Atlas   Rules   Resources   Adventures   Stories       FAQ   Search   Links



Nightshade: Nightcrawler

by Sheldon Morris

Gargantuan undead (nightshade), lawful evil
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armour Class 18 (natural armour)
Hit Points 367 (21d20 + 147)
Speed 50 ft., borrow 30 ft.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA
27 (+8)|7 (-2)|25 (+7)|19 (+4)|19 (+4)|24 (+7)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saving Throws Int +11, Wis +11
Skills Intimidation +14
Damage Immunities acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, poison, bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, petrified, poisoned
Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages understands all but can't speak, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ethereal Jaunt. As a bonus action, the nightcrawler can magically shift from the Material Plane to the Ethereal Plane, or vise versa.

Ethereal Sight. The nightcrawler can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vise versa.

Innate Spellcasting. The nightcrawler's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The nightcrawler can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: charm person, detect magic
3/day each: darkness, dispel magic, haste, invisibility
2/day each: confusion, contagion, cloudkill, hold monster
1/day each: finger of death

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

Nightshade Presence. The presence of a nightcrawler has an effect on it's surroundings within a radius of 120 feet. This aura is felt as chilled air, and spoils all food, water, holy water, potions, salves, and ointments (even if magical), making them functionally useless. Nightcrawlers are often at a disadvantage when attempting to surprise their victims due to their aura.

Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the nightcrawler has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Turn Resistance. The Nightcrawler has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The nightcrawler makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its stinger.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage, plus 32 (5d12) poison damage if the target is a creature. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or be swallowed by the nightcrawler. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the nightcrawler, and it takes 32 (5d12) poison damage at the start of each of the nightcrawler's turns.
If the nightcrawler takes 35 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the nightcrawler must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the nightcrawler. If the nightcrawler dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Tail Stinger. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature.
Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) piercing damage, plus 32 (5d12) poison damage.

Summon Undead (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The Nightcrawler magically summons three will-o'-wisps, a ghost, or a wraith. The summoned undead appear in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of its summoner and acts as an ally of its summoner. They remain for 1 hour, until it or its summoner dies, or until its summoner dismisses it as an action.