The daughters of Graz'zt

Graz'zt apparently has a fairly large number of children, shocking I know. Many of you know about Iuz, the demigod and apple of his daddy's eye. I posted Rule-of-Three, another son, not that long ago. Today, I'm going to cover two of his daughters: Thraxxia, his personal assassin, and Belyara, a really obscure daughter who is currently having some daddy issues.

I'll be covering Athux, Graz'zt's son and general of his armies, soon.

Thraxxia

Medium fiend, chaotic evil

Armor Class 20

Hit Points 168 (16d8+96)

Speed 30 ft., fly 50 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

21 (+5) 18 (+4) 22 (+6) 17 (+3) 16 (+3) 22 (+6)

Saves Con +10, Int +7, Wis +7, Cha +10

Skills Arcana +7, Deception +10, Intimidation +10, Perception +7, Stealth +8

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal

Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)

Fiendish Blessing. Thraxxia’s AC includes her Charisma Bonus.

Innate Spellcasting. Thraxxia’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18). Thraxxia can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

3/day: alter self, command, detect magic

1/day: plane shift (self only)

Magic Resistance. Thraxxia has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Spellcasting. Thraxxia is an 11th level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). Thraxxia knows the following sorcerer spells:

Cantrips (at-will): dancing lights, fire bolt, mage hand, prestidigitation, shocking grasp. truestrike

1^st level (4 slots): false life, shield, sleep

2^nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, mirror image

3^rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, haste

4^th level (3 slots): dimension door. greater invisibility

5^th level (2 slots): dominate person

6^th level (1 slot): disintegrate

Surprise Attack. If Thraxxia surprises a creature and hits it with an attack during the first round of combat, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) damage from the attack.

Actions

Multiattack. Thraxxia makes two melee attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.

Horror Nimbus (Recharge 5-6). Thraxxia magically emits scintillating, multicolored light. Each creature within 15 feet of her that can see the light must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be 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 the creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Thraxxia’s Horror Nimbus for the next 24 hours.

Teleport. Thraxxia magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

Thraxxia is one of Graz’zt’s many daughters, her mother a long-dead mortal human. Thraxxia serves as Graz’zt’s personal assassin, and to date she has yet to fail in a mission given to her. To prove her worth to her father, she murdered three of her half-sisters. Thraxxia is vindictive and spiteful, traits that Graz’zt has nurtured in his beautiful daughter.

Thraxxia appears as a beautiful young woman, with long, dark hair and a cruel mien. A pair of small horns grows from her forehead, while a pair of somewhat smallish leathery wings sprouts from her back. Her gaze is sharp and predatory, and when she smiles or snarls, sharp teeth are revealed. Thraxxia’s small, shapely form is deceptively strong, containing the strength and power of a nalfeshnee, abilities she gained through treachery, wit and guile. Thraxxia frequently makes use of a variety of magical items when she is on the hunt.

Belyara

Large fiend (shapechanger), chaotic evil

Armor Class 20 (natural armor)

Hit Points 171 (18d10+72)

Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

20 (+5) 16 (+3) 18 (+4) 17 (+3) 17 (+3) 20 (+5)

Saving Throws Str +9, Con +8, Int +7, Cha +9

Skills Arcana +7, Deception +13, Insight +7, Perception +7, Stealth +7

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 17

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Fiendish Blessing. Belyara’s AC includes her Charisma bonus.

Innate Spellcasting. Belyara’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.

At will: disguise self (any humanoid form), major image

3/day: charm person, detect magic, mirror image, scrying, suggestion

1/day: geas, plane shift (self only)

Limited Shapeshifting. Belyara can use her action to change her lower half into normal human limbs, assuming a wholly human form. She reverts to her true form if she dies.

Spellcasting. Belyara is a 10th level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). Belyara knows the following sorcerer spells:

Cantrips (at-will): dancing lights, fire bolt, friends, mage hand, minor illusion, shocking grasp

1^st level (4 slots): color spray, shield. sleep

2^nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, hold person

3^rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, haste

4^th level (3 slots): confusion, dimension door

5^th level (2 slots): dominate person

Actions

Multiattack. Belyara makes three attacks: one with her longsword and one with her intoxicating touch or two with her longsword, and one with her tail.

Intoxicating Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: The target is magically cursed for 1 hour. Until the curse ends, the target has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and all ability checks.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) slashing damage, or 10 (1d10+5) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) bludgeoning damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained, Belyara can automatically hit the target with her tail, and Belyara can’t make tail attacks against another target.

Acid Spit. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 20 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage.

Belyara is one of the demon lord Graz’zt’s more obscure children. Until relatively recently, she was the prisoner of a powerful eladrin conjuror. It is uncertain how long she was a prisoner, and it is unknown how she escaped. What is known, however, is that she is extremely angry with her father, and now she seeks revenge against him for allowing her to languish for so long. It remains to be seen what form this revenge will take.

Belyara’s mother is a lamia noble, and she has inherited a number of abilities from her mother, such as her limited shapeshifting ability and many of her innate spellcasting abilities. Like a lamia noble, Belyara looks like an extremely beautiful dark-complexioned woman, with lustrous black hair and an intoxicating smile. Her lower body, however, consists of the muscular coils of a serpent. Her eyes are piercing and inhuman, golden in color, with the slitted pupils of a venomous snake. Like her lamia mother, she likes to adorn herself in finery whenever she can.

Belyara is prone to wanton behavior, not unlike both of her parents. She has also displayed the violent outbursts that lamia nobles are known for.

Warduke, the baddest man in the whole damn town.

My first encounter with Warduke was his action figure, way back in 1983. He looked cool, even if his armor seemed impractical. He then appeared in Quest for the Heartstone as a pregenerated character, followed by The Shady Dragon Inn, with goals that were about as impractical as his armor. Somewhere in there he made an appearance in the Dungeons & Dragons animated series, where he captured Dungeon Master.

The last time I saw him was in Dungeon Magazine #105, where he was given stats updated to 3.5. Here, he was firmly placed in the World of Greyhawk, where he was a member of the Horned Society. After 591 CY, Warduke is a high ranking member of the Society, and a general menace to everyone. You can read about this here: Canonfire: The Horned Society

Here we have Warduke's Wikipedia page: Warduke

The Power Score Blog and Hack & Slash both have nice little retrospectives on the character.

Anyway, here is my 5e take on the character. I took the somewhat unusual step of giving him a full player character class, namely the Battle Master Fighter.

Art by Wayne Reynolds, of course.

Warduke

Medium humanoid (human), lawful evil

Armor Class 18 (adamantine half plate, spellguard shield)

Hit Points 175 (18d10+72)

Speed 30 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

20 (+5) 13 (+1) 18 (+4) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)

Saving Throws Str +11, Con +10

Skills Athletics +11, History +6, Intimidation +8, Persuasion +8, Survival +7

Other Proficiencies Dragonchess, Smith’s tools

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal

Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)

Action Surge. On his turn, Warduke can take one additional action on top of his regular action and possible bonus action. Warduke may use this ability twice, then must finish a short or long rest before he can use this ability again.

Battle Master. Warduke has 6 superiority dice, which are d12s. Warduke knows the following maneuvers (save DC 19): disarming attack, lunging attack, maneuvering attack, menacing attack, parry, precision attack, riposte, sweeping attack, trip attack

Fighting Style. Warduke has the Dueling fighting style, granting a +2 bonus to damage rolls if he is wielding a weapon in one hand and isn’t wielding any other weapons.

Indomitable. Warduke can reroll a saving throw he fails. He must accept the new roll. He may use this ability three times between long rests.

Know Your Enemy. If Warduke spends at least 1 minute observing or interacting with another creature outside of combat, he can learn certain information about its capabilities compared to his own. See page 74 of the Player’s Handbook for specifics.

Relentless. When Warduke rolls initiative, if he has no superiority dice, he regains 1 die.

Second Wind. On Warduke’s turn, he can use a bonus action to regain 1d10+18 hit points. He must finish a short or long rest before he can use this ability again.

Actions

Multiattack. Warduke makes three attacks.

Flame Tongue Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d8+8) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage if used with one hand, or 11 (1d10+6) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) fire damage if used with two hands.

Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d4+8) piercing damage.

Equipment

Adamantine Half Plate. Warduke’s adamantine half plate armor is made from, you guessed it, adamantine. While he is wearing it, any critical hits against him become normal hits.

Dagger of Venom. Warduke typically only uses this weapon for assassinations, rather than open combat. It has +1 to attack and damage rolls. Warduke may use an action to cause thick, black poison to coat the blade. The poison lasts for 1 minute or until an attack using this weapon hits a creature. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 11 (2d10) poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. The dagger can’t be used this way again until the next dawn.

Nightwind. Nightwind is Warduke’s Flametongue longsword. It has +1 to attack and damage rolls. Warduke may use a bonus action to speak Nightwind’s command word, causing flames to erupt from the blade. These flames shed bright light in a 40-foot radius and dim light for an additional 40 feet. When the sword is ablaze, it deals an extra 7 (2d6) fire damage to any target it hits. The flames last until Warduke uses a bonus action to speak the command word again or until he drops or sheathes the sword.

Spellguard Shield. While holding this shield, Warduke has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and spell attacks have disadvantage against him.

Warduke’s Helm

Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)

This bat-winged helm has three rubies mounted on the faceplate and shrouds the wearer’s face in shadow, making it all but impossible to see it.  The only thing that can be seen from within the helm is the wearer’s eyes, which glow a baleful red. Wearing the helm confers the following benefits:

·         Darkvision 60 ft.

·         Advantage on Charisma (Intimidate) checks.

·         The central ruby acts as a ring of spell storing, able to store up to 6 levels worth of spells at a time. It functions exactly the same as a ring of spell storing.

Warduke usually has a word of recall spell stored in the gem.

Rule-of-Three, one of the many sons of Graz'zt.

Rule-of-Three is one of the many Planescape characters out there. I gather he hasn't made many appearances, but he was in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits (which I happen to have a copy of). He is the son of Graz'zt, and his ultimate goal is the unite the three major fiendish races of the lower planes and crush the upper planes.

He poses as a githzerai sage, using his abilities to disguise his appearance in public. He dispenses cryptic advice from the Styx Oarsman, which is a tavern & rooming house in the Lower Ward of the city of Sigil. Most people in Sigil are not aware that he is actually a cambion and the son of the demon lord Graz'zt.

Rule-of-Three

Medium fiend, chaotic evil

Armor Class 22 (studded leather)

Hit Points 105 (14d8+42)

Speed 30 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

18 (+4) 18 (+4) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 20 (+5)

Saving Throws Str +7, Con +6, Int +6, Cha +8

Skills Arcana +6, Deception +8, History +6, Perception +5, Persuasion +8, Stealth +7

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Abyssal Expertise. Rule-of-Three’s proficiency modifier is doubled for Intelligence (Arcana) or (History) checks related to the Abyss. For these checks, he has Arcana +9 & History +9.

Fiendish Blessing. Rule-of-Three’s AC includes his Charisma bonus.

Innate Spellcasting. Rule-of-Three’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). Rule-of-Three can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

3/day: alter self, command, detect magic

1/day: plane shift (self only)

Sneak Attack. Once per turn, Rule-of-Three can deal an extra 10 (3d6) to one creature he hits if he had advantage on the attack roll. He must use a finesse or ranged weapon.

He doesn’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and Rule-of-Three doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

Rule-of-Three also doesn’t need advantage on the attack roll if no creature other than his target is within 5 feet of him.

Actions

Multiattack. Rule-of-Three makes two melee attacks or uses his Eldritch Ray twice.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4+5) piercing damage.

Eldritch Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +7 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (3d6) force damage.

Fiendish Charm. One humanoid Rule-of-Three can see within 30 feet of him must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed for 1 day. The charmed target obeys Rule-of-Three’s spoken commands. If the target suffers any harm from Rule-of-Three or another creature or receives a suicidal command from Rule-of-Three, the target can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful, or if the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Rule-of-Three’s Fiendish Charm for the next 24 hours.

Equipment

Dagger of Venom. You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon.

You can use an action to cause thick, black poison to coat the blade. The poison remains for 1 minute or until an attack using this weapon hits a creature. That creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 2d10 poison damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. The dagger can't be used this way again until the next dawn.

Glamoured Studded Leather. While wearing this armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. You can also use a bonus action to speak the armor's command word and cause the armor to assume the appearance of a normal set of clothing or some other kind of armor. You decide what it looks like, including color, style, and accessories, but the armor retains its normal bulk and weight. The illusory appearance lasts until you use this property again or remove the armor.

Eyes of Seeing. These crystal lenses fit over the eyes. They have 3 charges. As an action, you can speak the lenses' command word and expend 1 charge. For the next 10 minutes, you have truesight out to 120 feet when you peer through the lenses.

The lenses regain 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn.

Ring of Mind Shielding. While wearing this ring, you are immune to magic that allows other creatures to read your thoughts, determine whether you are lying, know your alignment, or know your creature type. Creatures can telepathically communicate with you only if you allow it.

You can use an action to cause the ring to become invisible until you use another action to make it visible, until you remove the ring, or until you die.

If you die while wearing the ring, your soul enters it, unless it already houses a soul. You can remain in the ring or depart for the afterlife. As long as your soul is in the ring, you can telepathically communicate with any creature wearing it. A wearer can't prevent this telepathic communication.

Blackscale and Poison Dusk Lizardfolk

 The D&D 3.5 Monster Manual III saw the coming of the Blackscale Lizardfolk and the Poison Dusk Lizardfolk. One of them is big and smashy, the other is small and sneaky. I gather that they're both relatively prominent in the Eberron setting, which I don't know a lot about. I will say, though, that from what I have seen & heard, Eberron is pretty awesome. It seems I missed a few awesome things when I took a little hiatus from playing D&D.

Note: both pictures below are from the Monster Manual III.

Lizardfolk, Blackscale

Large humanoid (lizardfolk), neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 59 (7d10+21)

Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

19 (+4) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) 7 (-2)   12 (+1) 7 (-2)

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +2, Survival +5

Damage Resistances acid

Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Draconic

Challenge 3

Hold Breath. The blackscale lizardfolk can hold its breath for 15 minutes.

Actions

Multiattack. The blackscale lizardfolk makes two attacks, each one with a different weapon.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage.

Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage.

Javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage.

Like the common lizardfolk, blackscale lizardfolk are primitive reptilian humanoids that lurk in the world’s swamps and jungles. Their lairs are typically very similar to the common lizardfolk’s lairs: hut villages in grottos, marshy ruins, and watery caverns.

Blackscale lizardfolk are usually around 9 feet tall, with black scales. A leathery crest runs from the top of its head to about mid-back, and its deep-socketed eyes and flat nasal openings give its face an appearance similar to a skull.

These creatures are every bit as territorial and xenophobic as their smaller kin. They tend to be more straightforward combatants, finding tricks and traps tools for lesser lizardfolk. Blackscale lizardfolk are overly concerned with showing their battle prowess, and will fight as an unruly mob if left to their own devices. It takes a strong hand to get them organized for any length of time.

Lizardfolk, Poison Dusk

Small humanoid (lizardfolk), neutral

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 13 (3d6+3)

Speed 25 ft., swim 25 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

12 (+1) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 8 (-1)   12 (+1) 7 (-2)

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6, Survival +5

Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Draconic

Challenge 1/2

Chameleon Skin. The poison dusk lizardfolk have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks.

Hold Breath. The poison dusk lizardfolk can hold its breath for 15 minutes.

Poison Use. The poison dusk lizardfolk frequently makes use of poison, and it is considered proficient with the Poisoner’s Kit.

Actions

Multiattack. The poison dusk lizardfolk makes two attacks, each one with a different weapon.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed save, half as much on a successful one.

Net. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 5/15 ft., one target. Hit: Special: target creature of Large size or smaller is restrained until it is freed. A creature can use its action to make a DC 10 Strength check, freeing itself on a success. Dealing 5 points of slashing damage to the net (AC 10) also frees the creature without harming it, ending the effect and destroying the net.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.

The poison dusk lizardfolk, standing between 3 & 4 feet tall, are considerably smaller than their other lizardfolk kin, but they are no less dangerous when provoked. A poison dusk lizardfolk’s scales can shift in color, which happens frequently to reflect the lizardfolk’s mood. They are also able to use their ability to change color to give them an advantage when hunting or in battle. Its eyes are larger than other species, and its crest flattens or extends based on mood.

Poison dusk lizardfolk are much more cunning than their larger kin, preferring to strike at their foes through trickery rather than direct combat. They make frequent use of traps and poison, and favor ambushes. One of their favorite tactics is to entangle foes with nets, then have archers strike with poison arrows.

What has come before.

I'm a complete amateur at this blogging thing. It's been fun, though I noticed I've put up enough posts at this point that finding anything is proving difficult. So I thought I'd list my posts here by category.

PC Races:

The Grippli

The Treeling

Critter Stats:

Bonjo Tombo

Indominus Rex

Aspis Drone

The Rest of the Aspis Nest

Yuki-onna, the Snow Woman

Ilsidahur, the Howling King

The Ghour

The Wendigo

Nordom & the Gear Spirit

Fall-from-Grace

The Sa'ir

The Eyeball, the tiniest beholderkin

The Yeth Hound

The Hodag

The Rakasta

The Norker

St Kargoth the Betrayer, King of the Death Knights

The Firbolg

Some Smaller Elementals

The Caterwaul

The Ukobach

The Cooshee, the Elven Dog

The Nightgaunt

The Ghasts of the Vaults of Zin

The Firenewt

The Keythong

The Ahool

My Sorry Excuse For An Attempt At A Class:

The Theurge

The Fey Sorcerer Bloodline

Bonjo Tombo, the Demon Ape

Hopefully Frog God Games won't mind, but a took a creature from their book, Dead Man's Chest, and converted it to 5e. Bonjo Tombo, the Demon Ape, trapped on the island he rules and a terrible threat to anyone who visits it.

Dead Man's Chest is a pdf they sell for $11.99, and comes in both the 3.5 & Pathfinder versions. It's a neat little book with a bunch of interesting maritime things in it. It also has a few adventures, including one with Bonjo Tombo.

Bonjo Tombo

Huge fiend, chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points 207 (18d12+90)

Speed 50 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

27 (+8) 13 (+1) 20 (+5) 8 (-1)   10 (+0) 12 (+1)

Saving Throws Str +13, Con +10, Wis +5

Skills Athletics +13, Perception +5, Stealth +6

Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15

Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)

Magic Resistance. Bonjo Tombo has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Water Vulnerability. Immersing Bonjo Tombo in running water or ocean water causes him to shrink one size category per minute until he reached Tiny size. Every size category he shrinks reduces his strength by -4 and reduces his weapon damage by 1d4. It takes Bonjo Tombo one month per size category to return to his normal size. Rain does not have this effect. Bonjo Tombo will not cross rivers or enter water under any circumstances.

Actions

Multiattack. Bonjo Tombo makes one attack with his bite and two with his fists.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6+8) piercing damage.

Fists. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10+8) bludgeoning damage.

Roar (1/day). Bonjo Tombo unleashes a horrific roar. Each creature within 60 feet of it that can hear it and that isn’t a demon must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of Bonjo Tombo’s next turn.

Legendary Actions

Bonjo Tombo 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. Bonjo Tombo regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Attack. Bonjo Tombo makes one fist attack.

Charge. Bonjo Tombo moves up to his speed.

Fling (Costs 2 Actions). Bonjo Tombo grapples a creature that is size Large or smaller if he succeeds at a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. Bonjo Tombo then releases the creature he is grappling by flinging it up to 100 feet away from him, in a direction of his choice. If the creature comes into contact with a solid surface, such as a wall or floor, the creature takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was flung.

Bonjo Tombo, the Demon Ape, is a thoroughly evil monster that is as ferocious as he is dumb. Reputed to be the offspring of Demogorgon and a demon-tainted giant ape, Bonjo Tombo rules his jungle island with savagery and malice.

Bonjo Tombo looks like a massive ape with a frightening visage, possessing two pairs of glaring yellow eyes, one atop the other, and a pair of wicked tusks that jut out from his lower jaw. His filthy gray hide covers a massively muscled frame, which has long arms and short legs that end in apish feet. Despite his size, he is surprisingly stealthy as he stalks his island home. Bonjo Tombo fears running water, refusing to cross it under any circumstances.

Bonjo Tombo begins any violent engagement with his mighty roar, then immediately rushes his enemies to crush them with his mighty fists. He will also grab opponents and fling them into trees and other pieces of landscape, sometimes even throwing the hapless creature into its companions.

A ramble on the nature of the D&D multiverse.

I'm going to warn you now, this really is a long-winded, rambling bit of nonsense regarding D&D cosmology, creation myth, and all of that silliness. Read at your own risk.

The kind folks at Wizards put in a few different cosmological models for every DM to choose from with this most recent edition. We have the classic Great Wheel (my personal favorite), the tree one (that I'm not that familiar with), and the Astral Sea and Primal Chaos (which I guess was introduced in 4e?). I've recently spent a little too much time reading the various articles and what have you about the nature of the D&D multiverse and it made my eyes cross.

Now, the easy way to handle it is to say "Screw it. Oerth exists and Toril is someone's fever dream." Or vice versa. There are no other worlds, etc, etc. I grew up reading DC Comics, so as a result I can't do that. The thing is, the different "In the beginning" stories for each setting don't really mesh all that well together at times. We have Tharizdun trying to destroy everything in Oerth's distant past, Primordials looking at the Prime Material Plane and yelling "Gimme!" over in the Abeir-Toril neighborhood, and who knows what else. I'm not that familiar with many of those apparently awesome settings that came out in the 90s and possibly later. I mean, warforged! How awesome are they?

Now, keep in mind, I'm just rambling here. This is how I've decided to reconcile all of this craziness so that if, for some insane reason, I want people from the Forgotten Realms to visit the World of Greyhawk or vice versa, it all make sense. To me, at least. And honestly, it probably won't ever even factor into the game, but damn it, DC Comics!

So this is my thought: in the beginning there were primordial gods who did stuff. Exactly what kind of stuff? Who knows for sure. These gods predate any and just about all of the current gods running around out there messing with mortal lives. And, for whatever reason, most if not possibly all of these primordial gods, who didn't require the worship of mortals because there weren't any, are dead. Or whatever passes for dead for a supposedly immortal being. Thus we have giant, petrified dead gods floating around the Astral Plane with Githyanki cities built on them. Tharizdun may have been one of these gods, as might have been Ao. Atropus was probably one of them, but now he's just (just!) a petrified undead head travelling around the multiverse stamping out mortal life wherever he (it?) finds it. If Asmodeus is, in fact, Ahriman, then he would be one too. But of course Asmodeus is a big, fat liar who spreads so many stories about his past, who can know for sure which version of his origin is true. Jazirian, the couatl deity, may also be part of that most ancient group of gods.

So, from nothing, or the Primal Chaos, or who really knows, the primordial gods appeared. They, in turn, began the shaping of all things, and from them came the oldest gods. It's arguable who these oldest gods may be, but this is a creation myth, so different names get tossed about depending on who is telling the story. They, in turn, gave rise to still other gods. And somewhere in all of this, the Prime Material Plane came into existence, and mortals started popping up like dandelions. So this is my thought: originally there was only one world. Somewhere along the way, something happened. Something truly cataclysmic. Maybe is was Tharizdun's attempt to destroy all of creation. Maybe it was the Primordials getting grabby. Whatever it was, it happened so long ago that only some of the most ancient beings in the planes know exactly what happened.

Anyway, this cosmic event caused the Prime Material Plane to splinter. What was once one was now many, and this is why so many different worlds resemble each other so much, with many having many of the same races. There are variations here and there, of course: Krynn doesn't have orcs and has kender instead of halflings, Eberron has the warforged, Athas has scary cannibal halflings, etc, etc. Separated, each world began developing in its own way. Btw, I'm not sure how I feel about this Crystal Sphere thing that Spelljammer has going on.

Now there are all these different worlds. Prime real estate for the molding. And wouldn't you know it, there are a gaggle of gods wanting to do just that. So there is a great, big cosmic landgrab and once those lucky gods and goddesses get in there, they start up their mythological PR machines, getting people to believe in their version of how it all started. Of course, some of those gods know more about those early days than others. Some of the youngsters probably don't really know that much more about it than the mortals do. And those who really know are either not talking, making up stories, or are dead and gone. The few remaining obyriths probably know the real deal. Ao, maybe Asmodeus, the oldest of the tanar'ri such as Demogorgon. Regardless, the truth of the matter is buried under so much conjecture, divine spin doctoring, and misinformation that very few know the real story. Then mortals start travelling the planes and sharing the stories of their own world with people from other places, and myths start getting combined and it all becomes a big mess that religious scholars and planar sages spend all their time debating. And of all the races populating the various worlds of the Prime Material Plane, only the aboleth really know what is going on, but they don't care to actually share this information with anyone else.

And just to mess everything up even further, along come the illithids, conquering world after world and threatening everything. And no one knows where they came from, not even the aboleth. Fortunately, events and their own arrogance conspired against these brain-sucking monsters and Gith and her followers destroyed the Mind Flayer empire and nearly exterminated the race. However, groups still exist here and there, which is why some worlds have them and some don't. And some worlds, like Golarion (that's right, I said it), once had mind flayers but were pretty much wiped out. However, some remnant still remains in the depths of Golarion's Darklands, the neothelids. Because as we all know, a neothelid comes from an illithid tadpole that didn't undergo ceremorphosis and wasn't eliminated by a colony's elder brain because it was dead. Sounds like the work of githyanki to me. And if the mind flayers are dead, and they either don't know about or care about the neothelids, then the githyanki have no reason to return to Golarion anytime soon.

And we all know that the Whispering Tyrant is a mystical echo of Vecna brought about by the Maimed God's attempt to recreate all of reality in his own image when he invaded Sigil. Right?

The rest of the Aspis nest.

Not long ago I posted a 5e conversion for the Aspis Drone. Below are the Aspis Larva and Aspis Cow, as well as 5e stats for giant ants, since they are a pretty big part of the Aspis nest. I'll admit that I'm actually a little shocked that the Monster Manual didn't include giant ant stats, since once upon a time, they were a somewhat commonly encountered monster.

From the original entry for the Aspis way back when in AD&D. I don't remember if this is supposed to be the Cow or the Larva, but since they look very much alike except for a significant size difference, I don't think it matters.

Aspis Larva

Small monstrosity, unaligned

Armor Class 10

Hit Points 7 (2d6)

Speed 15 ft., Swim 20 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

7 (-2)   10        10        3 (-4)   10        6 (-2)

Damage Resistances acid

Damage Immunities thunder

Senses tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages –

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Keen Smell. The aspis larva has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.

Aspis larvae resemble giant maggots or grubs, typically being white or off-white in color. Aspis larvae are deaf and blind, using their sense of smell and ability to perceive vibrations to sense potential food. Unlike drones, aspis larvae are soft-bodied and easily injured.

Aspis larvae have incredible appetites and spend all of their time eating. They are strictly kept in the nest’s grub hatcheries, where the drones dump food scraps and other waste into a pit that looks like a sewer. The larvae constantly swim and eat in these pits. The stench can be nauseating to a non-aspis visitor.

Aspis Cow

Huge monstrosity, neutral

Armor Class 11 (natural armor)

Hit Points 76 (8d12+24)

Speed 10 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

18 (+4) 8 (-1)   16 (+3) 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 9 (-1)

Damage Immunities acid

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12

Languages Aspis

Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Acidic Secretion. The aspis cow exudes a dangerous corrosive that coats its body and adheres to the walls and floor of its chamber. A creature that touches the aspis cow takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. A nonmagical weapon made of metal or wood that hits the aspis cow corrodes. After dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If this penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal or wood that hits the aspis cow is destroyed after dealing damage.

The aspis cow can eat through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical wood or metal in 1 round. Aspis drones and larvae are immune to the cow’s acidic secretion.

Keen Smell. The aspis cow has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6+4) piercing damage.

On rare occasions, an aspis larva is selected by the nest’s drones and separated from its siblings. It is fed a specific diet and nurtured in a very careful way, ultimately growing to a massive size and never maturing into an aspis drone. It instead matures into an aspis cow, looking very much like a huge larva. The aspis cow is slow and clumsy, but exudes a corrosive substance from its body and has a powerful bite.

Giant Ant Worker

Small beast, unaligned

Armor Class 12 (natural armor)

Hit Points 4 (1d6+1)

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

11 (+0) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 1 (-5)   7 (-2)   3 (-4)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages –

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Keen Smell. The giant ant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage, and the giant ant clings to the target. To remove the giant ant, the target may attempt a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target that the giant ant is clinging to. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) poison damage.

Many species of giant ant workers have modified ovipositors that they use as a stinger when defending their nest. Some species have developed much larger mandibles and have lost their stinger, their bite causing 1d6 piercing damage. Others have lost their stinger and have the ability to spray acid from an acidopore in their gaster. This attack has the following stats: Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (2d4) acid damage.

Giant Ant Warrior

Medium beast, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

14 (+2) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 1 (-5)   8 (-1)   3 (-4)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9

Languages –

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Keen Smell. The giant ant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage, and the giant ant clings to the target. To remove the giant ant, the target may attempt a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.

Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target that the giant ant is clinging to. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage.

The giant ant warrior is really just a larger worker ant, being more dangerous than its smaller brethren due to its increased size and strength. Like the worker ant, some species have lost the ability to sting and have larger mandibles, causing 1d8 piercing damage with a bite. Some species have acidopores instead of stingers, with the following acid spray attack: Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, range 10 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) acid damage.

Giant Ant Queen

Large beast, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 22 (3d10+6)

Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

16 (+3) 10 (+0) 15 (+2) 1 (-5)   10 (+0) 3 (-4)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages –

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Keen Smell. The giant ant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) piercing damage.

Giant ant queens lack the stinger of the worker and warrior ants. Before the queen ant mates for the first time, she has a pair of wings that give her a flying speed of 50 ft. She loses these wings once she has mated and established a nest.

Giant Ant Drone

Medium beast, unaligned

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)

Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft., fly 50 ft.

Str        Dex      Con      Int        Wis      Cha

14 (+2) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 1 (-5)   7 (-2)   3 (-4)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages –

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Keen Smell. The giant ant has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Actions

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

Giant ant drones are the males of the ant colony. They exist for one purpose; to mate with the queen and then die. Unlike the workers and warriors, they are equipped with a pair of wings. As males, they have no ovipositors, and thus lack the sting of the other ants of their nest.