Before the coming of the gods, Aboleths lurked in primordial oceans and underground lakes. They reached out with their minds and seized control of the burgeoning life-forms of the mortal realm, making those creatures their slaves. Their dominance made them like gods. Then the true gods appeared smashing the Aboleths empires and freeing their slaves.
Aboleths have never forgotten.
Aboleths have flawless memories. They pass on their knowledge and experience from generation to generation. Thus the injury of their defeat by the gods remains perfectly preserved in their minds.
Aboleths minds are treasure troves of ancient lore recalling moments from prehistory and intricately across eons. Few creatures can conceive of the extent of an Aboleth's plan.
Aboleths dwell in watery environments including ocean abysses deep lakes, and the Elemental Plane of Water. In these domains and the lands that adjoin them Aboleths are like gods demanding worship and obedience from their subjects. When they consume other creatures Aboleths add the knowledge and experiences of their prey to their eternal memories.
Aboleths use their telepathic powers to read the minds of creatures and know their desires. An Aboleth uses this knowledge to gain a creature's loyalty promising to fulfill such wants in exchange for obedience. Within its lair the Aboleth can further use its powers to override senses granting creatures such as its followers the illusion of promised rewards.
The Aboleths fall from power is written in stark clarity on their flawless memories for Aboleths never truly die. If an Aboleths body is destroyed its spirit returns to the Elemental Plane of Water where a new body coalesces for it over days or months.
Ultimately Aboleths dream of overthrowing the gods and regaining control of the world. Aboleths have had untold eons to plot and to prepare their plans for perfect execution.
Aboleth Lair:
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 time underwater surfacing occasionally to treat with visitors or deranged worshipers.
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 1 of the following effects:
1: The aboleth cast 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 (DC 14) or if the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the Aboleths Phantasmal Force lair action for the next 24 hours although such a creature can choose to be affected.
2: 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.
3: Water in the Aboleth's lair 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 make a DC14 Wisdom saving throw or take 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:
1: Underground surfaces within 1 mile of the Aboleth's lair are slimy and wet and are difficult terrain.
2: Water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally fouled. Enemies of the Aboleth that drink such water vomit it within minutes.
3: As an action the Aboleth can create an illusory image of itself within 1 mile of the lair. They copy can appear at any location the aboleth has seen before or in any location a creature charmed by the Aboled 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 2 effects fade over the course of 3d10 days.
"An excerpt from the tome Creatures of the Wilderlands, by the sage and explorer Radamust: One of the most malevolent creatures I have ever encountered is the Behir. Having nearly fallen victim to its depredations on two separate occasions, I have endeavored to learn more about this wild and curious beast, which is occasionally mistaken for a wingless dragon by the uneducated. A Behir is unmistakable to the learned, once you have seen it.
It is a twelve-legged serpent, with each foot bearing three toes that end in razor-sharp talons. These talons are hooked like a raptor's but are designed for slashing, not grasping, prey. The body is covered in bandlike scales from light to dark blue in color with grayish tints along the edges. The underside is also light blue and composed of a vertical row of banded scales. The upper scales are very hard and tough and, if treated correctly, can be made into serviceable armor.
The head is long, and the narrow mouth is filled with many sharp teeth. Two backward-curving horns project from the rear of the skull, each black in color and 3-4' in length. Upon beginning my investigation, I discovered there was more than one species, each with its own special abilities and wildly divergent habitats."
[I've always had a fondness for the monsters of DnD, got a 2nd edition monster manual from a friend as a kid and I would read it for hours. (still own it) But after nabbing a copy of the 5th edition of the monster manual and looking it up online, my favorite beast is one of the most confusing and broken in terms of lore/design.]
Meet...The Behir...as represented in each edition.
[As you can see, it's quite the difference and doesn't match up with descriptions. But this isn't so bad, creatures go through redesigns and often art in the manuals doesn't line up with descriptions. This is common. So...What's the new description sound like?]
"A Behir was often mistaken for a wingless blue dragon. It had a long, snake-like body and could slither on the ground like a snake, but it also had six pairs of legs upon which it could walk or climb if it chose to do so. Each of a Behir's twelve feet contained three clawed toes. They began life with six or eight legs and grew additional legs as they aged. They grew about 8 feet (2.4 meters) per year.
Behirs had thick, armored scales, much like a dragon. Their scales were colored in variations of dark blue, being lighter on their undersides.
They had long narrow heads, crocodilian in shape, with curved, black horns on the top, which were used for preening. Behirs were born horn-less. Their mouths were full of many sharp multi-colored translucent teeth that were valued for their gem-like beauty, and their bones were crystalline."
[Okay...But this isn't what's shown either. If anything, this matches the older art and not the new sleek noodle boy. Don't get me wrong, I like the design, I adore snakes. But Behirs are not snakes. If anything, they are slightly draconian as they were made to kill dragons and speak Draconic naturally. Speaking of which, this brings up the next confusing part...The lore.]
"In times long forgotten, giants and dragons engaged in seemingly endless war. Storm giants created the first Behirs as weapons against the dragons, and Behirs retain a natural hatred for dragonkind. A Behir never makes its lair in an area it knows to be inhabited by a dragon. If a dragon attempts to establish a lair within a few dozen miles of a behir's lair, the Behir is compelled to kill the dragon or drive it off. Only if the dragon proves too powerful to fight does a Behir back down, seeking out a new lair site a great distance away."
[This sounds really awesome on paper, right? Yet...A massive flaw appears when you compare a Behir to a Dragon. Let's say that an adult behir is fighting a young red dragon. Both are roughly the same CR, with the behir at 11 and the young red dragon at 10.
Already, the young red dragon has some noticeable advantages. Its armor class is higher, it has marginally higher hit points, and it can fly 80 ft. per turn. The behir and young red dragon have the same Strength, but the behir is much faster than the dragon, Dex and land-speed-wise. Still, the dragon has a much higher Constitution.
But where the dragon really wins is its superior Intelligence. Sure, the behir has better self-preservation instincts with its higher Wisdom, so it knows when to run. But if the dragon has already out-thunk the beast, chances are the behir won’t even be able to escape. Keep in mind, this is just the young red dragon. Adult dragons and ancient dragons could easily avoid getting killed by behirs.
Another issue is size. Behir's stand at 5ft on all their legs and 20ft when they rear back on their hindmost eight legs, 4,000 pounds, and reach 40-60ft in length. They have the classification of Huge and can swallow creatures smaller than they, particularly medium and larger mammals such as boars, though they will also attack humans, ogres, and elves.]
[Now let's look at the common Behir's natural comparison, a Blue Dragon. (I say common Behir because lightning blue is the basic one but there are 2 rare variants that are only mentioned once...desert behir and jungle behir...if also compared to dragons I'd guess a fire red and poison green)]
Wyrmling- Medium
Young - Large
Adult - Huge
Ancient - Gargantuan
Greatwyrm - Gargantuan
Up to 85 feet long and 160,000 pounds; wingspan up to 80 feet
[No way a Behir is taking a Dragon down. So...What's the deal? How are Behir made to combat Dragons and still attack dragons now if they aren't suitable for it? This is where there are two theories that would help the lore a bit if Dungeon Masters want to use Behirs.
Theory 1: Current Behir are not the true Behir as made by the giants and have evolved to live in a world after the great war. The idea is that Behirs used to be a lot bigger, tougher, and smarter than they are now. Once the dragons were mostly depleted, they had to adapt to a world with fewer natural enemies. More than likely, the biggest of the Behirs were killed off quick, seeing as they were just as dangerous as the dragons. Those that did survive were those that were better at hiding and capable of finding other food sources. Years went by and they shrank down from their Gargantuan size of yore to their modern Huge size. Additionally, they lost a lot of their mental edge, trading strategic smarts for survival instincts.
Theory 2: They were never meant to fight adults and were made to lower the number of dragons by going after the babies. Behirs weren’t designed to fight the big guys; they were baby eaters. The behir’s swallow attack works only against Medium or Smaller targets. Any dragon over the age of five years is going to be Large or bigger. However, the wyrmlings and eggs are perfectly sized for the behir’s dislocated jaw. Behirs were trained to go into dragon lairs, slink through the stones, and eat the babies and unhatched eggs. This kept the dragon population in check. And if mom or dad caught them doing this, the behir used its lightning breath to scare them off and flee with its awesome speed and climbing ability. Being a neutral evil monstrosity, it’s not too hard to imagine this being the case.]
[So with all these broken conflicting points, can Behirs work? Yes, I think so. But things have to be cleared and some parts retooled once key parts are made official. Behirs have been around since the beginning and are of the first dragon-slaying monsters. There should be consistency given. The old lore on how they function as creatures is so damn interesting, it's a shame you'd have to dig super hard in old magazines to find it...Which I did because I am the lore queen and can be insane about it when I hyperfixate on something I love.]
[And like that, we reach the part where I get to be a big old nerd (more so than I have been so far) and bust out my take on a common lightning Behir.]
[I tried to incorporate aspects of the lore and art. Gave it a dragon/crocodile-style head, two black horns, banded belly scales, thick armored back scales, long slashing talons that can also grip, multi-colored translucent teeth (might need to zoom in for that), and I liked this idea of the tongue glowing slightly as a lure for prey while in caves (for quick snacks) but it gets brighter when firing a blast attack.
Aside from looks, I also want to mix that lore into the Behir Statistics. This is the current stats for Behir for DMs to use in games.]
[And this is more in line with what I'd use for a lore-based Behir sheet. This is based on a D&D Monster Analysis by The Bountiful Mimic, he does amazing content.]
[I'd also add a conflict resolution move if a party encounters a Behir but isn't able to battle it, so to avoid needless character slaughter from this new powerful beast, let's look at the lore again.]
"Behirs possess the capability to negotiate but only do so if they believe that for some reason they cannot take what they desire. Those who must frequently travel through a Behir's territory find that offering large amounts of food (such as a cow or a horse) along with a healthy amount of self-deprecating flattery is a good way to keep a Behir from attacking. Additionally, perhaps owing to some draconic ancestry, Behirs have a fondness for treasure, coveting silver to the exclusion of all other offerings."
[So this means if your stats are high and you have a nice chunk of silver or maybe a mount or two you don't mind losing, you could save you/your party's ass from a potential game-ender. I'm thinking to pull this off you'd need to have the Intelligence of 10 and Charisma of 16, you need to put in the work to barter with this bad boy or you risk being in the belly. I'm also not sure if a Bard could seduce a Behir but, you know, Bards are gonna Bard and a Behir is able to be charmed into being a companion (The Lamia noble Transtra kept a Behir named Uliss as a companion, although she had to charm it to do so) but that has to be done constantly or you risk it turning on you.
All in all, this was a nice but way too long deep dive into a not-often-used monster that could use some love...and maybe some tender work on its history. As of late the newest use of Behirs in pop culture is Balder's Gate 3, the beast itself doesn't show up which is sad but you can get a Behir Blue Dice skin and Behir Scales. Behir Scales is an Alchemical Ingredient. Three are needed to extract Sublimate of Behir Scales, which is used to make Flashblinder. Thank you for your time in reading this. This was fun. ^_^]
Wererats are cunning lycanthropes with sly avaricious personalities. They are Wiry and twitchy in humanoid form with thin hair and darting eyes. In their humanoid and hybrid forms Wererats prefer light weapons and use ambush tactics rather than fighting as a pack. Although a Wererat can deliver a nasty bite in its rat form it favors that form for stealthy infiltration and escape rather than combat.
A Wererat clan operates much like a thieves guild with Wererats transmitting their curse only to creatures they want to induct into the clan. Wererats that are accidentally cursed or break loose from the clan's control are quickly hunted down and killed.
Wererat clans are found throughout urban civilization often dwelling in cellars and catacombs. These creatures are common in the sewers beneath major cities viewing those subterranean areas as their hunting grounds. Rats and Giant Rats are commonly found living among Wererats.
Gnolls are feral humanoids that attack settlements along the frontiers and borderlands of civilization without warning slaughtering their victims and devouring their flesh.
The origin of the Gnolls traces back to a time when the demon lord Yeenoghu found his way to the Material Plane and ran amok. Packs of ordinary Hyenas followed in his wake scavenging the demon lord's kills Those Hyenas were transformed into the first Gnolls parading after Yeenoghu until he was banished back to the Abyss. The Gnolls then scattered across the face of the world a dire reminder of demonic power.
Gnolls are dangerous because they strike at random. They emerge from the wilderness plunder and slaughter then move elsewhere. They attack like a plague of locusts pillaging settlements and leaving little behind but razed buildings gnawed corpses and befouled land. Gnolls choose easy targets for their raids. Armored warriors holed up in a fortified castle will survive a rampaging Gnoll horde unscathed even as the towns villages and farms that surround the castle are ablze their people slaughtered and devoured.
Gnolls rarely build permanent structures or craft anything of lasting value. They don't make weapons or armor but scavenge such items from the corpses of their fallen victims stringing ears teeth scaleps and other trophies from their foes onto their patchwork armor.
No goodness or compassion resides in the heart of a Gnoll. Like a Demon it lacks anything resembling a conscience and can't be taught or coerced to put aside its destructive tendencies. The Gnolls frenzied bloodlust makes them an enemy to all and when they lack a common foe they fight among themselves. Even the most savage Orcs avoid allying with Gnolls.
The alpha of a Gnoll pack is the pack lord ruling by might and cunning. A pack lord earns the best of a Gnoll pack's spoils food valuable trinkets and magic items. It ornaments its body with brutal piercings and grotesque trophies dyeing its fur with demonic sigils hoping Yeenoghu will make it invulnerable.
Gnolls celebrate their victories by performing demonic rituals and making blood offerings to Yeenoghu. Sometimes the demon lord rewards his worshipers by allowing one one of them to be possessed by a demonic spirit. Marked as Yeenoghu's favorite the lucky recipient becomes a fang of Yeenoghu the chosen of the Gnoll lord. In much the same way Yeenoghu created the first gnolls a Hyena that feasts on a fang's slain foe undergoes a horrible transformation becoming a full grown adult Gnoll. Depending on the number of Hyenas in a region a fang of Yeenoghu can lead to a startling increase in the Gnoll population. Finding and killing the fang is the only way to keep that population in check.
An angel is a celestial agent sent forth into the planes to further it's gods agenda for weal or woe. Its sublime beauty and presence can drive awestruck onlookers to their knees. Yet Angels are destroyers too and their appearance portends doom as often as it signals hope.
Angels are formed from the astral essence of benevolent gods and are thus divine beings of great power and foresight.
Angels act out the will of their gods with tireless devotion. Even Chaotic Good deities command Lawful Good angels knowing that the angels dedication to order best allows them to fulfill divine commands. An angel follows a single driving purpose as decreed by its deity. However an angel is incapable of following commands that stray from the path of law and good.
An angel slays evil creatures without remorse. As the embodiment of law and good an angel is almost never mistaken in its judgements. This quality can create a sense of superiority in an angel a sense that comes to the fore when an angel's task conflicts with the goals of another creature. The angel never acquiesces or gives way. When an angel is sent to aid mortals it is sent not to serve but to command. The gods of good therefore send their angels among mortals only in response to the most dire circumstances.
An angel's moral compass grants it a sense of infallibility that can sometimes spell its undoing. Angels are usually too wise to fall for a simple deception but sometimes pride can lead one to commit an evil act. Whether intentional or accidental such an act is a permanent stain that marks the angel as an outcast.
Fallen angels retain their power but lose their connection to the deities from which they were made. Most fallen angels take their banishment personally rebelling against the powers they served by seeking rulership over a section of the Abyss or a place among other fallen in the heirarchy of the Nine Hells. Zariel the ruler of the first layer of the Nine Hells is such a creature. Rather than rebel some fallen angels resign themselves to an isolated existence on the Material Plane living in disguise as simple hermits. If they are redeemed they can become powerful allies dedicated to justice and compassionate service.
DEVA:
Devas are angels that act as divine messengers or agents to the Material Plane the Shadowfell and the Feywild and that can assume a form appropriate to the realm they are sent to.
Legend tells of angels that take mortal form for years lending aid hope and courage to goodhearted folk. A deva can take any shape although it prefers to appear to mortals as an innocuous humanoid or animal. When circumstances require that it cast off its guise a Deva is a beautiful humanoid-like creature with silvery skin. Its hair and eyes gleam with an unearthly luster and large feathery wings unfurl from its shoulder blades.
PLANETAR:
Planetars act as the weapons of the gods they serve presenting a tangible representation of their deities might. A planetar can call down rain to relieve a drought or can loose an insect plague to devour crops. A planetar's celestial ears detect every falsehood and its radiant eyes see through every deception.
Planetars are muscular and hairless and have opalescent green skin and white feathered wings. They tower over most humanoids brandishing immense swords with grace. Sometimes sent to aid powerful mortals on important tasks for good planetars are especially fond of missions that involve battling fiends.
SOLAR:
A solar is godlike in its glory and power. On the battlefield the solar's sword flies into the fray on its own and a single arrow from a solar's bow can strike a target dead on contact. So great is a solar's celestial might that even demon princes shrink at its resonant commands.
It is said that only 24 solars exist. The few solars that are known are stewards of specific deities. The others rest in a state of contemplation waiting for the time when their services are needed to stave off some cosmic threat to the cause of good.
Boggles are the little bogeys of fairy tales. They lurk in the fringes of the Feywild and are also found on the Material Plane where they hide under beds and in closets waiting to frighten and bedevil folk with their mischief.
Boggles are born out of feelings of loneliness. They materialize when a sapient being feels isolated or abandoned near a place where the Feywild touches the world. For example a forsaken child might unintentionally conjure a Boggle and see them as a sort of imaginary friend. A Boggle might also appear in the attic of a lonely widower's house or in a hermit's cave.
Boggles engage in petty pranks to amuse themselves using the oil they excrete to cause trouble. A Boggle also isn't above breaking dishes hiding tools startling cows to decrease their milk or hiding a baby in the attic. Although a Boggle's antics might cause distress and unintentional harm mischief not mayhem is usually the intent. If threatened a Boggle flees rather than stand and fight.
A Boggle can create magical opening to travel to travel short distances or to pilfer items that would otherwise be beyond its reach. To create such a rift in space a Boggle must be adjacent to a space defined by a frame such as an open window or a doorway a gap between the bars of a cage or the opening between the feet of a bed and the floor. The rift is invisible and disappears after a few seconds just enough time for the Boggle to step reach or attack through it.
Source: Wild Beyond the Witchlight
Small Fey, typically Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
STR
8 (-1)
DEX
18 (+4)
CON
13 (+1)
INT
6 (-2)
WIS
12 (+1)
CHA
7 (-2)
Skills Perception +5, Sleight of Hand +6, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances fire
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Sylvan
Challenge 1/8 (25 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Pummel.
Melee Weapon Attack: +1 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d6 - 1) bludgeoning damage.
Oil Puddle.
The boggle creates a puddle of nonflammable oil. The puddle is 1 inch deep and covers the ground in the boggle's space. The puddle is difficult terrain for all creatures except boggles and lasts for 1 hour. The oil has one of the following additional effects of the boggle's choice:
Slippery Oil. Any non-boggle creature that enters the puddle or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.
Sticky Oil. Any non-boggle creature that enters the puddle or starts its turn there must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be restrained. On its turn, a creature can use an action to try to extricate itself, ending the effect and moving into the nearest unoccupied space of its choice with a successful DC 11 Strength check.
Bonus Actions
Boggle Oil.
The boggle excretes nonflammable oil from its pores, giving itself one of the following benefits of its choice until it uses this bonus action again:
Slippery Oil. The boggle has advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks made to escape bonds and end grapples, and it can move through openings large enough for a Tiny creature without squeezing.
Sticky Oil. The boggle has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple and any ability check made to maintain a hold on another creature, a surface, or an object. The boggle can also climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Dimensional Rift.
The boggle creates an invisible and immobile rift within an opening or frame it can see within 5 feet of it, provided that the space is no bigger than 10 feet on any side. The dimensional rift bridges the distance between that space and a point within 30 feet of it that the boggle can see or specify by distance and direction (such as "30 feet straight up"). While next to the rift, the boggle can see through it and is considered to be next to the destination as well, and anything the boggle puts through the rift (including a portion of its body) emerges at the destination. Only the boggle can use the rift, and it lasts until the end of the boggle's next turn.
For @doodl3 and any adventurer who wishes to use this
A Bodak is the undying remains of someone who revered Orcus. Devoid of life and soul it exists only to cause death.
A worshiper of Orcus can take ritual vows while carving the Demon Lord's symbol on their chest over their heart. Orcus's power flays body mind and soul leaving behind a sentient husk that consumes life energy near it. Most Bodaks came into being in this way then are unleashed to spread death in Orcus's name.
Bodaks are extensions of Orcus's will outside the Abyss serving the Demon Prince's aims and other minions. Orcus can recall anything a Bodak sees or hears. If he so chooses he can speak through a Bodak to address his enemies and followers directly.
A Bodak retains vague impressions of its past life. It seeks out its former allies and enemies alike to destroy them as its warped soul seeks to erase anything connected to its former life. Minions of Orcus are the one exception to this compulsion; a Bodak recognizes them as kindred souls and spares them from its wrath. Anyone who knew the individual before its transformation into a Bodak can recognize mannerisms or other subtle clues to its original identity.
Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters, Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse, Tomb of Annihilation and Baldur's Gate: Descent into Avernus
Medium Undead, typically Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
15 (+2)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
15 (+2)
INT
7 (-2)
WIS
12 (+1)
CHA
12 (+1)
Skills Perception +4, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances cold, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Abyssal, the languages it knew in life
Challenge 6 (2300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Death Gaze.
When a creature that can see the bodak's eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of the bodak, the bodak can force it to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw if the bodak isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is reduced to 0 hit points unless it is immune to the frightened condition. Otherwise, a creature takes 16 (3d10) psychic damage on a failed save.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against the bodak until the start of its next turn. If the creature looks at the bodak in the meantime, that creature must immediately make the saving throw.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity.
The bodak takes 5 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Unusual Nature.
The bodak doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Actions
Fist.
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
Withering Gaze.
One creature that the bodak can see within 60 feet of it must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Bonus Actions
Aura of Annihilation.
The bodak activates or deactivates this deathly aura. While active, the aura deals 5 necrotic damage to any creature that ends its turn within 30 feet of the bodak. Undead and Fiends ignore this effect.
for @doodl3 and any other adventurer who wishes to use this
A Gazer is a tiny manifestation of the dreams of a Beholder. It rembles the Beholder who dreamed it into existence but its body is only 8 inches wide and it has only 4 eyestalks. It follows its creator like a devoted aggressive puppy and sometimes small packs of these creatures patrol their master's lair for vermin to kill and lone creatures to harass.
A Gazer can't speak any languages but can approximate words and sentences it hears mimicking them in a high piutched mocking manner. Beholders find Gazers amusing and tolerate their presence like spoiled pets. Some Beholders with wizard minions insist they take a Gazer as a familiar because the Beholder can see through the eyes of these creatures.
A wild Gazer (one living separately from a Beholder) is territorial eats bugs and little animals and is known for playing with its food. A lone wild Gazer avoids picking fights with creatures that are Medium or larger prey. A Gazer might follow the folk in its territory noisily mimicking their speech and generally being a nuisance until they leave the area but it flees if confronted by something it can't kill.
Source: Volo's Guide to Monsters, Monsters of the Multiverse and Waterdeep: Dragon Heist
Tiny Aberration (Beholder), typically Neutral Evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 13 (3d4 + 6)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Mimicry. The gazer can mimic simple sounds of speech it has heard, in any language. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
Eye Rays. The gazer shoots two of the following magical eye rays at random (roll two d4s, and reroll duplicates), choosing one or two targets it can see within 60 feet of it:
1- Dazing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the start of the gazer's next turn. While the target is charmed in this way, its speed is halved, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls.
2- Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of the gazer's next turn.
3- Frost Ray. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) cold damage.
4- Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature that is Medium or smaller, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be moved up to 30 feet directly away from the gazer. If the target is a Tiny object that isn't being worn or carried, the gazer moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. The gazer can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a container.
Bonus actions
Aggressive. The gazer moves up to its speed toward a hostile creature that it can see.
For @doodl3 and any Adventurer that stumbles upon this and wishes to use this
