Orb of Insanity

Tiny construct, chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 300 (40d4 + 200)
Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	20 (+5)	20 (+5)	22 (+6)	21 (+5)	21 (+5)

Saving Throws Int +11, Wis +10, Cha +10
Skills Arcana +11, Deception +10, History +11, Perception +10, Religion +11, Stealth +10
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning, thunder
Damage Resistances psychic
Damage Immunities fire, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone
Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages Abyssal, Common, Deep Speech, Infernal; telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 16 (15,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +5

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Aura of Madness. The space within 30 feet of the orb of insanity is warped in subtle yet impossible ways. When a creature starts its turn in the area or enters the area for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during its turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action or bonus action and uses all its movement to move in a randomly determined direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes a melee attack against a randomly determined creature within its reach or does nothing if it can’t make such an attack. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this effect for 1 hour.
• Constructed Nature. The orb doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
• Innate Spellcasting. The orb’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 19). The orb can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:
  • At will: dancing lights, detect thoughts, minor illusion
  • 2/day each: dominate monster, modify memory, project image, scrying

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The orb can use Spawn Tentacles. It then attacks once with each of its tentacles.
• Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 6) necrotic damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 16). Until this grapple ends, the creature is restrained and the orb can’t use this tentacle to attack a different creature. When the grapple ends, the tentacle is destroyed and the creature the tentacle was grappling takes 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
• Spawn Tentacles. The orb conjures two writhing tentacles composed of necrotic energy, which squirm outward from the orb’s surface. The orb can have a maximum of six tentacles at a time.
• Telekinetic Storm (Recharge 5-6). The orb summons a vortex of debris centered on a point it can see within 60 feet of it. Each creature within 20 feet of that point must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 35 (10d6) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

REACTIONS

• Forbidden Knowledge. If the orb is targeted by, or included in the area of, a divination spell, the spellcasting creature gains knowledge that fragile minds can’t endure. The creature makes Intelligence (Arcana and Religion) checks with advantage for the next 24 hours and must make a DC 19 Intelligence saving throw. On a failure, the creature is stunned until the end of its next turn. If it fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is also charmed by the orb for 1 hour. While charmed in this way, the orb can communicate telepathically with the creature over any distance and the creature does its best to obey the orb’s telepathic orders. The creature can repeat its saving throw whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on a success.
• Tentacle Parry. The orb adds 5 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the orb must see the attacker and have at least one tentacle.

ABOUT

An orb of insanity searches the cosmos for beings eager to glean occult knowledge.

It tempts these people with dangerous insight, leading them down a path of wonder and madness. The orb encourages its students to take on pupils of their own; if unchecked, an orb of insanity can lead an entire society into derangement, reeling from the weight of alien knowledge.