Hello! I recently made these statistics for my BBEG, Grolka, a demonic centipede who enjoys chaos, lunch, and chaos for lunch. I, until now, haven't made really anything worth mentioning of CR8+ and am worried she might be a bit OP. I would be very thankful for any suggestions:
Segmented: Grolka is composed of 14 body segments and a head segment. Each body segment has AC 17 and 15 Hit Points. Only the rear body segment can be damaged at a time, because all the other segments are so heavily plated that they are immune to all damage. If a segment is dealt enough damage that it is destroyed and excess damage remains, that damage carries over to the next segment. Once eleven of the body segments are destroyed, unless the amount of damage that destroyed the eleventh body segment carries over and destroys the remaining three segments, Grolka covers herself in a cocoon and undergoes a metamorphosis (See Ascendance below). Grolka’s Head has AC 22, 100 Hp, and resistance to damage from Nonmagical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. If Grolka’s head is destroyed, she dies.
Massive: Grolka can be climbed onto with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Grappled creatures do not cost her extra movement.
Ascendance: When Grolka becomes cocooned (see segmented above), she becomes immune to all damage for three rounds. On initiative count 0 of the third round, she bursts from her cocoon as Grolka, Abhorrent Tyrant at full health.
Inevitable (3/day): Whenever Grolka fails on a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. When she does, she sacrifices her rear segment, which is destroyed.
Actions
Multiattack: Grolka makes two mandibles attacks and can use blazing shot, if available.
Mandibles: Melee weapon attack, + 9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10+5) piercing damage, plus 5 (1d10) poison damage, and the target must make a DC 17 dexterity saving throw or be grappled (Escape DC 17). Grolka can have only one creature grappled at a time and can’t make mandible attacks against other targets.
Swallow: Grolka targets one creature she is grappling. That creature must succeed on a DC 17 dexterity saving throw or be swallowed, and no longer grappled. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, and has total cover against attacks and effects originating from outside of Grolka. At the beginning of each of Grolka’s turns, swallowed creatures must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one a flaming oil roils around in Grolka’s stomach. If Grolka takes 25 or more damage in one turn from a creature she has swallowed, Grolka must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or regurgitate all swallowed creatures. When Grolka dies, a creature can exit her corpse by spending 5 feet of movement, exiting prone. When Grolka is coccooned (see Ascendance above), all swallowed creatures are ejected from her and are propelled to a space within 30 feet of Grolka, chosen by the DM. Grolka can have up to two swallowed creatures at a time.
Flaming shot (recharge 5-6): Grolka spews flaming oil at a creature of her choice within 90 feet. Ranged weapon attack, range 90 ft., +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 22(4d10) fire damage, and the target is ignited. While ignited, a creature takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of their turns. The creature or another creature within reach can use an action to put the fire out. Otherwise, it burns for one minute.
Reactions:
Infernal Glare: When a creature within 30 ft. of Grolka damages her, she can use her reaction to turn her baleful gaze upon that creature. They must make succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom save or be frightened of Grolka until the end of their next turn.
Villain Actions:
Grolka has three Villain actions. She can use them only at the end of another creature’s turn, and only use one per round. Each can only be used once each long rest, and they all recharge at the end of a long rest. They have a recommended order of use but you can use them in whatever order you please.
Witness My Power! Grolka rears up and roars in a terrifying and impressive display. Each creature within 60 feet of Grolka must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature is frightened of Grolka for one minute (Save end at end of turn). On a success, a creature suffers no ill effects.
Ground Pound: Grolka rears up and slams into the ground powerfully, creating a concussive shockwave. Each creature within 30 feet of Grolka must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw as the sonic wave roils over them. On a failed save, a creature takes 22(4d10) thunder damage, is knocked prone, and is deafened for one minute (save end at end of turn). On a success, a creature takes half as much damage only.
Flames of the Abyss: Grolka rears up and sprays bursts of flaming oil from her mouth. Choose three points within 90 feet of Grolka. Each creature within ten feet of those areas must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 ( 4d10) fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. Those areas then burn for the next minute. A creature that enters a burning area for the first time on a turn or starts their turn there takes 11 (2d10) fire damage. A burning area can be extinguished by pouring 30 gallons of water on it in one round.
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DM: He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches Road
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
I really like this concept, it is a super fun idea! I am a big fan of centipede monsters, a jumbo-sized creepy crawly is often my go-to. There were two main concerns I had about Grolka.
1. The abundance of immunity to damage may be a bit frustrating. Particularly in the case of the cocoon, I fear that players may be discouraged by their inability to do any damage to this seemingly defenseless cocoon that they likely know is going to spawn a harder boss. I suggest adding some sort of cocoon HP that, if depleted, ends the process early and spits Grolka back out without undergoing the metamorphosis. I also worry that the combination of a fast burrowing speed and only being able to damage the final section of Grolka will lead to situations where the damageable section is submerged under the ground while the rest of Grolka sticks out, leading to a situation where the party cannot damage the boss. Unless this is an intentional strategy you wish to use, I'd implore you to add some additional way of damaging Golka.
2. I'd suggest adding a clause to the Infernal Glare that if the save is passed, the creature is immune to the Glare form the next minute, just so your players aren't getting frightened every other turn.
Other than those, I really like the idea! May have to take some inspiration for a campaign I'm running.
big creepy crawlies always equal some of the coolest bosses in any campaign, even cooler than dragons in some cases. one concern I have though is the sheer amount of resistances and opportunities to negate damage. the guy above me goes much more in depth about this, but I'll still give my spin on it.
the cocoon is what worries me the most. if Grolka cannot attack in this state, then this provides an opportunity for players to heal up and prepare for the incoming second-phase. personally, i'd put an incentive to continue to attack the cocoon. maybe she doesn't take damage, BUT by dealing enough damage to the cocoon, it'll power her down for a bit when she comes out? maybe temporarily removing some resistances or reducing her damage by a smidge? whether or not it's permanent is 100% up to you. just make sure to reward players if they did well on the previous phase, because if they did do well, they'll take less time to prepare during the cocoon phase, which means they can do more damage, which means they can debuff her if you use my suggestions. however, if they didn't do too well last phase, they're still given time to regroup and rethink their strategy, but it'll probably take longer to fully get back in the fighting spirit, hence meaning less damage to the cocoon, hence less debuffs to Grolka.
also, just something that'd be cool. by no means is this necessary, but what if Ground Pound created rough-terrain in a small crater? it probably won't do much in terms of combat, but I think it'd make sense for there to be a small crater after such a powerful slam.
not going to lie, I absolutely love this boss concept. the attacks do seem to sell how monstrous and large this beast really is. suggestion: do NOT down-play her attacks when describing them. let your players know exactly how big this thing is. that'll really get them a bit scared even outside of the game.
It’s great thematically and I would have loved to of made this but I think it’s probably more like CR 10-11 just from eyeballing. I mean before looking at attacks and the second stage it has 165 hp between its destroyable segments and has legendary resistances all with an AC of 17 and then has a second stage(by the way where is this on the post I can’t find it?). But great home brew again wish I had made this would it be alright if I steal this
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And you run, and you run
To catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
And racingaround
To come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way
But you’re older
Shorter of Breath
And one day closer to death
currently in love with redesigning subclasses send me a message and I will try
Thank you all for your suggestions. @Eagerest Snow I haven't made the second form yet, wanted to get some feedback on the first before I started the second. You all can do with this what you will. You can abso9lutely use it as inspiration or for your games, or whatever you want. I would love to see my ideas go out and help someone else.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
DM: He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches Road
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
Hello! I recently made these statistics for my BBEG, Grolka, a demonic centipede who enjoys chaos, lunch, and chaos for lunch. I, until now, haven't made really anything worth mentioning of CR8+ and am worried she might be a bit OP. I would be very thankful for any suggestions:
Grolka, The Undefied
Gargantuan Fiend (Demon), Chaotic Evil
AC Depends, see below
HP Depends, see below
Speed 60 ft., Burrow 60 ft., Climb 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 10 20 16 16 8
Skills: Perception +6
Saves: Con +8, Wis +4
Damage Resistances: Necrotic
Damage Immunities: Fire, Poison
Condition Immunities: Prone, Frightened
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Tremorsense 30 ft., Passive Perception 16
Challenge Rating 10
Segmented: Grolka is composed of 14 body segments and a head segment. Each body segment has AC 17 and 15 Hit Points. Only the rear body segment can be damaged at a time, because all the other segments are so heavily plated that they are immune to all damage. If a segment is dealt enough damage that it is destroyed and excess damage remains, that damage carries over to the next segment. Once eleven of the body segments are destroyed, unless the amount of damage that destroyed the eleventh body segment carries over and destroys the remaining three segments, Grolka covers herself in a cocoon and undergoes a metamorphosis (See Ascendance below). Grolka’s Head has AC 22, 100 Hp, and resistance to damage from Nonmagical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. If Grolka’s head is destroyed, she dies.
Massive: Grolka can be climbed onto with a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Grappled creatures do not cost her extra movement.
Ascendance: When Grolka becomes cocooned (see segmented above), she becomes immune to all damage for three rounds. On initiative count 0 of the third round, she bursts from her cocoon as Grolka, Abhorrent Tyrant at full health.
Inevitable (3/day): Whenever Grolka fails on a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. When she does, she sacrifices her rear segment, which is destroyed.
Actions
Multiattack: Grolka makes two mandibles attacks and can use blazing shot, if available.
Mandibles: Melee weapon attack, + 9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10+5) piercing damage, plus 5 (1d10) poison damage, and the target must make a DC 17 dexterity saving throw or be grappled (Escape DC 17). Grolka can have only one creature grappled at a time and can’t make mandible attacks against other targets.
Swallow: Grolka targets one creature she is grappling. That creature must succeed on a DC 17 dexterity saving throw or be swallowed, and no longer grappled. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, and has total cover against attacks and effects originating from outside of Grolka. At the beginning of each of Grolka’s turns, swallowed creatures must make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one a flaming oil roils around in Grolka’s stomach. If Grolka takes 25 or more damage in one turn from a creature she has swallowed, Grolka must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or regurgitate all swallowed creatures. When Grolka dies, a creature can exit her corpse by spending 5 feet of movement, exiting prone. When Grolka is coccooned (see Ascendance above), all swallowed creatures are ejected from her and are propelled to a space within 30 feet of Grolka, chosen by the DM. Grolka can have up to two swallowed creatures at a time.
Flaming shot (recharge 5-6): Grolka spews flaming oil at a creature of her choice within 90 feet. Ranged weapon attack, range 90 ft., +9 to hit, one target. Hit: 22(4d10) fire damage, and the target is ignited. While ignited, a creature takes 5 (1d10) fire damage at the start of each of their turns. The creature or another creature within reach can use an action to put the fire out. Otherwise, it burns for one minute.
Reactions:
Infernal Glare: When a creature within 30 ft. of Grolka damages her, she can use her reaction to turn her baleful gaze upon that creature. They must make succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom save or be frightened of Grolka until the end of their next turn.
Villain Actions:
Grolka has three Villain actions. She can use them only at the end of another creature’s turn, and only use one per round. Each can only be used once each long rest, and they all recharge at the end of a long rest. They have a recommended order of use but you can use them in whatever order you please.
DM: He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches Road
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
"When are we gonna take a snack break?"
I really like this concept, it is a super fun idea! I am a big fan of centipede monsters, a jumbo-sized creepy crawly is often my go-to. There were two main concerns I had about Grolka.
1. The abundance of immunity to damage may be a bit frustrating. Particularly in the case of the cocoon, I fear that players may be discouraged by their inability to do any damage to this seemingly defenseless cocoon that they likely know is going to spawn a harder boss. I suggest adding some sort of cocoon HP that, if depleted, ends the process early and spits Grolka back out without undergoing the metamorphosis. I also worry that the combination of a fast burrowing speed and only being able to damage the final section of Grolka will lead to situations where the damageable section is submerged under the ground while the rest of Grolka sticks out, leading to a situation where the party cannot damage the boss. Unless this is an intentional strategy you wish to use, I'd implore you to add some additional way of damaging Golka.
2. I'd suggest adding a clause to the Infernal Glare that if the save is passed, the creature is immune to the Glare form the next minute, just so your players aren't getting frightened every other turn.
Other than those, I really like the idea! May have to take some inspiration for a campaign I'm running.
big creepy crawlies always equal some of the coolest bosses in any campaign, even cooler than dragons in some cases. one concern I have though is the sheer amount of resistances and opportunities to negate damage. the guy above me goes much more in depth about this, but I'll still give my spin on it.
the cocoon is what worries me the most. if Grolka cannot attack in this state, then this provides an opportunity for players to heal up and prepare for the incoming second-phase. personally, i'd put an incentive to continue to attack the cocoon. maybe she doesn't take damage, BUT by dealing enough damage to the cocoon, it'll power her down for a bit when she comes out? maybe temporarily removing some resistances or reducing her damage by a smidge? whether or not it's permanent is 100% up to you. just make sure to reward players if they did well on the previous phase, because if they did do well, they'll take less time to prepare during the cocoon phase, which means they can do more damage, which means they can debuff her if you use my suggestions. however, if they didn't do too well last phase, they're still given time to regroup and rethink their strategy, but it'll probably take longer to fully get back in the fighting spirit, hence meaning less damage to the cocoon, hence less debuffs to Grolka.
also, just something that'd be cool. by no means is this necessary, but what if Ground Pound created rough-terrain in a small crater? it probably won't do much in terms of combat, but I think it'd make sense for there to be a small crater after such a powerful slam.
not going to lie, I absolutely love this boss concept. the attacks do seem to sell how monstrous and large this beast really is. suggestion: do NOT down-play her attacks when describing them. let your players know exactly how big this thing is. that'll really get them a bit scared even outside of the game.
lethally awesome
It’s great thematically and I would have loved to of made this but I think it’s probably more like CR 10-11 just from eyeballing. I mean before looking at attacks and the second stage it has 165 hp between its destroyable segments and has legendary resistances all with an AC of 17 and then has a second stage(by the way where is this on the post I can’t find it?). But great home brew again wish I had made this would it be alright if I steal this
And you run, and you run
To catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
And racing around
To come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way
But you’re older
Shorter of Breath
And one day closer to death
currently in love with redesigning subclasses send me a message and I will try
Thank you all for your suggestions. @Eagerest Snow I haven't made the second form yet, wanted to get some feedback on the first before I started the second. You all can do with this what you will. You can abso9lutely use it as inspiration or for your games, or whatever you want. I would love to see my ideas go out and help someone else.
DM: He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
Down, down, down the road, down the Witches Road
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
"When are we gonna take a snack break?"
Thanks that’s great would love to see the second form
And you run, and you run
To catch up with the sun, but it’s sinking
And racing around
To come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way
But you’re older
Shorter of Breath
And one day closer to death
currently in love with redesigning subclasses send me a message and I will try