Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If V'zzarah fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Titanic Wrath (Mythic Trait; Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). When V'zzarah is reduced to 0 hit points, he doesn't die or fall unconscious. Instead, he absorbs the divine power of Calamus and Gamneas, the slain Elemental Titans of Smoke and Darkness, and grows to Huge size in a burst of necromantic energy. All creatures within 200 feet of V'zzarah when he undergoes this transformation must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw or take 8d6 psychic damage and be thrown back up to 20 feet, taking half as much damage on a success and not moving. In addition, he regains 300 hitpoints, 1d3 Legendary Resistances, and all expended spell slots of 8th level and below, as well as gains one use of the psychic scream spell. He loses his Multiattack action and his Parry and Dark Vanguard's Aegis reactions and the extra necrotic damage dealt by his weapon attacks is increased to 4d8.
Rejuvination. If V'zzarah is destroyed, he gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of his phylactery.
Regeneration. V'zzarah regains 20 hit points at the start of his turn.
Spellcasting. V'zzarah is a 20th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 25, +16 to hit with spell attacks). V'zzarah has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): lightning lure, mage hand, ray of frost, minor illusion, chill touch, mind sliver
1st level (6 slots): detect magic, command, witch bolt, dissonant whispers, fog cloud
2nd level (4 slots): mirror image, hold person, Tasha's mind whip, blindness/deafness, kinetic jaunt
3rd level (4 slots): counterspell, bestow curse, summon undead, enemies abound, vampiric touch
4th level (4 slots): Raulothim's psychic lance, staggering smite, death ward, phantasmal killer
5th level (4 slots): destructive wave, wall of force, synaptic static, danse macabre
6th level (3 slot): disintegrate, enervation, Tenser's transformation, eyebite
7th level (2 slot): crown of stars, finger of death, power word pain, teleport
8th level (2 slot): maddening darkness, power word stun, earthquake
9th level (2 slot): power word kill, meteor swarm, weird, heart of darkness
Turn Resistance. V'zzarah has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Lord of the Underdark. V'zzarah's weapon attacks are magical and deal an extra 9 (2d8) necrotic damage (included in the attacks).
Master of Undeath. If V'zzarah were to take necrotic damage, he instead takes no damage and heals a number of hit points equal to half the damage that would've been dealt.
Multiattack. V'zzarah makes three attacks, three Nightbringer attacks, or two Nightbringer attacks and one Shield Bash attack.
Nightbringer. Melee Weapon Attack. +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d6+9) psychic damage and 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. If V'zzarah strikes a living creature with Nightbringer, a glowing purple rune will appear on the blade's surface. If five runes are glowing on the blade, V'zzarah can use an attack action to fire a wave of necrotic fire at any one creature within 30 feet of him. On a hit, the target takes 27 (4d8+9) psychic damage and 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. This property cannot be used for a multiattack.
Shield Bash. Melee Weapon Attack. +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit 10 (1d10+5) bludgeoning damage and 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be pushed back 10 feet. If all three gems on the shield are lit up (by way of Dark Vanguard's Aegis), the attack deals an extra 22 (2d12+9) force damage.
Shadow Javelin (Recharge 6). Ranged Spell Attack. +16 to hit, range 60/360 ft., one target. Hit: 55 (7d12+9) psychic damage and 9 (2d8) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be blinded until the start of V'zzarah's next turn. Any creature standing within 15 feet of the target takes half that damage on a hit and must succeed on the same Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of V'zzarah's next turn.
Parry. V'zzarah adds 6 to his AC against one melee attack that would hit him. To do so, he must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
Dark Vanguard's Aegis. V'zzarah adds 5 to his AC against one ranged spell attack that would hit him, similar to the shield spell. To do so, he must see the attacker and be wielding his shield. This does not work on spells that require a target to make a saving throw, such as the fireball spell. If he successfully blocks the attack, it activates one of the shield's gems. When all three gems are glowing, his Shield Bash attack deals an extra 22 (2d12+9) psychic damage (included in the attack description).
V'zzarah 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. V'zzarah regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Cantrip. V'zzarah casts a cantrip.
Nightbringer. V'zzarah makes a Nightbringer attack at a creature within range. He cannot use the weapon's special feature for this attack.
Smoke Step (Costs 2 Actions). V'zzarah teleports to an area within 120 feet that he can see, leaving behind a cloud of smoke in a 10 foot radius of his previous location.
Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). V'zzarah fixes his gaze on one creature he can see within 10 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to his gaze for the next 24 hours.
Mass Create Undead (Costs 3 Actions). V'zzarah raises up 2d6 undead creatures from the earth, choosing between zombies, skeletons, or ghouls. He may have no more than 12 summoned at a time, and no more than 4 may be ghouls.
While V'zzarah's mythic trait is active, he can use the options below as Legendary Actions for 1 hour after using Titanic Wrath.
Rampage. V'zzarah makes two Nightbringer attacks.
Shadow Javelin (Costs 2 Actions). V'zzarah makes a Shadow Javelin attack if the ability is recharged.
Psychokinetic Blast (Costs 3 Actions). V'zzarah emits a burst of psychic energy in a 90 foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 25 Intelligence saving throw. On a fail, a creature takes 56 (16d6) psychic damage and, until the end of it's next turn, whenever the creature makes an attack roll or ability check, it rolls a d8 and subtracts the number rolled from the total. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and suffers no additional effects.
Description
Long ago, V'zzarah was the mightiest of the Underdark's warriors. However, his maddening hunger for power could not be sated, and he overthrew the matriarchal ruler of the drow kingdom in which he resided. It was then that he became Underking V'zzarah the Usurper, uniting the denizens of the Underdark under one banner and leading an immense invasion of the surface world. His long and terrible reign of both the surface and the Underdark lasted for many centuries. When he discovered the forbidden magic of lichdom, he knew that this was the answer to extending his regime for all eternity.
However, just as he was about to finish the transformation ritual, a last alliance of surface dwellers and drow rebels led a daring assault on the Underking's fortress. Two elemental titans of yore even joined the battle in the attempt to stop V'zzarah from achieving lichdom. However, they were too late to stop the ritual, and V'zzarah killed the titans and absorbed their power, ascending to a near-godlike state of power. In a last-ditch effort to save the world, a powerful wizard sacrificed his own life to imprison V'zzarah's soul in his own phylactery and banish him from the Material Plane. Even now, his corpse rests on the once-proud throne of his fallen fortress, though his soul remains dormant, ever plotting his eventual escape from his spiritual tomb.
Lair and Lair Actions
V'zzarah's Lair
V'zzarah's lair is his throne room, a large and opulent space lined with massive shelves of arcane tomes and volumes. Everything magical in nature about this place and the city of Charguzz'kuud as a whole is channeled into this room. As such, it is a place of immense power. The entire castle is swarming with undead, drow soldiers, and even some fiends that he has managed to bind to this place as a means of guarding his sanctum.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), V'zzarah can use a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; he cannot use the same magical effect two rounds in a row:
- V'zzarah rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If he has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
- V'zzarah targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers V'zzarah to the target. Whenever he takes damage, the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, V'zzarah takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until V'zzarah or the target is no longer in the lair.
- V'zzarah calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in his lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that he can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 52 (15d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear.