Undead Control: Crypt Lords have total control over all forms of lesser undead and communicate and organize with higher forms. Typically a Crypt Lord is found in the presence of large body of undead, controlling their actions in an intelligent way. All Undead within 1500' of the Crypt Lord are in communication or are being directly controlled by the Crypt Lord.
Pack Tactics: The Crypt Lord and any adjacent undead gain Pack Tactics, which gives advantage in melee attacks.
Frightful Presence: The Crypt Lord is an amalgam of thousands of undead parts and scraps, a thinking pile of undeath. Whenever a Crypt Lord is first viewed by a target (living) creature that creature must make a WIS save (DC15). Failure results in the target being afraid (per Fear spell) of the Crypt Lord. The creature can attempt to break this fear affect at the end of each of its turns. The Frightful Presence only works once per encounter per Crypt Lord present. (So if multiple Crypt Lords are present and they appear at different times of the encounter EACH Crypt Lord gets a Frightful Presence attempt, this is a common tactic used by the Crypt Lords)
Undead Fortitude: If damage reduces the Crypt Lord to 0 HP, it must make a CON saving throw DC 5 + damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On success, the Crypt Lord drops to 1 HP instead.
Multiattack: The Crypt Lord gets three attack per round with two Slam attacks and either a Bite or Spew.
Slam: Melee Weapon Attack: The Crypt Lord uses one of its two forward appendages to slam into a enemy. +5 to hit, reach 10ft, one target. Hit : (2d10+2) bludgeoning damage
Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to Hit, 5ft reach, one target. Hit: (1d8+2) piercing damage. On a successful hit target must make a saving throw vs CON (DC18) No damage on save. Failure results in poisoned condition and (1d6) poison damage.
Spew: Missile Weapon Attack: +5 To Hit, 30ft range, one target. Hit: (1d12+2) piercing damage. On a successful hit target must make a saving throw vs CON (DC18) 1/2 damage on successful save, Failure results in poisoned condition and (1d6) poison damage.
Grapple: As a bonus action the Crypt Lord can attempt to grapple any adjacent target to it, using the limbs and appendages attached to its amorphous form. Standard attack role +5. Contested STR check to break the grapple at the end of the targets turn. Once a target is grappled the Crypt Lord will attack the Grappled opponent until the target is dead or breaks the grapple.
Absorb Undead: As a reaction the Crypt Lord can absorb the broken and splattered remains of any fallen undead creatures adjacent to it. For example; if a zombie adjacent to the Crypt Lord is killed the Crypt Lord can use it reaction to absorb its remains to heal itself. (Use the hit dice of the absorbed creature and add that result to the HP of the Crypt Lord, in the case of the dead zombie being absorbed the Crypt Lord heals 3d8)
Description
Crypt Lords are horrifying amalgams of undeath, born in ruins and underground where there are scores of undead available to assemble their undead forms. Roughly humanoid shaped with the fore limbs being larger and dominate with a large amorphous head covered in dozens of eyes and ears giving the creature a 360 field of view. Its mouth is huge and filled with broken bones that function as the creatures teeth. Along with these boney teeth are scores of smaller appendages, like fingers, toes, and fleshy tentacles to aid in swallowing. The exterior of the Crypt Lord is covered in limbs and appendages of the absorb dead as well, it uses these to grab and grapple targets near it.
Crypt Lords are always surrounded by lesser undead, usually a mix of skeletons and zombies. Controlling these creatures the Crypt Lord will use these other creatures as fodder weakening their foes until entering battle itself. Once engaged the Crypt Lord will stay near its allies, using pack tactics to kill its opponents and absorbing its fallen allies to heal itself.
Being intelligent Crypt Lords are at their worst when Ghouls, Ghasts, and other forms of higher undead are nearby. Most times waiting for their enemies to be fully engaged with these powerful foes only to flank or block a retreat with its small horde of allies an its own vomiting form.
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