Herald of Tsathogga

Huge aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 299 (26d12 + 130)
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 7 (-2) 16 (+3) 12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dexterity +9, Constitution +11, Wisdom +9, Charisma +7
Skills Perception +9
Damage Resistances thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages
Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)

Special Traits

  • Bloated. If the Herald of Tsathogga attacks with more than four tentacles during a single turn, its movement speed is reduced to 0 and it falls prone. The herald can use half its movement on its next turn to rise from the prone position.
  • Regeneration. The Herald of Tsathogga regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn. If the herald takes fire or lightning damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of the herald’s next turn. The herald dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The Herald of Tsathogga makes up to twelve attacks: one with its bite or swallow, one with its tongue, and it can make one attack with each of its ten tentacles.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the herald can’t bite another target.
  • Tongue. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) acid damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 25 feet toward the Herald.
  • Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature other than an undead, it must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
  • Swallow. The Herald of Tsathogga makes one bite attack against a Large or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside of the herald, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the herald’s turns. The herald can have only one target swallowed at a time. If the herald takes 50 damage or more on a single turn from the swallowed creature, the herald must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or forcefully disgorge the creature, which falls prone in a space within 20 feet of the herald. If the herald dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
  • Bellow (Recharge 5-6). The Herald of Tsathogga emits a deafening, trilling croak. All creatures within 30 feet of the herald that can hear it must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) thunder damage on a failure, or half as much damage on a successful save. On a failed save, the creature is also deafened for 1 minute. A deafened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

About

This creature appears to be a gigantic pale yellow-green frog with oversized monstrous eyes. In place of its legs and forelimbs are many long, writhing tentacles it uses to pull itself along the ground.

The dark, dismal tropical swamps and fens of the world are home to a horrible creature known only as the herald of Tsathogga. A vaguely froglike thing almost 20 feet across, the herald of Tsathogga is a nightmare creature that is spoken of only in hushed whispers. The creature is believed to have been created by the Frog God as punishment against humanity for wrongdoings done to Tsathogga and his worshippers.

Its warty, putrid skin is a pale yellow-green, and two monstrous eyes that have seen unknown secrets gaze from its fleshy face. The body of the thing resembles that of a massive toad, but rather than legs, the herald of Tsathogga drags itself through the murky terrain on ten thick tentacles.

These tentacles are covered in tiny lancets that inject paralytic venom.

Some who have seen the herald of Tsathogga swear that it is capable of flight, but these reports are dismissed as a madman’s fantasy.

Though only one herald is thought to exist, rumors as of late, speak of at least three of these creatures in existence.

The herald of Tsathogga attacks first with its tentacles, attempting to paralyze or otherwise incapacitate as many opponents as possible.

Paralyzed opponents are pulled to the creature’s maw and bitten. Its tentacles are not coordinated enough to grab moving targets, so it cannot pick up opponents that have not been paralyzed.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Tome of Horrors © 2018, Frog God Games, LLC; Authors: Kevin Baase, Erica Balsley, John “Pexx” Barnhouse, Christopher Bishop, Casey Christofferson, Jim Collura, Andrea Costantini, Jayson ‘Rocky’ Gardner, Zach Glazar, Meghan Greene, Scott Greene, Lance Hawvermale, Travis Hawvermale, Ian S. Johnston, Bill Kenower, Patrick Lawinger, Rhiannon Louve, Ian McGarty, Edwin Nagy, James Patterson, Nathan Paul, Patrick N. Pilgrim, Clark Peterson, Anthony Pryor, Greg Ragland, Robert Schwalb, G. Scott Swift, Greg A. Vaughan, and Bill Webb