D&D General What weird CR8 (or greater monster) did the evil water elemental cultists set loose in the flooded lower levels of a desecrated temple?

[el-remmen]

Are there any fiendish creatures that are from a flooded level of the Abyss or the Hells? Not up on my D&D infernal bestiary.

 

[Incenjucar]

Vodyanoi could be terrifying. Aquatic umberhulks.

 

[TwoSix]

Hmm. Desecration of an agricultural deity by flooding and water conjures images of stagnant fields full of mud and rotting vegetation.

I'm thinking some kind of spawning nest of shambling mounds templated with an earth or mud element. Focus on engulfing and slow rot, bludgeoning and poison type damage with lots of slowing and difficult terrain. Have the entire lower section be overrun with slimy vines, that the mounds can animate to prevent the party from just rangeing down the relatively slow-moving monsters.

I'd make them resistant to most of the common elemental effects, but possibly vulnerable to necrotic to emphasize that while they're foul and corruptive, they aren't actually undead. Of course, introducing necrotic energy into the mix could cause other complications...

 

[el-remmen]

Hmm. Desecration of an agricultural deity by flooding and water conjures images of stagnant fields full of mud and rotting vegetation.

I'm thinking some kind of spawning nest of shambling mounds templated with an earth or mud element. Focus on engulfing and slow rot, bludgeoning and poison type damage with lots of slowing and difficult terrain. Have the entire lower section be overrun with slimy vines, that the mounds can animate to prevent the party from just rangeing down the relatively slow-moving monsters.

I'd make them resistant to most of the common elemental effects, but possibly vulnerable to necrotic to emphasize that while they're foul and corruptive, they aren't actually undead. Of course, introducing necrotic energy into the mix could cause other complications...

Ooh. I am liking this direction. Maybe fiendish shambling mounds (part of what makes "elemental evil" evil in my homebrew cosmology is the corruption of the elements - which is not mean to be good or evil - by fiendish energy of their planes and from whence the evil elemental princes spawned).

 

[el-remmen]

Vodyanoi could be terrifying. Aquatic umberhulks.

I was just making a list of classic/common monsters that I do not own minis of and umber hulks were at the top of the list. This might be a good occasion to buy and paint some in aquatic colors.

 

[TwoSix]

Ooh. I am liking this direction. Maybe fiendish shambling mounds (part of what makes "elemental evil" evil in my homebrew cosmology is the corruption of the elements - which is not mean to be good or evil - by fiendish energy of their planes and from whence the evil elemental princes spawned).

Fiendish shambling mounds that reproduce by inhaled spores causing mycomorphosis (like illithid ceremorphosis).

 

[James Gasik]

My vote (even though I'm not a fan of it's 5e art):

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

A memory-eating ooze seems more in line with the "Mud Sorcerer Cult" that loves all these ooze and slime and mud, worshiping a syncretic form of Ogremoche and Olhydra, that I have has another faction I am planning to introduce later.

The Elder Oblex is an "Invasion of the Bodysnatchers" kind of monster with a Challenge Rating of 10. It is found in Volo's Guide (the one in the Multiverse may be missing the Sulfurous Impersonation entry).

 

[Deset Gled]

The evil water elementalist cultists...

What is down there?

A water elemental, obviously.

"Greater", for CR8. Probably evil. Probably.