Red Death, the Hellshark
Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned
- Armor Class 16
- Hit Points 306
- Speed 60 ft swim
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 24 (+7) 14 (+2) 22 (+6) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 7 (-2)
- Saving Throws Str +12, Dex +7, Con +11
- Skills Intimidation +8, Perception +7, Stealth +7, Athletics +12
- Senses blindsight 60 ft, passive Perception 17
- Languages Understands simple phrases in Sahuagin
Blood Frenzy. The shark has advantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hp.
Keen Smell. The shark has advantage on Perception checks that rely on smell.
Magic Resistance. The shark has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Water Breathing. The shark can breathe only underwater.
Legendary Resistance (2/day). When failing a save, can succeed instead.
A Passenger. A Merrenoloth named Maolfath is in the shark's stomach, still alive due to being immune to acid damage. He was the quartermaster for a ship called The Postulate, but he got eaten. He'll be grateful to someone who gets him out, but being that he's a yugoloth he's going to want pay eventually.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 5d8+7 piercing, target is grappled (DC 18). If the target is large or smaller and was already grappled, they are instead swallowed. If the shark already has a creature grappled, it can't target other creatures with its bite.
Bonus Actions
The Fin. Each hostile creature that can see the shark makes a DC 18 Wis save or be frightened until the start of the shark's next turn.
Call the Frenzy. 2 more sahuagin climb onto the boat. They're minions with 1 HP.
Reactions
Smelling Red. Whenever a creature missing HP enters the water within its blindsight radius, the shark can move 30 ft towards them.
Rough Skin. Whenever a creature hits the shark w/ a melee weapon attack while within 5 feet of it, they take 1d10 slashing damage.
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The Encounter
The Hellshark is effectively a siege engine used by the sahuagin. As such, it attacks a ship with a contingent of Sahuagin pirates on its back.
Sahuagin Blademaster (additional bonus action: summon a sahuagin minion with 1 HP)
Sahuagin Baron
Sahuagin Warlock of Uk'otoa
4x Sahuagin (minions, 1 HP)
When I ran this fight, I had the boat be represented with sailing ship stats from Ghosts of Saltmarsh.
Swallowed Rules
- Belly of the Beast. Swallowed creatures are blinded, are restrained, can't breathe, and have total cover from effects from outside of the shark.
- Spoiled Appetite. The shark can have up to 2 large, 4 medium, or 6 small creatures swallowed at once.
- Stomach Acid. Everything swallowed by the shark takes 6d6 acid at the start of the shark's turn.
- Lemme outta here! If the shark takes 30+ damage from within in a single turn, it makes a DC 18 Con save or regurgitate all swallowed creatures.
Villain actions
These occur each round at initiative count 0
- Round 1: Feeding Frenzy. All sahuagin can move up to their speed OR make a bite attack. Not both.
- Round 2: Thalassophobia. The shark can dive up to 60 ft down into the water. It then uses the hide action. If people wish to look for the shark, it will take an action to make a perception or investigation check against its stealth.
- Round 3: Kanagawa's Doom. A massive wave strikes the boat. Roll a d8 for what direction it comes from. Everyone on it rolls a DC 18 Str save. The shark's allies roll with advantage. Fail: 2d10 bludgeoning and moved 20 ft. Success: Half damage and half movement.
- Round 4: Sharknado. The shark swims up to the surface and leaps into the air, traveling 120 ft both laterally and up to that high vertically. It can make a bite attack against anything in its path along the way. It lands by hitting the ship, dealing 10d8 to it. Everyone on the ship must make a DC 18 Dex save or be knocked prone. The shark's allies make the save with advantage.
- Round 5: Apex Predator. The shark can move up to its speed and bites the ship twice. From now on, it can make a bite attack as a bonus action.