- Amphibious. Charybdis can breathe air and water.
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Vortex Aura. Any creature that enters a space within 30 feet of Charybdis or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 10 feet toward Charybdis .
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Siege Monster. Charybdis deals double damage to objects and structures (including ships).
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Multiattack. Charybdis makes two Tentacle attacks, or one Tentacle attack and one Bite attack.
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Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Charybdis has two main tentacles, each can grapple only one target.
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Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target grappled by Charybdis. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, it is swallowed.
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Swallow Mechanics:
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A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks from outside, and takes 7 (2d6) acid damage at the start of each of Caribdis's turns.
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If Charybdis takes 15 damage or more on a single turn from a swallowed creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which land prone in a space within 10 feet.
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Charybdis can take 2 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. Charybdis regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
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Tentacle Strike. Charybdis makes one Tentacle attack.
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Tidal Surge (Costs 2 Actions). Charybdis creates a wave. Each creature in the water or on the edge of the ship within 15 feet must make a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 10 feet away and knocked prone.
Description
Charybdis, Terror of the Vortex
Dwelling beneath treacherous and narrow straits, Charybdis is an ancient sea abomination lying in wait beneath the churning waters. Its presence is marked by a massive, inescapable whirlpool capable of dragging down entire ships.
Those drawn into the center of the vortex face its true, horrific form: a gargantuan maw lined with spiraling rows of jagged teeth, surrounded by thick, thrashing tentacles that pull helpless sailors straight into its bottomless gullet.
Lair and Lair Actions
Aboleths lair in subterranean lakes or the rocky depths of the ocean, often surrounded by the ruins of an ancient, fallen aboleth city. An aboleth spends most of its existence underwater, surfacing occasionally to treat with visitors or worshipers.
Lair Actions
When fighting inside its lair, an aboleth can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the aboleth takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- The aboleth casts phantasmal force (no components required) on any number of creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. While maintaining concentration on this effect, the aboleth can’t take other lair actions. If a target succeeds on the saving throw or if the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the aboleth’s phantasmal force lair action for the next 24 hours, although such a creature can choose to be affected.
- Pools of water within 90 feet of the aboleth surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone. The aboleth can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
- Water in the aboleth’s lair magically becomes a conduit for the creature’s rage. The aboleth can target any number of creatures it can see in such water within 90 feet of it. A target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 7 (2d6) psychic damage. The aboleth can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
Regional Effects
The region containing an aboleth’s lair is warped by the creature’s presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Underground surfaces within 1 mile of the aboleth’s lair are slimy and wet and are difficult terrain.
- Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally fouled. Enemies of the aboleth that drink such water vomit it within minutes.
- As an action, the aboleth can create an illusory image of itself within 1 mile of the lair. The copy can appear at any location the aboleth has seen before or in any location a creature charmed by the aboleth can currently see. Once created, the image lasts for as long as the aboleth maintains concentration, as if concentrating on a spell. Although the image is intangible, it looks, sounds, and can move like the aboleth. The aboleth can sense, speak, and use telepathy from the image’s position as if present at that position. If the image takes any damage, it disappears.
If the aboleth dies, the first two effects fade over the course of 3d10 days.