paraphrase the following text when Demogorgon uses its Necrotic Molt trait:

The Demon Prince's skin cracks and falls to the ground in viscous clumps of ichor covered hide and scales. Standing among the gore is a resplendent Demogorgon of untarnished scales and hide.

Fighting Demogorgon as a mythic encounter is equivalent to taking on two CR 28 creatures in one encounter. Award a party 240,000 XP for defeating Demogorgon after it uses Necrotic Molt.

I was thinking of being a little more evil with the mythic rules, and have Demogorgon split in 2 (each with 1 head). It seems like the action economy of having 2 weaker legendary monster with legendary/mythic actions could make for a really bad day for a party of 4 PC's.

 

[dave2008]

I was thinking of being a little more evil with the mythic rules, and have Demogorgon split in 2 (each with 1 head). It seems like the action economy of having 2 weaker legendary monster with legendary/mythic actions could make for a really bad day for a party of 4 PC's.

Can you clarify? I'm not 100% sure I am following what your suggesting.

 

[dave2008]

Are you planning on doing an epic version of Lucifer from Tome of Horrors /TOH2020?

I have the Tome of Horros book from Frog God Games and Lucifer is not in it, so I am not sure what version of Lucifer your talking about.

However, if and when I do decided to do Lucifer Morningstar / Samael / Satan I would most likely do my own version. I would definitely review whatever resources already exist, but LM is one of my favorite characters and I couldn't just updated someone else's version.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

I have the Tome of Horros book from Frog God Games and Lucifer is not in it, so I am not sure what version of Lucifer your talking about.

However, if and when I do decided to do Lucifer Morningstar / Samael / Satan I would most likely do my own version. I would definitely review whatever resources already exist, but LM is one of my favorite characters and I couldn't just updated someone else's version.

There's a Tome of Horrors 2020, just released.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

Curious, you have made a CR34(?) version of Demogorgon in you Epic Monsters thread. Is the new mythic version CR28 because you estimate that's roughly the same power level? I'm pondering where to place the top tier Demon Lords myself, as I feel the official versions too weak. I was considering just adding 5 to all the CRs (so Demogotgon and Orcus CR31), but maybe CR28 mythic is a better fit?

 

[dave2008]

There's a Tome of Horrors 2020, just released.

OK, I don't have that - yet!

 

[dave2008]

Curious, you have made a CR34(?) version of Demogorgon in you Epic Monsters thread. Is the new mythic version CR28 because you estimate that's roughly the same power level? I'm pondering where to place the top tier Demon Lords myself, as I feel the official versions too weak. I was considering just adding 5 to all the CRs (so Demogotgon and Orcus CR31), but maybe CR28 mythic is a better fit?

I have not made a "formal" decision on this. I made Demogorgon as a favor for a forum member in another thread. The poster wanted an artifact to weaken Demogorgon for their lvl 20 group and we all said Demogorgon is to weak as is. So I made mythic version that provided an improved (IMO) CR 28 Demogorgon in case that was really all he/she needed and applied the mythic trait to give it the power I feel is closer to what Demogorgon requires. So, to be clear I was not really comparing the mythic version to my previous Epic CR 34 version in terms of power. I just made a new one based on the what I thought the poster might need.

Personally I like the mythic template a lot and think it is a better fit than a CR 31 version. In fact. I am think of converting all of my epic monsters to this thread and mythic variants when it makes sense. Currently I am thinking something like this:

Demigods (and similar): CR 21 - 30
Lesser gods (and similar): CR 26-30 X 2 (Mythic 1)
Intermediate gods (and similar): CR 26-30 X 3 (Mythic 2)
Greater gods (and similar): CR 26-30 X 4 (Mythic 3)

This would keep everyone in the same bounded accuracy, but allow greater gods to be much tougher. However, it might be a little limiting and perhaps I need to allow for CRs above 30.

 

[dave2008]

I have added the Primordial Tarrasque to the mythic monsters. I didn't like how the MM tarrasque was a whirling dervish with 5 attacks on its turn. So instead I revised the damage budget and gave it far fewer attacks, but massive damage on each attack and then added the mythic template of course.

PS - I will be taking a short break from this thread to finish up some other work. Then I will be back to post some new work I have waiting, converting stuff from the Epic and Hardcore updates, and getting to @DnD Warlord 's requests.