Devil's Sight: Magical darkness doesn't impede this creature's darkvision.
Fear Aura: Any hostile target to the creature that starts its turn within 20 feet of the creature must make a DC15 Wisdom saving throw, unless the creature is incapacitated. On a failed save, the target is frightened until the start of its next turn. If the target’s saving throw is successful, the target is immune to the creature’s Fear Aura for the next 24 hours.
Funeral Pyre: When the creature drops to 0 hit points, it’s body is consumed in a flash of fire and smoke. Anything it was wearing or carrying is left behind among ashes.
Marshal Undead: Unless the Bifrons is incapacitated, it and undead creatures of its choice within 60 feet of it have advantage on saving throws against features that turn undead.
Claim Resting Place: The Bifrons knows a ritual to claim dominion over the final resting place of a dead humanoid. After claiming a grave, tomb, etc. in this way a single candle will appear over where the dead humanoid lays. As long as this candle is lit, the Bifrons holds dominion there, and the candle cannot be put out by normal means, and if it is removed the candle will go out and a new one will appear in its place by unknown means. The only way to remove the Bifrons' dominion is to douse the flames with holy water.
Earl of Undead: The Bifrons can cast Animate Dead on any grave, tomb, etc. which it has claimed using the ritual described in Claim Resting Place. It casts this spell without the use of spell slots, and has no limit on how many undead it can command in this way beyond the limitations of Claim Resting Place. Should undead it creates in this way be killed their bodies will be magically returned to their original resting place and cannot be raised again for three days.
Multiattack: The Bifrons makes one Candelabra attack and two Claw attacks.
Candelabra: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 3) fire damage.
Claw: Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage and 5 (1d4 + 3) necrotic damage.
The Bifrons 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 ofanother creature's turn. The Bifrons regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Detect: The Bifrons makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Candlelit Retaliation: The Bifrons makes one Candelabra attack.
Leech Weakness (Costs 2 Actions): The Bifrons targets a creature it can see within 60 feet. The Bifrons teleports to an available space adjacent to that creature and lays a hand on them, dealing 10 (1d10 + 5) necrotic damage as it sucks away the creature's will to live. The creature must make a DC15 Wisdom saving throw, taking another 10 (1d10 + 5) necrotic damage on a failed saving throw and becoming Paralyzed for one round by a sudden feeling of dread. These additional effects are avoided on a successful saving throw. The Bifrons regains Hit Points equal to the amount of damage dealt by this action.
Description
The 46th spirit of the Goetia and an Earl of Hell. He first appears as a monster but after a while he will take the shape of a man at the command of the summoner. His office is to teach men astrology, geometry, and other arts and sciences. He also will teach men the uses of herbs, about precious gems, and different types of wood. Upon the command of his summoner, he will also move a buried body to another location or light candles upon the graves of the deceased that he has control over. Bifrons controls over 26 legions of infernal spirits.
Bifrons is also an alternate name for Janus, the Roman two-headed and double-natured god of gateways and new beginnings.
Lair and Lair Actions
The Bifrons makes its lair wherever there is an abundance of bodies for it to claim. As such, its lair may be a graveyard, or a great tomb, or the sight of a large battle or siege. It will surround itself with undead minions and will decorate its lair with candles and fake headstones to confuse those that would seek to renounce its hold over the dead. The Bifrons also enjoys luxury, and if their is a mansion or other such abode nearby it will take it for itself, by force if necessary. If allowed to reside in the same place for long enough it may have its undead servants construct a suitably ostentatious home for it.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Bifrons takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Bifrons can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- As described in Earl of Undead, the Bifrons casts Animate Dead on a claimed body within 90 feet of it.
- Candles within 90 feet of the Bifrons become great pillars of flame. Any creature within 5 feet of a candle must make a DC15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 12 (4d6) fire damage on a failed saving throw and half as much on a successful one.
- One undead that has been raised by the Bifrons as per Earl of Undead explodes into a miasma of black energy and flame. Any creature within 10 feet of this creature must make a DC15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 10 (1d10 + 5) fire damage and 12 (2d6 + 6) necrotic damage on a failed saving throw and half as much on a successful one.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary Bifron’s lair is corrupted by its dark dominion, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- The ground within 1 mile of the Bifrons' lair loses the ability to support life. Plant life in this area withers and dies, and animals either flee or starve. The ground is nothing more than dust on hard earth.
- Flames within 1 mile of the Bifrons' lair become resistant to mundane means of putting them out, and it will take much more effort to put out any fire. Nonmagical water will evaporate into steam before it hits the ground.
- Clouds congregate within 1 mile of the Bifrons' lair, making it perpetually overcast. The winds in this area are supernaturally stilled, and any area lit only by the sun becomes dim light.
If the Bifrons dies, these effects fade over the course of 3d8 days.