#bossification

BEHOLDER BOSSIFICATION: B-HLD-3R

Lore: one of the core values of the Beholder is narcissism. They believe that they are the most perfect being in existence, and that any alterations from this single ideal form is a monstrosity that must be purged. But not one. The monstrous being classified as B-HLD-3R was a beholder once, imprisoned by some even greater, more alien intelligence. It emerged from the laboratory augmented with foul sciences, having butchered its creators and stolen their technology. Obsessed with shedding its flesh in favor of steel and power, B-HLD-3R doesn't view itself as perfect. It is still a work in progress.

Challenge Rating: somewhere in the mid twenties probably, maybe a lil higher. might be in the low 30s honestly. this boss is a menace.

Lair: B-HLD-3R dwells in the laboratory it was first augmented in, continuing to improve itself with the equipment found within. The lair doesn't exist in the Material Plane, and exhibits no effects on its surroundings, but there are a few permanent effects within the lair that B-HLD-3R has added to defend itself.

Electric shocks run through the halls on a thirty-minute cycle, interrupting any attempts to rest and dealing 2d6 lightning damage to any creature in the halls. Creatures other B-HLD-3R gain no benefits from short or long rests.

B-HLD-3R knows everything that happens in its lair, due to its numerous security cameras and microphones.

Lair Actions: Each round, on initiative count 20, B-HLD-3R can choose one of the following Lair Actions. It cannot choose the same option two turns in a row.

A laser turret emerges from a wall panel within 60 feet of B-HLD-3R. A creature of B-HLD-3R's choice must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 52 (8d12) radiant damage.

An EMP pulse goes off, ending concentration on any spells.

a 10 foot by 10 foot grate opens in the floor at a point B-HLD-3R can see, letting out a burst of steam. The steam heavily obscures the area between the grate and the ceiling until initiative count 20 on the next round, and deals 28 (8d6) fire damage to any creature that starts its turn in the area.

Stats: B-HLD-3R has the stats of a Beholder, with the following changes:

21 AC

240 Hit Points

Speed: fly 80 ft. (hover)

22 Intelligence

Immunity to lightning and poison damage

Eye Beam save DCs are 18.

Legendary Resistance 3/Day

Traits:

Magic Resistance. B-HLD-3R has advantage on saving throws against spells.

Irradiation Cone (Replaces Antimagic Cone). B-HLD-3R's central eye creates an area of radiation in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of its turns, the beholder decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. A creature that starts its turn in the cone must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 14 (4d6) poison damage, taking half damage on a success. If it fails the save by 5 or more, it takes an additional 14 (4d6) poison damage and is poisoned for 1 hour. It can repeat the save at the end of each turn, ending the poisoned condition on itself and becoming immune to being poisoned by this feature for 24 hours on a success. The area affected by this trait is brightly lit.

Rocket Engine. When B-HLD-3R moves, any creature within 10 feet of it at any point during that movement must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) fire damage and being blinded and deafened until the end of their next turn. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and aren't blinded/deafened. The blindness/deafness takes place prior to any opportunity attacks.

Reactive. B-HLD-3R can take a reaction on each turn of combat.

Point Defense System. When struck by a ranged weapon or spell attack, B-HLD-3R can use a reaction to reduce the damage of the attack to 0.

Core Breach (Mythic Trait; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If B-HLD-3R is reduced to 0 hit points, it doesn't die or fall unconscious. Instead, it overloads its reactor core, regains 240 hit points, and its Irradiation Cone becomes a 150-foot radius sphere instead of a cone for the next hour. After using this trait, B-HLD-3R can use one of its mythic actions as legendary actions for 1 hour.

Actions:

Eye Rays. Exactly like a Beholder's standard Eye Rays Action, but it shoots four rays and doesn't reroll duplicates.

Laser (Replaces the Death Ray option from the Eye Rays Action). Each creature in a line 5 feet wide and 120 feet long starting from B-HLD-3R must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 52 (8d12) radiant damage on a failure or half as much on a success.

Meat Grinder (Replaces Bite). Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (4d12) piercing damage. This weapon gets a critical hit on an attack roll of 19 or 20.

Legendary Actions:

Eye Ray. B-HLD-3R uses one random eye ray.

Mythic Actions:

Optimized Eye Ray. B-HLD-3R uses one eye ray of its choice.

The Grinder (Costs 2 Actions). B-HLD-3R makes three meat grinder attacks.

Mythic Trait: If you REALLY hate your players, you can use B-HLD-3R's Core Breach trait: "The cyborg beholder's eye, glowing a putrid, agonizing green, brightens. Horrible, painful light begins to shine from its wounds, repairing the beholder's damage even as your skin begins to bubble and crack." Fighting B-HLD-3R as a Mythic Encounter is equivalent to fighting two creatures of whatever hellish number its CR comes out to.

Battle Tactics:

B-HLD-3R plays the fight smart, flying out of reach and raining down laser-y death. If you want to use this monster in your games, probably tone it down a little. It's very, very strong.

I’m doomed to be a forever DM because im good at writing stories and describing stuff and memorizing the rules and no one else i play with is but hey its fun

As my blog shifts towards being really D&D oriented it came to my attention that maybe this should exist

Fuck rangers all my homies hate rangers

I’m forgetful as fuck so this will probably never get used but if it does expect D&D posts and D&D asks and yeah that stuff

First person to edit a wizard hat onto my main account pfp gets their edit used as my pfp CONGRATS @caladel YOU WERE THE FIRST AND YOUR HAT IS MOST PRECIOUS UPON MY LEATHERY SKULL

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ONGOING ASK GAMES

Bossification: send me a 5e monster and I’ll turn it into a proper boss fight. If it already is one I’ll make it better.

Fuck CR calculations we do milestone leveling in this household. Maybe a good match for a party of level 3-5 depending on how many beasts are in the fight.

Moss-Antler is older than the cities. Moss-Antler is older than the farms. Moss-Antler is older than the trees. He’s grown quite large in the intervening millennia. He sleeps in a sheltered grove far from the reaches of civilization, gradually sinking into the landscape. He wakes rarely to greet his fellow forest-dwellers peacefully. You have awoken him, and you are not of these woods. Roll initiative.

Lair: Moss-Antler’s lair is a circular grove of trees with a clearing in the middle, in which he sleeps, indistinguishable from an overgrown boulder but for the rack of antlers wider than some houses. The area within 1 mile of the grove has the following effects:

Food, water, and shelter are plentiful. Animal populations are large and unafraid of humanoids.

A supernatural feeling of peace has settled over the region. Any creature that takes a short rest in the area regains 1d10 hit points.

Lair Actions: Each round, on initiative count 20, Moss-Antler can pick one of the following actions. The same action cannot be chosen twice in a row.

Each beast within 200 feet of the grove regains 1d10 hit points.

Grass ensnares the feet of up to three creatures Moss-Antler can see. They must make a DC 10 Strength saving throw or fall prone.

Startling animal noises erupt from the woods. Any creature concentrating on a spell must make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or lose concentration on that spell.

Moss-Antler is a Giant Elk with 70 hit points, 17 Armor Class, and 1/Day Legendary Resistance.

Legendary Actions:

Move. Moss-Antler moves a distance equal to his speed.

Stampede (requires 2 Actions). Up to four other beasts Moss-Antler can see can each use their reaction to make a melee attack.

BOSSIFICATION: GRICK SIGMA

There have long been rumors of an ultimate Grick, an Alpha that does not lord over its compatriots. Instead, it strikes out on its own, forging its own path. It's intelligent, independent, and has no regards for the norms of Grick culture. Its solitary path has brought it to you. Tremble before the Grick Sigma!

Challenge Rating: like 9 or 10 or something fuck if I know I'm not your dad. Maybe a lil higher. Played entirely optimally, this motherfucker can tussle a good ways above its weight class.

Lair: The Grick Sigma is at home everywhere. It has no lair effects or actions.

The Grick Sigma uses the statblock of a Grick Alpha, with the following changes:

140 HP

20 AC

3/Day Legendary Resistance

20 Strength (+1 to attack and damage rolls vs those in the stat block)

speed is 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

size: Huge

the reach of the Grick Sigma's melee weapon attacks are increased by 5 feet (for a total of 15 feet)

It has the following additional traits:

Independent Camouflage. The Grick Sigma has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Razor Beak. The Grick Sigma's beak weapon gets a critical hit on a roll of 18, 19, or 20.

Grabbing Tentacles. When a creature is grappled by the Grick Sigma, the Grick can move that creature up to 15 feet towards itself in a straight line.

The Grick Sigma has the following additional Action:

Multiattack: The grick makes three attacks: two with its tail and one with its tentacles. If it hits with its tentacles, the target is grappled (escape DC 17). While grappled in this way, the target is restrained, and the grick cannot use its tentacles on another target. If the grick has a creature restrained, it can then make one beak attack against that target.

Legendary Actions:

Move. The Grick Sigma moves equal to its speed.

Hide. The Grick Sigma takes the Hide Action.

Tail. The Grick Sigma makes an attack with its Tail.

Battle Tactics:

The Grick Sigma is an ambush predator that really fucks up one character with a big combo. It will tend to target the physically-smallest character, as it expects those to have a harder time breaking free (regardless of high dexterity/acrobatics).

BULLYWUG BOSSIFICATION: HIGH ARCH-QUEEN GULGA HOPLOB, FIRST OF HER NAME

Born a mere peasant in the driest parts of what would become her swamp queendom, Gulga quickly displayed a proclivity for violence far beyond her fellows, carving out an amphibious militant state beholden to her in the Soggy Reaches. Declaring war on the Ultimate Lord of the Swamps (her predecessor), she and her followers took control of the Kellim Swamp.

We don't do Challenge Rating here because CR stands for "Ctoo much Rwork". This fight is good for a party up to like level 3 or something. There's gonna be a decent number of bullywugs but not much else dangerous.

Lair: Gulga's lair is a small island and a mud hut "palace" in the Kellim Swamp. The following effects occur throughout the Kellim Swamp:

Frogs and toads have been forced into service as spies. Anything seen by an amphibian makes its way back to Gulga 1d4 days later.

Deep pockets of quicksand abound, and the muddy, overgrown terrain is especially awkward to travel through.

Lair Actions: Each round, on initiative count 20, Gulga may choose one of the following Lair Actions. She cannot choose the same option two times in a row.

A previously-unseen bullywug on the outskirts of the lair makes a ranged spear attack, then vanishes into the swamp again.

Gulga gains 1d8 temporary hit points.

A 20-foot square of ground softens, becoming difficult terrain for the next hour.

Gulga is a bullywug with 27 hit points, 16 AC, and 1/Day Legendary Resistance. She has the following Legendary Actions:

Command. One bullywug Gulga can see can use its reaction to make a spear attack.