Dreadwyrm

Gargantuan undead (shapechanger), lawful evil

Armor Class 20
Hit Points 906 (49d20 + 392)
Speed 50 ft., climb 30 ft., fly 120 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
24 (+7) 30 (+10) 27 (+8) 19 (+4) 23 (+6) 29 (+9)

Saving Throws Dex +19, Int +13, Wis +15, Cha +18
Skills Insight +15, Intimidation +18, Perception +15, Persuasion +18, Stealth +19
Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, stunned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 29 (135,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Dread Hoard. When the dreadwyrm is slain, its body and everything it is carrying is reduced to ashes. The body of the dreadwyrm then immediately appears atop its hoard, and if removed vanishes and reappears atop the hoard within 1 hour. Over the course of 72 hours while its body remains atop the hoard, the dreadwyrm is restored to “life” at its hit point maximum. If the dreadwyrm’s head is removed by a silver blade, its heart pierced by a wooden stake, and its remains immersed in holy water, the effect ends and the dreadwyrm is permanently destroyed.
  • Mythic Resistance. When the dreadwyrm fails a saving throw, it can expend one of its unspent legendary actions to succeed instead.
  • Shapechanger. If the dreadwyrm isn’t in sunlight or running water, it can use its bonus action to polymorph into a beast of challenge rating 15 or lower, a gargantuan cloud of darkness, a humanoid creature, or back into its true form. While in the shape of a beast or humanoid, the vampire gains temporary hit points equal to the form’s hit point maximum, which cannot be replaced by temporary hit points from another source unless the vampire allows it. Additionally, its statistics other than the creature’s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution are unchanged, and everything it is wearing becomes a part of its new form. This effect ends early if the temporary hit points granted by the form are reduced to 0, in which case the dreadwyrm can’t transform into a beast or humanoid using this feature again for 24 hours. While in darkness form, the dreadwyrm can’t take any actions other than using its Shapechanger feature, speaking, or manipulating objects. It is weightless and has a flying speed of 60 feet (hover) and can enter a hostile creature’s space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the darkness can do so without squeezing, and it can’t pass through water. Finally, while in this form the dreadwyrm has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws and is immune to all damage for as long as it is not exposed to daylight.
  • Vampire Nobility7. The dreadwyrm is not subject to the weaknesses suffered by ordinary vampires. When the dreadwyrm would suffer a weakness that would affect ordinary vampires, it instead has disadvantage on attack rolls, saving throws, and ability checks for 1 hour or until it is not exposed to that weakness, whichever comes first.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The dreadwyrm can makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. In lieu of making a bite attack in this manner, the dragon can instead make a tail attack or use its Charming Presence.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 23 (2d12 + 10) piercing damage plus 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. If the target is a flesh-and-blood creature, its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the dreadwyrm magically regains a number of hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The dreadwyrm can choose for a dragon slain in this way to rise within 24 hours as a vampire under the dreadwyrm’s control (see the Vampire Template for details).
  • Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (6d6 + 10) slashing damage.
  • Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 25 ft., each target of the dreadwyrm’s choice within reach. Hit: 46 (8d8 + 10) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, the dreadwyrm can force it to attempt a DC 27 Strength saving throw, knocking the creature prone on a failure.
  • Charming Presence. Each creature of the dreadwyrm’s choice within 120 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the dreadwyrm for 1 hour. If an affected creature takes damage while charmed in this manner, it may repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. If the effect ends for a creature, that creature is immune to the dreadwyrm’s Charming Presence for 24 hours. As a bonus action on each of its turns, the dreadwyrm can issue a verbal command to a creature it has charmed in this manner that can hear it, which the creature must follow to the best of its ability for as long as it remains charmed by the dreadwyrm.
  • Siphoning Breath (Recharge 5–6). The dreadwyrm inhales in a 90-foot cone, drawing in the vitality of all flesh-and-blood creatures in the affected area. Each creature in the affected area must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or have its maximum hit points halved, or quartered on a success (minimum of 1 hit point). This reduction lasts until an affected creature finishes a long rest. Additionally, for each creature that attempts a saving throw against this effect, the dreadwyrm regains 20 hit points if it fails the save, or half as much if it succeeds.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The dreadwyrm can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The dreadwyrm regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

  • Claw. The dreadwyrm makes a claw attack.
  • Move. The dreadwyrm moves up to its speed.
  • Bite (Costs 2 Actions). The dreadwyrm makes a bite attack.
  • Tail (Costs 2 Actions). The dreadwyrm makes a tail attack.
  • Shapechanger (Costs 3 Actions). The dreadwyrm uses its Shapechanger feature.
Section 15: Copyright Notice

Total Party Kill Handbook - Volume 2 2019 © 2CGaming, LLC. Author Steven Gordon

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