dave2008
Legend
He is talking about how I noted which spells are necromancy spells. I mistakenly listed fireball (actually a copy / paste errorname a wizard who does not end up with fireball.
He is talking about how I noted which spells are necromancy spells. I mistakenly listed fireball (actually a copy / paste errorname a wizard who does not end up with fireball.
copy / paste error, thank you for catching it - correctedYou've got Fireball as a necromancy spell.
ahHe is talking about how I noted which spells are necromancy spells. I mistakenly listed fireball (actually a copy / paste error
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
20 (+5) | 14 (+2) | 17 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 17 (+3) | 16 (+3) |
Absolutely love the work you've done here, and in your previous Elite/Epic projects.Lemure Swarm
Gargantuan swarm of medium fiends, lawful evil
View attachment 125876
Armor Class 7
Hit Points 210 (20d20)
Speed 15 ft.
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View attachment 125874
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 5 (-3) 11 (+0) 1 (-5) 11 (+0) 3 (-4)
Savings Throws Dex +0, Con +3
Damage Resistances cold
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned; see Swarm Resistance
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive perception 10
Languages understands infernal but can't speak
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
View attachment 125873
Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the swarm’s darkvision.
Grappler. If the swarm uses an action or legendary action and hits a single creature with two first attacks, that target is also grappled. While the target is grappled by the swarm it has disadvantage on its attempts to escape the grapple if it has been hit by a fist attack in the same round prior to creature attempting the escape.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny lemure. If the swarm is reduced to 158 hit points or less change its size to Huge and it loses one use of its legendary actions. If the swarm is reduced to 106 hit points or less change its size to Large and it loses an additional use of its legendary actions. If the swarm is reduced to 53 hit points or less, choose: 1) replace the swarm with four lemures in unoccupied spaces within the former area of the swarm, or 2) keep the current statistics, but remove the Swarm Resistance trait.
Swarm Reactions. The swarm does not have reactions. Whenever a creature moves inside the space of the swarm or out of the space of the swarm, the swarm makes one fist attack with advantage targeting the triggering creature.
Swarm Resistance. The swarm has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, or stunned. Additionally, the swarm can use its legendary actions to immediately end one condition or effect it is suffering per legendary action spent.
Swarm Tactics. The swarm has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if it is occupying the same space as the swarm.
Swarm Vulnerabilities. The takes double damage from any attack that effects any area that is 10 feet by 10 feet or greater.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The swarm makes four melee attacks.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one grappled or incapacitated target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage, and 3 (1d6) poison damage.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The swarm 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 swarm regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Move. The swarm moves up to 5 feet.
Multiattack. The swarm uses its multiattack action.
I think you could us any of the swarms here as a template. I would keep the swarm traits:Absolutely love the work you've done here, and in your previous Elite/Epic projects.
Is there a formula or template you use for creating swarms of existing monsters? I'm looking to design swarms of mephits that will satisfy the capabilities of conjure minor elementals and other summoning spells without bogging down combat with many separate little creatures. If not, do you have any advice for designing such swarms?
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
6 (-2) | 17 (+3) | 13 (+1) | 11 (+0) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) |
So I got to try out a version of this creature in a recent boss fight for my party. Here's how it went.Worm that Walks
Medium undead, any evil alignment
View attachment 126617
Armor Class 17 (see equipment; 20 with mage armor)
Hit Points 231 (22d8+132)
Speed 30 ft.
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STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 23 (+6) 22 (+6) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)
Savings Throws Str +4, Dex +12, Con +14, Int +14, Wis +10, Cha +12
Skills Arcana +20, History +13, Perception +9, Stealth +11
Damage Resistances cold, poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical
Damage Immunities necrotic
Condition Immunities charmed, grappled, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common plus up to five other languages
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
View attachment 126620
Decompose (1/Day). When the worm that walks is reduced to 0 hit points, it falls into a pile of vermin (worms, maggots, etc., use two swarms of insects) that immediately attempt to escape by slithering through holes or burrowing into the earth. Any items or equipment worn or carried by the worm that walks fall to ground in the area previously occupied by the worm that walks. Unless the swarms are destroyed, the worm that walks reforms from them 24 hours later.
Horrifying Attack. When the worm that walks engulfs a creature, each of the creature’s allies within 60 feet of it, and that can see the attack, must make a DC 21 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. The saving throw is made with disadvantage if the engulfed creature is reduced to 0 hit points by the attack.
Magic Absorption. If a worm that walks is hit by an attack spell or succeeds on a saving throw from a 3rd level spell or lower it is unaffected by the spell and instead regains (4) 1d8 hit points per level of the spell.
Magic Weapons. The worm that walks’ weapon attacks are considered uncommon magical items for overcoming resistances.
Spellcasting. The worm that walks is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). The worm that walks typical has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): acid splash, chill touch (see "Actions"), mage hand, prestidigitation, vicious mockery
1st level (4 slots): burning hands, detect magic, inflict wounds, mage armor, magic missile, shield
2nd level (3 slots): blur, darkness, detect thoughts, melf’s acid arrow
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, haste
4th level (3 slots): blight, banishment, fire shield, evard’s black tentacles
5th level (3 slots): cloudkill, dispel good and evil, geas, scrying
6th level (2 slots): disintegrate, mass suggestion
7th level (2 slots): finger of death, delayed blast fireball
8th level (1 slot): abdi-dalzim’s horrid wilting, power word stun
9th level (1 slot): meteor swarm*
*Note: If the worm that walks doesn't use meteor swarm, it is only a CR 19 threat worth 22,000 XP.
Swarm Form. The worm that walks can move through a space as narrow as 4 inches wide without squeezing.
Turn Resistance. The worm that walks has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Withering Touch. A creature that touches the worm that walks, or hits it with a melee attack within 5 feet of it takes 13 (3d8) necrotic damage and the worm that walks regains an equal amount of hit points.
Unstoppable (3/Short Rest). The worm that walks can use a reaction at the end of its turn or 2 legendary actions to remove one or two conditions or effects it is suffering.
Equipment. A worm that walks typically has several magic items in its possession. The sample here has the following magic items (included in its AC and attacks): bracers of defense and a ring of protection.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The worm that walks makes two slam or chill touch attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 13 (3d8) necrotic damage.
Chill Touch. Ranged Spell Attack: +13 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage and the target cannot regain hit points until the start of the worm that walks next turn.
Engulf (Recharge 5-6). The worm that walks can move up to 20 feet and enter the space of a Medium or smaller creature, swallowing it in a mass of vermin. The target must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or take 20 (8d4) piercing damage plus 28 (6d8) necrotic damage and be blinded and restrained on a failed save. The affected creature takes 20 (8d4) piercing damage plus 28 (6d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of the worm that walks' turns. The creature can make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw at the end of each of its turns to shake of the vermin, ending the effect on itself on a success and moving to an unoccupied space adjacent to the worm that walks.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Worm that walks can take 2 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. If Worm that walks has unspent legendary actions at the end of the round, it may spend and immediately use its remaining legendary actions. A worm that walks regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cantrip. The worm that walks cast a cantrip at 17th level.
Slam. The worm that walks makes a slam attack.
Swarm Movement (Cost 2 Actions). The worm that walks transforms into a swarm of vermin and can move up to twice its speed. During this movement it can move through other creature's spaces and attack rolls targeting it have disadvantage. The first time the worm that walks enters a creature's space, the creature takes 5 piercing damage.
Feed (Costs 2 Actions). A creature engulfed by the worm that walks takes 28 (6d8) necrotic damage and the worm that walks regains half as much hit points.
Thank you for sharing! Very interesting. Tough luck on the initiative. If you don't make that it pretty much doom for a solo monster. Question: do you use legendary actions after the first PC attacks? Some DM's wait until after the monster's turn, but technically a legendary monster can use a legendary action right the first PC or monster acts.So I got to try out a version of this creature in a recent boss fight for my party. Here's how it went.
That is a good idea. If the CR depends on it, I would definitely recommend it.8) Last note, I forgot shield the whole fight. This goes back to some conversations we have had about spell lists....a big spell list like that your DM eyes just glaze over as soon as the actual fight begins. Those key defensive spells need to be called out in the statblock, probably right on the AC note (20 with mage armor, 25 with shield, etc).
Yeah, initiative is so important on high level fights....perhaps that's a good area to look at monster abilities for future monsters. I know lair actions have auto initiative spots, maybe some boss monsters should as well.Thank you for sharing! Very interesting. Tough luck on the initiative. If you don't make that it pretty much doom for a solo monster. Question: do you use legendary actions after the first PC attacks? Some DM's wait until after the monster's turn, but technically a legendary monster can use a legendary action right the first PC or monster acts.
Also, you also seem to play with some pretty supped up parties. Do you have play low magic games? Just curious.
One other thing - why use the meteor swarm variant if it couldn't use meteor swarm? At least from how I understood your set up wouldn't using meteor swarm also mean it would hit itself?
That is a good idea. If the CR depends on it, I would definitely recommend it.