Special Trait: Chaotic Aura: Balder’s body constantly radiates unstable magical energy, warping the reality around him.
- Effect: At the start of each of Balder’s turns, roll 1d4 to determine the random effect of the chaotic aura:
- 1: Time Distortion – All creatures within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or have their movement speed halved and take disadvantage on attack rolls for 1 round.
- 2: Elemental Flux – Creatures within 30 feet of Balder take 15 (3d10) damage of a random elemental type (fire, cold, lightning, or acid).
- 3: Reality Tear – The space around Balder warps, causing all attacks against him to be made with disadvantage until the start of his next turn.
- 4: Chaotic Restoration – Balder regains 25 hit points as chaotic magic reinvigorates him.
Passive Effect: Balder’s aura also makes it difficult to counter or dispel his magic. Any spellcaster attempting to counter or dispel his spells must succeed on a DC 22 ability check using their spellcasting ability. Failure causes the caster to take 20 (4d6) force damage due to the chaotic backlash.
Spellcasting.
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Chaotic Bolt
- Ranged Spell Attack: +14 to hit, range 120 ft., one target.
- Damage: 60 (8d8) necrotic or radiant damage (Balder chooses type each time).
- Effect: The target is hit by a swirling bolt of energy, and on a failed DC 18 Constitution save, they are cursed, receiving disadvantage on all attack rolls until the end of their next turn.
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Reality Rend
- Spell (Level 9, once per encounter): Balder rends the fabric of reality around him.
- Damage: All enemies within a 30-foot radius take 60 (10d12) psychic damage. DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become stunned for 1 round.
- Effect: The space distorts, making all attacks against Balder have disadvantage until the start of his next turn.
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Chaos Pulse
- Action: Balder releases a pulse of pure chaos energy.
- Damage: 65 (10d10) force damage to all creatures within a 40-foot radius. DC 20 Constitution saving throw for half damage.
- Effect: On a failed save, creatures are blinded for 1 round.
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Dark Surge (Recharge 6)
- Action: Balder channels chaotic energy into a beam of raw destructive power.
- Damage: 70 (15d10) force damage in a 60-foot line, 5 feet wide. DC 19 Dexterity saving throw for half damage.
- Effect: On a failed save, the target is knocked prone.
Phase 2:
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Eclipse Blade
- Action: Balder summons his corrupted staff into the shape of a dark blade.
- Melee Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
- Damage: 50 (8d10) slashing + 17 (3d12) necrotic damage.
- Effect: The target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or have their maximum HP reduced by the damage dealt until a long rest.
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Tendrils of Chaos
- Action: When reduced to 50% HP or below, Balder summons chaotic tendrils that erupt from the ground.
- Damage: Each creature within 60 feet must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage and become grappled (escape DC 18). Creatures take 20 (4d10) necrotic damage each round they remain grappled.
- Effect: The tendrils remain for 3 rounds or until destroyed (AC 18, 80 HP each).
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Temporal Distortion
- Action: Balder distorts time in his vicinity.
- Effect: Each creature within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or have their initiative reduced by 10 points (minimum of 1) for the remainder of the battle.
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Chaotic Slash
- Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
- Hit: 44 (4d8 + 4) slashing damage + 14 (3d8) necrotic damage.
- Description: Balder's sword is imbued with chaotic energy, tearing through reality itself. The slash rends both flesh and spirit, leaving lingering chaos that destabilizes the target's life force.
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Chaos Pulse
- Ranged Spell Attack: +11 to hit, range 120 ft., one target.
- Hit: 48 (6d12) force damage.
- Description: Balder conjures a ball of swirling chaotic energy and launches it toward an enemy. The pulse explodes on impact, warping the surrounding air and causing erratic bursts of force damage to nearby creatures. Targets within 10 feet of the primary target must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (3d8) force damage.
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Crimson Chains of Despair
- Recharge 5–6
- Effect: Balder summons shadowy chains infused with chaos magic to bind his foes. Choose up to three creatures within 60 feet. Each target must make a DC 19 Strength saving throw or become restrained by the chains. While restrained, the creature takes 20 (3d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. The chains last for 1 minute or until dispelled by magic (DC 18 to dispel). On a success, the creature is not restrained and takes half damage.
- Description: The chains sprout from the ground, wrapping around the target's body and soul, slowly draining their vitality while keeping them trapped.
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Chaos Nova
- Recharge 6
- Effect: Balder unleashes a devastating blast of chaotic energy in a 30-foot radius centered on him. Each creature in the area must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 55 (10d10) force damage and is pushed back 20 feet, knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage and isn’t pushed or knocked prone.
- Description: Balder channels the full power of chaos within him, erupting in a massive wave of destructive force that bends reality around him.
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Shadowstorm Barrage
- Effect: Balder conjures hundreds of chaotic shadow blades and launches them in all directions. All creatures within a 60-foot radius must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 32 (6d10) piercing damage and 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage.
- Description: The storm of blades whirls through the battlefield, tearing through anything in its path, leaving a trail of blackened chaos in its wake.
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Siphon of Souls
- Effect: Balder targets a creature within 30 feet. The target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 40 (8d8) necrotic damage, and Balder regains hit points equal to half the damage dealt. On a successful save, the target takes half damage, and Balder does not regain hit points.
- Description: Balder extends a hand, channeling chaotic energy to drain the life force of his enemies, fueling his power while weakening his foes.
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Phase Shift
- Effect: Balder can teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space that he can see. He leaves behind an afterimage of chaotic energy that explodes at the start of his next turn, dealing 21 (6d6) force damage to all creatures within 10 feet unless they succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw.
- Description: Balder briefly shifts through the chaos dimension, vanishing from one spot and reappearing elsewhere, leaving a volatile fragment of chaos in his wake.
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Chaos Infusion
- Effect: Balder imbues his next melee weapon attack with chaotic energy. On his next successful melee hit, the attack deals an additional 18 (4d8) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of Balder's next turn.
- Description: Balder gathers chaotic energy into his weapon, making his next strike devastatingly unpredictable and potentially crippling.
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Summon Chaos Tendrils
- Effect: Balder summons tendrils of chaotic energy from the ground in a 15-foot radius around him. Each creature in the area must make a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be grappled by the tendrils. A grappled creature can use its action to make a DC 18 Strength or Dexterity check (its choice) to break free. The tendrils last for 1 minute or until dispelled.
- Description: Balder calls forth writhing, shadowy tendrils from the ground, which ensnare nearby enemies and hold them in place, ready for him to strike.
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Unstable Burst
- Effect: Balder detonates the chaotic energy around him in a 10-foot radius. All creatures within the radius take 14 (3d8) force damage and are pushed 10 feet away. If a creature is already restrained by an effect, it takes an additional 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
- Description: Chaotic energy builds up around Balder, and with a quick surge, he unleashes it in all directions, blasting enemies back and causing havoc in the immediate vicinity.
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Desperate Regeneration (Once per combat)
- Effect: Balder regains 50 hit points.
- Description: As his strength wanes, Balder draws upon the chaotic forces coursing through him to rapidly heal his wounds, mending flesh and bone with unstable energy.
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Chaotic Counter
- Trigger: When a creature within 60 feet of Balder casts a spell.
- Effect: Balder attempts to disrupt the spell by flooding it with chaotic energy. The caster must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or the spell fails, causing chaotic magic to backlash onto them. The caster takes 25 (5d8) force damage. If the save succeeds, the spell is cast, but Balder regains 10 hit points from the residual chaos energy.
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Shadow Step
- Trigger: When a creature attacks Balder with a melee attack.
- Effect: Balder instantly teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space he can see, avoiding the attack and reappearing in a cloud of dark, swirling chaos. The attacker must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw or take 15 (3d10) psychic damage from the chaotic void left behind.
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Chaos Reversal
- Trigger: When Balder is hit with an elemental attack (fire, cold, lightning, etc.).
- Effect: Balder absorbs the elemental energy and reverses it, hurling it back at the attacker. The attacker must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 20 (4d8) damage of the same elemental type. If they succeed, they take half damage. Balder also heals for half of the damage dealt.
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Wings of Ruin
- Trigger: When a creature moves out of Balder’s melee range.
- Effect: Black, chaotic wings burst from Balder's back, slashing out at the retreating target. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (4d6) slashing damage and be pulled 10 feet back toward Balder, staying within his melee range. If they succeed, they take half damage and are not pulled back.
- Chaotic Slash: Balder makes a melee attack with his Eclipse Blade (detailed above).
- Chain Reaction: Balder targets a creature affected by one of his spells or attacks and causes an immediate secondary effect, such as an explosion of chaotic energy. That creature takes 20 (4d6) force damage.
- Chaos Shift: Balder teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
- Reign of Chaos: Balder causes meteors of chaotic energy to fall from the sky. Up to 6 creatures of his choice within 120 feet must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw or take 40 (8d8) fire damage and 30 (6d10) force damage.
- Dark Ascension: Balder summons a wave of chaotic magic, lifting himself and all enemies within 60 feet into the air. Each enemy must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round.
Description
In the world of Aetheris, Balder's appearance reflects his corruption by chaos magic. His once pristine white robes, symbols of his Lumen Sage heritage, are now torn and infused with dark, swirling tendrils of chaotic energy. His formerly smooth, silver hair is streaked with black, crackling with unstable power. His golden eyes, once calm and wise, now glow with an eerie violet hue, constantly shifting as if peering into multiple realities at once.
Balder's skin is pale, almost translucent, with veins of chaotic energy coursing underneath. His regal staff, once a symbol of balance, has become warped and twisted, with jagged spikes of raw chaos magic protruding from it. Dark, ghostly wings of fragmented energy emerge from his back, flickering in and out of existence as if tethered to another dimension. His aura pulses with an unpredictable, unstable power that bends the space around him, a visual testament to his fall from grace and descent into madness.
Lair and Lair Actions
Balder's Lair: The Fractured Nexus
The final confrontation with Balder takes place in a realm that exists outside of space and time, known as The Fractured Nexus. This lair is a chaotic convergence point where different realities and dimensions collide, torn apart by Balder’s manipulations of the universe's very fabric.
Description
Upon entering the Fractured Nexus, the party finds themselves standing on a series of fragmented floating platforms, each one made of jagged, crystalline rock that seems to pulse with chaotic energy. The sky above is a swirling maelstrom of cosmic storms, flashing with colors that the mind can barely comprehend—purples, blues, reds, and black hues clash together in violent harmony. The stars themselves appear to be collapsing and reforming, as the boundaries of reality shift and break apart around the group.
Floating islands drift in the distance, disintegrating or merging with one another unpredictably. Some fragments show glimpses of other dimensions or worlds—warped reflections of their own universe—while others seem to be made of pure energy.
In the center of this chaotic domain, a colossal swirling vortex of black and red energy dominates the horizon, crackling with lightning. This is where Balder draws his power from—the very heart of chaos itself.
Environmental Effects
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Chaotic Gravity Gravity fluctuates wildly throughout the battlefield. At the start of each round, roll a d6. On a roll of 1 or 2, gravity becomes lighter, and all creatures have disadvantage on Strength checks and saving throws. On a roll of 5 or 6, gravity increases, and all creatures have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and have their speed halved.
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Reality Shifts Every round, the platforms the party is fighting on may shift or collapse. At the end of each round, roll a d20. On a roll of 10 or lower, one of the platforms collapses into the void, taking any creature on it down with it unless they can succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to leap to another platform.
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Temporal Distortions Time behaves strangely in the Fractured Nexus. Each round, there is a 5% chance that a creature's turn is reversed, forcing them to undo their previous action or forcing them to repeat the same action as the flow of time stutters and loops.
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Chaotic Eruptions At the end of Balder's turn, eruptions of chaotic energy randomly burst from the ground, dealing 10 (3d6) force damage to any creature within 10 feet of the eruptions. These occur at the edges of platforms or even mid-air as energy cracks form between reality.
Lair Actions
Balder can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects at the start of his turn, every round:
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Warping Reality
Balder warps the reality of one platform, causing it to become unstable. All creatures on the chosen platform must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or be shunted into a different plane of existence for 1 round. The target reappears on the platform at the start of its next turn. -
Fractured Time
Balder manipulates time, forcing one creature of his choice to repeat its previous action. This can cause a creature to make the same attack roll, cast the same spell, or move the same distance they just did on their last turn.
Legendary Lair Feature: Nexus Collapse
When Balder reaches 50% health or below, the Fractured Nexus begins to break apart entirely. At the end of every round, one-third of the platforms collapse, leaving fewer and fewer places for the party to stand. The swirling vortex at the center of the Nexus pulls everything toward it, and each creature must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw at the end of every turn or be pulled 10 feet closer to the vortex. Anyone who reaches the vortex is sucked in and teleported to a random plane of existence unless they succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to resist.
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