Jungle Squid

Huge monstrosity, neutral evil

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
23 (+6) 16 (+3) 20 (+5) 17 (+3) 19 (+4) 22 (+6)

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 184 (16d12 + 80)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft., swim 40 ft.
Saving Throws Wisdom +9, Charisma +11
Skills Athletics +11, Insight +9, Perception +9, Stealth +8
Damage Resistances fire, lightning; bludgeoning from nonmagical weapons.

Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 21
Languages Aquan, Druidic, Kraken, Titan Speech, and any one major local tongue
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)

Special Traits

  • Camouflage. While the jungle squid remains motionless in natural vegetation it has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.
  • Domination. When the jungle squid casts dominate monster and maintains concentration for the full duration of the spell, the effect becomes permanent, with no further concentration required, until dispelled or either the victim or the squid falls unconscious or dies.
  • Innate Spellcasting. The jungle squid’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
  • Spellcasting. The jungle squid is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). It requires no material components to cast its spells. The jungle squid has the following druid spells prepared:
  • Tentacle Crush. When the squid starts its turn with creatures grappled by its tentacles, as a bonus action it can automatically do tentacle damage to those creatures. Tentacles so used cannot make additional attacks in the same turn.

Actions

  • Multiattack. The jungle squid makes one bite attack and up to six tentacle attacks.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 25 (4d8 + 6) piercing damage. If the target is a Medium or smaller creature grappled by the squid, that creature is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the squid, and it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the squid’s turns. If the squid takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the squid must succeed on a DC 22 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 squid. If the squid dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained by it and can escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, exiting prone.
  • Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 21).

Tactics

A jungle squid usually drapes its camouflaged tentacles across foliage, appearing quite like thick vines, and simply waits for prey to approach. It is very difficult to surprise, as its charmed minions will report any unusual activity. It will often send one or two of its more powerful and aggressive minions to probe intruders’ strengths and weaknesses, and then use that knowledge in its own attack. Against groups it might attempt to charm one or more opponents, but the savvy squid will only use its Domination ability against solitary targets. If it takes a fancy to a particular victim it might use its magic and minions to isolate that target, and then try to enslave it. Jungle squid are fond of using magic items and wearing the trinkets of fallen foes, and will certainly employ such things in combat, or for amusement.

Description

A giant cephalopod related to the kraken, this creature looks like a gigantic squid with a soft, mottled dark green body, a chitinous beak capable of swallowing a human whole, and six barbed tentacles. Each tentacle has 10 to 14 leafy protrusions that give it a vine-like appearance.

Slavemaster. Although terrifying combatants, jungle squid are feared most for their mental powers. They will often charm a creature and toy with it, as a cat playing with a mouse, before consuming it.

But more horrifying still is their ability to permanently enthrall humanoids and beasts, which they use to accumulate small armies of bodyguards, minions, and spies. A jungle squid will typically have as thralls one or two druids, a number of large beasts, and countless tiny forest denizens. They do occasionally derive twisted delight – humor, even – from enslaving odd or surprising creatures. That is, until they tire of the novelty and devour their erstwhile servant.

Invasive Species. Jungle squid can be found throughout jungles and swamps. These massive, tentacled horrors are notoriously territorial, and harbor an especially strong dislike of others of their kind: fights are almost guaranteed to break out between them when they cross paths, and that is especially true on those rare occasions when males and females come together to mate.

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