Ebon Tide Serpent of the Forsaken Deep

2 days ago by Admin - Monsters

Emerging from the shadows of sunken ruins, this serpentine creature glides through the depths with an unsettling fluidity. Its scales shimmer with a dark, iridescent sheen that seems to absorb light, while its elongated body is adorned with jagged spines that pulse faintly, echoing the rhythm of the ocean's waves. The air around it ripples with an aura of melancholy, drawing in the unwary, who are compelled to investigate the source of the haunting calls that resonate from the depths. Its most terrifying feature is its ability to summon an illusory tide, creating phantom images of shipwrecks and lost souls to beguile its prey.

Large aberration, neutral

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 110 (13d10 + 39)
Speed 30 ft., swim 60 ft.

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +7, Cha +8
Skills Perception +5, Stealth +6
Damage Immunities Psychic
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Understands Aquan but can't speak
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

Amphibious. The creature can breathe underwater and on land.

Illusory Tides (Recharge 5-6). As a bonus action, the creature creates illusory waters that flood a 30-foot radius centered on itself. Each creature of the creature's choice within that area must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated until the end of their next turn, entranced by the eerie sights of ghostly vessels and lost souls.

Multiattack. The creature makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its tail.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (2d10 + 5) piercing damage.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Swallow. The creature makes one bite attack against a Medium or smaller target it is grappling. If the attack hits, the target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained, it takes 21 (6d6) acid damage at the start of each of the creature's turns. The creature can have only one target swallowed at a time. If the creature takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate the swallowed creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet of the creature.

Ethereal Drift (1/Day). The creature can shift into the Ethereal Plane as a bonus action, becoming intangible for 1 minute. While in the Ethereal Plane, the creature can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.

This creature makes for a haunting addition to any underwater campaign, providing not only a physical threat but a psychological one, as players may find themselves questioning the nature of reality in its presence.