Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If a God of Lankhmar fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Rejuvenation. A destroyed God of Lankhmar gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within his crypt at the Black Temple.
Spellcasting. The God of Lankhmar is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The God has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, detect thoughts, invisibility, mirror image
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball
4th level (3 slots): blight, dimension door
5th level (3 slots): Demigod Telekinesis, scrying
6th level (1 slot): disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
7th level (1 slot): finger of death, plane shift
8th level (1 slot): dominate monster, power word stun
9th level (1 slot): power word kill
Note: If all 14 Gods of Lankhmar collectively cast the globe of invulnerability, the Globe extends over the entire city of Lankhmar which acts as a physical barrier against invading armies, severe weather, or any other cataclysmic event that would otherwise destroy the city.
Turn Resistance. The God has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Staff of Withering. Melee Weapon Attack: +9, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (2d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Can expend 1 charge to deal an extra 4d10 necrotic damage to the target. In addition, the target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or have disadvantage for 12 hours on any ability check or saving throw that uses Strength or Constitution.
This staff has 12 charges and regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
The staff can only be used by a God of Lankhmar; anyone else that so much as touches the staff will take 4d10 necrotic damage per round for up to 4 rounds. At the end of the 5th round, the hand that holds the staff (or any other body part for that matter) permanently withers, transforming into a mummified dry husk version of itself.
This 5-round cycle is endless so attempting to wield the staff with the other hand, or having someone else attempt to wield the staff after the first 5-round cycle has occurred is pointless.
(Search Homebrew > Magic Items > Gods of Lankhmar Staff of Withering)
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d12 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the God of Lankhmar can grapple the target (escape DC 18).
The God of Lankhmar 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 God of Lankhmar regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cantrip. The God of Lankhmar casts a cantrip.
Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The God of Lankhmar uses its Paralyzing Touch.
Frightening Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). The God of Lankhmar fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 10 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the God of Lankhmar's gaze for the next 24 hours.
Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of the God of Lankhmar must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
At the God of Lankhmar's will, he can boost the power of the Telekinesis spell as follows. Doing so will use a 9th-level spell slot:
You gain the ability to move or manipulate creatures or objects by thought. When you cast the spell, and as your action each round for the duration, you can exert your will on up to ten creatures or objects that you can see within range, causing the appropriate effect below. You can affect the same target round after round, or choose a new one at any time. If you switch targets, the prior target is no longer affected by the spell.
Creature. You can move a Huge or smaller creature(s). You move the creature up to 5,000 feet in any direction, including upward but not beyond the range of this spell. Until the end of your next turn, the creature is restrained in your telekinetic grip. A creature lifted upward is suspended in mid-air.
On subsequent rounds, you can use your action to attempt to maintain your telekinetic grip on the creature by repeating the contest.
Object. You can move an object that weighs up to 250,000 pounds.
You can exert fine control on objects with your telekinetic grip, such as manipulating a simple tool, opening a door or a container, stowing or retrieving an item from an open container, or pouring the contents from a vial.
Description
Citizens of Lankhmar regard the founders and the first King of their city as Gods and their remains as corporeal evidence of their existence. They are collectively known as the "Gods of Lankhmar" whose mummified bodies are housed in the Black Temple, located at the westernmost end of the Street of the Gods. There are 14 gods in total.
There is no religion that surrounds the Gods of Lankhmar, and therefore there are no priests, ceremonial services, or dogmatic rules to follow. Despite this, the head priest or priestess from every temple along the Street of the Gods pays respect to the Gods of Lankhmar on a monthly basis by entering the vestibule (also known as the "Red Room") and placing an offering into the white basin. Likewise, some citizens will do the same; some offer a copper tik while others place a bit of food. Children will often leave a toy while some have been known to leave a folded note, presumably with a petition asking for the gods' favor. The offerings disappear after the offerer(s) leave the vestibule and no one is around. It is speculated that the basin teleports the offerings to the interior rooms of the crypt so that the Gods of Lankhmar may enjoy them, however, no one truly knows or dares enter the crypt in order to find out.
The Gods of Lankhmar are more than mummified remains or sacred relics; as the founders of the city they fought for and loved so much in life, they continue to protect Lankhmar even in "death". Whenever the city faces a natural or man-made disaster, siege, or other danger that threatens its existence, the near-invisible door at the back of the vestibule will slide downwards into the floor, and the Gods of Lankhmar will emerge to defend the city in whatever manner is necessary. For example, in the year 2412 SK, a particularly powerful hurricane battered the city and its winds began tearing down segments of the seawall and destroying buildings randomly throughout town. The Gods of Lankhmar emerged, stood in a circle in the middle of the Street of the Gods, raised their staves above their heads, and created an invisible magical protective dome over the city. While the hurricane raged outside the dome, the interior climate of Lankhmar returned to the clime it had immediately prior to the storm.
As is known by all, The Black Temple lies at the westernmost end of the Street of Gods which signifies that it is the most important Temple in the city. Just as the Gods of Lankhmar will emerge to protect and defend the city, they will likewise emerge to destroy any temple that would dare to stand further west than the Black Temple. This was discovered when a temple to honor Issek of the Jug was being erected on the site where Hester's House in the River District presently stands, which of course, is directly west of the Black Temple.
Each God of Lankhmar possesses a personalized Staff of Withering. Each staff is made of rosewood and has intricate embellishments at its tips. Each embellishment is stylized to match the taste and personality of the individual God of Lankhmar.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Black Temple
The Black Temple serves as a lair for the Gods of Lankhmar. A God of Lankhmar encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 22 (41,000 XP).
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the God of Lankhmar can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; the God of Lankhmar can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The God of Lankhmar rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
- The God of Lankhmar targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers the God of Lankhmar to the target. Whenever the God of Lankhmar takes damage, the target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the God of Lankhmar 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 the God of Lankhmar or the target is no longer in the God of Lankhmar's lair.
- The God of Lankhmar calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that the God of Lankhmar can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw, taking 52 (15d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear.
A God of Lankhmar is a gaunt and skeletal human with withered flesh stretched tight across its bones. His eyes succumbed to decay long ago, but points of light burn in his empty sockets. He is garbed in the moldering remains of the fine clothing and jewelry worn in life and dulled by the passage of time.
Soul Sacrifices. The Gods of Lankhmar must periodically feed souls to its phylactery to sustain the magic preserving its body and consciousness. It does this using the Staff of Withering each God has. The God of Lankhmar uses the Staff of Withering to magically trap the target’s body and soul inside its phylactery. The Gods of Lankhmar phylactery can hold only hundreds of creatures at a time, and a dispel magic cast as a 9th-level spell upon the phylactery releases any creatures imprisoned within it. A creature imprisoned in the phylactery for 24 hours is consumed and destroyed utterly, whereupon nothing short of divine intervention can restore it to life.
A God of Lankhmar that fails or forgets to maintain its body with sacrificed souls begins to physically fall apart, and might eventually cease to exist.
Death and Restoration. When a God of Nehwon's body is broken by accident or assault, the will and mind of the God of Lankhmar drain from it, leaving only a lifeless corpse behind. Within days, a new body reforms next to the God of Lankhmar's phylactery, coalescing out of glowing smoke that issues from the device. Because the destruction of its phylactery means the possibility of eternal death, the Gods of Lankhmar keep their phylactery in a hidden, well-guarded location.
Destroying the Gods of Lankhmar phylactery is no easy task and often requires a special ritual, item, or weapon. Every phylactery is unique, and discovering the key to its destruction can be a quest in and of itself.
No living soul knows this, but the Black Temple acts as a collective phylactery for all 14 Gods of Nehwon. Destroying this obsidian edifice contained in the middle of Lankhmar where every citizen in the city either worships or fears (or both) the Gods of Lankhmar would be a nearly impossible feat.
Undead Nature. A God of Lankhmar doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
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