Mythic Resistance. If Cthulhu fails a saving throw, it can expend one of its unspent legendary actions to succeed instead.
Out of Touch. Cthulhu barely registers reality as we know it. If Cthulhu would take 15 or less damage from a single instance of damage, it instead takes no damage.
Shadow of Cthulhu. Cthulhu’s true form is beyond petty laws of physics or mortal perception, casting a “dimensional shadow” in a 120-foot-radius sphere centered on it. Cthulhu is treated as though it occupies this space at all times, though it suffers no penalties nor provokes attacks of opportunity for sharing this space with other creatures, objects, and structures. Creatures in this affected area cannot have total cover from Cthulhu, nor can any barrier prevent them from being targeted or touched by Cthulhu. This effect is suppressed in areas of magical daylight.
What Is Dead May Never Die. If Cthulhu is slain, its form vanishes and reappears in a state of deep slumber a century later on a plane chosen by the DM. This effect can only be prevented by divine intervention or a wish spell.
Multiattack. Cthulhu makes three Tentacle attacks.
Tentacle. Melee Spell Attack: +17 to hit, reach 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 28 (3d12 + 9) bludgeoning damage and 19 (3d12) psychic damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 25). Until the grapple ends, the target cannot succeed on Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throws.
Call of Cthulhu. Cthulhu forces a creature it can see to attempt a DC 25 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, its mind is pulled into a horrific realm of Cthulhu’s own dreams. The body of an affected creature becomes incapacitated for the duration, while the mind of the creature wanders the nightmarish dreamscape of Cthulhu’s subconscious. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect and returning to its body on a success. A creature whose mind remains in Cthulhu’s subconscious in this manner for 1 continuous minute becomes permanently trapped there, beyond the help of anything short of a wish spell or divine intervention.
A creature that succeeds on a saving throw against this effect becomes immune to it for 1 year.
Eldritch Storm (Recharge 5–6). Cthulhu conjures an otherworldly storm in a 60-foot-radius, 1-mile-high cylinder centered on a point it can see within 300 feet. Cthulhu must concentrate (as though concentrating on a spell) to maintain the effect. While the storm persists, the affected area is heavily obscured by otherworldly weather, and creatures other than Cthulhu in the affected area are deafened by its thunderous cacophony.
Additionally, when the storm appears and as an action on each of its turns Cthulhu can choose to call down up to three bolts of eldritch lightning, each of which strike a space of its choice in the affected area. A creature in a space struck by a bolt of eldritch lightning must attempt a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) necrotic damage and 35 (10d6) lightning damage on a failed saving throw, or half as much on a success.
Great Old One’s Influence. Cthulhu demonstrates the otherworldly supremacy of a Great Old One, causing one of the following effects.
- Cthulhu casts a warlock spell of 5th level or lower (spell save DC 25, +17 to hit with spell attacks) with a casting time of an action or bonus action, without the need for any components. If a spell cast in this manner would deal damage other than psychic damage, it instead deals psychic damage. If it would force an affected creature to make a saving throw other than an Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma saving throw, it instead makes an Intelligence saving throw.
- Cthulhu ends a spell or magical effect of 8th level or lower within reach.
- Cthulhu reads the surface thoughts of a creature within range of its telepathy that it is aware of, which lasts until the start of its next turn. While reading a creature’s thoughts, Cthulhu cannot have disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks against that creature.
Cthulhu 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. Cthulhu regains spent legendary actions at the start of each of its turns.
Tentacle. Cthulhu makes a Tentacle attack.
Great Old One’s Influence (Costs 2 Actions). Cthulhu uses its Great Old One’s Influence action.
All-Consuming Shadow (Costs 3 Actions). Until the end of its next turn, the radius of Cthulhu’s Shadow of Cthulhu trait is increased to 1 mile. Cthulhu then immediately makes a single Tentacle attack against each creature of its choice in the affected area.
Call of Cthulhu (Costs 3 Actions). Cthulhu uses its Call of Cthulhu action.
Description
"Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn"
(in its house in R’lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming).
An alien being beyond mortal comprehension, the malevolent entity known as Cthulhu is an ancient, slumbering force. Lurking in the deepest, darkest depths of the realm’s oceans, the Great Old One waits. From within the sunken city of R’lyeh, Cthulhu dreams of the day it will awake and bring utter annihilation to the mortal world. While its shapes are many and its true form beyond conception, Cthulhu always shares the same notable characteristics when acting in the physical world. Its head resembles an alien octopus, its countless tentacles dripping with ichor and twitching with malevolent intent. These purple protrusions extend in all directions, usurping the laws of nature wherever they manifest. Its corpulent body is both rubbery and scaled, with hands and feet ending in curved claws. Multi-jointed bat-like wings emerge from Cthulhu’s shoulder blades, mantling its form like a leather cloak when closed. Its very presence fractures the fabric of reality, the boundaries of physical and conscious existence cracking like fragile glass.
Lair and Lair Actions
Cthulhu sleeps in the sunken city of R’lyeh, the former capital of the Great Old One’s dread empire. From this city, Cthulhu ruled over a confederation of unspeakable horrors best forgotten. When the stars aligned and fate decreed Cthulhu’s time of slumber was nigh, the city of R’lyeh vanished, pulling the Great Old One and its people into a death-like slumber. Now all that remains of this once-thriving metropolis is a sprawl of cyclopean ruins emblazoned with eldritch iconography, waiting for the day it will finally return and usher in a new era of darkness. The buildings of R’lyeh are strangely shaped, displaying architecture only comprehensible to alien intelligence. Simply moving around the towering ruins is likely to damage the psyche as the illogical geometry worms its way through the mind. Among the endless field of spires and labyrinths are sealed tombs. Beyond the black gates of these sarcophagi, thousands of Cthulhu’s servants lie in a trance, dreaming of the time when the stars are right once again and they may emerge. These black gates are impassable, beyond the influence of all but deific effects or by rituals meant to awaken Cthulhu from slumber.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Cthulhu can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects. If Cthulhu is using its mythic statistics, it can instead choose to take a mythic action or lair action, but not both. Cthulhu can’t use the same effect twice in a row.
- Nightmarish voices whispering eldritch knowledge fill a 60-foot radius centered on a point of Cthulhu’s choice within the lair. Each creature of Cthulhu’s choice in the affected area must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or become unable to hear anything but the voices for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, a creature can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success.
- Cthulhu creates a column of utter darkness in a 30-foot-radius, 10-mile-high cylinder centered on a point of its choice in the lair. No sense can penetrate the area from either side other than Cthulhu’s blindsight. The column lasts until Cthulhu chooses to dismiss it or uses this option again.
- A creature of Cthulhu’s choice becomes lost in the bewildering dimensional space of R’lyeh. A creature lost in this manner has total cover from all creatures other than Cthulhu for as long as it remains within the lair. A creature can use its action to attempt a DC 18 Wisdom ability check, ending the effect on a success.
Regional Effects
The plane containing the Cthulhu’s lair is warped by its otherworldly power, which has created the following effects within the plane.
- When a creature begins a long rest while in the affected area, Cthulhu can choose to concentrate (as though concentrating on a spell) to share that creature’s dream. When the affected creature finishes its rest, creatures allied to Cthulhu become aware of the target’s exact location for 24 hours.
- When a creature begins a long rest while in the affected area, Cthulhu can choose to alter the dreams of that creature, along with each creature of Cthulhu’s choice within 60 feet of the target. For the duration of the rest, affected creatures experience a deadly challenge in the dream, forcing them to attempt a DC 25 group Wisdom (Insight) check. On a failure, affected creatures gain no benefit from the rest and become frightened by Cthulhu and its allies for 24 hours. Once a creature has been affected in this manner, it cannot be affected by it again until 1 week has passed.
- When a creature allied with Cthulhu begins a long rest, it can choose to offer itself fully to the Great Old One’s power. If Cthulhu accepts the offering, over the course of that rest the creature is rapidly transformed into a deep one, completing the metamorphosis at the end of the rest. If an affected creature does not complete the long rest while transforming in this manner, it dies instantly.
If Cthulhu is defeated, these effects are suppressed for a period of 100 years.
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