Bakekujira

Gargantuan undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 325 (21d20+105)
Speed 50 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
30 (+10)	10 (+0)	20 (+5)	2 (-4)	11 (+0)	25 (+7)

Saving Throws Cha +14, Con +12, Str +17
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned
Skills Athletics +17, Perception +14
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 24
Languages –
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Oceanic Revenge. The bakekujira deals an extra 7 (2d6) necrotic damage to any target that has killed a creature with a swim speed in the last 24 hours.
• Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the bakekujira fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
• Undead Parasites. A swarm of undead fish and birds surrounds the bakekujira in a 30-foot radius. All creatures starting their turn within this radius must succeed a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 round.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The bakekujira makes one bite attack and one tail attack.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, 20 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 65 (10d10 + 10) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or be affected by the contagion spell.
• Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, 20 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 55 (8d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
• Resonant Song (Recharge 5-6). The bakekujira can release a damaging resonance, dealing 38 (7d8) points of thunder damage to creatures in a 60-foot cone.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The bakekujira can take 3 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.

The bakekujira regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Fast Healing (Costs 2 Actions). The bakekujira regains 10 hit points.
• Leviathan’s Call. The bakekujira’s eerie song varies from that of a wistful memory to a burning hatred. As a standard action, a bakekujira can sing. Living creatures within a 120- foot radius of a singing bakekujira must succeed at a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed or frightened (bakekujira’s choice) for 1 round.
• Tail Attack. The bakekujira makes a tail attack.

ABOUT

The seas are home to many legends both living and undead, but the bakekujiras is perhaps one of the largest among these latter horrors. Some have trouble believing the old stories, but woe to anyone that discovers the truth. Bakekujiras were once whales that escaped from whalers’ harpoons yet were mortally wounded, dying in agony and anger and arising to undeath bent on taking revenge for its demise. They relentlessly attack any vessels they encounter, capsizing them and inspiring terror in their crews. These embodiments of corrupted majesty prowl the seas, along with their flocks and schools of pestilent parasites. A bakekujira weighs about 50 tons, though sometimes less, depending on how long it has been decomposing. Bakekujiras are as large as they were in their former lives, measuring from 50 to 60 feet long.

Parasitic Scavengers. As a bakekujira goes about its new, corrupted existence, it continues to rot until all the flesh is stripped from its bones, leaving behind only an immense skeletal whale. The decomposition process draws all sorts of sea scavengers to the rotting whale, from gulls to fish. However, the flesh of a bakekujira is not only rotten-it is also toxic and deeply infused with negative energy. Any creature that eats of this flesh sickens and dies, only to rise shortly thereafter and continues its existence as an undead thrall inexplicably bound to the bakekujira. Normally these creatures take up residence in and around the putrefied body of the bakekujira, swarming throughout the creature and only emerging to push back any who would seek to do harm to their rotting host.