Devourer

Devourer

Large fiend
Challenge

STR
5
DEX
1
CON
5
INT
1
WIS
0
CHA
3

178
17d10+85
19
Soak
2
Fort
+9
Ref
+5
Will
+4
Defense note natural armor
Damage resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage immunities poison
Condition immunities poisoned

Speed 5 m.
Skills Athletics +9 (20), Brawn +9 (20), Divinity (cha) +7 (18), Perception +4 (15), Wilderness +4 (15)
Senses darkvision 20 m.
Languages Abyssal, telepathy 20 m.

Maneuvers. The devourer uses maneuvers (maneuver save Difficulty 18). It has 12 stamina dice which are d8s, a dice limit of 4, regains all expended stamina dice when it finishes a long rest, and regains half its total stamina dice when it finishes a short rest. It knows the following maneuvers:

1 stamina die: grapple, spring attack, swipe, tear flesh

2 stamina dice: tear tendon

Spellcasting. The devourer uses Divinity (cha) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 16, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It has 6 mana, a mana limit of 2, 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:

Cantrips (at will, 16th-level spellcaster): ghostly spirit, soul sap, thaumaturgy

1 mana: absorb spirit, bind soul, consult the spirits, spirit drain

2 mana: faithful hound, possess, reincarnate, speak with spirits, spectral form, spirit guardians, spiritual impressions, vengeful spirit, wrath of nature

1/day: soul cage

Actions (3)

Claw (2/turn). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage.

Imprison Soul (1/turn). The devourer chooses a living humanoid with 0 health that it can see within 5 meters of it. That creature is teleported inside the devourer’s ribcage and imprisoned there. A creature imprisoned in this manner has disadvantage on death saving throws. If it dies while imprisoned, the devourer regains 25 health, immediately recharges Soul Rend, and gains an additional action on its next turn. Additionally, at the start of its next turn, the devourer regurgitates the slain creature as an action, and the creature becomes an undead. If the victim had 2 or fewer Health Dice, it becomes a zombie. If it had 3 to 5 Health Dice, it becomes a ghoul. Otherwise, it becomes a wight. A devourer can imprison only one creature at a time.

Soul Rend (Recharge 6). The devourer creates a vortex of life-draining energy in a 4-meter radius centered on itself. Each humanoid in that area must make a Difficulty 18 Fortitude saving throw, taking 67 (15d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Increase the damage by 10 for each living humanoid with 0 health in that area.

Lower planes, Underdarkvgtm

Maneuvers

As an action, make a melee weapon attack and a Brawn check to grapple the creature.

Enhance

You can add the stamina die to the attack’s damage (add half on a miss by 4 or less) for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, you can use the Dash action. If you move at least 3 meters straight toward a creature, you can make a melee weapon attack against it.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

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

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a weapon attack with a melee weapon with a natural weapon that deals slashing damage and then swipe through the target. Each creature within 1 meter of the target and within your weapon’s reach must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes slashing damage equal to the stamina die.

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.

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended.

As an action, make a melee weapon attack with a natural weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage to cause jagged wounds that bleed.

On a hit, add the stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature is bleeding 1.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

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

Enhance

You can increase the damage and bleeding level by 1 for each additional stamina die expended.

1 minute/stamina die

As an action, make a melee weapon attack with a natural weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage to tear the creature’s tendon.

On a hit, add one stamina die to the attack’s damage and the creature must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or it is slowed 1 for the duration and while affected it loses health equal to one of the stamina dice for every meter it travels. This has no effect on any creature that cannot bleed or lose a vital liquid substance.

On a critical hit, add twice as much damage.

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

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

Enhance

You can increase the damage for each additional stamina die expended and the slowed level by 1 for every two additional stamina die expended.

Spells

As an action, you summon a ghostly spirit (11 Defense; 7 Health) in a space you can see within 5 meters. The spirit can appear translucent or emit a faint glow, shedding dim light in its space.

When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can cause a spirit to shriek at a creature of your choice within 5 meters of it. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature is immune to being frightened, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 1d4 psychic damage and can’t willingly move closer to the space where the spirit was 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.

You can summon up to three spirits. If a spirit shrieks, the spirit disappears.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 9th level (2d4) and 17th level (3d4).

As an action, you siphon life force from a creature that you can touch or see within 5 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 1d6 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 gain temporary health equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 9th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

1 minute

As an action, you manifest a minor wonder, a sign of supernatural power, within 5 meters. You create one of the following magical effects.

  • Your voice booms up to three times as loud as normal.
  • You cause flames to flicker, brighten, dim, or change color.
  • You cause harmless tremors in the ground.
  • You create an instantaneous sound, such as a rumble of thunder, the cry of a raven, or ominous whispers.
  • You instantly light or snuff out a candle, a torch, or a small campfire.
  • You instantaneously cause an unlocked door or window to fly open or slam shut.
  • You alter the appearance of your eyes.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have up to three of its effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect on your turn (no action required).

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.

M (a piece of jewelry worth 200 sp); 1 hour/mana

As an action, you touch the piece of jewelry that serves as the material component for this spell to a creature that has died within the last minute. If the creature’s soul is willing and able to return, it becomes bound to the piece of jewelry for the duration.

While the soul is bound in this way, the creature bound to the jewelry and the creature wearing it can telepathically communicate with one another. The spell ends early if the jewelry is destroyed or if the bound creature is returned to life.

A bound soul can attempt to break free from the jewelry if it experiences any emotional, psychological, or physical pain. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, the soul cannot attempt to break free for another 7 days.

On a success, the soul is free.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the duration changes to 10 days.

  • You can expend 2 additional mana so the duration changes to 1 year.

  • You can expend 3 additional mana and so the duration becomes permanent.

  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last hour.

  • You can expend 2 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last 24 hours.

  • You can expend 3 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last week.

  • You can expend 4 additional mana so the creature can have died within the last month.

(ritual); M (physical item serving as a connection to the spirits worth at least 25 sp)

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you receive an omen from the spirits about the results of a specific course of action that you plan to take within the next 30 minutes. The GM chooses from the following possible omens:

  • Weal, for good results
  • Woe, for bad results
  • Weal and woe, for both good and bad results
  • Nothing, for results that aren’t especially good or bad

The spell doesn’t take into account any possible circumstances that might change the outcome, such as the casting of additional spells or the loss or gain of a companion.

If you cast the spell two or more times before completing your next long rest, there is a cumulative 25% chance for each casting after the first that you get a random reading. The GM makes this roll in secret.

As an action, you drain the spiritual energy from a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature doesn’t have mana, ki, or stamina dice, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 2d6 necrotic damage, loses 1 mana, 2 ki, or 2 stamina dice (its choice), and is slowed 1 until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is slowed 2 until the end of its next turn.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

If the creature has slots that are not converted to mana, the GM removes an equivalent level slot. If the creature has innate spellcasting with a set amount each day, use the highest level slot from that section to determine if the slot is lost.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 5d6 and the target loses 1 additional mana or 2 additional stamina dice for each additional mana expended.

3 hours/mana

As two actions, you conjure a phantom watchdog in an unoccupied space that you can see within 5 meters. The hound occupies that space and is invisible to all creatures except you and can’t be harmed.

When a Small or larger creature comes within 5 meters of it without first speaking the password that you specify when you cast this spell, the hound starts barking loudly. The hound sees invisible creatures and can see into the Ethereal Plane. It ignores illusions.

When you cast this spell, you can designate any number of creatures you can see to be unaffected by it. A creature that moves within 1 meter of the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Reflex saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 2d12 piercing 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.

The hound vanishes when it has dealt a total of 50 damage.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 1d10 and the maximum damage increased by 25 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As two actions, you take possession of a willing creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters (creatures warded by a protection from evil and good or magic circle spell can’t be possessed).

Your soul moves into the target’s body. Once you possess a creature’s body, your body falls into a catatonic state as your soul leaves it and enters the body of the creature which you control. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the creature, though you retain your personality and your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You retain the benefit of your own class features. If the target has any class levels, you can’t use any of its class features.

Meanwhile, the possessed creature’s soul can perceive using its own senses, but it can’t move or use any actions other than to make a Will saving throw as an action on its turn, ending the possession on a success.

While possessing a body, you can use an action to return from the host body to your body if it is within 20 meters of you. If the host body dies while you’re in it, the creature dies, and you must make a Will saving throw against your spell save Difficulty.

On a success, you return to your body if it is within 20 meters of you. Otherwise, you die.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • Unwilling. You can expend 1 additional mana to target an unwilling target. The duration changes to 1 minute/mana and the target must succeed on a Will saving throw or you possess it for the duration. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw.

    Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Will saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the spell ends.

  • Creature. You can expend 1 additional mana to target any creature.

M (rare oils and unguents worth 500 sp, consumed)

d100Species
01–02Itarii
03–06Aasimar
07Android
08–09Centaur
10Changeling
11–12Vayemniri
13–21Dwarf
22–30Elf
31–32Firbolg
33–38Genasi
39Gith
40–47Gnome
48–51Goblin
52–54Goliath
55–62Hin
63–65Hobgoblin
66–77Human
78–80Kobold
81–83Orc
84–85Shifter
86–88Ssurran
89–91Tabaxi
92–94Thri-Kreen
95Azarketi
96–99Tiefling
100Warforged
d100Dwarf
1–70Mountain
71–100Duergar
d100Elf
1–20Drow
21–64High Elf
65–100Wood Elf
d100Genasi
1–25Air
26–50Earth
51–75Fire
76–100Water
d100Gnome
1–30Svirfneblin
31–65Forest
66–100Rock

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you touch a dead creature or a piece of a dead creature. Provided that the creature has been dead no longer than 10 days, the spell forms a new adult body for it and then calls the soul to enter that body. If the target’s soul isn’t free or willing to do so, the spell fails.

The magic fashions a new body for the creature to inhabit, which likely causes the creature’s species to change. The GM rolls a d100 and consults the following table to determine what form the creature takes when restored to life, or the GM chooses a form.

The reincarnated creature recalls its former life and experiences. It retains the aptitudes it had in its original form, except it exchanges its original species for the new one and changes its traits accordingly.

5 minutes/mana

As two actions, you can speak to the spirit of a dead creature allowing it to answer the questions you pose. Choose a corpse you can see within 5 meters or an area where the creature died. The spell fails if the spirit’s body was made undead or if the spirit was the target of this spell within the last 10 days.

Until the spell ends, you can ask the spirit up to five questions. The spirit knows only what it knew in life, including the languages it knew. Answers are usually brief, cryptic, or repetitive, and the spirit is under no compulsion to offer a truthful answer if you are hostile to it or it recognizes you as an enemy. This spell doesn’t return the creature’s soul to its body, only its animating spirit. Thus, the spirit can’t learn new information, doesn’t comprehend anything that has happened since it died, and can’t speculate about future events.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As two actions, you, along with everything you’re wearing and carrying, become spectral for the duration. The spell ends if you drop to 0 health.

While in this form, the following rules apply:

  • your speed is halved
  • you can enter and occupy the space of another creature
  • you have resistance to nonmagical damage
  • you have advantage on Reflex and Fortitude saving throws
  • you can move through a space as narrow as 2 centimeters wide without squeezing, though treat liquids as though they were solid surfaces.
  • you can’t talk, manipulate objects, attack, use maneuvers, or cast spells. Any objects you were carrying or holding can’t be dropped, used, or otherwise interacted with.
Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana to target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As two actions, you call forth spirits to protect you. They flit around you in an aura shaped as a sphere. The guardian spirits provide supernatural protection. As a reaction, which you use when a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters of you takes damage, you can reduce that damage by double the mana expended to cast this spell and the attacker takes psychic damage equal to double the mana expended to cast this spell. An enemy creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d8 psychic damage, moves at half speed, and has disadvantage on skill checks while in the area.

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.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 1d8 for every two additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you conjure ghostly historical impressions of a given location that only you can see within 10 meters or object you touch.

Location. Rooms, streets, tunnels, and other discrete locations accumulate impressions left by powerful emotions experienced in a given area. These impressions offer you a ghostly recreation of the location’s past.

The types of events most likely to leave impressions are those that elicited strong emotions: battles and betrayals, marriages and murders, births and great pain, or any other event where one emotion dominates. Everyday occurrences leave no residue for a caster to detect.

The ghostly impressions of the event are ethereal, and cannot be interacted with. You do not gain special knowledge of those involved in the vision, though you might be able to read large banners or other writing if they are in your language.

Beginning with the most recent significant event at a location and working backward in time, you can conjure one distinct event for every 10 minutes you maintain concentration, if any such events exist to be conjured.

Object. You conjure ghostly echoes which let you learn about the past owners of an object. You learn the owner’s species, gender, age, and how the owner gained and lost the object. Beginning with the most recent owner of an object and working backward in time, you can conjure one distinct owner for every 10 minutes you maintain concentration, if any such owner exists to be conjured.

Track. You can track creatures with an Intelligence of −4 or greater by following the ghostly trails of spiritual energy they leave behind. You have advantage on Streetwise and Wilderness checks made to track such creatures.

The impressions can extend 100 years into the past.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • The impressions can be 500 years further in the past for each additional mana expended.

  • Shared Impressions. You can expend 1 additional mana to share this impression with one other creature that you touch. An unwilling target may make a Will saving throw to avoid being affected.

3 hours/mana

As a reaction, which you use when you are reduced to 0 health, you can choose to let your soul emerge from your body to fight on. Your body remains unconscious and subject to death saving throws as normal. At the beginning of your next turn, you manifest a spirit form in your space that picks up your weapons and continues fighting on, acting on your turn and every one of your subsequent turns under your control. Your spirit form has your physical attributes and Defense, as well as your weapons and ammunition, and can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. This form is immune to cold, necrotic, and nonmagical weapon damage. Your spirit form has access to all of your abilities.

If your spirit form takes any damage or you are no longer unconscious, your spirit form vanishes. If your spirit form vanishes, it drops your weapons in its space.

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana to stabilize your dying body.

concentration, 5 minutes/mana

As two actions, you call out to the spirits of nature to rouse them against your enemies. Choose a point you can see within 20 meters. The spirits cause trees, rocks, and grasses in a sphere that is twice as big as normal centered on that point to become animated until the spell ends.

Grasses and Undergrowth. Any area of ground in the sphere that is covered by grass or undergrowth is difficult terrain for your enemies.

Trees. At the start of each of your turns, each of your enemies within 2 meters of any tree in the sphere must succeed on a Reflex saving throw or take 2d8 slashing damage from whipping branches.

Roots and Vines. At the start of each of your turns, a creature of your choice that is on the ground in the sphere must succeed on a Reflex saving throw or become restrained until the spell ends. A restrained creature can use an action to make a Brawn check against your spell save Difficulty, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Rocks. As an action, you can cause a loose rock in the sphere to launch at a creature you can see in the sphere. Make a ranged spell attack against the target.

On a hit, the target takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage, and it must succeed on a Reflex saving throw or fall prone.

On a miss by 4 or less, the target takes half as much damage.

Augment

You can increase the damage from rocks by 2d8 for each additional mana expended and the damage from trees by 1d8 and the damage for every two additional mana expended.

M (a tiny silver cage worth 100 sp); 3 hours/mana

As a reaction, which you use when a creature you can see within 10 meters of you dies, you snatch the soul of a creature as it dies and trap it inside the tiny silver cage. A stolen soul remains inside the cage until the spell ends or until you destroy the cage, which ends the spell. While you have a soul inside the cage, you can exploit it in any of the ways described below. You can use a trapped soul up to six times. Once you exploit a soul for the sixth time, it is released, and the spell ends. While a soul is trapped, the dead creature it came from can’t be revived.

Steal Life. Once on your turn, you can drain vigor from the soul and regain 3d8 health.

Query Soul. Once on your turn, you ask the soul a question and receive a brief telepathic answer, which you can understand regardless of the language used. The soul knows only what it knew in life, but it must answer you truthfully and to the best of its ability. The answer is no more than a sentence or two and might be cryptic.

Borrow Experience. Once on your turn, you can bolster yourself with the soul’s life experience, making your next skill check or saving throw with advantage. If you don’t use this benefit before the start of your next turn, it is lost.

Eyes of the Dead. You can use an action to name a place the creature saw in life, which creates an invisible sensor somewhere in that place if it is on the plane of existence you’re currently on. The sensor remains for as long as you concentrate, up to 10 minutes (as if you were concentrating on a spell). You receive visual and auditory information from the sensor as if you were in its space using your senses.

A creature that can see the sensor (such as one who can see invisibility or truesight) sees a translucent image of the tormented creature whose soul you caged.