Aura of Starvation. When a flesh-and-blood creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the champion, it must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. If a creature fails this saving throw by 5 or more, it instead gains two levels of exhaustion.
Bringer of Strife. The champion cannot deal damage; when it would deal damage it instead causes horrific (but nonlethal) pain. A creature that would have taken damage from the champion must succeed on a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 10 plus half the damage the champion would have dealt (rounded down). On a failure, the creature suffers the following effects until the end of its next turn:
• The creature’s speed can be no more than 10 feet.
• The creature loses and cannot maintain concentration.
• On its turn, the creature can take either an action or a bonus action, but not both.
• The creature cannot make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.
Feast Upon Famine. As a bonus action the champion can feed upon the starvation of a single creature it can see that has one or more levels of exhaustion. The creature reduces its levels of exhaustion by one, and the champion regains 40 hit points.
Herald of the Apocalypse. The champion cannot be compelled to act in a manner that prevents it from causing starvation and strife to living creatures. Additionally, its weapon attacks are magical, and it cannot be disarmed of its weapon.
Multiattack. The champion uses its Wither action (if available) and makes three attacks, each of which must be against a different target.
Expand Aura. The champion increases the radius of its Aura of Starvation to 300 feet.
Great Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d4 + 7) slashing damage and the target is knocked prone.
Wither (Recharge 5–6). The champion ends a single spell or magical effect within 120 feet of it.
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker the champion can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it.
Description
Though they are the least of the apocalypse dragoons, the champions of famine are not to be underestimated. They are difficult and obstinate foes who drain the strength from anyone nearby and can even sap the magical energy from ordinarily long-lasting spells.
They must be put down quickly, for it is only a matter of days before their wide-reaching aura of starvation kills every living being in the entire region. Should you encounter one, you should also take down the necromancer responsible for its creation. It is likely the necromancer won’t stop with just one.
– Talien Vos Karven
Starvation is a slow and gruesome killer. This fate befalls all those who cross the champion of famine; a centaur-like undead suffering from brutal emaciation and overflowing with malevolent power. Those that stand in its presence waste away, their bodies rapidly deprived of the nourishment. In a cruel twist, these creatures have no effect on plant life, leaving crops full and blooming as humanoids and animals starve, their emaciated bodies surrounded by food that cannot slake their hunger. In a matter of weeks a champion of famine can purge a city of all life, all without striking a blow or casting a spell.
A champion of famine has no purpose other than to spread starvation. It does not sleep, it does not eat, it does not stop. It rides across the land, lingering only long enough to make sure everyone and everything around it is dead. For these reasons a champion of famine does not typically survive long. Those that call one forth must make immediate use of its powers or risk losing what little control was had over the undead. While a champion of famine has never been observed communicating with others, it clearly understands all it hears. The creatures appear to take some pleasure in hearing the agonized moans and pleas of its victims. It will reveal its presence so that in their final moments its victims can behold the horror of what is responsible, extinguishing what little hope remains.
A character can learn the following information about a champion of famine with an Intelligence (Religion) ability check.
(DC 16) Created through a vile necromantic ritual, champions of famine starve humanoid and beast alike in a huge area. They wield whips of bone that drain the life from all they touch.
(DC 21) The champion of famine doesn’t kill its enemies directly; instead, its very presence saps the stamina of creatures nearby until everything is dead. Its whip deadens flesh and mind alike, weakening the ability to resist the champion’s aura.
(DC 26) The longer a fight with a champion of famine lasts, the worse it gets. The exhaustion it instills is difficult to resist and harder to remove. Though the champion is hard to kill, it is somewhat frail and vulnerable to spells and abilities that attack its body, particularly those that inflict paralysis.
Creating a champion of famine requires a collection of clouded diamonds worth 10,000 gp, a jagged shard of onyx worth 5,000 gp, and the bones of a horse that died of desiccation. The summoner must cast heroes' feast in front of a starving humanoid, who must die of hunger while in the presence of the magical food. Immediately following the victim’s death, the summoner must stab the onyx shard into the humanoid’s forehead. The body’s flesh necrotizes instantly and its bones merge with those of the horse. The food created by heroes’ feast bursts into flames as the champion of famine is born. It obeys its summoner unquestioningly, except when such orders would conflict with its Herald of the Apocalypse trait. Creating a champion of famine is always an evil act.
Lair and Lair Actions
Unlike some powerful creatures that only shape the area around their lair, a champion of famine cloaks everything around it in an aura of oppressive hunger which claws at the spirit and makes the gut ache. It creates the following effects within 10 miles of the champion.
• Flesh-and-blood creatures cannot gain nourishment from food or drink. Constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, and undead are unaffected.
• When any creature in the area finishes a short or long rest, it instead gains no benefits from the rest and gains 1 level of exhaustion.
If the champion dies, the effects end immediately.
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Posted May 20, 2023I'm very lazy and forgot to make a stat sheet for the horsemen of Famine so thanks for making this.