D&D 5E Epic Monsters: Ōphan

This dalliance with the realms celestial in the Epic Monsters column is finally getting really weird: check out the ōphan!

This dalliance with the realms celestial in the Epic Monsters column is finally getting really weird: check out the ōphan!

Ophan DND 5e BANNER.jpg


Also known as ofanim or galgalim or many-eyed ones or Lords of the Flame, these angels appear on divine chariots of various kinds, their luminous bodies made of eye-covered wheels. Sometimes they can be found under the throne of god, or move with the cherubim—depending on where you look, Eastern Orthodox Christianity have ophanim ranked third (beneath the cherubim and seraphim) while they are listed by the Judaic scholar Maimonides as the angels closest to god.

Design Notes: Luminous wheeled celestial coming right up! For all of its eyes this angel’s got All-Around Vision, and otherwise its traits are derived from its glowing brightness—innate castings of daylight or sunburst, its sunbeam ranged attack, the Solar Flare reaction, and of course it's Lit. Let’s do the numbers! The DMG cruised in at 9.833 and the Blog of Holding at 10.5, averaging out to a Challenge Rating just a smidge over 10.

Ōphan

Small celestial, lawful good
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 115 (21d6+42)
Speed 40 ft., fly 90 ft. (hover)
STR
DEX
CON
INT
WIS
CHA
12 (+1)​
17 (+3)​
15 (+2)​
11 (+0)​
14 (+2)​
18 (+4)​
Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +6
Skills Perception +10, Religion +4
Damage Resistances fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages Celestial
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

All-Around Vision. The ōphan cannot be surprised. In addition, it has advantage on sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded.

Angelic Weapons. The ōphan’s weapon attacks are magical. When the ōphan hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 10 (3d6) radiant damage (included in the attack).

Innate Spellcasting. The ōphan’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). The ōphan can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: dancing lights, detect evil and good, light
3/day each: daylight
1/day each: sunburst

Magic Resistance. The ōphan has advantage on saving throws made against spells and other magical effects.

Really Lit. While conscious, the ōphan sheds bright light in an 80-foot radius and dim light for an additional 40 feet. The effects of a darkness spell (or similar effect) are suspended in any area within 40 feet of the ōphan.


ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ōphan attacks four times.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4+3) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) radiant damage.

Sunbeam. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 200/800 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d12+4) radiant damage and if the target is a creature, it makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or is blinded until the start of the ōphan’s next turn.


REACTIONS
Solar Flare (Recharge 5–6). When the ōphan takes damage from a melee attack, it can use its reaction to blast its attacker with divine light. The creature makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or it is blinded for 1d4 rounds.
 

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Mike Myler

Mike Myler

Xotli

Explorer
Why would they be immune to the blinded condition?
I was just thinking that a creature with eyes all over its body would be really hard to blind. Now, you could blind me by just shining a bright flashlight in my eyes. :D But then again that wouldn't work if I had eyes in the back of my head ...

If we look at the spells that can cause blindness, a healthy chunk of them (Color Spray, Divine Word, Holy Aura, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall, Sunbeam, Sunburst) don't seem like they should work on ofanim. Now, admittedly, it's not perfect—Contagion and Hunger of Hadar make sense to affect them, and I could go either way on Blindness and Blinding Smite—but there's no real halfway point here: no such thing as resistance to a condition. So I was thinking to go with the way that gives what seems reasonable for the most spells. That's my thinking, anyway.🤷‍♂️
 

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SirMoogle

Explorer
Very nice stat write-up! I was hoping for some kind of aura that caused creatures within it to make WIS saving throws or be frightened at the sight of it (no need to make subsequent saving throws for 24 hours after succeeding at the end of each turn) to play up the whole "be not afraid" schtick. :p
 

dave2008

Legend
I was just thinking that a creature with eyes all over its body would be really hard to blind. Now, you could blind me by just shining a bright flashlight in my eyes. :D But then again that wouldn't work if I had eyes in the back of my head ...

If we look at the spells that can cause blindness, a healthy chunk of them (Color Spray, Divine Word, Holy Aura, Prismatic Spray, Prismatic Wall, Sunbeam, Sunburst) don't seem like they should work on ofanim. Now, admittedly, it's not perfect—Contagion and Hunger of Hadar make sense to affect them, and I could go either way on Blindness and Blinding Smite—but there's no real halfway point here: no such thing as resistance to a condition. So I was thinking to go with the way that gives what seems reasonable for the most spells. That's my thinking, anyway.🤷‍♂️
Advantage on saving throws against the blinded condition at least makes sense (it is basically resistance to a condition), like the Ettin:

Two Heads. The ettin has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.

I would just add it to all-around vision:

All-Around Vision. The ōphan cannot be surprised and has advantage on sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded,
 
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