Spellmarked Cultist Leader

Medium humanoid (human), any alignment

Armor Class 13 (16 with mage armor)
Hit Points 127 (17d8 + 51)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	17 (+3)	16 (+3)	13 (+1)	14 (+2)	16 (+3)

Saving Throws Con +6, Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills Arcana +4, Deception +6, Perception +5
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses passive Perception 15
Languages Common
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Spell Sensitivity. When the cultist takes acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, psychic, radiant, or thunder damage from a spell of 1st level or higher, it must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 10 + the spell’s level). On a failure, the cultist suffers one level of exhaustion that is removed when it finishes a short or long rest.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The cultist makes two Warping Greatsword attacks. It can use Spellcasting in place of one of these attacks.
• Firebolt. Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d10) fire damage.
• Warping Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) force damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or suffer one of the following random effects (roll a d6) until the end of its next turn:
  • The target has disadvantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • The target is transformed into a random creature as if by the polymorph spell. Roll a d4 to determine the creature it transforms into (1: bat; 2: cat; 3: raven; 4: snake).
  • The target rises vertically 20 feet into the air and remains suspended there.
  • The target takes 9 (2d8) force damage and its speed is halved.
  • The target is turned to stone and subjected to the petrified condition.
  • The target teleports in a random direction to the furthest away unoccupied space within 30 feet of it. To determine the direction, roll a d8 and assign a direction to each die face.
• Spellfire Blast (Recharge 5 6). The cultist unleashes raw magical energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 22 (5d8) fire damage and 22 (5d8) force damage and becomes partly incorporeal until the end of the cultist’s next turn. While affected in this way, a creature has resistance to all damage except fire and force damage, and any non-fire, non-force damage it deals is halved. On a successful saving throw, a creature takes half as much damage and suffers no additional effects.
• Spellcasting. The cultist casts one of the following spells, requiring no spell components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 14):
  • At will: firebolt, mage armor, mirror image
  • 1/day: fireball, fly, invisibility, magic missile (as a 5th-level spell)

BONUS ACTIONS

• Mythward Surge. The cultist aims a surge of arcane energy at a creature it can see within 60 feet of it. If the creature has spell slots, it must succeed on a DC 14 saving throw using its spellcasting ability or lose its highest-level unexpended spell slot of 5th level or lower and the cultist gains 4 (1d8) temporary hit points per level of the slot.
• Warp Step. The cultist vanishes from the Material Plane and steps into the Ethereal Plane, and can immediately move up to half its speed. When a creature starts its turn on the Material Plane within 10 feet of the space the cultist occupies on the Ethereal Plane or moves there for the first time on its turn, roll a d20. On a roll of 11 or higher, the cultist reappears on the Material Plane and each creature within 10 feet of it takes 9 (2d8) force damage. Otherwise, the cultist reappears on the Material Plane at the start of its next turn.

REACTIONS

• Absorb Blows (3/Day). When the cultist takes nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage that isn’t from a critical hit, it takes no damage instead and until the end of its next turn, its attacks deal an extra 9 (2d8) force damage on a hit.

ABOUT

Most spellmarked cultists are driven by a selfish desire to wield magic and, without the necessary innate talent or self-discipline required to learn it on their own, opted to tamper with raw magic instead.

Some cultists take things a step further, fervently believing that magical powers should be bestowed upon everyone. These cultists are the most dangerous, as they actively work to imbue others with spellmarks a process that is often fatal for the subject.