Innate Spellcasting. The hippo’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: absorb elements, control water (no concentration), create or destroy water, fog cloud (as a 3rd-level spell, no concentration), frostbite, shape water, water breathing, water walk, watery sphere (no concentration)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the hippo fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Speak with Beasts. The hippo can communicate with beasts as if they shared a language.
Transport via Water. While completely submerged under water the hippo can teleport to another body of water on the same plane of existence that it has seen. While all four of the hippo's watery spheres are overlapping with each other it can teleport to the point at which all four overlap.
Water Sight. If the hippo is in contact with a body of water it can sense the presence of any creature within 1 mile of it, that is in contact with the same body of water, or within 120 feet of one of its watery spheres, the hippo also learns the creatures type and size. If the creature is within 500 feet of it or within 60 feet of one of its spheres, the hippo also learns what the creature is (human, sea elf, Marid, crocodile, Quasit, etc.) and the direction it is heading in (if it is moving). If it is within 120 feet of the hippo or within 5 feet of one of its spheres, the hippo can see it (as if the hippo had cast scrying on it).
Water Speech. If the hippo is in contact with a body of water it can telepathically communicate with any creature within 500 feet of it, that is in contact with the same body of water. In addition, the hippo can telepathically communicate with any creature in contact with one of its watery spheres.
Watery Sphere. A watery sphere is a 15-foot diameter sphere made of water that the colossal hippo can pull out of a body of water (river, lake, pond, stream, etc.), or conjure via the watery sphere. A sphere can hover, but no more than 30 feet off the ground (or water). The hippo can have a maximum of four watery spheres active at a time.
As a bonus action the hippo can move all active watery spheres up to 15 feet — or 30 feet in a straight line. Any creatures restrained by a sphere moves with the sphere. If the hippo teleports, it can have all of the watery spheres teleport with it — the spheres converging on the it.
If a creature is in the sphere’s space (whether the sphere appeared in the creature's space, the sphere moved into the creature's space or if the creature moved into the sphere's space), it must make a DC 22 Strength saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is restrained by the sphere and is engulfed by the water. On a successful save, a creature is ejected from that space, to the nearest unoccupied space of the creature’s choice outside the sphere. A Gargantuan creature succeeds on the saving throw automatically, and a Huge or smaller creature can choose to fail it. At the end of each of its turns, a restrained target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature inside a sphere that isn't restrained by it can continue to move with the sphere if it has a swimming speed or succeeds on a DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check, each time the sphere moves.
On its turn the hippo can designate a creature, inside one of the spheres, ending the restrained condition on the creature, however they still move with the sphere (no action required). A designated creature can also exit the sphere by expending 5 feet of movement.
A sphere can hold as many as twenty-seven medium or small creatures, three large creatures, one huge creature or one hundred tiny creatures. If the sphere restrains a creature that causes it to exceed this capacity, a random creature, that was already restrained by the sphere (creatures that didn't choose to fail the saving throw take priority), falls out of it and lands prone in a space within 5 feet of it.
Fire damage dealt to and dealt by creatures inside a sphere is halved. In addition, if a sphere is at half-capacity or less, damage from ranged weapon attacks are halved against creatures inside the sphere. The damage of any ranged weapon attack, that passes through the sphere, is halved. If an effect that deals lightning damage passes through a sphere, or if a creature inside a sphere is subjected to lightning damage, each creature inside the sphere takes half as much damage. If an effect that deals at least 10 cold damage passes through a sphere, or if a creature inside a sphere is subjected to at least 10 cold damage, the sphere freezes over until the start of the hippo's next turn or until the sphere takes at least 10 fire damage. While a sphere is frozen over, creatures inside the sphere have total cover against attacks and other effects outside the sphere, take 5 cold damage at the start of their turns and automatically fail their attempts to escape the sphere.
If two or more spheres overlap each other, the overlapping spheres count as one sphere as long as they are overlapping, and a creature inside one sphere can use 10 feet of movement — or half as much if they have a swimming speed — to move into a different overlapping sphere, if it isn't at full capacity. If three or more of the spheres are overlapping each other the spheres can restrain a gargantuan like an individual sphere can restrain a huge creature.
If all four spheres converge on the hippo; the hippo becomes immune to fire damage, damage from ranged weapon attacks are halved against it, and the hippo can use the spheres to give itself a flying speed of 30 feet and can hover, however it can't fly more than 15 feet of the ground. The hippo can also uses its Transport via Water while all four spheres have converged on it, if it does so it also gains the option to teleport to a location that it can see, visualize, or one it can describe by stating distance and direction — when doing so the watery spheres automatically teleport with it.
When a hippo dismisses a sphere, the sphere falls to the ground and extinguishes all normal flames within 50 feet of it. Any creature restrained by the sphere is knocked prone in the space where it falls. The water then disperses.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 49 (6d12 + 10) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) lightning damage. If the target is a Huge or smaller creature, grappled (escape DC 25). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the hippo can't bite another target, unless the hippo releases the target (no action required).
Watery Sphere. The hippo pulls a watery sphere out of a body of water within 120 feet of it. The sphere can hover, but no more than 30 feet off the ground (or water). The sphere remains until the hippo dismisses it (no action required). The hippo can't have more than four spheres active at a time. (see the Watery Sphere trait)
Transmit via Water. The hippo teleports a Huge or smaller creature, it has grappled, into one of its active watery spheres, or — if the target is willing — into a body of water, on the same plane of existence, that the hippo has seen. If the hippo teleports the creature into one of its watery spheres, the creature then becomes restrained by the sphere and is engulfed by the water.
Swallow. The hippo swallows a Large or smaller creature it has grappled with its bite. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the hippo, and it takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the start of each of the hippo's turns. The hippo can only have 5 creatures swallowed at a time (one large creature counts as four creatures, and eight tiny creatures count as one creature).
If the hippo takes 50 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the hippo must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the hippo. If the hippo dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 10 feet of movement, exiting prone.
The hippopotamus 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. The hippo regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
At-Will Spell. The hippo casts one of its at-will spells.
Create Sphere. The hippo uses its Watery Sphere (action).
Move. The hippo moves/swims up to its speed.
Move Sphere. The hippo moves one of its watery spheres 30 feet
Bite (Costs 2 Actions). The hippo makes a bite attack, or grapples a willing creature within 15 feet of it, and then it can uses either its Transmit via Water or Swallow (if the target was willingly grappled it must use Transmit via Water).
Transport via Water (Costs 3 Actions). The hippo uses its Transport via Water.
Description
Colossal hippopotamuses reach lengths of sixty feet and can reach heights of thirty-five feet, though it spends most of its time at least partially submerged so this height rarely put on display. While submerged these hippos look like a large rock, though this illusion fades when it starts to move or when you see it from under water. While it may appear to swim, in actual fact it uses its magic to walk on the water, just not on the water on the surface.
Colossal hippos use their magic to protect the lakes in which they live. The hippo's magic causes the waters of the lakes to become harmful for certain creatures. Not only do these hippos work to preserve the peace and tranquility of their aquatic domain, they also strive to maintain the balance. Colossal hippos have little care for what is disturbing the peace and balance, as such their response to a situation is almost always based purely on what is going on, not the creature causing the problem. Similarly they typically aren't overly attached to the creatures in the lake — though this isn't really the case when it comes to the other aquatic mammals in the area. This detachment may come across as the hippo not caring, however its not that the hippo doesn't care; it's because colossal hippopotamuses believe that there must be balance in keeping the balance.
These hippopotamuses are driven by logic, they are even-keeled, careful and observant. They do their best to avoid making mistakes, but also recognize that they will happen. They are typically willing to assist other creatures and they expect other creatures to be similarly willing. While not opposed to using physical violence these hippos would much rather use their ability to manipulate water to deal with creatures that are disrupting the peace and balance.
Like most colossal beasts, colossal hippos do not need to eat, drink or sleep. Unlike normal hippos, they are able to breathe underwater, as a result of their magic. They use this to keep their presence hidden, though typically they prefer to just use their appearance to disguise themselves as a large rock.
Lair and Lair Actions
A Colossal Hippopotamus' Lair
A colossal hippo's lair is the body of water it inhabits.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the hippo takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- The hippo causes the water level of all standing water within 500 feet of it to rise by as much as 20 feet. If the area includes a shore, the flooding water spills over onto dry land. The water level remains elevated until the hippo dismisses the effect or uses a different lair action.
- The hippo causes water within 500 feet of it to move apart and create a trench. The trench extends in a 500-foot-long, 20-foot wide line from a point the hippo can see, and the separated water forms a wall to either side. The trench remains for 1 minute or until the hippo dismisses the effect or uses a different lair action. The water then slowly fills in the trench over the course of the next round until the normal water level is restored.
- The hippo causes water in the area to move in a direction it chooses, even if the water has to flow over obstacles, up walls, or in other unlikely directions. The water in the area moves as the hippo directs it, but once it moves more than 500 feet away from the hippo, it resumes its flow based on the terrain conditions. The water continues to move in the direction the hippo choses for 1 minute or until the hippo dismisses the effect or uses a different lair action.
- The hippo causes rain to fall within 500 feet of it, which extinguishes exposed flames in the area and halves fire damage dealt in the area. This effect lasts for 1 minute or until the hippo dismisses the effect or uses a different lair action.
- Each creature and object of the hippos choice, within 500 feet of the hippo, that is in contact with water, takes 10 (3d6) acid damage. If it is an object it also takes an additional 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage.
- Each willing creature of the hippo's choice gains a swimming speed equal to their walking speed, and gains the ability to breathe underwater for 1 hour (affected creatures also retain their normal mode of respiration).
Regional Effects
The body of water in which the hippo inhabits is affected by the presence of the colossal hippo and its powerful magic, producing the following effects:
- When a fiend or undead comes in contact with the body of water, for the first time on its turn, or if it starts its turn in the body of water, it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage.
- When a fiend or undead moves into the body of water or within the body of water it takes 7 (2d6) acid damage for every 5 feet it travels in the water.
If the hippo dies, the effects dissipate over a period of 4d6 hours.
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