Legend of the Wastes. Cactus Jack cannot be surprised and always acts on the first round of combat. He can’t be disarmed, and any firearm he wields counts as magical.
Desert Regeneration. Cactus Jack draws vitality from heat and sunlight. At the start of each of his turns, he regains 20 hit points. While in direct sunlight, he instead regains 30 hit points. If Cactus Jack takes cold damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.
Ricochet Reflexes. When Cactus Jack is targeted by a ranged weapon attack, he can use his reaction to impose disadvantage and deal 14 (4d6) piercing damage to the attacker as a thorny spur shoots back.
Evasion. If Cactus Jack is subjected to an effect that allows a Dexterity saving throw to take half damage, he instead takes no damage on a success, half on a failure.
Spellcasting. Cactus Jack is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). Cactus Jack has following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): thorn whip, fire bolt, gust, mold earth
1st level (4 slots): absorb elements, entangle, hunter’s mark, shield
2nd Level (3 slots): spike growth, pass without trace, scorching ray
3rd Level (3 slots): plant growth, erupting earth, lightning bolt
4th Level (3 slots): blight, freedom of movement, stoneskin
5th Level (3 slots): wall of stone, transmute rock, steel wind strike
6th Level (2 slots): sunbeam, heal
7th Level (2 slots): fire storm, plane shift
8th Level (2 slots): sunburst, earthquake
9th Level (1 slots): foresight
Multiattack. Cactus Jack makes three Revolver Shots or two Sharpshooter Shots.
Revolver Shot (Firearm Attack): +14 to hit, range 120/480 ft., one target.
Hit: 24 (3d10 + 7) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage.
Sharpshooter Shot (Firearm Attack): +14 to hit, range 300/900 ft., one target.
Hit: 40 (6d10 + 7) piercing damage. On a hit, the target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Thorn Barrage (Recharge 5–6). Cactus Jack sprays thorns in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success.
Gunslinger Trick Shots (3/Day). Cactus Jack can choose one of the following:
- Disarming Shot: Target drops one item it’s holding.
- Explosive Round: 15-foot radius explosion, 35 (10d6) fire damage (Dex save DC 18 half).
- Deadeye: Adds +10 to the attack roll and doubles damage dice on a hit.
Quick Draw (Recharge 4–6). Immediately make one Revolver Shot at disadvantage against any number of creatures within 60 ft
Cactus Step. Cactus Jack burrows briefly beneath the sand, teleporting up to 40 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
Spine Ward. When targeted by a spell that requires a Dexterity or ranged attack, Cactus Jack can use his reaction to suddenly shift slightly (1–2 feet) under the sand), giving half cover until the start of his next turn.
Thorny Retaliation. When a creature hits Cactus Jack with a melee attack, the attacker takes 10 (3d6) piercing damage from barbed thorns embedded in his body.
Cactus Jack can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and it can only be used at the end of another creature’s turn.
- Shoot: Make one Revolver Shot.
- Fan the Hammer (Costs 2 Actions): Make two Revolver Shots.
- Sandstorm Shuffle (Costs 2 Actions): Cactus Jack moves up to half his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Desert’s Judgment (Costs 3 Actions): Fire a radiant shot imbued with burning sunlight. Target one creature within 120 ft. It must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 36 (8d8) radiant damage and be blinded until the end of Cactus Jack’s next turn.
Thorn of the Wastes Unbound. When Cactus Jack is reduced to 0 hit points, he doesn’t die. Instead, he shatters into a storm of thorns and sand, regains 200 hit points, and his Desert Regeneration increases to 30. His Thorn Barrage recharges automatically, and he gains access to the following mythic actions. Award an additional 33,000 XP when he is defeated after this transformation.
Storm of Needles. Cactus Jack releases a swirling storm of razor thorns in a 20-foot radius centered on himself. Each creature in the area must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) piercing damage on a failure, or half on a success The area becomes heavily obscured until the start of his next turn.
Sunstroke Pulse. Cactus Jack emits a blast of oppressive desert heat. Creatures of his choice within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 22 (5d8) fire damage and gain one level of exhaustion until the end of their next turn. On a success, they take half damage and suffer no exhaustion.
Living Terrain. Cactus Jack causes the ground in a 30-foot radius within 120 feet to come alive with roots, sand, and bone. The area becomes difficult terrain Each enemy that starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the start of its next turn
Phantom Gunslinger. (Costs 2 Mythic Actions) Cactus Jack splits into mirage-like afterimages. He becomes invisible until the end of his next turn or until he makes an attack Immediately after becoming invisible, he can perform three Sharpshooter Shots
Final Bloom. (Costs 2 Mythic Actions) A massive cactus eruption bursts from the ground at a point Cactus Jack can see within 60 feet. Creatures in a 20-foot radius must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw On a failure, they take 45 (10d8) piercing damage and are knocked prone On a success, they take half damage and aren’t knocked prone
Description
They say that long before the railroads carved through the desert, back when the sands still whispered and remembered every footprint, there was a man who could not be beaten.
No one agrees on where he came from. Some say he walked out of a dust storm. Others claim he was born under a sun that never set. But all stories agree on one thing—he never lost. Not a duel, not a hunt, not a war. His weapons shone like fire in the midday heat, and wherever outlaws gathered wealth or power, he would arrive unannounced. By morning, only the wind remained… and the sand would swallow their names whole.
For a time, people called him a savior. But the desert keeps its balance.
As the years stretched on, the man began to change. The killings grew easier. The line between justice and bloodlust faded like tracks in a storm. And one night, when the wind howled louder than it ever had before, the sands rose up... not beneath his feet, but around him.
They say the desert opened its jaws. And it took him.
By dawn, there was no body. No weapons. No trace. Only a hollow silence, as if even the sun refused to speak of what had happened. Some whispered that Death himself had come to drag the man away, fearing the flood of souls he sent to the other side.
But the desert does not forget.
Years passed. Then decades. Then lifetimes. The legend of the undefeated hunter twisted and splintered. Others began to claim his title. They wore his name like a mask, boasting in saloons, carving it into wanted posters, pretending to be something they were not.
That was their mistake.
Because somewhere beneath the dunes, something was listening. The old stories say the sand began to move again... slow at first, then with purpose. It gathered bone, thorn, and dust. It shaped itself into something almost human, but not quite. A body built from the desert’s memory… and its anger.
When it rose, it no longer answered to the name it once had.
That name was buried.
Now, when the wind turns sharp and the night grows too quiet, travelers swear they see a figure standing just beyond the firelight. Not a man—but something wearing the shape of one. Something with eyes like dry earth and a presence that makes the desert itself quiver.
They say he hunts again.
Not for justice.
Not for gold.
But for anyone foolish enough to steal his legend.
And if you hear the sand shifting when there’s no wind…
it’s already too late.
They call him Cactus Jack.
Cactus Jack is a humanoid cactus, a gunslinger forged by the desert itself.Although he doesnt know it yet, the deserts have donned him a new title: "Thorn of the Wastes". His body is covered in jagged spines and thorny growths, with small desert flowers blooming faintly across his arms and shoulders. Twin pistols, “Thornkiss,” hang at his hips, ready to unleash a hail of piercing and fiery shots at any who cross his path.
Though medium in size, he moves with uncanny speed and precision, blending sharpshooting mastery with the lethal, thorn-laden resilience of the wasteland. Sand and thorny underbrush bend unnaturally around him, and bones of those who have fallen before him litter his favored battlegrounds.
Cactus Jack heals beneath the sun, and his thorns strike back at those foolish enough to approach in melee. Facing him is not just a duel with a gunslinger... it is to confront the desert’s wrath incarnate, a relentless force of sand, fire, and barbed (metaphorical) steel.
Lair and Lair Actions
THE THORNY GRAVE
Cactus Jack’s lair is a sun-scorched canyon choked with towering cacti, thorny undergrowth, and the bleached bones of fallen challengers. The ground is uneven and sandy, with patches of shifting dunes and buried remains that make footing treacherous. Rusted weapons and shattered skeletons litter the area, many pierced through by thick, cacti spines.
The canyon walls rise steeply on all sides, dotted with narrow ledges and shadowed crevices that provide natural vantage points. Heat haze distorts vision, and the air is dry and stifling.
At the far end of the canyon stands a petrified cactus surrounded by a mound of bones... believed to be Cactus Jack’s final resting place. The entire canyon feels alive, as if the desert itself answers his call.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the [monster name] takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Cactus Jack can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
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Thorny roots erupt from the ground in a 20-foot square centered on a point Cactus Jack can see within 120 feet. Creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be restrained until initiative count 20 on the next round. The area counts as difficult terrain
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Heat haze distorts the battlefield in a 30-foot radius. Creatures of Cactus Jack’s choice must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on attack rolls until the end of their next turn. Cactus Jack becomes lightly obscured to affected creatures. Each point explodes in a 10-foot radius Creatures must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) piercing damage + 10 (3d6) poison damage, or half on a success.
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The ground liquefies in a 20-foot radius area Cactus Jack can see. The area becomes quicksand until the next round Creatures entering or starting their turn there must succeed on a DC 18 Strength save or be restrained A restrained creature can repeat the save at the end of its turn.
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A massive cactus flower opens and releases blinding sunlight in a 40-foot radius. Creatures must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of their next turn Undead and creatures vulnerable to sunlight have disadvantage on the save
Regional Effects
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The region containing Cactus Jack’s lair is warped by his presence, creating the following effects:
- Withering Heat. Nonmagical water left exposed evaporates within minutes, and small plants become dry, brittle, and thorny.
- Mirage-Lost Paths. Creatures traveling through the area can become disoriented by shifting heat mirages, requiring a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Survival) check to avoid becoming lost.
- Barbed Growth. Mundane plants grow twisted and covered in sharp spines, turning lightly obscured terrain into difficult terrain.
- Echoing Shots. At irregular intervals, faint gunshot-like cracks echo through the canyon, even when no combat is occurring.
If Cactus Jack dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.
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