Dardael Queen

Family: Dardael

Gargantuan monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 390 (20d20 + 180)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
26 (+8) 12 (+1) 29 (+9) 6 (-2) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)

Saving Throws Constitution +16, Wisdom +8
Skills Perception +8
Damage Immunities acid; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)

Special Traits

  • Legendary Resistance (3/day): If the dardael queen fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
  • Siege Monster: The dardael queen deals double damage to objects and structures.

Actions

  • Multiattack: The dardael queen makes one bite attack and two spine attacks.
  • Bite: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (3d12 + 8) piercing damage and 9 (2d8) acid damage. Natural 16+ hit and the target is a Large or smaller creature: that creature is swallowed. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the dardael queen, and it takes 45 (10d8) acid damage at the start of each of the dardael queen’s turns. If the dardael queen takes 50 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the dardael queen must succeed on a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 ft. of the dardael queen. If the dardael queen dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 ft. of movement, exiting prone.
  • Spine: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Legendary Actions

The dardael queen can take three 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 dardael queen regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.

  • Spine: The dardael queen makes one spine attack.
  • Bite (Costs 2 Actions): The dardael queen makes one bite attack.

Lair Actions

Dardael queens make their lairs in isolated areas where they can establish their clutch without being disturbed. Capable of burrowing through soil and rock, the queen digs out subterranean chambers to house her progeny.

  • On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dardael queen takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects. The queen can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
  • Part of the ceiling collapses above one creature that the queen can see within 120 ft. of her. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone and buried. The buried target is restrained and unable to breathe or stand up. A creature can take an action to make a DC 10 Strength check, ending the buried state on a success.
  • Acid fog fills a 20-ft. radius sphere centered on a point the queen can see within 120 ft. of her. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. Each creature in the fog when it appears must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the fog takes 10 (3d6) acid damage. A wind of at least 20 miles per hour disperses the fog. The fog otherwise lasts until the queen uses this lair action again or until the queen dies.
  • A tremor shakes the lair in a 60-ft. radius around the queen. Each creature other than the queen on the ground in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone.

Regional Effects

The region containing a dardael queen’s lair is warped by the queen’s presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:

  • Plants within 1 mile of the lair grow sickly and withered.
  • Large game, such as deer, become absent within 1 mile of the lair.
  • Insect populations surge within 1 mile of the lair.

If the queen dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Gods and Icons, Copyright 2016, Dread Unicorn Games; Authors: John WS Marvin, Vanessa Rose Phin, Connor W. Marvin.