Dungeons & Dragons 5e NPC: Ophelia
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Ophelia
Large Medusa Yuan-Ti Ascendant Yuan-Ti (demigod) , Lawful Evil
Description
CR 22 (41,000xp), +7 proficiency
Ideals
Her ideal is the restoration of the glories of the Yuan-Ti ages, lost to time in the deep history of the world - and she herself as their object of eternal worship.
Bonds
Her friends - a small and elect group to whom she has been both protector and enemy in the past - are truly the only treasure worth dying for. But if they betray her, nothing in the world or the planes can save them from her immortal wrath.
Flaws
Narcissism, pride; Ophelia fights against an all-consuming loneliness that treasure, power, knowledge and immortality does not fill, and her fear of vulnerability prevents her from overcoming that loneliness.
Suggested Environments
Storybook towers in fairytale haunted woods.
Ophelia’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22). She can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- Petrifying Gaze, as a free action; Petrifying gaze also triggers on any hostile that begins its turn within 30'.
- Detect Magic <c>10 min
- Poison Spray (DC22 CON save or 4d12 poison damage - 10', 1 target)
- Haste <c>1 min
- Ensnaring Strike STR save BA <c> 1 min
- Animal Friendship WIS save 30' - up to 24 hours, can hijack familiars and pets
- Misty Step BA 30' teleport
- Mind Sliver (Int save DC22 or 4d6 psychic damage and must roll a subtraction 1d4 from its next save)
Petrifying Gaze: When a creature that can see Ophelia's eyes starts its turn within 30 feet of her, she can force it to make a DC 24 Constitution saving throw if she isn't incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is instantly petrified. Otherwise, a creature that fails the save begins to turn to stone and is restrained. The restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn, becoming petrified on a failure or ending the effect on a success. The petrification lasts until the creature is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. The statue form of a creature has 30HP + 10HP per size above medium, and an AC of 12. Damage done to the statue carries over to the petrified creature, with lasting effects should the creature be restored. If the statue is reduced to 0 HP it is shattered and the creature is not restorable by normal means. Note that magical weapons worn or carried as well as all clothing, armor, gear and equipment suffers the same petrification, but in the event of reducing the statue to 0HP, magic items are restored to their normal, unattuned state. The statues are a fine alabaster indistinguishable from a fine work of art. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see Ophelia until the start of its next turn, when it must choose to avert its eyes again; with averted eyes, it fights Ophelia as if she is invisible (disad on attack, Ophelia has adv on attack) and benefiting from 1/2 cover (+2 to her AC). Using a mirror to help see her removes the disadvantage, but not the half-cover boost to AC unless her entire body is visible in the mirror. If a hostile creature looks at Ophelia at any point during or after its turn while within 30', it must immediately make the save if she desires, with no limit to the number of saves a combatant must make per turn; the effect is pervasive within 30'. If Ophelia sees herself reflected on a polished surface within 30' and in an area of bright light, she is affected by her own gaze; she must roll a 20 on her save check (a DC 24 CON save requires her to roll a 20 + 4=24) or suffer the effects above. She retains her magic resistance against her own gaze attack, so she has advantage on the roll, and can also spend any remaining legendary resistance to automatically succeed the check.
Magic Resistance. Ophelia has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Additionally she is, like the Anathema, resistant to Acid, Fire and Lightning damage, whether from spells or other sources. Legendary Resistance: (3/Day). If Ophelia fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead. Virulent Poison: Ophelia's ascension has greatly intensified the potency of her innate poisons compared to normal Yuan-Ti or medusae. Hers is a corrosive neurotoxin created in volume by the snakes that form a halo around her head. Each successful poison attack from her hair does one stage greater damage against hostiles, turning immunity to resistance (half damage), resistance to normal damage, and normal damage to vulnerability (double damage). In addition, successful attacks against her poisonous hair causes 1d4 Acid damage to normal weapons per attack. Though greatly distressed at the loss of any of the snakes, injured ones are healed and missing ones grow back after a long rest. (8 hours of relative inactivity, as she does not sleep). Ever Vigilant. With snakes for hair, she has a unique 360-degree view of her surroundings and doubles her proficiency to passive perception. Those who would sneak up on her must beat a DC of 27 (Passive Perception = 8 + (prof x 2) + wis bonus), and she has advantage on active perception checks during combat. If for some reason the snakes cannot see or hear, her PP drops to its 'natural' score of 20. Immortal Nature: Ophelia is immune to aging effects, and does not need food, air, or sleep.
Actions
Multiattack. Ophelia may use her Petrifying Gaze attack against any valid targets as a free action on her turn, and as a legendary action up to 3x per round at the end of another character's turn. She also makes up to four (4) melee attacks--a piercing + poison with her snake hair, a constrict/restrain attack with her snake-tail if available, and two magical slashing + poison with the Sword of Ophidiel--or two ranged Piercing + Poison attacks with Pit Viper, her enchanted +2 longbow. Snake Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+13 reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 2d4+6 piercing damage plus 6d6 poison damage. Note that Virulent Poison boosts the damage of this poison one level, so effects on targets without resistance are doubled, resistant suffer normal effects, and immune suffer half damage. Note that if somehow Ophelia can be made to poison herself, she would suffer half damage from her own poison. Constrict/restrain. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one Large or smaller creature. Hit: 3d6+6 bludgeoning damage and target is restrained (escape STR save DC 22 at end of creature's next turn). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 3d6+6 bludgeoning damage at the start of each of its turns, and Ophelia can’t constrict another target. Ophelia attacks with melee advantage against her restrained target, and restrained targets have disadvantage on attacks against her, as well as on dex saves. 2 x Shortsword (Sword of Ophidiel). Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+13 reach 5 ft., one target. Damage: 1d8+6 magical slashing plus 2d6 poison damage. The first time it is drawn per hour, it conjures 1d4 x swarm of venomous snakes which act under her guidance with their own action and reaction on her initiative. Any surviving snakes dematerialize when the sword is sheathed. Requires evil alignment and attunement. 2 x Longbow (Pit Viper). Ranged Weapon Attack: 1d20+11 range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8+5 magical piercing plus 2d6 poison. if the attack has advantage or an ally is within 5' of a struck target, the bow also triggers 6d6 sneak attack damage. Requires attunement.
Legendary Actions
Ophelia can take up to 3 legendary actions per round, 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. Ophelia regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn. Petrifying Gaze: Ophelia makes a Gaze Attack on any valid creature within 30', if she can do so without using movement to reach a valid target. Minion Attack. One creature controlled by or allied with Ophelia makes a single attack as a free action, if it can do so without using movement to reach a valid target. A swarm of snakes counts as one creature. Ranged Attack. Ophelia makes a single ranged weapon attack.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Ophelia can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; she can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row.
- Ophelia causes a giant constrictor snake (see the Monster Manual) to appear in any unoccupied space that she chooses within the lair. It vanishes after 1 hour or if it is slain or ever is no longer her ally. She may have a maximum of 4 giant constrictor snakes active in the lair in this manner.
- Up to four giant constrictor snakes that are friendly to Ophelia and that Ophelia can see can use their reactions to move up to their speed and make one weapon attack.
- Twisting roots and vines with a 30' reach arise from the floor, walls or ceiling from a point within 120' of Ophelia, and attempt to grapple and drag or push 1 target up to 30' closer to her, triggering a gaze attack if this brings them within 30' of Ophelia. A DC18 DEX save negates the grapple who does not move, unless the target wishes to.
Ophelia prefers to live in stately enchanted towers, temples or rambling estates built long ago by others. She is hyper-conscious of the advantage of spaces that provide no escape from the 30' range of her petrifying gaze. The area around it may have lovely statues of people and monsters mixed in with abstract works of art, marble fountains fallen into disrepair, and similar old-enchantment charm. Nothing remotely reflective is to be found inside her lair. Ophelia also maintains a harem of female attendants who act as her assistants, administrators, caretakers, maids and entertainment. These NPCs are generally druids or warlocks of her patronage, ranging in strength from level 0 to level 10, with NPC sheets of their own. They will defend her with a fanatical fierceness if it comes to it, but they also provide a greatly moderating presence that restrains Ophelia's more destructive or vindictive tendencies. Any harm coming to any of them will be met with murderous savagery by Ophelia personally.
Regional Effects
- Trees and other plant life become twisted and sinister in appearance within half a mile. Within 100 yards of the lair, 2d4 Awakened Trees will engage any hostiles in a given area and will perform her commands to the best of their abilities.
- The number of venomous snakes within five miles doubles over time, with a corresponding decrease in rats, wild dogs, cats and other small animals.
- People become lost more easily within a mile of the lair. Non-rangers without the outlander's 'wandering' feature have a 10% chance of misreading map directions and/or mistaking one direction for the next one on the compass whenever making a map or travel check.
| Equipment Name | type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet of Mind Blank | Magic Item | Though conferring no Armor bonus, this elegant, Spartan-style mask has deep cheek-slats and a tall dragon (or mer-man?) fin along the crest and back. It works as a ring of mind blank, conferring protection from telepathic detection, clairvoyant examination and, by extension, any charm, command, suggestion or other mind-altering spells as well as any other spell or psionic effects specifically targeting the mind. it is large enough to conceal her long snake hair and gives her advantage on surprise round rolls (where she is surprising others). Requires attunement. |
| Sword of Ophidiel | +2 Magic Weapon | This impossibly-surved kris-bladed shortsword is made of an extraplanar black metal that seems to shift and writhe like a serpent when striking. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+15 reach 5 ft., one target. Damage: 1d8+8 magical slashing plus 2d6 poison damage. The first time it is drawn per hour, it conjures 1d4 x swarm of venomous snakes which act under her guidance with their own action and reaction on her initiative. Any surviving snakes dematerialize when the sword is sheathed. Requires evil alignment and attunement. |
| The Pit Viper | +2 Magic Weapon | This elaborately twisted black and flash-green longbow writhes as if made of actual entwined pit vipers, and hits like a sledgehammer with its own endless supply of magical arrows - no other ammunition is needed and the bow will not fire any other type of arrow. In addition to magically-enhanced 1d8+7 magical piercing damage plus 2d6 poison, the bow adds sneak attack damage as an 11th level rogue 6d6 when the wielder meets the conditions for a rogue sneak attack - including when a person is purposely unable to see Ophelia by averting their gaze, giving her advantage on the attack. Her snake swarm counts as an ally for sneak attack (triggers if she has advantage or if ally is within 5'). Requires attunement. |
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