IADnDMN Stream Monsters! (2018/10/31)
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Stirge Blood Queen
Suggested by various users on the IADnDMN Discord server, inspired by a discussion of CR 0 beasts made into high-CR demigods. "Mosquito God" was said, and here we are.
Often simply known as a "Stirge God," this massive titan of a creature is said to be the harbinger of an apocalyptic blight of stirges so massive, it will make the day turn dark.
Stirge Blood Queen
Huge monstrosity (titan), chaotic neutral
Armor Class 22 (natural armor)
Hit Points 319 (22d12 + 176)
Speed 50 ft., fly 120 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 23 (+6) 29 (+9) 26 (+8) 13 (+1) 24 (+7) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Str +14, Dex +17, Con +16, Wis +15, Cha +12
Skills Acrobatics +17, Insight +15, Perception +15
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
Senses truesight 15 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages understands Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, and Primordial, but can't speak; telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 28 (120,000 XP)
Aggressive. As a bonus action, the stirge can move up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.
Avoidance. If the stirge is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take only half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Blood Frenzy. The stirge has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points.
Flyby. The stirge doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.
Keen Smell. The stirge has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the stirge fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. The stirge has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The stirge’s weapon attacks are magical.
Rampage. When the stirge reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, the stirge can take a bonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack.
Relentless (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). If the stirge takes 14 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead.
Spider Climb. The stirge can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Actions
Multiattack. The stirge makes three attacks: One attack with its draining bite, and two with its claws.
Draining Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 25 (3d10 + 9) piercing damage, and if the target is Large or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 22). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and it loses 25 (3d10 + 9) hit points due to blood loss at the start of each of its turns, and the stirge regains that many hit points.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) slashing damage.
Conjure Stirge Swarm (2/Day). The stirge regurgitates some of its consumed blood into a space it can see within 30 feet of it, which magically transforms into a Medium Swarm of Stirges. This action regains one of its spent uses when the stirge causes damage due to blood loss to a creature.
Legendary Actions
The stirge 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 stirge regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Swoop. The stirge flies up to half of its flying speed.
Command Stirges (Costs 2 Actions). The stirge chooses any number of stirges or swarms of stirges that it can see, and telepathically commands them into action. Each chosen stirge creature can either move up to half its speed, or make a blood drain attack against a creature within its reach.
Exhausting Drain (Costs 3 Actions). A creature currently grappled by the stirge must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. A creature loses 25 (3d10 + 9) hit points due to blood loss on failed save, or half as many on a successful one, and the stirge regains a number of hit points equal to the number lost. Additionally on a failed save, the creature also gains 1 cumulative level of exhaustion which remains until it completes a Short or Long Rest.
Image sourced from D&D 5e SRD, edited by IADnDMN
Swarm of Stirges
A truly terrifying sight (and sound) to behold, even hardened survivalists know to seek shelter when the droning buzz of a stirge swarm is heard.
Swarms of stirges are voracious drinkers of blood, and despite their small size have been known to completely overwhelm and exsanguinate entire parties of inexperienced adventurers.
Swarm of Stirges
Medium swarm of Tiny beasts, unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 7 (-2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 2 (-4) 8 (-1) 6 (-2)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages —
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny stirge. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Actions
Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) piercing damage, or 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage if the swarm has half its hit points or fewer.
Also on a hit, 2d4 - 2 stirges attach to the target, or 1d4 - 1 stirges if the swarm has half its hit points or fewer, and the swarm loses 1d4 hit points for each stirge attached. Each attached stirge becomes an independent stirge creature which acts on this turn of initiative, starting next round.
While attached, a stirge doesn't attack. Instead, at the start of each of the stirge's turns, the target loses 5 (1d4 + 3) hit points due to blood loss.
The stirge can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after it drains 10 hit points of blood from the target or the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach a stirge. Immediately after doing so, the creature can use a bonus action to remove an additional stirge from the same target, if any remain.
Werestirge
Carriers of magical curses just as they are as of mundane diseases, a stirge that drains the blood of a humanoid infected with lycanthropy can then transmit the curse to another humanoid later on.
If such a stirge lives long enough, the lycanthropic curse it carries eventually changes, taking on the stirge's characteristics. From that point, a humanoid bit by the
carrier of werestirge lycanthropy must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or become a werestirge.
Because the process by which this form of lycanthropy is created is so circuitous, and its only carriers so fragile, this form of lycanthropy is remarkably rare. However, while these are certainly one of the rarest variations of lycanthrope, werestirges are every bit as dangerous as the much more common werewolf.
Werestirge
Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), neutral evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 39 (6d8 + 12)
Speed 30 ft. (humanoid and hybrid form; 20 ft., fly 30 ft. in stirge form)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 9 (-1) 10 (+0)
Skills Acrobatics +5, Perception +1
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Senses darkvision 60 ft. (stirge form only), passive Perception 11
Languages Common (can't speak in stirge form)
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Shapechanger. The werestirge can use its action to polymorph into a stirge-humanoid hybrid or into a giant stirge, or back into its true form, which is humanoid. Its statistics are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Flyby (Stirge Form Only). The werestirge doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Keen Smell. The werestirge has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
Actions
Multiattack (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). The werestirge makes two attacks with its daggers or rapier, in any combination.
Blood Drain (Stirge Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the werestirge attaches to the target. While attached, the werestirge doesn't attack. Instead, at the start of each of the werestirge's turns, the target loses 7 (1d8 + 3) hit points due to blood loss, and the werestirge regains half as many hit points.
The werestirge can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after it drains 14 hit points of blood from the target or the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to detach the werestirge.Bite (Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, or suffer a wound. A wounded creature loses 3 (1d6) hit points due to blood loss at the start of each of its turns for each wound it currently has. A wounded creature, or another creature within 5 feet of it, can use an action to make a DC 13 Wisdom (Medicine) check, or use a charge from a healer's kit to patch its wounds, ending all wounds on the target.
Rapier (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.
Dagger (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage.
Crota, Son of Oryx
Suggested by Patron and Discord regular @whistlehunter, based on the character from the Destiny series.
Crota is the son of the immortal demon lord Oryx. Whereas most demon lords see merciless destruction as a goal in and of itself, Crota—like his father, Oryx—seeks to "perfect" the multiverse by destroying all civilizations and eradicating all races other than his own, leaving only the harmony of Hive to inherit the whole of existence.
While he is not omnipotent-adjacent like his father, Crota still possesses incredible power. Even beyond his immense martial strength and combat prowess, Crota wields a degree of control over reality itself reminicent of his father's. His sword can cut a "wound" in the very fabric of space, through which he can move vast distances in a single step.
Crota also has the ability to superimpose the properties of his nightmarish home plane over the terrain of a plane he inhabits, twisting it into a vile parody of its natural form, and empowering himself while within the boundaries of this corrupted space.
Crota, Son of Oryx
Large fiend (demon), chaotic evil
Armor Class 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points 297 (22d10 + 176)
Speed 45 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 25 (+7) 16 (+3) 26 (+8) 14 (+2) 19 (+4) 24 (+7)
Saving Throws Str +14, Dex +10, Con +15, Wis +11, Cha +14
Skills Arcana +9, Athletics +14, History +9, Perception +11, Religion +9
Damage Resistances cold, fire, necrotic, thunder
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, petrified, unconscious
Senses truesight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 24 (62,000 XP)
Aggressive. As a bonus action, Crota can move up to his speed toward a hostile creature that he can see.
Discorporation. When Crota drops to 0 hit points or dies, his body is destroyed but his essence travels back to his lair, and he is unable to take physical form for a time.
Hive Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede Crota's darkvision.
Hive Weapons. Crota's weapon attacks are magical. When he hits with any weapon, the weapon deals an extra 3d6 necrotic damage (included in the attack).
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Crota fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Crota has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Rampage. When he reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, Crota can take a bonus action to move up to half his speed and make a melee attack.
Actions
Multiattack. Crota makes three attacks with his sword, or one attack with his sword, and one rotting starfire attack .
Sword of Crota. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
Rotting Starfire. Ranged Spell Attack: +14 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d8) necrotic damage plus 13 (3d8) lightning damage. Hit or miss, each creature within 10 feet of the target must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or take half as much of each damage type.
Transpose Throne (1/Day). Crota transposes the matter and metaphysical properties of his lair to the surrounding terrain out to a radius of 1 mile for up to 24 hours. The regional effects of Crota's lair can be felt within this area, and Crota can use his Lair Actions, targeting spaces within it for the duration. This effect, and all associated effects end immediately if Crota is killed, reduced to 0 hit points, or leaves the plane on which it was used.
Legendary Actions
Crota 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. Crota regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Quick Stike. Crota makes an attack with his sword.
Wound Space (Recharge 5–6). Crota enters a short-range planar portal, teleporting to an unoccupied space of his choice that he can see or is familiar with within 300 feet. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. If Crota can't fit in the destination space, the teleportation fails, and Crota takes 5 (1d10) force damage.
Sword Logic (Costs 2 Actions). Crota stabs his blade into the ground, sending out a burst of metaphysical power in all directions, out to a range of 30 feet. Each creature within this area must make a DC 22 Charisma saving throw, taking 26 (4d12) psychic damage on failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Crota's Lair
Crota’s lair is the demiplane on which he has built his palace. The demiplane is a dark, maleveolent place lit only by violent green soulfire storms that rage overhead. Places in the material realms over which he superimposes his home plane are likewise warped by its influence.
Crota's challenge rating is 26 (90,000 XP) when he’s encountered in his lair.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Crota can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; he can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Crota conjures a hovering manifestation of his Oversoul—the massive orb of energy in which he houses his own immortal essence—centered on a point 30 feet above himself. The conjured orb is a Gargantuan object, and has an AC of 10, 60 hit points, and has immunity to necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. The orb can be targeted as if it were a creature, and automatically fails any saving throws it is forced to make. The orb sheds bright light out to a range of 40 feet, and dim light an additionsal 40 feet. The orb remains stationary once conjured, floating in place until it or Crota are destroyed, or until Crota uses a subsequent lair action to detonate it.
- Crota detonates his conjured Oversoul orb, if present. Each creature other than Crota within 120 feet of the orb that is not behind total cover must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 26 (4d12) necrotic damage and 26 (4d12) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. This action destroys the conjured orb.
- Crota summons 1d6 Taken creatures in any unoccupied spaces he can see within 60 feet. The summoned creatures must be of a combined Challenge Rating no greater than 12. Roll initiative for these creatures the first time in a combat that they appear. Any such creatures summoned at any point until the end of combat act on this initiative. Any such Taken creature is completely loyal to Crota, and remains until either it or Crota is killed, at which point it disintegrates into nothingness.
Regional Effects
Throughout the entirety of his home plane, or in a region over which it has been superimposed, the environment manifests one or more of the following effects:
- Entropy and decay suffuse the area. Creatures in the area not of the fiend or aberration types who have resistance to necrotic damage lose this resistance, and such creatures in the area who have immunity to necrotic damage have this immunity replaced with resistance.
- The fiendish environment of Crota's home plane and its sheer metaphysical distance from the positive planes makes magical healing more difficult in areas suffused with its properties. Any time a creature would regain hit points from magical healing in this region, the number of hit points regained is reduced by 1d10 (minimum 0).
- Crota's home plane contains a vessel which collects the souls of all living creatures slain there. Any creature killed within this region can't be returned to life by any means other than a wish spell until Crota is permanently killed, or this vessel is destroyed. The vessel can take the form of any Huge or smaller object of Crota's choice in the area.
If Crota dies, these effects begin to fade immediately, disappearing completely over the course of 2d10 minutes.
