Special Equipment. Vecna wields a magic dagger named Afterthought. In the hands of anyone other than Vecna, Afterthought is a dagger +2. In addition, he carries the Book of Vile Darkness.
Aura of Vile Darkness. Creatures within 60 feet of Vecna have disadvantage on death saving throws and cannot benefit from resistance to necrotic damage. In addition, when a creature within 60 feet of Vecna dies, it rises as a greater zombie under Vecna's control at the start of its next turn.
Epitome of Necromancy. Vecna can maintain concentration on two spells at once. Whenever Vecna casts a necromancy spell, it is treated as if it was cast one level higher, and if the spell targets one creature, Vecna can instead target two creatures within the spell's range at once.
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If Vecna fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Master of the Unliving. Any undead ally within 60 feet of Vecna cannot be frightened, is immune to any effect that turns undead and has advantage on all saving throws; in addition that ally regains 20 hit points whenever it starts its turn there.
Spellcasting. Vecna is a 20th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 24, +16 to hit with spell attacks). Vecna has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st level (at will): absorb elements, detect magic, gift of alacrity, magic missile, shield
2nd level (at will): detect thoughts, hold person, invisibility, mirror image, ray of enfeeblement
3rd level (at will): counterspell, dispel magic, fly, lightning bolt, spirit shroud
4th level (3 slots): banishment, blight, dimension door, Otiluke's resilient sphere
5th level (3 slots): negative energy flood, scrying, temporal shunt, wall of force
6th level (3 slots): circle of death, scatter, disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
7th level (3 slots): finger of death, forcecage, plane shift, tether essence
8th level (2 slots): Abi-Dalzim's horrid wilting, dominate monster, feeblemind, reality break
9th level (2 slots): foresight, power word kill, time ravage, wish
Turn Immunity. Vecna is immune to any effect that turns undead.
Undying. If Vecna is slain, his soul refuses to accept its fate and lives on as a disembodied spirit that fashions a new body for itself after 1d100 years. Vecna’s soul can fashion a new body even if its old body was burned to ash or otherwise obliterated. When the new body is complete, Vecna regains all his hit points and becomes active again. Vecna’s new body appears anywhere within 100 miles of where Vecna was slain.
X-Ray Vision. Vecna can see into and through solid matter. This vision has a radius of 60 feet. To Vecna, solid objects within that radius appear transparent and don't prevent light from passing through them. The vision can penetrate 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, or up to 3 feet of wood or dirt. Thicker substances block the vision, as does a thin sheet of lead.
Mutliattack. Vecna uses Flight of the Damned (if available) or casts a spell. He then makes two attacks with Afterthought and one with his Paralyzing Touch; or he makes two attacks with his Soul Drain.
Afterthought. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d4+7) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage plus 9 (2d8) cold damage. If the target is a creature, it is afflicted by entropic magic, taking 9 (2d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. Immediately after taking this damage on its turn, the target can make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Until it succeeds on this save, the afflicted target can’t regain hit points.
Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage plus 9 (2d8) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Soul Drain. Ranged Spell Attack, +16 to hit, range 120 feet, one target. Hit: 27 (6d8) necrotic damage. The target must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or has its maximum hit points reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. In addition, on a failed save, the target's Strength score is reduced by 1d4. Once a target's Strength score drops to 0, it dies. Otherwise, the reduction both of its maximum hit points and of its Strength score lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.
Flight of the Damned (Recharge 5–6). Vecna conjures a torrent of flying, spectral entities that fill a 120-foot cone and pass through all creatures in that area before dissipating. Each creature in that area must make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 72 (16d8) necrotic damage and is frightened of Vecna for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and is not frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Vile Teleport. Vecna teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see and reappears in the center of a vortex that drains the life from creatures near him. He can force each creature within 15 feet of his destination to make a DC 24 Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. If at least one creature takes this damage, Vecna regains 80 hit points.
Vecna can take a total of three reactions per round, although only one per turn.
Dread Counterspell (1/round). Vecna casts counterspell using one of his spell slots. If he successfully causes a spell to fail, that spell's caster takes necrotic damage equal to five times the spell's level and Vecna regains a spell slot of a level equal to or lower than the spell's level.
Fell Rebuke. In response to being hit by an attack, Vecna utters a fell word, dealing 10 (3d6) necrotic damage to the attacker, and Vecna teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
Vecna 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. Vecna regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Attack. Vecna makes an attack with Afterthought, with his Paralyzing Touch or with his Soul Drain.
Cast a Spell. Vecna casts a spell of 5th level or lower.
Command Undead. Vecna utters a dreadful command. Up to six undead friendly to Vecna that can hear him and are within 60 feet of Vecna must use their reactions to move up to their speed and to make an attack against a creature of Vecna's choice.
Summon Undead (Costs 2 Actions). Vecna summons up to six wraiths or greater zombies in unoccupied spaces within 30 feet of him. They remain until destroyed. Undead summoned in this way roll initiative, act on the next available turn, and obey Vecna. Vecna can have no more than six undead summoned by this ability at a time.
Touch of Death (Costs 3 Actions, Recharge 5–6). Vecna reaches out and attempts to touch a creature within 5 feet of him with his left hand, making a melee spell attack to do so. If the attack hits, the creature must succeed on a DC 24 Constitution saving throw or drops to 0 hit points.
Description
On countless worlds, his name evokes tales of terror and cruelty. Vecna the Undying King. Vecna the Whispered One. Vecna the Lord of the Rotted Tower. Over more than a hundred thousand years, incandescent hatred carried him from the humblest of origins to a conqueror’s throne, then to the realms that lie beyond life and death, and finally to godhood. Many have suffered his terrible wrath, but few can recount how a lowly scribe left an aeon-deep scar on the multiverse before ascending beyond the material altogether. Only a few fragments of Vecna’s story have ever been unearthed...
This statblock depicts Vecna in his archlich form before Kas's betrayal, before his hand and eye got severed and is a revised version of the official statblock found in the Vecna dossier.
Lair and Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Vecna can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; Vecna can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Grasp of the Grave. Vecna causes skeletal arms to rise from an area on the ground in a 20-foot square that he can see. They last until the next initiative count 20. Each creature in that area when the arms appear must succeed on a DC 20 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the arms disappear or until Vecna releases their grasp (no action required). A creature that ends its turn while still restrained by the arms takes 18 (4d8) necrotic damage and 9 (2d8) cold damage and is knocked prone as the arms attempt to pull it down into the ground.
- Negative Energy Surge. Vecna creates a surge of negative energy. Whenever Vecna or any undead ally within 60 feet of him hits with an attack, that attack deals an additional 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, magical and nonmagical sources of light within his lair are extinguished and whenever a creature of Vecna's choice within 60 feet of him is about to receive healing, it must succeed on a DC 20 Charisma saving throw or the attempt to heal it fails and it instead takes necrotic damage equal to the amount of healing it would have received. The effect lasts until initiative count 20 of the next round.
- Soul Tether. Vecna targets one creature he can see within 60 feet of him. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers Vecna to the target. Whenever Vecna takes damage, the target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, Vecna 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 Vecna or the target is no longer in Vecna's lair.
- Spirits of the Dead. Vecna calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in his lair. These apparitions materialize, unleash a bone-chilling wail and attack two creatures that Vecna can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. In addition, on a failure, a creature becomes frightened of Vecna until the end of its next turn and must immediately use its reaction to move as far from Vecna away as its movement allows. The creature does not move into obviously dangerous terrain such as a pit or open fire. On a success, the creature takes half as much damage without any other effects.The apparitions then disappear.
- Vecna's Vile Curse. Vecna utters a dread word, cursing each creature of his choice within 60 feet of him. Each affected creature must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the curse takes effect and both its left eye and its left hand start to rot, resulting in searing pain as if the creature was under the effect of a power word pain spell. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its next turn. If it fails again, it takes 27 (6d8) necrotic damage, loses its left hand and its left eye and the pain ends. If a creature's saving throw is successful, the curse ends for it and it becomes immune to it for the next 24 hours.
A creature can be cursed again by this lair action once it has lost hand and eye; in this case, its head starts rotting away, and once it loses its head, it dies, unless it does not need a head to survive.
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