Marethyu (5e Creature)
Marethyu
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Medium fiend (shapechanger), any evil alignment Armor Class 25 (natural armour)
Saving Throws Strength +19, Constitution +18, Charisma +19 Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness does not impede Marethyu’s darkvision. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Marethyu fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. Regeneration. Marethyu regains 50 hit points at the start of its turn if he has at least 1 hit point. Spider Climb. Marethyu can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Death Warden. When casting the animate dead spell, there is no limit to how many creatures Marethyu can have under its control. In addition, after casting animate dead once on creatures, he no longer needs to be cast on those creatures to retain its control over them. Magic Resistance. Marethyu has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Enhanced Attacks. Marethyu’s unarmed strike, claw, strength drain, and vampiric touch attacks are treated as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical damage. Undead Mastery. Marethyu can wrest control of undead. At the start of their turn, any undead not under the control of Marethyu must succeed on a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or be subject to the mental commands of Marethyu, as if Marethyu had cast the animate dead spell. This feature is effected by the Death Warden feature. Consume Life. As a bonus action, Marethyu can target one creature it can see within 20 feet of it that has 0 hit points and is still alive. The target must succeed on a DC 27 Constitution saving throw against this magic or die. If the target dies, the vampire regains 53 (10d10) hit points. Necrotic Aura. At the start of each of the vampire's turns, each creature within 5 feet of it takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage. A creature that touches the vampire or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage. Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, the destroyed vampire gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery. Negative Energy Aura. When a living creature within 120 feet of the vampire would regain hit points, it regains half as much instead. Deathly Body. The vampire cannot be slain by instant death effects, is not effected by spells effects that cause hit point reduction and is not affected by revivify, raise dead, resurrection, true resurrection or similar spell effect except for the Rejuvenation feature. Unholy Toughness. The vampire gains extra hit points equal to its Charisma modifier times its number of Hit Dice (included in the hit points). Detect Life. The vampire can magically sense the presence of living creatures up to 5 miles away that aren't undead or constructs. The vampire knows the general direction they're in but not their exact locations. Innate Spellcasting. The vampire's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (DC 27). It can innately cast the following spells requiring no material components. At will: animate dead, blight, crown of madness, compel suicide, greater invisibility, infernal law, suggestion, telekinesis 5/day each: eyebite, dominate person, fear, mass mind wipe, power word pacify, mass suggestion, soul thief 3/day each: control weather, greater harmfield, finger of death, circle of death (7th level), mute, waves of exhaustion 1/day each: brand of undeath, dominate monster (9th level), geas (9th level), power word crash, power word kill ACTIONSMultiattack (Humanoid or Vampire Form Only). The vampire makes four attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack. Unarmed Strike (Humanoid or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 5 ft. (10 ft. in vampire form), one creature. Hit: 13 (1d10 + 8) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire can grapple the target (escape DC 25). Vampiric Touch (Vampire Form Only). Melee Spell Attack: +19 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 31 (6d6 + 10) necrotic damage. The vampire regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. In addition, if the target is a creature that is Medium or smaller, the target is grappled (escape DC 25). The vampire can continue to use the Vampiric Touch action on a grappled creature once a turn. A humanoid slain by this attack rises as a zombie after 1 hour under the vampire's control. The vampire cannot use this action when it is in direct sunlight. Bite (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 18 (3d6 + 8) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control. Paralyzing Touch (Vampire Form Only). Melee Spell Attack: +19 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 30 (6d6 + 10) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 27 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the beginning of each of its turns. Claw (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage. Strength Drain (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 17 (2d6 + 10) necrotic damage, and the target's Strength score is reduced by 1d6. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. If a non-evil humanoid dies from this attack, a shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later. Ghost Ray (Vampire Form Only). Ranged Spell Attack: +19 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d12 + 10) necrotic damage. Harrowing Roar (Recharge 6) (Vampire Form Only). The vampire emits a magical roar. Each creature of the vampire's choice within 60 feet of it that is able to hear the roar must make a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw or take 55 (10d10) psychic damage and be frightened for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half the damage and isn't frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Necrotic Breath (Recharge 5-6) (Vampire Form Only). The vampire exhales shadowy energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 27 Dexterity saving throw, taking 54 (12d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A humanoid slain by this attack rises 24 hours later as an undead creature under the vampire's control, unless the humanoid is restored to life or its body is destroyed. Roll a 1d6 to determine what undead creature they become: 1 - shadow, 2 - specter, 3 - ghoul, 4 - ghast, 5 - ghost, 6 - wraith. Soul Drain (Recharge 5-6) (Vampire Form Only). Ranged Spell Attack: +19 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 46 (10d6 + 10) necrotic damage. The target makes a DC 27 Constitution saving throw or the vampire regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. In addition, if the target fails the Constitution saving throw, the target's hit point maximum is reduced by the amount of damage dealt. If the hit points gained restores the vampire to its hit point maximum, it gains the excess as temporary hit points. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control. The vampire cannot use this action when it is in direct sunlight. Death Gaze (Vampire Form Only). Each creature of the vampire's choice that is within 30 feet of the vampire and aware of it must succeed on a DC 27 Constitution saving throw or die. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the vampire's Death Gaze for the next 24 hours. Charm. The vampire targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire, the target must succeed on a DC 27 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire's control, it takes the vampire's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire's bite attack. Each time the vampire or its companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect. Wail (1/Day) (Vampire Form Only). The vampire releases a wail, provided that the vampire isn't in sunlight. This wail has no effect on constructs or undead. All other creatures within 120 feet of the vampire that can hear the vampire must make a DC 27 Constitution saving throw. On failure, a creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, a creature takes 70 (20d6) psychic damage. Children of the Night (3/Day). The vampire magically calls 4d6 giant bats or rats, provided that the sun isn't up. While outdoors, the vampire can call 3d6 dire wolves instead. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of the vampire and obeying its spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until the vampire dies, or until the vampire dismisses them as a bonus action. Shadow Stride. The vampire and up to nine willing creatures within 5 feet of it magically enter Shadowfell from the Material Plane, or vice versa. Replicate. As an action, the vampire can take on 1 trait or 1 action from an undead creature with 0 hit points within 5 feet of it. The vampire can have a maximum of Charisma modifier traits and Charisma modifier actions replicated in this way. All DCs gained from traits or actions are Charisma based. Innate Spellcasting and Spellcasting can not be replicated. LEGENDARY ACTIONSThe vampire 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 vampire regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Move. The vampire moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. Attack. The vampire makes one attack with any of the following: vampiric touch, unarmed strike, claw, strength drain, or paralyzing touch. Cast a Spell (2 actions). The vampire casts a spell from its Innate Spellcasting feature, expending a use of that spell as normal. Bite (Costs 2 Actions). The vampire makes one bite attack. Absorb Life (Costs 3 Actions). Every non-undead creature within a 30 foot radius of the vampire makes a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 26. On a failed save, creatures take 35 (10d6) necrotic damage and have their hit point maximum reduced by that amount until the greater restoration spell or similar magic is cast on them. On success, creature take half damage and do not have their hit point maximum reduced. The vampire regains the amount of necrotic damage dealt as hit points. If the amount of hit points the vampire gains restores the vampire to its hit point maximum, the vampire gains the excess as temporary hit points. A humanoid slain in this way becomes a wraith under the vampire's control. The vampire cannot use this action when it is in direct sunlight. |
Vampire lords often have numerous undead beside it, usually freshly killed and animated and bent to its will. They usually fly above the battlefield with their impressive wingspan unleashing spells of death upon its foes often unbeknownst to those below with its innate ability to become invisible. When that fails, the vampire lord is no slouch when it comes to hand to hand combat as their very touch can kill a creature where it stands only to have it serve its new master when it falls. With its dealings with necromancy and its natural undeath, it uses these innate necromantic abilities to further its vitality and siphon the very life energy of those around them making if difficult for any to even get close to it. Additionally, vampire lords yield powerful magic capable of controlling entire parties to slaying creatures with a single word. Very few vampires live the millennia it takes to become a vampire lord and even fewer master their new found abilities. Though rumors say that the process to become a vampire lord is within the pages of the Book of Vile Darkness. Even so, one must be a vampire to do anything with the ritual, all others will only become lifeless shells of their former selves. Be wary when facing this master of death as it may be the last time you are truly alive of your own free will. In the machinations of vampires, the undead creatures vie against the living and against each other. Power is all, and the accumulation of power is the goal of these foul beings. Sometimes they rise up against their creators; on rare occasions they succeed in breaking the iron control of their master and slay it. These creatures can go beyond the normal vampire, and become an even more vile and horrible undead: a vampire lord. Few are ever seen, or recognized if seen. Possessing few of the weaknesses of their lesser kindred, they walk among mortals with little fear of discovery. They are the rulers of vampire communities. In a world where vampire conclaves battle against each other, the vampire lords play chess with their lesser kindred. Vampire lords are few and far between, and each is fiercely territorial. They know that run-of-the-mill vampires cannot match their power, but another vampire lord is a definite threat. As they gain power, they become more arrogant towards those they believe pose no threat, and more fearful of any real threat to their continued existence. Thus, if a vampire lord arises in the territory of another, the newcomer is driven away or destroyed as quickly as possible. Vampire lords command hundreds of undead servants throughout their vast territories, and can have legions of vampire servants at their beck and call. |
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