#cr22

Attributes

Huge dragon, chaotic evil

Armor Class: 19 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 337 (27d12 + 162)

Speed: 40 ft., burrow 60 ft., swim 80 ft.

STR: 21 (+5)

DEX: 14 (+2)

CON: 22 (+6)

INT: 27 (+8)

WIS: 26 (+8)

CHA: 23 (+6)

Saving Throws: CON +13, WIS +15

Skills: Perception +15, Stealth +9

Damage Resistances: fire, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities: cold

Condition Immunities: blinded

Senses: blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this range), tremorsense 100 ft., passive Perception 25

Languages: Aquan, Draconic, telepathy 60 ft. with any creature charmed by the spelunkamander

Challenge: 22 (41,000 XP)

Proficiency Bonus: +7

Special Traits

Amphibious. The spelunkamander can breathe air and water, and it has advantage on Stealth checks while completely submerged underwater.

Intellect Thrall. All creatures within 30 feet of the spelunkamander with an Intelligence score less than 4 are charmed by the spelunkamander. While charmed in this manner, a creature must use all its movement to move toward the spelunkamander. The charmed condition ends when a creature is more than 30 feet away from the spelunkamander, or if the spelunkamander dies or is on another plane of existence.

Keen Hearing and Smell. The spelunkamander has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the spelunkamander fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. The spelunkamander has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the spelunkamander has disadvantage on attack rolls and skill checks, and it cannot use its mind's eye. If the spelunkamander takes radiant damage, it cannot use reactions until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. The spelunkamander makes three attacks: one with its bite, and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the spelunkamander can’t bite another target.

Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (4d6 + 5) slashing damage plus 11 (2d10) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target is poisoned for 1 hour. While a creature is poisoned in this manner, the spelunkamander is aware of the creature's exact location at all times.

Swallow. The spelunkamander makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target takes the bite’s damage, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the spelunkamander, and it takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of the spelunkamander’s turns. While the spelunkamander is compeltely submerged underwater and any creatures are inside it, those creatures are at risk of drowning.

If the spelunkamander takes 35 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the spelunkamander must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the spelunkamander. If the spelunkamander dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 30 feet of movement, exiting prone.

Legendary Actions

The spelunkamander 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 spelunkamander regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Detect. The spelunkamander makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.

Tail Sweep (Costs 2 Actions). The spelunkamander swings its tail. Each creature within 15 feet of the spelunkamander must succeed on a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage and be pushed 10 feet away from the spelunkamander.

Mind's Eye (Costs 3 Actions). The spelunkamander turns its eyeless head to face a creature within 120 feet poisoned by its claws. The creature must make a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target's Intelligence score becomes 1. The creature can't cast spells, activate magic items, understand language from sources other than the spelunkamander, or communicate in any intelligible way. This effect can be ended by greater restoration, heal, or wish.

[id: monster stat block for the spelunkamander, depicting a draconic version of an olm (cave salamander) shrouded in darkness, eyeless, with external gills, a row of sharp teeth, extended claws, and a long winding body]