Structural Weakness. Whenever the artifact guardian is subjected to acid or cold damage, it takes gains vulnerability to bludgeoning and loses resistance to piercing and slashing from nonmagical attacks for 1d3 turns. Duration does not refresh and cannot be stacked.
Immutable Form. The artifact guardian is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
Sweep. The artifact guardian makes a sweeping weapon attack in a 180 degree arc in front of it that reaches outward 10 ft. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
The construct can take the legendary action below, but only at the end of another creature's turn. The construct regains the spent legendary action at the start of its turn.
Underhand Swing. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. Target must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be thrown 20 ft. away from the Artifact Guardian and knocked prone. On a successful save, target takes half damage and is pushed back 5 ft.
Description
Crafted by a master with the task of defending a relic of unknown power, value, or circumstance, the Artifact Guardian challenges all who would attempt to seize its charge using its size and a massive stone hammer. Sentient, but confined to never leave the location of their charge, Guardians are able to communicate their challenge to any and all species with many relishing the opportunity to be tested after incredibly long periods of inactivity.
Lair and Lair Actions
The 'lair' of an ancient guardian is simply the remains of whatever structure or facility that contained the relic it was tasked with defending. Typically choked in the overgrowth or rampant onset of time and weather, these locations are often just as hazardous to navigate as fighting the guardian itself.
Lair Actions
When fighting inside the lair, adventurers and challengers should be wary of the terrain, overgrowth, and weathering as the momentum of the battle can cause hazardous events to befall them. In addition, the ancient guardian can invoke additional defenses built into their surroundings to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the battle causes, or the ancient guardian takes, a lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- Sand or dirt shaken loose from the fighting pours into the room creating difficult terrain until the next round. Any creature on the ground that moved (including forced movement) last round must succeed on a DC 10 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. This lair action becomes available on the second round and on every two rounds after last use.
- The ancient guardian activates a defense construct nearby that targets the furthest hostile creature from the ancient guardian and fires a bolt of energy. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 2 (1d4) lightning damage.
- The ancient guardian reconstructs the worn and weathered remains of lesser guardians within the lair to create 1d4 Weathered Ancient Armor minions (minion rules below). This lair action cannot be used again until one round has passed in which there are no Weathered Ancient Armor.
Regional Effects
The region containing an ancient guardian's lair is typically overgrown and ravaged by time and the elements:
- Underground surfaces within 1 mile of the ancient guardian's lair contain piles of sand, dirt, or stone that have accumulated over the years to create areas of difficult terrain.
Minion Variant Rules
- Only 1 HP.
- Attributes from original creature are unchanged.
- Does not have access to any multi-attack or multi-action rules granted to the original creature.
- Do not receive damage from missed attacks.
- Take no damage on successful saves for half damage.
- Only deal minimum + bonus damage.
- Does not have access to any lair actions, legendary actions, or legendary resistances.
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