Merrenoloth
Medium fiend (yugoloth)- Challenge
- STR
- −1
- DEX
- 3
- CON
- 0
- INT
- 3
- WIS
- 2
- CHA
- 0
- Fort
- +0
- Ref
- +2
- Will
- +3
Magic Resistance. The merrenoloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The merrenoloth’s weapon attacks are magical.
Spellcasting. The merrenoloth uses Divinity (int) to cast spells (spell save Difficulty 13, +4 to hit with spell attacks). It has 6 mana, a mana limit of 1, 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: teleport
Cantrips (at will): hydraulic push, shape water
1 mana: aquatic adaptation, averting gust, charm creature, desiccate, ebb and flow, fog cloud, gust of wind, liquid body, locate water, rain, slick skin, steal breath, tidal break, tidal surge, warding winds, water jet, water whip, whispering wind, zephyr strike
3/day: control water
1/day: control weather
Actions (2)
Oar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.
Frightful Gaze (1/turn). The merrenoloth targets one creature it can see within 10 meters of it. The target must succeed on a Difficulty 10 Will saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Lair actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the merrenoloth takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the same effect can’t be used two rounds in a row:
The ship regains 22 (4d10) health.
A strong wind propels the ship, increasing its speed by 5 meters until initiative count 20 on the next round.
The air within 10 meters of the ship is filled with howling wind. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, that area is difficult terrain, and when a Medium or smaller creature flies into that area or starts its turn flying there, it must succeed on a Difficulty 13 Reflex saving throw or be knocked prone.
Regional effects
The region containing the merrenoloth’s lair is warped by the merrenoloth’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
The ship doesn’t sink even if its hull is breached.
The ship always stays on course to the destination the merrenoloth names.
Creatures the merrenoloth chooses to take on the ship aren’t discomfited by wind or weather, though this effect doesn’t protect against damage.
If the merrenoloth dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d6 hours.
Spells
As an action, you shoot a jet of water at a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters. The creature must make a Reflex saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is pushed 2 meters away from you if it is Medium or smaller.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pushed 4 meters away from you if it is Medium or smaller.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
At higher levels
This spell’s damage increases by 1d6 and it can affect a creature of a larger size when you reach 9th level (2d6; Large) and 17th level (3d6; Huge).
Dampen flame
As an action, you shoot a jet of water at a creature or an object that you can touch or see within 5 meters. Reduce its burning condition by 2.
As an action, you choose an area of water that you can see within 5 meters and that fits within a 1-meter cube. You manipulate it in one of the following ways:
- You instantaneously move or otherwise change the flow of the water as you direct, up to 1 meter in any direction. This movement doesn’t have enough force to cause damage.
- You cause the water to form into simple shapes and animate at your direction. This change lasts for 1 hour.
- You change the water’s color or opacity. The water must be changed in the same way throughout. This change lasts for 1 hour.
If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have no more than two of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect on your turn (no action required).
At higher levels
The cube increases by 1 meter when you reach 9th level (2 meters) and 17th level (3 meters).
1 hour/mana
As an action, you adapt to life underwater. Choose fins or gills as the spell’s effect.
Fins. You grow fins and webbing between your fingers and toes; you gain a swimming speed of 5 meters for the duration.
Gills. You grow gills; you gain the ability to breathe underwater for the duration. You also retain your normal breathing pattern.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana to gain the benefit of both effects.
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.
As a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less that you can see, you can redirect attacks with gusts of air. The triggering attack is made with disadvantage. You can do so after the roll but before any effects of the roll occur. Subsequent attacks made against you are made with disadvantage until the start of your next turn.
If the roll already has disadvantage, you cannot apply another instance of disadvantage.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana to trigger the spell when a creature that you can see within 10 meters is attacked. The attacked creature gains the benefits instead.
1 hour/mana
As an action, you charm a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw, which it does with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it.
On a failure, it is charmed by you and friendly to you for the duration.
The spell ends if you or your allies attack, damage, or attempt to negatively effect the charmed creature in any way.
When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.
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.
As an action, you drain the moisture from a creature 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 has no moisture in its body, the spell has no effect on it.
On a failure, it takes 5d6 necrotic damage and is exhausted 1 until it rehydrates. This exhaustion does not accumulate with other forms of exhaustion due to dehydration.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is exhausted 2 until it rehydrates. This exhaustion does not accumulate with other forms of exhaustion due to dehydration.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 6d6 for each additional mana expended.
As an action, you can unleash a stream of water that drains and heals life forces. Choose one of the following options.
Ebb. Life ebbs from a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.
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.
A willing creature within 5 meters of the target can regain health equal to half the amount of necrotic damage dealt.
Flow. A creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters regains 3d6 health. A creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters of that creature must make a Fortitude saving throw.
On a failure, it takes necrotic damage equal to half the amount of healing.
Augment
You can increase Ebb’s necrotic damage by 3d8 and Flow’s healing by 3d6 for each additional mana expended.
concentration, 1 hour/mana
As an action, you create a sphere twice as big as normal of fog centered on a point within 20 meters. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for the duration or until a wind of moderate or greater speed (at least 15 kilometers per hour) disperses it. Creatures in the area are wet while within the fog and remain wet until the end of their turn that they leave the area.
As an action, you unleash a strong gust of wind. Each creature in a cone or line must make a Reflex saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and is pushed 2 meters away from you following the direction of the cone or line if it is Medium or smaller.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pushed 4 meters away from you following the direction of the cone or line if it is Medium or smaller.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
The gust disperses gas or vapor, and it extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames in the area. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50 percent chance to extinguish them. Additionally, any burning creature in the area has the burning condition reduced by 1.
Any Medium or smaller creature in the area moves at half speed when it moves closer to the spell’s origin.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 1d8, push each creature an additional meter, and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.
As a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less that you can see or when you take fire damage, you can create a rushing torrent of water as a shield. You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical weapon attacks until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering attack.
Additionally, you are wet until the start of your next turn.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana to trigger the spell when a creature that you can see within 10 meters is attacked or takes fire damage. The attacked creature gains the benefits instead.
(ritual)
As an action, you sense the direction of water. You learn the direction and distance to the closest substantial body of water within 10 kilometers, if any are present.
Rain
(ritual)
As an action, rain falls to the ground in a cylinder twice as big as normal centered on a point within 20 meters. You can focus the cylinder so that the rain falls within an open container or specific area that is smaller than the normal cylinder size. Creatures and objects in the area become wet until the end of their next turn. You can create up to 20 liters of clean water.
Continuous rain
concentration, 1 hour/mana
As an action, rain falls to the ground in a cylinder twice as big as normal centered on a point within 20 meters. The area is heavily obscured and creatures and objects in the area become wet until the end of their next turn. You can create up to 20 liters of clean water each turn, 200 liters of water every minute, and 12,000 liters of water every hour.
3 hours/mana
As an action, you touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor, and its body becomes slick until the spell ends. The target’s Defense becomes 13 + half its Aptitude Bonus (min 1) + its Dexterity (max 4) and it becomes wet. This wetness does not end if it takes fire damage. The spell ends if the target dons armor or if you dismiss the spell on your turn (no action required).
As an action, you pull the breath from a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Fortitude saving throw. If the creature doesn’t breathe, the spell has no effect on it.
On a failure, it loses 2d10 health and is deafened, can’t speak, and can’t use breath weapons until the end of its next turn.
On a critical failure, it loses twice as much health.
On a success, it loses half as much health.
On a critical success, it loses no health.
Augment
You can increase the health lost by 3d10 for each additional mana expended.
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 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.
As a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less, jets of water shoot out from you. If the creature who damaged you is within 10 meters, it must make a Reflex saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 2d10 bludgeoning damage, is wet until the end of its next turn, and is pushed or pulled 2 meters away from you or toward you if it is Medium or smaller.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pushed or pulled 4 meters away from you or toward you if it is Medium or smaller.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 2d10, push the creature an additional meter, and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.
As an action, a tidal wave surges forth from you or retreats to you. Choose to have the wave surge or retreat. Each creature other than you in a sphere centered on you must make a Reflex saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 1d10 bludgeoning damage, is wet until the end of its next turn, is knocked prone if it is Medium or smaller, and is pushed or pulled 2 meters away from you or toward you (pushed if the waves surged, pulled if the waves retreated) if it is Medium or smaller.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pushed or pulled 4 meters away from you or toward you (pushed if the waves surged, pulled if the waves retreated) if it is Medium or smaller.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 1d10 and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.
You can expend 2 additional mana so it deals no damage, but the waves surge continuously. The duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the waves surge toward and away from 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.
You can change the direction of the waves as an action.
concentration, 5 minutes/mana
As an action, wind whirls around a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. It gains one of the following benefits for the duration:
- It gains a +2 bonus to Defense.
- Ranged weapon attacks made against it have disadvantage.
- It has advantage on saving throws against the burning condition.
Augment
You can expend 1 additional mana to give both benefits to the target.
You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended, though the spell then must be cast as two actions. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.
As an action, you unleash a jet of water. Each creature in a cone or line must make a Reflex saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage, is wet until the end of its next turn, and is pushed 2 meters away from you following the direction of the cone or line if it is Medium or smaller.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pushed 4 meters away from you following the direction of the cone or line if it is Medium or smaller.
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, push each creature an additional meter, and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.
As an action, you create a whip of water that pulls and unbalances a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Reflex saving throw.
On a failure, it takes 3d8 bludgeoning damage, is knocked prone if it is Medium or smaller, and is pulled 2 meters toward you if it is Medium or smaller.
On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage and is pulled 4 meters toward you if it is Medium or smaller.
On a success, it takes half as much damage.
On a critical success, it takes no damage.
Augment
You can increase the damage by 4d8 and affect a creature of a larger size for each additional mana expended.
As an action, you send a short message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with which you are familiar within 10 kilometers. If the creature is not within 10 kilometers the message is not received.
The creature hears the message whispered by the wind, recognizes you as the sender if it knows you, and can answer in a like manner immediately.
Augment
You can send an additional twenty-five words for each additional mana expended.
You can expend 1 additional mana so you can send the message across any distance.
As an action, winds lift you into the air, allowing you to fly up to 5 meters without provoking opportunity attacks. If you move at least 3 meters straight toward a creature, make a weapon attack against it.
On a hit, add 2d6 + 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 increase the damage by 4d6 for each additional mana expended.
concentration, 5 minutes/mana
As two actions, you can control any freestanding water within 100 meters inside an area that is a cube up to 20 meters on a side. You can choose from any of the following effects when you cast this spell.
Flood. You cause the water level of all standing water in the area to rise by as much as 5 meters. If the area includes a shore, the flooding water spills over onto dry land.
If you choose an area in a large body of water, you instead create a 5-meter tall wave that travels from one side of the area to the other and then crashes down. Any Huge or smaller vehicles in the wave’s path are carried with it to the other side. Any Huge or smaller vehicles struck by the wave have a 25% chance of capsizing.
The water level remains elevated until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. If this effect produced a wave, the wave repeats on the start of your next turn while the flood effect lasts.
Part Water. You cause water in the area to move apart and create a trench. The trench extends across the spell’s area, and the separated water forms a wall to either side. The trench remains until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. The water then slowly fills in the trench over the course of the next round until the normal water level is restored.
Redirect Flow. You cause flowing water in the area to move in a direction you choose, even if the water has to flow over obstacles, up walls, or in other unlikely directions. The water in the area moves as you direct it, but once it moves beyond the spell’s area, it resumes its flow based on the terrain conditions. The water continues to move in the direction you chose until the spell ends or you choose a different effect.
On subsequent turns, you can use two actions to repeat the same effect or choose a different one.
(ritual); concentration, 1 hour/mana
As you spend 10 minutes to cast this spell while outdoors, you take control of the weather within 10 kilometers of you for the duration.
When you cast the spell, you change the current weather conditions, which are determined by the GM based on the climate and season. You can change precipitation, temperature, and wind. It takes 1d4 × 10 minutes for the new conditions to take effect. Once they do so, you can change the conditions again. When the spell ends, the weather gradually returns to normal.
When you change the weather conditions, find a current condition on the following tables and change its stage by one, up or down. When changing the wind, you can change its direction.
Moving to a place where you don’t have a clear path to the sky ends the spell early.
Precipitation
| Stage | Condition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Clear |
| 2 | Light clouds |
| 3 | Overcast or ground fog |
| 4 | Rain, hail, or snow |
| 5 | Torrential rain, driving hail, or blizzard |
Temperature
| Stage | Condition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Unbearable heat |
| 2 | Hot |
| 3 | Warm |
| 4 | Cool |
| 5 | Cold |
| 6 | Arctic cold |
Wind
| Stage | Condition |
|---|---|
| 1 | Calm |
| 2 | Moderate wind |
| 3 | Strong wind |
| 4 | Gale |
| 5 | Storm |