The Ringmaster
Medium elf (fey), neutral evil
Armor Class 12 (15 with Mage Armor)
Hit Points 130 (20d8+40)
Speed
30ft
Saving Throws WIS +6, CHA +9
Skills Arcana +6, Deception +9, Nature +6, Perception +6, Performance +13, Persuasion +9
Condition Immunities charmed, sleep
Senses passive Perception 16, Darkvisiion 120 ft.
Languages Common, elvish, sylvan
Challenge 10 (5,900 xp)
Spellcasting. The Ringmaster is a 12th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). He regains his expended spell slots when he finishes a short or long rest. He knows the following warlock spells:
Cantrips (at-will): dancing lights, friends, mage hand, minor illusion, prestidigitation, vicious mockery.
1st-5th level (3 5th-level slots): blink, charm person, dimension door, dominate beast, faerie fire, hold monster, misty step, phantasmal force, seeming, sleep.
Innate Spellcasting. The Ringmaster's spellcasting ability is Charisma. His spell save DC is 17, and he can cast the following spells using no spell components:
At will: disguise self, mage armor (self only), silent image, speak with animals.
Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the Ringmaster fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack: The Ringmaster makes three fey bolt attacks.
Fey Bolt: Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 120 ft. Hit: 10 (1d10+5) force damage.
Bonus Actions
Master of Beasts. The Ringmaster conjures a creature from the below list to a space within 30 ft. if himself. The creature is under the Ringmaster's control and acts on his initiative.
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Displacer Beast
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Hook Horror
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Manticore
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Minotaur
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Nightmare
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Owlbear
The Ringmaster can have up to three of these creatures summoned at a time; if a fourth creature is conjured, the first conjured creature vanishes in a cloud of mist.
Reactions
Narrow Escape. In response to taking damage, the Ringmaster becomes invisible and teleports to an area he can see up to 60 ft away from him. He remains invisible until he attacks, rolls damage dice, or casts a spell.
Not to be Outdone. When a creature the Ringmaster can see scores a critical hit on a weapon or spell attack, the Ringmaster can cause that critical hit to become a normal hit, and the next attack roll the Ringmaster makes is an automatic critical if it hits.
Legendary Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties) of the first three rounds of combat, the Ringmaster takes a Legendary Action according to the following list.
The Show Must Go On (Round 1). The Ringmaster teleports himself and all creatures within 60 ft. of himself to an extra-dimensional space resembling a circus tent, complete with a grandstand filled with an illusory audience. This space occupies a 60 ft. cube, and the area beyond is blocked with an impenetrable wall of force. Any and all magical attempts to leave this space automatically fail unless the Ringmaster chooses to allow it. If the Ringmaster is reduced to zero hp, all creatures in this space are teleported to their original location.
5 Seconds of Fame (Round 2). The Ringmaster chooses a location within 60 ft. of himself. The area within 10 ft. of that location is illuminated with a harsh spotlight. All creatures within that light must make a DC 15 CHA saving throw. On a success, the creature gains advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of their next turn as they are cheered and applauded by the crowd. On a failure, the creature makes all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws at disadvantage until the end of their next turn as their every failure is comically enhanced by the Ringmaster's magic.
This is Getting Ridiculous. (Round 3). In a fit of frustration, the Ringmaster decides to stop playing by the rules. As a cascade of multicolored smoke encircles him, he gains a fly speed of 50 ft. and resistance to all damage types, and gains 10 temporary hp at the beginning of each of his turns.
The Ringmaster was once an elf named Eravel, a street performer who saw fit to brag of his skill to the fey lord Vernus, owner and operator of the Carnival d'Vernus. Eravel claimed that if Vernus granted him a position within the Carnival's grand show, it would be the greatest performance the Carnival had ever seen.
Foolishly, Eravel struck a bargain with the fey lord based on the claim, allowing him to perform as the Carnival's ringleader of the next show. Even more foolishly, Eravel's drunken celebrations the night before the show got the better of him, and his performance was nothing short of disaster. Eravel pleaded with the lord Vernus to grant him one more chance, that he would do anything to make good on their bargain.
He should have run as far from the Carnival as he could, for bargains with fey lords are not to be taken lightly. Vernus bound Eravel to his service in the Carnival; he would not be able to leave until he had delivered the Grandest Show the Carnival had ever seen.
For the past three hundred years, Eravel has been travelling with the Carnival d'Vernus and serving as its Ringmaster, in hopes of putting on the Grandest Show the carnival has ever seen, a feat that will at last earn him his freedom. To this end, he has taken to abducting lowlifes and vagabonds from the cities and towns the Carnival visits, transforming them into new attractions and fodder for the freak shows and the beast tamers.
