Falajitax

Large aberration, lawful evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 220 (21d10 + 105)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
27 (+8)	7 (-2)	21 (+5)	10 (+0)	16 (+3)	12 (+1)

Saving Throws Con +10, Wis +8, Cha +6
Skills Deception +6, Perception +8, Stealth +8
Damage Immunities cold
Senses blindsight 10 ft. (120 ft. in water), darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Aklo, Aquan, Common, Draconic
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Innate Spellcasting (Psionic, Hydrokinesis). The falajitax’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells so long as it is contact with water – including rainfall, requiring no components:
  • At will: control water, shape water, slick (as grease)
  • 3/day each: suggestion, wall of water, telekinesis
  • 1/day each: artesian spring*, control weather, dream, flood tide*
• Alien Anatomy. The falajitax has multiple glowing hearts that slither about within its innards but all are decoys, with its real heart located in its tail. Whenever an attacker would score a critical hit against the falajitax, it can attempt a DC 20 Constitution saving throw to instead treat it as a normal hit.
• Amphibious. The falajitax can breathe air and water.
• Magic Resistance. The falajitax has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

ACTIONS

• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage plus 13 (3d8) poison damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). If the target is a Medium or smaller creature, the falajitax may choose to swallow the grappled creature. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be swallowed by the falajitax. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the falajitax, and it takes 35 (10d6) acid damage at the start of each of the falajitax’s turns. If the falajitax takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the falajitax must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the falajitax. If the falajitax dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse by using 20 feet of movement, exiting prone. If the attack is a critical hit and does 30 damage in a single strike the swallowed creature found the falajitax’s true heart and kills it instantly.
• Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage. If a target is hit by tail slap, the falajitax may use a bonus action and use constrict.
• Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained, and the falajitax can’t constrict another target. A target that starts its turn grappled in this way automatically takes 17 (2d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
• Grisly Puppeteer. A falajitax can insert its tail tip into a helpless, grappled or willing creature. An unwilling creature can resist this with a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is dominated by the falajitax, as per the dominate monster spell (9th level), In order to maintain the effect, the falajitax must keep the creature within 20 feet of itself – this is the maximum reach of its puppeteering tendrils. The falajitax can puppeteer 1 creature up to 10 creatures at a time, though it usually prefers willing servants, not puppets.
• Water Blast (Recharge 5-6). The falajitax exhales water in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in that area takes 35 (10d6) cold damage on a failed DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the target rolls a natural 1 on its saving throw it is also slowed as the spell.
• Change Shape. The falajitax magically polymorphs into a Small or Medium humanoid, into a Large giant, into a Small, Medium or Large beast or back into its true form. Other than its size, its statistics are the same in each form. The falajitax’s earrings resize but are always visible and position appropriately on the creature it polymorphs into. If the falajitax dies, it reverts to its true form.

REACTIONS

• Tendril Insertion. If a creature is grappled or otherwise helpless (including being unconscious, stunned or paralyzed) and that creature is within 20 feet of the falajitax, it may use grisly puppeteer.
• Shroud of Water. The falajitax uses shield in reaction to an attack that hits it.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The falajitax can take 1 legendary action per two PCs it is fighting with a minimum of 1, choosing from the options below. The number of legendary actions can change during a battle if a PC is killed or becomes a puppet of the falajitax. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The falajitax regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Phase Change. The falajitax uses one of its actions.
• Tail Attack. The falajitax makes a tail attack.
• Water Bender (Costs 2 Actions). The falajitax uses its hydrokinesis trait

LAIR ACTIONS

When fighting inside its lair, an falajitax can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the falajitax takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:

• Wall: The falajitax creates an opaque wall of water on a solid surface it can see within 120 feet of it. The wall can be up to 30 feet long, 30 feet high, and 1 foot thick. When the wall appears, each creature within its area is pushed 5 feet out of the wall’s space, appearing on whichever side of the wall it wants. Each 10-foot section of the wall has AC 5, 30 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to acid, cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. A creature that tries to push its way through the wall must make a DC 14 Strength ability check or get stuck in the wall. Another check can be made as an action on each of the trapped creatures turn to force its way out. Each failed attempt reduces the time the creature can hold its breath by 1d10 rounds. The wall disappears when the falajitax uses this lair action again or when the falajitax dies.
• Grasping Pool: Pools of water within 90 feet of the falajitax 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 falajitax can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.
• Boiling Rage: Water in the falajitax’s lair magically becomes a conduit for the creature’s rage. The falajitax can target any number of creatures it can see in such water within 90 feet of it. A target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 7 (2d6) fire damage for the attack as the creatures rage turns the water into steam. The falajitax can’t use this lair action again until it has used a different one.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

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

• It is hot and humid within 6 miles of the falajitax’s lair. Treat this area as extreme heat.
• Cool precipitation falls within 6 miles of the falajitax’s lair almost constantly, sometimes forming thunderstorm conditions when the falajitax is at rest.
• As an action, the falajitax can create an illusory image of itself within 1 mile of the lair. The copy can appear at any location the falajitax has seen before or in any location a creature charmed by the falajitax can currently see. Once created, the image lasts for as long as the falajitax maintains concentration, as if concentrating on a spell. Although the image is intangible, it looks, sounds, and can move like the falajitax or a figure it chooses. The falajitax can sense and speak from the image’s position as if present at that position. If the image takes any damage, it disappears.

If the falajitax dies, the fog and precipitation fade within 1 day. The heavy rain and heat fade away over the course of 1d10 days.

ABOUT

This strange beast appears like a large serpent with beautifully striped scales and a head like an oversized rhea bird. Its eyes glow with feral cunning and a blaze with lambent crimson radiance when it is angered. Its plumage is dusty but it wears ornate golden earrings a brightly colored feathers, and odd bulges and patches of light pulse beneath its scales as its organs undulate. The falajitax loves humidity and brings water wherever it goes in the form of falling rain and springs welling up from below the ground.

Sinister Shaper. The falajitax is a cunning hunter, sometimes luring creatures into its clutches by hiding its serpentine body and allowing only its bird-like head to show amid foliage. While the creature is not particularly agile, it easily transitions from land to water to trees in pursuit of prey. It also uses its shapechanging powers to assume an innocuous form like a horse or lures people into riding it, galloping with them into a river or lake to drown them.

Natural Guardians. The falajitax sometimes appoint themselves as guardians of natural treasures or places of natural beauty, and they have a particular fondness for honey. They protect such hives from exploitation as they tend to them and sup the honey for themselves, though if properly approached with singing and offering of aromatic ointments, they can sometimes be persuaded to peacefully coexist with local shamans and their villages to share such precious commodities.