Amphibious. The dragon can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the dragon fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
The Ever-Present's Legendary Aura. The dragon does not need material ingredients to cast spells that would otherwise require them.
Spellcasting. Al-Garquain is a 25th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 25, +10 to hit with spell attacks). Al-Garquain has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will):fire bolt, eldritch blast
1st Level Spells (at will):earth tremor,magic missile,shield
2nd Level Spells (7 slots):acid arrow,misty step,scorching ray,ray of enfeeblement,mirror image
3rd Level Spells (7 slots):animate dead,counterspell,fireball,vampiric touch
4th Level Spells (6 slots):black tentacles,blight,greater invisibility,vitriolic sphere
5th Level Spells (6 slots):creation,wall of force,seeming
6th Level Spells (5 slots):disintegrate
7th Level Spells (5 slots):simulacrum
8th Level Spells (4 slots):clone,dominate monster
9th Level Spells (4 slots):meteor swarm,true polymorph,power word kill
Multiattack. The dragon can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes 4 attacks: one with its bite, two with its claws, and one with its tail.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10 + 8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of the dragon's choice that is within 120 feet of the dragon and aware of it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the dragon's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
Acid Breath (Recharge 4–6): The dragon exhales acid in a 90-foot line that is 10 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 75 (17d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Blight Breath (Recharge 5–6): The dragon exhales pure corruption in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw, taking 96 (24d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. if this attack touches terrain, it becomes difficult terrain, and any creature other than itself that touches the terrain takes 9 (3d6) necrotic damage, and during each of its turns that it is exposed to the terrain.
Acidic Skin (Recharge 4–6). When Al-Garquain is hit by a Melee attack, all creatures in a 20ft. range must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 48 (12d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
The dragon 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 dragon regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect. The dragon makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Tail Attack. The dragon makes a tail attack.
Wing Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The dragon beats its wings. Each creature within 15 feet of the dragon must succeed on a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. The dragon can then fly up to half its flying speed.
Necro-Regen. the dragon crushes an Undead creature within a 20 ft. radius from it, and gains hp equal to half of the hp the Undead creature had.
Dracolich Form (Costs 3 Actions). the dragon raises both hands and smoke, ash, and pure necrotic energy radiates from them as his skin, flesh, and muscles melt from his body, leaving only bones. after 1 minute, Al-Garquain's type changes from dragon to undead, any spells he casts in his dragon form other than ones that either manipulate necrotic energy or deal necrotic damage dissipate, his armor class changes to 20, gains immunity to blindness and necrotic damage, and he cannot cast true polymorph. if this ability is used again, it reverts to its original form.
Description
Al-Garquain is an Ancient Black Dragon Wizard, said to have been the first Dracolich to revert to its original form at will. He is an extremely powerful wizard who has the ability to turn himself into a Dracolich, being one of the only dragons who can turn themselves into Dracolich and back on command. His Blight Breath is said to scar the land itself, and that nothing but the most chaotic of evils will even approach the scarred landscape left behind.
Lair and Lair Actions
Al-Garquain dwells in a mountain on the frayed edges of civilization. The black dragon’s lair is an intricate cave system inside a mountain that is at least partially flooded, providing pools where the dragon rests, and where its victims can ferment. The lair is littered with the acid-pitted bones of previous victims and the fly-ridden carcasses of fresh kills, watched over by crumbling statues and rotting undead. Centipedes, scorpions, and snakes infest the lair filled with the stench of death and decay.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Pools of water that the dragon can see within 120 feet surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone.
- A cloud of swarming insects fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the dragon chooses within 120 feet of it. The cloud spreads around corners and remains until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The cloud is lightly obscured. Any creature in the cloud when it appears must make on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 10 (3d10) piercing damage.
- Magical darkness spreads from a point the dragon chooses within 60 feet of it, filling a 15-foot-radius sphere until the dragon dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can’t see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can’t illuminate it. If any of the effect’s area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.
- the dragon calls upon the Undead creatures outside of the lair, and 1d6 Undead creatures of the GM's choosing join the combat.
Regional Effects
The region containing Al-Garquain’s lair is warped by the dragon’s magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- The land within 12 miles of the lair takes twice as long as usual to traverse since the plants grow thick and twisted, and the swamps are thick with reeking mud.
- Water sources within 4 miles of the lair are supernaturally fouled. Enemies of the dragon that drink such water regurgitate it within minutes.
Fog lightly obscures the land within 12 miles of the lair. - Undead creatures of varying difficulty are drawn to the lair due to the magic power of Al-Garquain. They reside around 3 miles from the lair everywhere but the entrance.
If the dragon dies, vegetation remains as it has grown, the undead remain drawn to the lair, but other effects fade over 1d10 days. Once only the dragon's bones remain, a Dracolich will take over in the lair, and will occupy the skeleton until Al-Garquain resurrects, over 3d10 days after it occupies the skeleton. If, however, the Dracolich is defeated and the bones are destroyed, the dragon will not resurrect.
Comments