D&D 5E The Orator - a sound based variant of the beholder.

[Caliban]

Orator
Large Monstrosity, Chaotic Neutral


This creature is the blasphemous result of experiments intended to create a sound based version of the beholder that could control and manipulate the local populace. While powerful, it is capricious and unpredictable. Ultimately the experiment was considered a failure. The Orator looks like a large ball of tanned flesh with a large central human mouth with large red lips and oversized human teeth. It has 10 tentacles, each of which ends with a human mouth. It also has several misshapen ears situated around the base of the tentacles, giving it incredible hearing. It has no eyes or nose.


Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)
Hit points: 209 (19d10+76)
Speed: 0 ft, Fly 30ft (Hover)


Str 18(+4)
Dex 14(+2)
Con 18(+4)
Int 13(+1)
Wis 12(+1)
Cha 18 (+8)




Saving Throws: Con +9, Wis +6, Cha +9
Skills: Perception +11
Condition Immunities: Prone, any effect that requires sight
Vulnerabilities: Thunder damage that does not originate in or pass through the Controlled Sound Cone.
Feats: Mobility
Senses: Blindsight 120’ (sound based), Passive Perception 21, Passive Investigate 11
Languages: Common
Challenge: ???


Controlled Sound Cone: The orator’s central mouth creates an area that nullifies magical silence and creates prime listening conditions. Saves against sound based effects and spells are made at disadvantage while within the cone. The Controlled Sound Cone nullifies any thunder or sound base effect that is directed against the orator if it originates in or passes through the zone. (Sound based effects include Vicious Mockery, Dissonant Whispers, Suggestion, ect.)


Actions

Multiattack: The bite and three uses of Influential Speech


Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5ft, one target.
Hit: 18(4d6+4) bludgeoning damage


Influential Speech: The orator emits three of the following magical effects at random (reroll duplicates, effects emanate from a mouth), choosing one to three targets it can sense within 120 feet of it:

1. Commanding Voice: DC 16 Wis save or be affected by the Command spell. (Orator’s choice of command.)
2. Stunning News: DC 16 Con save or Stunned for 1 minute. New save at the end of each of the targets turns.
3. Dissonant Whispers: DC 16 Wis save or take 3d6 psychic damage and the creature uses their reaction to flee. (as the spell).
4. Mixed Messages: DC 16 Wis save or Confused (as the spell) for 1 minute. New save at the end of each of the targets turns.
5. Thunderous Applause: DC 16 Con save, 36 (8d8) thunder on a failed save, half on a successful one.
6. Booming Voice: DC 16 Str save or take 18 (4d8 thunder) and be pushed up to 30’ and surrounded with booming energy until orators next turn. If the target moves through the booming energy before it dissipates, they take 36 (8d8) thunder damage. On a successful save they take half damage and are not pushed or surrounded with booming energy.
7. Lullaby: DC 16 Wis save or fall asleep for 1 minute. No effect on constructs or undead.
8. Censorship: DC 16 Con save or is unable to make sound (or cast spells or effects with a verbal component) for 1 minute. New save at the end of each of the targets turns.
9. Propaganda: DC 16 Wis save or be be affected by the Suggestion spell with a suggestion of the orator’s choice.
10. Insidious Whispers: DC 16 Int save or be affected by Enemies Abound. (XGTE) The creature automatically succeeds if it's immune to being frightened. On a failure, the target regards all creatures it can see as enemies, allies included. Each time the target takes damage, it can repeat the save, ending the effect on a success. Whenever the creature chooses a target, it must choose at random from among the creatures it can see within range. If an enemy provokes an opportunity attack, the creature must make that attack if it's able

Legendary Actions: 3 legendary actions. Can use one action at the end of another creature's turn, regains all actions at the beginning of its turn.
Influential Speech: The orator uses one random Influential Speech ability.
Thunderstep: The orator casts the Thunderstep spell on itself and up to one other creature.


Legendary Reactions:
Destructive Wave: When reduced to 50% and against at 25% of its total hit points, the orator may release a Destructive Wave as per the Spell. (DC 16 Con save, 30’ radius centered on self, each creature of the orator’s choice takes 5d6 Thunder and 5d6 Necrotic or Radiant damage (orator’s choice) and is knocked prone on a failed save, half on a successful save and is not prone.)

 

[Quartz]

How about basing it off a varguille or something similar? Say with snake-like appendages?

 

[Caliban]

This is what my players had to deal with in the game I ran today. I was just posting it in case anyone else found it interesting.

It was incredibly confusing but fun as the Orator kept layering on different control effects that contradicted each other. One guy had Confusion, Suggestion, and Enemies Abound all at once. And the orator always suggested that they heal him with whatever they had available.

The orator can keep all the effects up regardless of concentration. Because monsters cheat.

 

[Skywatch]

I mean, technically the monster isn’t cheating. It’s abilities don’t say anything about requiring concentration.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I like. Thanks for sharing.
I'm going to throw out CR13?

 

[Stormonu]

On the description: beholders can hear, despite lacking obvious ears (though devilish/elvin ears on the main body of this or beholders would be interesting), I don’t think there’s a need to put ears on the tentacles, that sort of spoils the horror - for me.

Also, it would be interesting if the Controlled Sound Cone had some sort of warping or suppression ability against verbal-based spells Cast in its area.

Next up, the Piquancer!