Air Form. Vahagn can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. He can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
Discorporation. When Vahagn dies, his body is destroyed but his essence travels back to his domain in the Shadowfell, and he is unable to take physical form for a time.
Blinding Speed. Vahagn can take two reactions and bonus actions each. In addition, he doesn't use his reaction when making opportunity attacks.
Innate Spellcasting. Vahagn’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 23, +15 to hit with spell attacks). Vahagn can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: counterspell, detect thoughts, dispel magic, freedom of movement, faerie fire, knock, teleport, water breathing
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Vahagn fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Vahagn has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Psychic Weapons. Vahagn can conjure two mechanical weapons to his hands as a free action. The weapons disappear when they are not used. While wielding his weapons, Vahagn gains a +1 bonus to his AC (included in his AC).
Multiattack. Vahagn can use his Dark Descent or Fragmentation Grenade. He then makes five attacks.
Psychic Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (1d10 + 9) psychic damage.
Wither Orb. Ranged Spell Attack: +15 to hit, range 200 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
Dark Descent. Vahagn summons four Tiny-sized floating mechanical crystals within 60 feet of himself, which emanate magical darkness in a 120 foot radius sphere. This darkness cannot be dispelled and snuffs out any light sources inside, with only the crystals visible from within this darkness. These crystals have 10 hit points and an AC of 12, and will stop giving off darkness if destroyed. If they are forced to make a saving throw, treat all of their ability scores as a 10 (+0). The crystals take no damage if they succeed on a saving throw, or half if they fail. This action cannot be used when any of the crystals are still active, and can't be used on Vahagn's next turn after they are both destroyed.
Fragmentation Grenade. Vahagn throws a grenade up to 60 feet. Each creature within 20 feet of the grenade's detonation must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Psychic Whirlwind (Recharge 6). Vahagn teleports to an unoccupied space within 120 feet that he can see, before unleashing a fury of slashes in a 30 foot radius sphere surrounding him. Each creature within this radius must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 67 (15d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Dark Blessing. Vahagn can cast greater invisibility on himself as a bonus action while in dim light or darkness. While this effect is active, it cannot be dispelled or affected by spells or effects that prevent him from benefiting from invisibility against his will. The effect immediately ends if he moves out of darkness.
Disable. Vahagn can disable the effects given off by any crystals from his Dark Descent ability as a bonus action.
Parry. When Vahagn would be hit by an attack, he can reduce the damage by 13 (1d10 + 8).
Vahagn can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Vahagn regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Peal of Thunder. Vahagn unleashes a peal of thunder that can be heard out to a range of 300 feet. Each creature within 30 feet of Vahagn takes 5 (1d10) thunder damage.
Psychic Blade. Vahagn makes one psychic blade attack.
Teleport (Costs 2 Actions). Vahagn magically teleports up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. Anything Vahagn is wearing or carrying is teleported with him.
Antimagic Grenades (Costs 3 Actions). Vahagn throws four grenades of suppressing energy at three points he can see within 120 feet of him. A 10-foot radius sphere surrounding each point then acts as an antimagic field for one minute, or until Vahagn uses this legendary action again.
Description
Having once split off from the body of a long-dead elder tempest, Vahagn Rostam was a pure air elemental born from death. The elemental has since been placed under eternal servitude by the Raven Queen in exchange for vast knowledge and an identity, and risen up among her ranks to become among her most trusted artificers. Though his intellect matches those of some of the most intelligent beings in the realms, Vahagn's age is currently in adolescence for an elemental, and his childlike behavior frequently reflects that. Still, he is highly regarded among the shadar-kai for his talents, even if some find his edgy temperament off-putting.
Vahagn takes the appearance of a male shadar-kai with hair made of pure mist. The air around him shifts temperature with his ever-changing mood, coalescing into a miniature cloud formation surrounding his body.
This monster is a custom NPC made specifically for one of my campaign settings, and may not be entirely balanced for standard D&D play. Use at your own risk (or not, I'm not your mom).
Lair and Lair Actions
Vahagn's lair is a massive underground workshop in the Shadowfell known as the Corvid's Nest, in which he engineers various weapons for the Raven Queen's forces. It is rarely visited by most of the shadar-kai to avoid disturbing his work, and many magical charms are set in place that alert him to anyone who enters.
The workshop itself is filled to the brim with various inventions primarily powered by shadowstuff, a high-energy material native to the Shadowfell. Most of the weapons and automata that are stored within aren't for sale, though many an adventurer have tried, and failed, to steal and use them for not-so-charitable purposes.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Vahagn can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; Vahagn can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Vahagn drops the temperature of the air, covering all surfaces with ice. This effect is identical to the sleet storm spell.
- Vahagn controls the surrounding air as an extension of himself. Each creature Vahagn designates must succeed at a DC 23 Constitution saving throw or be hoisted or flung 3d6 × 10 feet through the air. A creature smashed into a solid object or released in mid-air takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet moved or fallen.
- Vahagn creates a torrent of debris within 120 feet of him that lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round. The debris lightly obscures every creature and object in the area for the duration. All creatures in the area must succeed at a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until initiative count 20 on the next round.
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