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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Homebrew Legendary Creature: the bebilith



Laurefindel
2015-03-30, 08:53 PM
I'm throwing this here; comments/criticism/suggestions are welcome

Bit of context: this is not a bebilith, in this world this is THE bebilith (hence the legendary tag). Any type of planar travel fails so there isn't going to be another one. The "she" reference is intentional. She has a breath weapon instead of a web attack; my bad, I screw-up once and now I'm keeping it like that for consistency sake.

Also known as creepers of the Abyss and barbed horrors, bebiliths are huge arachnids that roam the Abyss, preying on the tanar’ri. Cruel, unwavering harbingers of death and torture, bebiliths are hideous, misshapen spider with hard, chitinous shells. Their two forelegs each end in a brutal barb, and their mouths are filled with fangs that drip poisonous liquid.

Position of Privilege. This bebilith however is stranded in the Dark Woods, unable to plane shift back to the Astral Plane or the Abyss. She – as the denizen of Dark Woods envision her as a female creature – misses the flesh of demons but also grew to enjoy her exclusive position as abyssal huntress; a title that gave her the worship of many tribes of the Dark Woods. She also grew in cunning and malice and while she knows that she isn’t as strong as legends make her, she has learned to maintain an illusion of invulnerability.

Webs of Darkness. While in exile in the Dark Woods, the bebilith has learned a few tricks. The one she is most proud of is her ability to weave strands of pure darkness, creating a web that catches not only preys but light as well. In daylight, the webs are particularly hard to discern, as if hidden by a shadowy mist. At night, the webs become so dark that they become clearly visible against the darkness, blacker than anything around them.

Hunted by the Sun. A girtablilu attempted to slay the bebilith but she always managed to elude her huntresses. The girtablilu did manage to cast a powerful hex on her however, cursing that the sun would hunt the bebilith forevermore in their stead. Since that day, sunlight hurts the bebilth’s skin and eyes more than any arrows of the girtablilu.


A BEBILITH’S LAIR
The bebilith has several lairs across the dark woods, each established at the heart of her favorite hunting grounds. Shallow caves and ancient aasimar ruins are her favourite but wherever the bebilith dwells, a cathedral of dark webs awaits would be visitors.

LAIR ACTIONS
On initiative count 20 (loosing initiative ties), the bebilith can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; the bebilith can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Light is snuffed out from a point the bebilith chooses within 120 feet of her, creating magical darkness in a 60 foot-radius sphere for a period of 5 rounds or until the bebilith dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. Areas of bright light inside the radius become dim light, and areas of dim light become darkness, regardless of present sources of light.

• One strand of web the bebilith can see within 60 feet animates under her control, provided that the strand is attached to something.

The strands can attack a single target with a +15 bonus to hit and a reach of 15 feet. On a hit, the target is grappled (escape DC 22) and is restrained until this grapple ends. An animated strand can only grapple one creature at a time.
The animated strand is an object with AC 17, 21 hit points, resistance to piercing damage and bludgeoning damage and immunity to psychic and necrotic damage, but vulnerability to fire and radiant damage. The animated strand dissipates when reduced to 0 hp, freeing any grappled creature.

• A rotting disease infects a creature that has taken damage during this combat and that the bebilith can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking a -1 penalty on attack rolls and ability checks on a failed save, or shrug off the disease on a successful one. If the initial saving throw is failed, the target must make a new saving throw at the end of each long rest. If the saving throw is failed, the penalties worsen by 1. If the penalty reaches -5, the creature dies. On a successful save, the penalties remain the same. If the creature accumulates three successful saves, the disease is cured and the penalties disappear.
The rotting disease can be cured by a magic curing diseases (such as lesser restoration or heal). A character who has proficiency with the Wisdom (Medecine) skill or Herbalism kit can attempt a skill check against the same DC. If successful, the diseased creature has advantage on its next saving throw.

REGIONAL EFFECTS
Tainted with the creature’s fiendish presence, a domain of the bebilith might include any of the following magical effects:

• Within 1 mile of the lair, flames don’t seem to emit as much light as usual and the shadows between trees seem much deeper than they should be.

• Neglected threads of webs can be seen in the trees within 1 mile of the lair.

• A lingering mist makes the mind of travelers foggy and forgetful within 1 mile of the lair.


BEBILITH
Huge fiend (demon), chaotic Evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 189 (18d10 + 90)
Speed 40 ft.

STR 25 (+7)
DEX 10 (+0)
CON 21 (+5)
INT 15 (+2)
WIS 16 (+3)
CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Con +11, Wis +9, Cha +10
Damage Resistances cold, fire, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from nonmagical weapons.
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft.; passive perception 19
Languages Abyssal (cannot speak), telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. The bebilith’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). The bebilith can innately cast the following spells, requiring no spell components:
At-will: plane shift (not applicable)

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the bebilith fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Spider Climb. The bebilith can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Sunlight Vulnerability. While in sunlight, the bebilith has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. In addition, the bebilth cannot apply any of her damage resistances while in sunlight.

Web Walker. The bebilith ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing.

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Bebilith can use her frightful presence. She then can make two attacks, one with her bite and one with her barbs.

Rotting Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) piercing damage. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw take 14 (4d6) acid damage immediately and 7 (2d6) at the end of its next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half as much acid damage immediately and no damage at the end of its next turn.

Barbs. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft. one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) piercing damage. When the bebilith attacks with her barbs and rolls a 20 on the attack roll, the target lose 2 points of AC until its armor or shield can be repaired. Creatures that are not wearing medium or heavy armor and not using shields are not affected by this ability.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of the bebilith’s choice that is within 120 feet of the bebilith and aware of it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the bebilth’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

Rotting Spray (Recharge 5-6). The bebilith spits out a jet of caustic bile up to 60 feet away. The jet splashes on impact in a 10 foot-radius. Each creature in the area must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw, taking 63 (18d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Teleport (1/day). The bebilith magically teleports herself, along with any equipment or creature she is holding or carrying, to any one of its lairs.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The bebilith can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be taken at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The bebilith regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Barb Attack. The bebilith makes a claw attack.

Leap. The bebilith move up to its speed or leaps up to half its speed in a single jump.

Web (Costs 2 Actions). The bebilith shoots a strand of sticky webs at a creature using the Disengage action. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Reflex saving throws to move away from the bebilith. If the saving throw is failed, the target must choose another action for this round.

Flashy
2015-03-30, 10:08 PM
I have never played in a game that featured a legendary creature, so what few comments I feel comfortable making are going to be purely academic.

The darkness lair action feels really weak. Sure, she's weak to sunlight, but what kind of a demonic spider builds its lair anywhere it doesn't already have total control of the light level? It's pretty much a light cleric/devotion paladin be gone and I dislike features designed to counteract specific player features. She also doesn't seem to have any reason to prefer total darkness, and it prevents the use of any other lair actions. I have trouble thinking of many situations in which the bebilith would even use it.

You should change rotting disease to disadvantage on attack rolls and after five turns of no save you die since 5e doesn't favor incremental numeric changes. The same thing sort of applies to the barb attack, though I'm not certain how you would change that one.

The 1/day teleport with any creature the belibith is carrying also turns grapple checks into a potential save or die effect. Is that intentional?


Beyond that I'm probably not qualified to critique the creature, but I really like the fluff and it seems basically balanced so far as I'm aware.

Laurefindel
2015-03-31, 08:03 AM
The darkness lair action feels really weak. Sure, she's weak to sunlight, but what kind of a demonic spider builds its lair anywhere it doesn't already have total control of the light level? It's pretty much a light cleric/devotion paladin be gone and I dislike features designed to counteract specific player features. She also doesn't seem to have any reason to prefer total darkness, and it prevents the use of any other lair actions.

Gaining advantage of its blindsight and darkvision would be why the bebilith want to make it dark; that and get around its sunlight vulnerability. Also it has multiple lairs so I didn't want to overdo it. But point has been noted.


You should change rotting disease to disadvantage on attack rolls and after five turns of no save you die since 5e doesn't favor incremental numeric changes. The same thing sort of applies to the barb attack, though I'm not certain how you would change that one.

rotting disease is based on rotting sight from DMG; except that you die at -5 instead of going permanently blind. Disadvantage could work though, or causing increasing levels of exhaustion each day until death.

Barbs is a converted ability. In 2e it had a % chance to ruin your armor on every hit, in 3e it had a sunder-type effect. I went the "happens when you score a critical hit" route that 5e uses in a few cases. The "until repaired" part was left intentionally open-handed. Hummm, i might revisit that...


The 1/day teleport with any creature the belibith is carrying also turns grapple checks into a potential save or die effect. Is that intentional?

It was, but now I'm reconsidering the wisdom of doing so. This was use to emulate the bebilith's plane shift ability, which in 2e was more an escaping ability than an offensive one.



Beyond that I'm probably not qualified to critique the creature, but I really like the fluff and it seems basically balanced so far as I'm aware.

thansk for replying!

M Placeholder
2015-04-01, 05:59 AM
The title of this reminded me of Birthright. I like this, and could be easily tweaked for a bebilith entry. Nice work.

For extra flavour, may I recommend the Tony D picture from Planescape?

http://www.lomion.de/cmm/img/bebilith.gif

The picture in the Planescape MC is much bigger, but its got something none of the other images have - a malevolent expression, and you can see that this is one highly intelligent, cruel and malicious monster that loves to inflict mental and physical pain on its victims.

Also, a bump in intelligence might be in order, as on the Astral Plane, intelligence is strength, and one of the theories of the Bebilith is that it is a monster born of the fears of demons. Adding to its INT score would play in with that fluff.

Great job you have done so far :)