Yamata-no-Orochi

Gargantuan dragon (titan), neutral evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 717 (35d20+350)
Speed 80 ft., swim 50 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
30 (+10)	7 (-2)	30 (+10)	13 (+1)	22 (+6)	24 (+7)

Saving Throws Str +19, Con +19, Cha +16
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Skills Athletics +19, Perception +15
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 25
Languages Common, Draconic
Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Amphibious. Yamata-no-Orochi can breathe air and water.
• Independent Minds. Yamata-no-Orochi has eight heads. If Yamata-no-Orochi fails a saving throw against an effect that would cause it to be charmed or frightened, only one of its heads is affected. These heads also count as separate creatures for the purposes of spells such as hold monster which would normally affect Yamata-no-Orochi as a single creature.
• Innate Spellcasting. Yamata-no-Orochi’s spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 24). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • At will: earthquake, tsunami
• Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Yamata-no-Orochi fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
• Massive Size. Yamata-no-Orochi occupies a space of 60 feet by 60 feet instead of the space a Gargantuan creature would normally occupy.
• Sake Addict. If there is an open container containing at least 1 gallon of sake within 120 feet of Yamata-no-Orochi, it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or one of its heads at random begins to drink the sake. This lasts for 1d4 turns and during this time, that head cannot use its Breath Weapon or make a bite attack during this time.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. Yamata-no-Orochi makes eight bite attacks or uses its Breath Weapons ability twice.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, 60 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 37 (5d10 + 10) piercing damage.
• Breath Weapons (Recharge 5-6). Each of Yamata-no-Orochi’s heads produces a different breath weapon. Each breath weapon requires a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw to avoid any damage done by the breath weapon as well as any secondary effects. The type of heads and breath weapon they correspond to are:
  • Aquamarine band: Yamata-no-Orochi breathes a gout of water in a 100-foot line dealing 104 (16d12) bludgeoning damage.
  • Black band: Yamata-no-Orochi spews acid in a 100-foot line dealing 104 (16d12) acid damage.
  • Green band: Yamata-no-Orochi breathes a miasma of poison breath in a 60-foot cone dealing 52 (8d12) damage and poisoning any creature that fails its saving throw.
  • Polychromatic band: Yamata-no-Orochi releases psychic waves in a 60-foot cone dealing 52 (8d12) psychic damage and confusing any creature that fails its saving throw as per the spell confusion. A confused creature can repeat its saving throw at the end of each of its turns.
  • Red band: Yamata-no-Orochi breathes raging flames in a 60-foot cone dealing 104 (16d12) fire damage.
  • Unbanded: Yamata-no-Orochi screams waves of sonic energy in a 60-foot cone dealing 52 (8d12) thunder damage and deafening any creature that fails its saving throw.
  • White band: Yamata-no-Orochi breathes a blizzard in a 60-foot cone dealing 104 (16d12) cold damage.
  • Yellow band: Yamata-no-Orochi breathes a stream of electricity in a 100-foot line dealing 104 (16d12) lightning damage.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

Yamata-no-Orochi can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Yamata-no-Orochi regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Fast Healing (Costs 2 Actions). Yamata-no-Orochi regains 20 hit points.
• Breath Weapon. Yamata-no-Orochi can use a breath weapon attack that it has not used in the past minute.
• Retributive Bite. Yamata-no-Orochi can make a bite attack against any creature which damaged it in the past round.

LAIR ACTIONS

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Yamata-no-Orochi takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; Yamata-no-Orochi can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Yamata-no-Orochi can cause an explosion of magical energy in one creature’s square, dealing 7 (2d6) thunder damage and 7 (2d6) fire damage unless the creature succeeds a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw.
• Yamata-no-Orochi can forcibly teleport a creature in its lair to any other space within the lair unless the creature succeeds a DC 23 Charisma saving throw.
• Yamata-no-Orochi can cast the spell teleport, teleporting to a location outside of the lair. Yamata-no-Orochi only uses this option if it legitimately feels its life is threatened.

REGIONAL EFFECTS

The region containing Yamata-no-Orochi’s lair is shaped by the its destructive power, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• The landscape is ravaged and no crops can grow within 10 miles of Yamata-no-Orochi’s lair.
• Pockets of wild magic begin to appear within 5 miles of Yamata-no-Orochi’s lair, causing unexplainable and unpredictable effects.
• Gravity doubles within 1 mile of Yamata-no-Orochi’s lair, causing the entire area to become difficult terrain unless magical protection is used.

ABOUT

Yamata-no-Orochi is a ferocious and nigh indestructible draconic creature that lairs in large rivers or along seashores.

It has eight heads and eight tails, all capable of delivering ferocious blows. It also typically bodily checks its opponents or crushes them under its massive body as it charges through.

The necks supporting the creature’s heads all have different colored bands denoting the dangerous breath weapons Yamata-no-Orochi can bring to bear. Yamata-no-Orochi is unlike many other dragons in that it cannot fly, but it is a strong swimmer, and its serpentine body makes it impossible to trip. When the creature is not involved in hunting prey or battling opponents, the individual heads argue with each other. Once Yamata-no-Orochi has a goal in sight, it focuses all its attention on that goal. Yamata-no-Orochi is 30 feet in length and its heads reach another 30 feet high, while its strong serpentine tails extend about as long. The creature weighs 25 tons.

Roused from Slumber. While Yamata-no-Orochi spends many months sleeping in its watery lair, where it can be near the treasure it has buried in the silt or sand, it makes forays to nearby kingdoms to demand its favorite food of humanoid flesh. Yamata-no-Orochi preys on large families and demands at least one child per visit. It relies on its massive size, impressive array of abilities, and generally imposing attitude to get what it wants. Typically a single child sates the dragon’s appetite and it returns to its lair to digest its meal and then return to sleep. Yamata-no-Orochi makes no secret of the location of its lair, and the wake of devastation on the land provides ample clues to the location. The temperamental creature throws a tantrum when it doesn’t get its way and leaps into the air over a body of water or on land to create devastating fissures in the ground or massive waves to harm those who keep it from what it wants.

Sake Drinker. Yamata-no-Orochi is extremely aggressive, especially when something rouses it from its slumber, an easy mistake to make since the creature can sense vibrations in the ground, readily alerting it to trespassers. However, Yamatano-Orochi has a penchant for sake, which it sometimes crafts for itself. An expert craftsperson who brews a particularly fine brand of sake can lure the creature to its doom as it obsessively seeks out the drink, heedless of any dangers on the way to its prize.