Deathlock Mastermind

Medium undead
Challenge

STR
0
DEX
3
CON
1
INT
2
WIS
1
CHA
3

110
20d8+20
17
Fort
+1
Ref
+2
Will
+4
Defense note −2 without mage armor
Damage resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from attacks that aren’t silvered
Damage immunities poison
Condition immunities diseased, exhausted, poisoned

Speed 5 m.
Skills Divinity (cha) +5 (16), Perception +3 (14)
Senses darkvision 20 m. (including magical darkness)
Languages the languages it knew in life

Spellcasting. The deathlock mastermind uses Divinity (cha) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 14, +5 to hit with spell attacks). It has 15 mana, a mana limit of 3, regains all expended mana when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total mana when it finishes a short rest. It knows the following spells:

At will: detect magic, disguise, mage armor

1 mana: absorb spirit, blight, dampen spell, darkness, false life, invisibility, levitate, life drain, shadow tendrils, teleport

2 mana: bloodlust, death ward, defer death, dispel magic, stasis

3 mana: death clutch

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

Actions (2)

Deathly Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) necrotic damage.

Grave Bolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 20 m. Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. If the target is Large or smaller, it must succeed on a Difficulty 14 Reflex saving throw or become restrained as shadowy tendrils wrap around it for 1 minute. A restrained target can use an action to repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Urbanmtof

Spells

As a reaction, which you use when a creature within 5 meters of you dies, you can absorb its spirit. You gain 1d10 + your spellcasting ability temporary health.

Augment

You gain 1d10 additional temporary health for each additional mana expended.

As an action, you drain moisture and vitality from a creature or plant that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw, which it does with disadvantage if it is a plant creature, a magical plant, or a creature made of water such as a water elemental. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 3d12 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

If you target a plant creature or a magical plant, the spell deals maximum damage to it.

If you target a nonmagical plant that isn’t a creature, such as a tree or shrub, it automatically fails the saving throw and withers and dies.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d12 for each additional mana expended.

As a reaction, which you use when a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters casts a spell, you can dampen the spell, making it easier to avoid or resist. The attack is made with disadvantage or each creature makes the first saving throw against the spell with advantage. You can do so after the roll but before any effects of the roll occur.

If the roll already has advantage or disadvantage, you cannot apply another instance of advantage or disadvantage and you must use this before the roll to cancel out any advantage or disadvantage.

Augment

Counterspell. You can expend 1 additional mana to attempt to interrupt the spell instead of dampen it. Make a skill check using your spellcasting skill. The Difficulty equals the creature’s spell Difficulty + the spell’s effective mana. If you have identified the spell being cast, you have advantage on this skill check.

On a success, the creature’s spell fails and has no effect.

On a failure, you dampen the spell as normal.

A spell’s effective mana is normally the amount of mana it was cast with, including augmentation. If a feature lets a spell be cast without expending mana then the spell’s effective mana is its normal mana cost.

You gain a +1 bonus to your skill check for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As an action, darkness spreads from a point within 20 meters to fill a sphere twice as big as normal for the duration. The darkness spreads around corners.

If the point is on an object you are holding or one that isn’t being worn or carried, the darkness emanates from the object and moves with it. Completely covering the source of the darkness with an opaque object, such as a bowl or a helm, blocks the darkness.

If any of this spell’s area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell using equal or less mana, the spell that created the light is dispelled. Non-magical light, as well as light created by concoctions or spells using equal or less catalysts or mana, can’t illuminate the area.

At the start of each of your turns if the darkness is within 20 meters of you, you can cause it to move up to 2 meters in a direction that you choose. If you spend an action, you can move it up to 10 meters.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the darkness is magical. A creature with darkvision can’t see through this darkness.

  • Maddening Darkness. You can expend 1 additional mana and cast the spell as two actions so the darkness is a gateway to the dark between the stars, a region infested with unknown horrors. The sphere is now sized based on the mana expended and the duration changes to 5 minutes/mana, concentration. Shrieks, gibbering, and mad laughter can be heard within the sphere. Whenever a creature enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Will saving throw. On a failure, it is confused until the start of its next turn.

  • Hungering Darkness. You can expend 1 additional mana and cast the spell as two actions so the darkness is a gateway to the dark between the stars, a region infested with unknown horrors. The sphere is now sized based on the mana expended and the duration changes to 5 minutes/mana, concentration. This void is filled with a cacophony of soft whispers and slurping noises that can be heard up to 5 meters away. No light, magical or otherwise, can illuminate the darkness, and creatures fully within the area are blinded. Whenever a creature enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Reflex saving throw, taking 1d6 cold damage on a failed save as milky, otherworldly tentacles rub against it, or half as much damage on a successful one. You can increase the damage by 1d6 for every two additional mana expended.

(ritual); concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As an action, you sense the presence of magic within 5 meters of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use an action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its theme, if any.

The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 30 centimeters of stone, 2 centimeters of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 1 meter of wood or dirt.

If you touch a creature or object for 5 minutes, you can determine the magic affecting it. If it is a magic item or some other magic-imbued object, you learn its properties and how to use them, whether it requires attunement to use, and how many charges it has, if any. You learn whether any spells are affecting the item and what they are. If the item was created by a spell, you learn which spell created it. If it is a creature, you learn what spells, if any, are currently affecting it.

1 hour/mana

As an action, you change the appearance of a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters. You give the creature a new, illusory, appearance. An unwilling creature can make a Will saving throw, and if it succeeds, it is unaffected by this spell.

The spell disguises physical appearance as well as clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment. You can make the creature seem up to 30 centimeters shorter or taller and appear thin, fat, or in between. You can’t change a creature’s body type, so you must choose a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you. The spell lasts for the duration, unless you dismiss it on your turn (no action required).

The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to a creature’s outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel the creature’s head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair.

A creature can use an action to inspect a creature, making a skill check using Insight (Intelligence) against your spell save Difficulty. If it succeeds, it becomes aware that the creature is disguised.

Augment

You can target two additional creatures for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

1 hour/mana

As an action, you bolster yourself with a necromantic facsimile of life. You gain 2d6 + your spellcasting ability temporary health for the duration.

Augment

You gain 2d6 additional temporary health for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, you become invisible for the duration. Anything you are wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on your person. The spell ends if you attack, throw a concoction, use a maneuver, or cast a spell.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • Shared Invisibility. You can target two additional creatures or objects for each additional mana expended. The creatures and objects must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

  • Continued Invisibility. You can expend 1 additional mana to change the duration to 1 hour/mana.

  • Mislead. You can expend 1 additional mana to create an illusory double of yourself where you are standing when you turn invisible.

    You can use an action to move your illusory double up to twice your speed and make it gesture, speak, and behave in whatever way you choose.

    You can see through its eyes and hear through its ears as if you were located where it is. On each of your turns as an action, you can switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again. While you are using its senses, you are blinded and deafened in regard to your own surroundings.

  • Misty Escape. You can expend 1 additional mana to cast the spell as a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less. Change the duration to instantaneous. You can turn invisible and teleport up to 10 meters to an unoccupied space you can see. You halve the attack’s damage against you. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell.

  • Greater Invisibility. You can expend 3 additional mana so the spell does not end for a target that attacks, throws a concoction, uses a maneuver, or casts a spell.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As an action, you raise your hands to the sky as you rise vertically, up to 5 meters, and remain suspended there for the duration.

You can move only by pushing or pulling against a fixed object or surface within reach (such as a wall or a ceiling), which allows you to move as if you were climbing. Once on your turn, you can change your altitude by up to 5 meters in either direction.

If you are still aloft when the effect ends, you descend 10 meters per round for 1 minute until you lands, which you do safely. If you can’t land after 1 minute, you fall the remaining distance.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can target one additional willing creature or object within 10 meters for each additional mana expended. The creatures and objects must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them. The spell can levitate a Medium or smaller creature or objects that weighs up to 150 kilos. Once on your turn, you can change the altitude of a target within 10 meters by up to 5 meters in either direction. You can affect a creature of a larger size and an object that weighs 150 kilos more for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana to target a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must succeed on a Fortitude save or it is levitated, up to 5 meters, and remains suspended there for the duration. The spell can levitate a Medium or smaller creature. Once on your turn, you can change the altitude of a target within 10 meters by up to 5 meters in either direction. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. You can affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.

  • Fly. You can expend 1 additional mana and touch a willing creature so the creature gains a flying speed of 10 meters for the duration.

As an action, you siphon life force from a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters to heal your wounds. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 3d8 necrotic damage.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

You regain health equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d8 for each additional mana expended.

3 hours/mana

As an action, you touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and a protective magical force surrounds it until the spell ends. The target’s Defense becomes 13 + half its Aptitude Bonus (min 1) + its Dexterity (max 4), and it gains resistance to force damage. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell on your turn (no action required). The force can be invisible or can appear as a colored glow, at your option.

As an action, shadowy tendrils erupt from you, battering creatures. Each creature other than you in a sphere centered on you must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 4d4 necrotic damage, moves at half speed, and can’t take reactions until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Additionally, until the end of your next turn, any bright light in the area is reduced to dim light.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 3d4 for each additional mana expended.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the shadowy tendrils continuously batter creatures around you. The duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the tendrils erupt around you in an aura shaped as a sphere. Until the spell ends, the aura moves with you, centered on you.

    Whenever a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make the Reflex saving throw. The damage is reduced to 1d4 and additional augments to the damage increase the damage by 1d4 for each additional mana expended, instead of the normal increase.

  • Shrouding Shadow. You can expend 1 additional mana if the tendrils continuously batter creatures around you so you and your allies in the aura are draped in deeper shadow. Creatures that rely on sight have disadvantage on attacks made against creatures draped in this shadow.

As an action, you teleport up to 20 meters to an unoccupied space that you can see.

You can bring along objects you are touching that aren’t worn or carried by another creature as long as their weight doesn’t exceed what you can carry.

If you teleport 5 meters or less, make a weapon attack.

On a hit, add 1d8 + your spellcasting ability to the attack’s damage roll.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

On a miss by 4 or less, add half as much damage.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can teleport an additional 100 meters for each additional mana expended.

  • You can increase the damage by 3d8 for each additional mana expended.

  • Joint Teleport. You can bring two additional willing creatures you touch with you for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within one size category of you, must not be encumbered, and must be within 1 meter of you when you cast this spell.

  • There and Back Again. You can expend 1 additional mana at the end of your turn to teleport back to the spot you occupied before teleporting, unless it is now occupied or on a different plane of existence.

  • Dimension Door. You can expend 1 additional mana to teleport up to 100 meters to a place you can see, a place you can visualize, or a place you can describe by stating distance and direction, such as “20 meters straight downward” or “upward to the northwest at a 45° angle, 100 meters.” If you would arrive in a place already occupied by an object or a creature, you and any creature traveling with you each take 4d6 force damage, and the spell fails to teleport you.

  • Continuous Teleport. You can expend 2 additional mana to change the duration to 1 minute/mana and on each of your turns before the spell ends, you can use an action to teleport in this way again.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters has a lust for blood. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it is charmed by you for the duration. While charmed, its skin turns a deep red, and a thirst for destruction glows in its eyes. It must use its actions to make melee attacks made against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. The charmed creature can move up to half its speed before making the attacks.

The creature can act normally on its turn if you choose no creature or if none are within its reach.

On your subsequent turns, you must use two actions to maintain control over the creature, or the spell ends.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

Incite Passion. You can expend 1 additional mana so the charmed creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and cannot cast spells. If it is concentrating on a spell, it must immediately make a saving throw with disadvantage to maintain it.

3 hours/mana

As two actions, you touch a creature and grant it a measure of protection from death.

The first time the target would drop to 0 health as a result of taking damage, the target instead drops to 1 health, and the spell ends.

If the spell is still in effect when the target is subjected to an effect that would kill it instantaneously without dealing damage, that effect is instead negated against the target, and the spell ends.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the target gains 3d10 temporary health when it drops to 1 health.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so you can cast this spell as a reaction, which you use when a creature within 2 meters of you takes damage.

As a reaction, which you use when you are reduced to 0 health, you instead enter a state of suspended animation. While fatality is deferred, you do not age, breathe, grow hungry, sleep, or regain catalysts, mana, ki, or stamina dice. You do not roll death saving throws, are incapacitated, and unaware of your surroundings. Outside forces can damage your body, but you remain in a state of deferred fatality as long as your head remains attached to your torso and your brain remains intact until you have 1 or more health. When so cured, you become conscious with 1 health and 1 mana.

As two actions, choose a creature, object, or magical effect within 20 meters. Make a skill check using your spellcasting skill. The Difficulty equals the spell Difficulty used to cast the spell + the spell’s effective mana. If you have identified the spell, you have advantage on this skill check. If there are multiple spells and if you have not identified them, the spell is chosen at random starting with the spell with the lowest mana cost.

On a success, the spell ends.

If you fail by 4 or less, the spell is suppressed for 1 minute.

A spell’s effective mana is normally the amount of mana it was cast with, including augmentation. If a feature lets a spell be cast without expending mana then the spell’s effective mana is its normal mana cost.

Augment

You gain a +1 bonus to your skill check for each additional mana expended.

As two actions, you freeze a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it is stunned until the end of its next turn.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

  • You can expend 2 additional mana so the duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the creature is stunned for the duration. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the creature is paralyzed instead of stunned.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters starts experiencing a heart attack. At the start of each of its turns for the duration, the creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature is a construct or an undead, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 4d6 necrotic damage and is stunned until the start of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage and and the effect ends.

On a critical success, it takes no damage and the effect ends.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 4d6 for each additional mana expended. If this spell is augmented to target additional creatures, this damage is halved.

  • You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.