The Chained Thing

Large undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 114 (12d10 + 48)
Speed 20 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	6 (-2)	18 (+4)	4 (-3)	9 (-1)	7 (-2)

Saving Throws Con +7, Cha +1
Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities necrotic, psychic
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Condition Immunities charmed, poisoned, prone, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 9
Languages –
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Magic Resistance. The chained thing has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
• Regeneration. The chained thing regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point. If the chained thing takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of its next turn.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The chained thing makes one slam attack and uses Infectious Insanity.
• Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
• Infectious Insanity. The chained thing chooses a creature it can see within 30 feet and magically assaults its mind. The creature must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be affected as if by a confusion spell for 1 minute. An affected creature repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
• Necrotic Wave (Recharge 5-6). The chained thing shudders and emits a pulse of necrotic energy. All creatures within 20 feet take 27 (6d8) necrotic damage, or half damage with a successful DC 15 Constitution saving throw. Creatures that fail the saving throw are also knocked prone and incapacitated until the end of their next turn.

ABOUT

The chained thing is an abominable undead creature patched together as an unholy melding of violet fungi and the corpses of at least two derro shadow antipaladins. Its existence is an unending nightmare of fear, pain, and longing for death.

The creature generates necrotic energy in a way that rejuvenates undead. That is its sole purpose, and the reason why Vardesain gifted one to Llagfel as a reward for her “conversion” to serving him and her transition to unlife as a hierophant lich.

The chained thing doesn’t recognize friends or foes. Its thought process seldom wanders beyond “life is bad.” It tries to snuff out anything with independent existence while instinctively, uncontrollably rejuvenating undeath.

Destroying the chained thing isn’t easy because of its vast regenerative power. Radiant damage and the ghoul light are its only weaknesses. Thankfully, the chained thing is extraordinarily rare. Vardesain seldom allows more than one to exist at a time.

Undead Rejuvenation. The chained thing is a gift to a disciple who gained distinction through betrayal or some other service. That disciple and its followers can attune to the chained thing the same way a creature attunes to a magic item. When the chained thing unleashes its Necrotic Wave, all attuned, undead creatures at 0 hit points that are also within 100 feet of the chained thing recover all their hit points. This doesn’t happen if the chained thing’s Regeneration is currently being prevented by radiant damage.