Cacophony Aura. All creatures within 60 feet of a crawling head that can hear it must succeed a DC 20 Wisdom save or become Stunned.for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of it's turn, ending effect on success. A creature that succeeds this save is immune to the cacophony aura of that crawling head for the next 24 hours. This is a sonic, fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based. A crawling head can suppress or resume the cacophony aura.
Innate Spellcasting. The Crawling Head's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17 +12 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: Dimension Door, Fear, Inflict Wounds.
3/day - Dispel Magic (5th lvl), Circle of Death, Harm.
1/day - Finger of Death, Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting.
Vorpal Bite. The supernaturally sharp teeth of a crawling head sever an opponent’s head on a natural 20. This kills most creatures that have a head, but not all (such as most undead or constructs), and has no effect on creatures with no heads
Vulnerability to Water. A flask of water deals 1d6 points of damage to a crawling head, and immersion in water deals 10d6 points of damage a round.
Terror Shield. A crawling head gains bonus to its AC and Strenght Saves equal to its Charisma modifier.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Crawling Head fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Multiattack. The Crawling Head makes 4 attacks with it's tentacles and then uses bite attack. If it the Crawling Head succesfully hits two Body Tentacle attacks, it can use Vorpal Bite as a Bonus Action.
Body Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., 1 target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) slashing damage. On a hit, the target must succed on a DC 17 STR Saving Throw or be pulled directly to Crawling head.
Vorpal Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., 1 target. Hit: 9 (2d8 + 10) slashing damage.
Absorb Head. As a free action, a crawling head may swallow the severed head of a creature it has decapitated with its vorpal bite. It may also harvest a head from an intact corpse no less than 24 hours dead as a standard action. A crawling head can store a number of severed heads equal to its Hit Dice, and typically has 1d4+10 severed heads stored at the beginning of an encounter. As a bonus action on its turn, the crawling head can digest one of these severed heads in order to gain one of the following abilities
- Use any of its at-will or 3/day spell-like abilities
- Gain the benefits of a Heal spell cast on itself
- Gain a +6 enhancement bonus to one of its ability scores for 1 hour. A crawling head cannot have more than one enhancement bonus gained in this fashion at a time
A crawling head with no heads stored cannot use its cacophony aura.
The Crawling Head 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 Crawling Head regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Vorpal Bite (Costs 3 Actions). The Crawling Head makes it's Vorpal Bite attack.
Move (Costs 1 Actions). The Crawling Head moves up to it's speed without provoking opportunity attack.
Disarm (Costs 1 Actions). The Crawling Head hits a creature with a Body Tentacle attack, but instead of taking damage, the creature must succed on a DC 20 STR saving throw or drop it's weapon.
Trip (Costs 1 Actions). The Crawling Head slashes it's tentacle in 20 ft cone. Each creature must succed on a DC 17 STR saving throw or be knocked prone.
Description
This grotesque thing is a rotten, swollen head as big as a wagon. It has multiple layers of sharp teeth in its wide maw, and it drags itself along on a seething nest of giant blood vessels, nerves and organs. Its underside is swollen and glistening, the faint outlines of faces pressed against boil-like sacs.
Lair and Lair Actions
Each crawling head is a mastermind and dungeon keeper, and they dwell in labyrinths and ruins. These they fill with traps and guardians, many of which are undead or constructs. All crawling heads are masters of magic and most are craftsmen of great skill, and they spend centuries perfecting strange new magic items and constructs. These are released onto the world for the sheer joy of mayhem and killing. Many crawling heads make sure to slip clues as to their location along with these poison pills—the better to attract adventurers to devour and use their gear as raw material for the next batch of horrors.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Crawling Head takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Crawling Head can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Spawn Necrosis Carnex. (1d4)
- Spawn Skulking Cyst. (1d4)
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