Amphibious. The Crocodilian Horror can breathe air and water.
Legendary Resistance (2/Day). If the Crocodilian Horror fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Predatory Instinct. The Crocodilian Horror always knows the location of a creature it has Marked, provided that creature is within 120 feet.
Stalker. While Submerged, the Crocodilian Horror is invisible unless a creature can succeed a DC 22 Nature, Survival, or Perception check. It also has resistance to all damage except force and psychic damage, and can move through any swamp terrain without penalty. It cannot make attacks while submerged except as part of Apex Predator.
Hunter of Hunters. The Crocodilian Horror can only have one Marked creature at one time. Certain abilities become stronger against a Marked target.
Unnatural Vitality. When the Crocodilian Horror is reduced to 0 hit points for the first time, it does not die or fall unconscious. Instead, it regains 70 hit points, and gains the Mythic trait.
Multiattack. The Crocodilian Horror rolls for initiative twice, and adds it's initiative bonus to the larger roll, or the first roll if both rolls are equal.
Teeth Rake. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20(2d10 + 9) piercing damage. If the target is a creature other than an undead or a construct, and it is wounded, it must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or lose 5 (1d10) hit points at the start of each of its turns and suffer from the Deep Wound status effect. This damage dealt by this effect increases by 5 (1d10) for every time they are hit by this attack and fail the Constitution saving throw. Any creature can take an action to stanch the wound with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The wound also closes if the target receives magical healing. While a creature suffers from this effect, they roll with disadvantage against the Crocodilian Horror's Mark Prey ability.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take an additional 7 (2d6) poison damage.
Stalk. The Crocodilian Horror can move up to double it's move or swim speed to an area where it could submerge, given it has one Marked target. It's AC is increased to 18 and it can roll with advantage on one saving throw. These effects are removed if it performs another action of any type.
Submerge. The Crocodilian Horror disappears beneath the swampy waters, giving itself the Submerged effect. It regains 18 (2d15+5) hit points.
Apex Predator. The Crocodilian Horror can emerge up to 30 feet away from where it emerged. If it is within 10 feet of a marked prey when it emerges, it can attack the prey with Teeth Rake, rolling to hit with advantage. On a hit, the attack deals an additional 27 (6d8) Necrotic damage. The target must also succeed a DC 16 Strength saving throw, or be knocked prone and dragged up to 30 feet. On a crit, this effect happens regardless of the roll of a saving throw.
Mark Prey. The Crocodilian Horror attempts to capture the scent of a creature within 120 ft. If a creature fails a DC 14 survival check, they suffer from the Marked status effect.
Reposition. If the Crocodilian Horror is hit by an attack and did not use Apex Predator or Stalk as it's last action, it can move up to 30 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
The Crocodilian Horror can take 3 legendary actions. These function as any other legendary actions.
Swamp Instinct (Costs 1 Actions). The Crocodilian Horror makes a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Claw (Costs 1 Actions). The crocodile can make a claw attack if any creatures are in range.
Ferocious Approach (Costs 2 Actions). The crocodile can move up to half its move speed to attempt a grapple on another creature. The creature rolls with disadvantage if marked.
Drag Under (Costs 3 Actions). One creature grappled by the crocodile must succeed a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be dragged up to 30 feet through the water and take 13 (3d8) necrotic damage.
"The Crocodilian Horror roars desperately, and just as it seems its body will tear apart, a greater force refuses to put the beast to rest. The swamp tries desperately to keep the beast together. His wounds are forced together with vines and roots, his injuries bound by mud. The horror lives through The Swamp."
Violent Reconstruction. Upon gaining the Mythic status effect, every creature within 20 feet 20 feet must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) piercing damage and 14 (4d6) necrotic damage, or half as much on a success.
Ravenous. The Submerged status effect no longer grants invisibility. Instead, if the crocodile comes within 5ft of any creature while it is Submerged, it can use a claw attack against that creature. Each creature can be targeted by this ability only once.
Frenzied Predator. It can use a Claw attack as a bonus action following a Multiattack. The crocodile can choose to target and additional creature with Teeth Rake. It also has advantage on attacks against creatures below half of their hit point maximum.
God of the Swamp. The crocodile can no longer regain hit points by using Submerge. Instead, if the Crocodilian Horror reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it regains 20 hit points.
Beast of the Swamp. The Crocodile gains access to its lair actions.
Description
Grung hunters tell stories of an monstrous Giant Crocodile, residing deep within the northern swamps of Chult. Many Grung formed teams of elite hunters in an attempt to gain prestige by slaying the beast. None were successful. For nearly 20 years, this Apex crocodilian horror reigned as king of the swamp, and it terrorized any prey that wandered too deep into the swamp, be it man or beast. The predator stalked prey relentlessly for days, striking before they even sensed it's presence. It left no tracks, except of course the corpses, adorned with horrific slashing wounds and holes that suggested enormous serrated teeth unlike that of any other beast. Until one day, the mad fog reached the northern swamps, and all the beasts that lived within it. Many beasts died, their minds fractured by the fog. Others succumbed later to the fogs mutations, death from the inside. The Giant Crocodile evaded the fog for days, as it chased the predator for days until just like a prey, it was cornered. The Crocodile retreated into the one place it knew safe, the deepest reaches of the swamp, far beneath the undergrowth, it was consumed. For weeks under the swamp, the beast suffered, it's mind was shattered and it's tough hide ripped apart from the inside. That beast died under the swamp. What emerged weeks later, after the fog cleared, was no such beast, no creature of this world. It was a monster.
The Crocodilian horror is 25 feet long and has a leg span of 9 feet. By all means, it looks monstrous. It has an enormous jaw, with teeth to big for its mouth, the longest being a meter long. It has terrible black eyes, the inside of its mouth smells like death and is a deep brownish red. Its skin is undistinguishable from the blackish brown of the swamp, making it very difficult to spot. The creature has a terrifying roar, which it only uses when injured.
Lair and Lair Actions
The northern swamps of Chult. Unforgiving and ridden with disease, once the domain for an apex predator, they now carry the burden of a dead god.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Crocodilian Horror takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Crocodilian Horror can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Roots erupt from the ground in a 20-foot-radius area. Creatures in the area must succeed a DC 17 Strength saving throw or become restrained until initiative count 20 on the next round. The roots can also be slashed or burned, having an AC of 14.
- Water violently surges outward from a point the crocodile can see within 60 feet. Creatures within 15 feet must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and be knock prone.
- One creature the crocodile can sense must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it becomes frightened until the end of it's next turn.
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Posted Sep 12, 2026Hi, this is one of my first homebrew bosses, inspired by the Crocodilian from Darkest Dungeon 1. If you're reading this, feel free to leave some advice, or to use it in one of your campaigns. I made it specifically for my campaign which is based on Tomb of Annihilation.