Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes

(Nancy Kaufman) #1

23+


STAR SPAWN


The Material Plane
represents only one small part of

the multiverse. Beyond
the best-known planes of ex-

istence lie realms that are lethal to mortal life.
Some

are so hostile that
even a moment's contact with such a

place is enough to plunge a mortal mind into
madness.

Yet beings do exist that are native to these
realms: be-

ings that are eternally hungering, searchi
ng, warring,

sometimes dreaming. These Elder Evils
are far older

than
most of the mortal races and always horrific to hu-

manoid minds.

However much they might desire to enter and domi-

nate the Material Plane, the
Elder Evils are unable or

unwilling to leave their realms.
Some are imprisoned

in their dimensions by external forces, some are inextri-

cably bound to their home realities, and others simply

can't find any way out.

Heralds of Doom.
The creatures known as star

spawn are the heralds,
servants, foot soldiers, and lieu-

tenants of the Elde r Evils, capable of taking
on forms

that can journey to the Material Plane. They
arrive most

often in the wake of a comet-or perhaps
such a phe-

nomenon
merely signals that star spawn are in the vicin-

ity and
available for communication. When the signs are

right
, warlocks and cultists hasten to gather together,

read aloud their blasphemous texts
, and conduct the

mind-searing rituals that guide
the blazing star spawn

into the world.

STA R SPAWN GRUE


Fanged and lipless, the ever-grinning, madly staring

grue lopes about on spindly legs
and long arms. Bristles

and spines project from odd
patches of its pallid skin,

and it's long fingers end in broken and dirty nails. Grues

are the weakest of the star s pawn. A host of writhing,

scrambling grues typically accompanies more powerful

star spawn. Their constant
chittering and shrieking pro-

duces discordant
psychic energy that disrupts thought

patterns in other
creatures. Intelligent creatures experi-

ence flashing colors, hallucinations, disorientation,
and

waves of hopelessness when they find themselves
near a

group of star spawn grues.

STAR
SPAWN HULK

The hulk is the
largest of the known star spawn. Though

ogre-like in
stature, the hulk's glistening translucent

skin reveals a muscled form devoid of an
ogre's fat. P ale

and seemingly lidless eyes glare balefully
from a face

distorted
by too many teeth and too little nose.

Hu
lks are seldom encountered without a commanding

seer
nearby. A hulk appears to have little will of its own,

other than to protect its master.

C HAPTER 6 I BESTIARY

STAR SPAWN
GRUE

Small aberration
, neutral evil

Armor
Class 11

Hit Points 17 (Sd6)

Speed 30 ft.

STR

6 (-2)

DEX

13 (+l )

CON

10 (+O)

Damage Immunities psychic

INT

9 (- 1)

WIS

11 (+O)

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception
10

Languages Deep Speech

Challe nge 1/4 (50 XP)

CHA

6 (-2)

Aura of Madness. Creatures
within 20 feet of the grue that ar-

en' t aberrations have
disadvantage on saving throws, as well as

on attack rolls against creatures other than a star spawn
grue.

ACT
IONS

Confounding Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to
hit, reach 5 ft.,

one target. Hit: 6 (2d4 + 1) piercing damage.
and the target

must
succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or attack rolls

against it have advantage until the start
of the grue's next turn.

STAR SPAWN
HULK

Large aberration, chaotic evil

Armor
Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 136 (13dl 0 + 65)
.•

Speed 30 ft.





STR

20 (+5)

DEX

8 (-1)

CON

21 (+5)

Saving Throws Dex +3, Wis +5

Skills Perception +5

INT

7 (-2)

WIS

12 (+l)

CHA

9 (-1)

Damage Re sistances bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing from

nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15

La nguages Deep Speech

Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)





Psychic Mirror. If the hulk takes psychic
damage, each creature

within 10 feet of the hulk takes that damage instead; the hulk

takes none of the damage. In addition, the hulk's thoughts and

location can't be discerned
by magic.

A CT IONS

Multiattack. The hulk
makes two s lam attacks. If both attacks

hit the same target
, the target also takes 9 {2d8) psychic dam-

age and must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution
saving throw or

be stunned
until the end of the target's next turn.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack
: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.

Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.

Reaping Arms (Recharge 5- 6). The hulk makes a separate slam

attack against each creature within 10 feet of it. Each creature

that is hit must also succeed
on a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw

or be knocked prone.
Free download pdf