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Adimarchus/Phaeros (Boss Fight for 5e)

During the early days of 3.5e I ran the Shackled City Adventure Path.  I and my players really enjoyed this first Adventure Path, however, one thing I never liked was the final boss fight with Admiarchus.  The way the battle was designed and the way 3.5e combat rules work it ended up just being a huge slugfest. Of course I was to blame as well for not thinking the battle through ahead of time and improving on it.

I always wanted to revisit this battle to make both Adimarchus and the environment more interesting.  I had my chance in the Clash of the Titans campaign I am running.  I am using Odyssey of the Dragonlords as the skeleton of the plot but letting my players do what they like generally but the plot of the Dragonlords ticks over in the background.  One of the fights in the adventure is with Phaeros, a fallen angel who stole the promethium fire.  As written its a fairly mundane monster manual fight.  Decided to use this opportunity to re-do Admiarchus as Phaeros.  Worked well. Here is the stat block for the fight.  Phase 1 is with scylla as (unbknowekst to the party) Phaeros is trapped inside. Phase 2 is with Phaeros himself.  I purposely made scylla a fairly straightforward fight, nothing fancy going on.  The real battle begins with Phaeros.

The fight went well and took all the 3 hour session but it was enjoyed by all and I am satisfied this version would make for a better Adimarchus boss fight in Shackled City.  Interesting enough, in my original design notes back from 2004/5 I said to remove the spells and turn signature/important ones into actions.  For the game yesterday I left them as is and they ended up being key to the battle. He used (in no particular order) mirror image, command (grovel!), entropic shield, unholy blight (as blight except it does 12d8 damage to good characters and no damage to evil), flame strike, horrid wilting, maze, and song of discord (as the confusion spell but the area of effect is a 20 ft sphere).


Design Note: Scylla is straight out of the book with the exception of the magical deadzone.  I added this because I have 6 level 18 PCs who are heavily magic dependent – I wanted to have some “bump in the road” for them otherwise they would steamroll scylla.

Scylla

Gargantuan monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 444 (24d20 + 192)
Speed 50 ft., swim 50 ft.

STR 30 (+10)
DEX 10 (+0)
CON 26 (+8)
INT 8 (-1)
WIS 18 (+4)
CHA 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Intelligence +10, Wisdom +10, Charisma +11
Skills perception +10
Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 20
Damage Immunities cold
Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, frightened, poisoned, stunned Languages Common, Abyssal Challenge 24 (62, 200 XP)

  • Amphibious. Scylla can breathe air and water.
  • Magic Resistance. Scylla has advantage on saves vs spells and other magical effects.
  • Multiple Heads. Scylla can take one reaction per turn, rather than one per round.
  • Magic Weapons. Scylla’s weapon attacks are magical. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Scylla fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
  • Magic Deadzone aura. Creatures within Scylla’s lair – all of Atlantis – are subject to her magical draining affects.  All spells are cast with disadvantage on both attack and damage dice. Players detect/feel this zone as soon as they enter Atlantis but wont know exactly what it does until they cast a spell or make an Arcana check.

Actions

  • Multiattack. Scylla makes three bite attacks.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d10 + 10) piercing damage + 10 (3d6) poison damage.
  • Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 23 (3d8 + 10) piercing damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. Scylla has twelve tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
  • Cacophonous Dirge. One of Scylla’s heads sings a song. Each creature within 120 feet of Scylla must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by Scylla until the end of Scylla’s next turn. Once the charm effect ends, the creature becomes 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 a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Scylla’s dirge for the next 24 hours.

Legendary Actions

Scylla 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. Scylla regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

  • Attack. Scylla makes one tentacle attack.
  • Move. Scylla can move up to its speed.
  • Song. One of Scylla’s head sings the dirge.

End of phase 1

As the horror of the deep finally collapses, its bloated torso suddenly begins to pulse and throb. A thick tearing sound ripples through the waters, and a deep gash appears in its abdomen. The tip of a glowing blade emerges from inside the beast’s belly as someone — or something — carves its way to freedom.

Seconds later, the fresh wound rips wide open, and a magnificent winged humanoid crawls out of the monster’s stomach. In his right hand he clutches a mighty sword, while his left hand holds a ball of blue fire that blazes bright.

In a voice that booms through the depths, he announces: “The glory of the gods be upon you, brave mortals. By slaying the demonic Scylla, you have freed me to complete my sacred task and restore to power the rightful pantheon of Thylea!”

Ignoring any further attempts to engage him in conversation, the angel flaps his mighty wings and shoots upwards, vanishing as he speeds toward the Shrine Gods.

Start of Phase 2

You hear a faint thrumming in the distance. It grows steadily louder, until it becomes the deafening roar of thunder. A powerful wave rolls across you, nearly knocking you off your feet, and a bright flash illuminates the (city streets) ocean depths.

“Traitors! Blasphemers! Infidels!”

These words of judgment ring out from all around you in an echoing chorus of voices. Suddenly the angel appears, floating high above you. His eyes burn with rage. His face twists into a mask of hatred as he raises his sword high. 

He throws back his head and unleashes a mighty scream. The ground beneath you shakes as the ocean/city itself trembles before the fury of an immortal. Then he plunges towards you, his blade raised to strike you down.

Phase 2 Effects

All gifts reversed until Phaeros is killed:

  • Claudius loses the +4 bonus to CHA and gains a -4 as well.
  • Petra’s master crafted weapons are cursed and do their enhancement bonus as penalty to to-hit and damage rolls.
  • Goodle’s crown does 5 radiant damage each round to him and triggers the timer effect.

Timer (1d4) every 1d4 rounds Goodle’s Sun Crown pulses in radiant light doing 6d8 radiant damage and blinds targets within a 40-foot sphere of Goodle.

DM Note: 3 of my characters received gifts from the forgotten gods which are reversed during this battle.

Phaeros the Angel of Creation/Destruction      (Target DC 21)

Phaeros (Angelic)

Medium celestial (devil, daemon), lawful evil
AC 21 (breastplate of command); HP 525; Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft., swim 150 ft.
STR +8, DEX +6, CON +8, INT +7, WIS +10, CHA +10; +6
Resistances radiant, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that are not cold iron
Immunities acid, cold, fire, lightening, poison; charmedexhaustionfrightened, petrification, poisoned
Senses Truesight 120 ft., pP 24
Languages All, Telepathy 300 ft.; CR 23 (50,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Phaeros’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (+10, DC 21 + bane). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

 

  • Angelic Weapons.
  • Divine Awareness. Phaeros knows if he hears a lie.
  • Golden Tattoos. Phaeros’s golden tattoos grant him complete immunity from critical hits.
  • Legendary Resistance (x3)
  • Magic Resistance. Phaeros has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Promethean Flame (Recharge 6, 1/Turn). Phaeros can cause an opponent to implode with any normal melee attack that deals damage. In addition to taking damage, the target must make a CON (Boon) saving throw or collapse in on itself and be killed instantly. Phaeros may declare after a successful melee attack if he is using this trait. It can be used only once per round.
  • Schizophrenic. Due to Phaeros’ dual nature, he gets two initiative counts per round – one for his angelic form and one for his demonic form. Legendary actions do not reset between forms, but reactions do. Innate Spellcasting is also shared between forms. Both forms have their own independent hit point pools. Once one form is reduced to 0 hit points it no longer acts during the rest of the encounter until it receives healing.
  • Shroud Alignment. Any item, spell or spell like ability that detects or is dependent on alignment will detect Phaeros as good or evil as appropriate. 

ACTIONS (x1)

  • Anarchic Clawed Gauntlet. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) slashing damage plus 27 (6d8) radiant damage (total: 49). If the target is Lawful it does an additional 7 (2d6) slashing damage.
  • Brilliant Energy Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit (vs DEX), reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 42 (8d8 + 6) radiant damage. If the target is a creature that has 100 hit points or fewer, it must succeed on a CON (boon) saving throw or die, and the target must succeed on a STR saving throw or be pulled up to 25 feet toward Phaeros.
  • Razorwings. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6 + 8) slashing damage and scores a critical hit on a 19 or 20. On a critical hit the wings do 64 slashing damage.
  • Healing Touch (4/Day). Phaeros touches another creature. The target magically regains 40 (8d8 + 4) hit points and is freed from any curse, disease, poison, blindness, or deafness.
  • Summon Demon (Timer 1d4). Phaeros by force of will can automatically summon 1d3 +1 glabrezus or Charsultketh the mariltih as a bonus action. The summoned demon appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of him, acts as an ally of, and can’t summon other demons. It remains for indefinitely, until it or Phaeros dies, or until Phaeros dismisses it as a free action.

 

REACTIONS (x2)

  • Razor. When Phaeros is hit by an attack he may use razorwing against the triggering creature so long as it is within 10 ft.
  • Promethean Dispel Magic (1/Turn, Recharge 6). This reaction acts as a counterspell of 9th level. In addition, Phaeros rolls on the DCC dispel magic table (pg. 208) at +10 and may use the result in addition to cancelling the spell if he so wishes.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS (x1*)

*Phaeros has 1 legendary action for each initiative count picking from the appropriate table.  However, once one of his forms is killed he gains 3 legendary actions for the remainder of the fight.

  • Action Economy. Any available spell or action.
  • Phaeros magically teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space he can see.
  • Searing Burst (Costs 2 Actions).Phaeros emits magical, divine energy. Each creature of his choice in a 10-foot radius must make a DEX saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) fire damage plus 14 (4d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  • Blinding Gaze (Costs 3 Actions).Phaeros targets one creature he can see within 30 feet of him. If the target can see him, the target must succeed on a CON (boon) saving throw or be blinded until magic such as the lesser restoration spell removes the blindness.

Phaeros (Demonic)

Medium fiend (demon, daemon), chaotic evil
AC 21 (breastplate of command); HP 525; Speed 50 ft., fly 150 ft., swim 150 ft.
STR +8, DEX +6, CON +8, INT +7, WIS +10, CHA +10; +6
Resistances radiant, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that are not cold iron
Immunities acid, cold, fire, lightening, poison; charmedexhaustionfrightened, petrification, poisoned
Senses Truesight 120 ft., pP 24
Languages All, Telepathy 300 ft.; CR 23 (50,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Phaeros’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 25). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

 

  • Death Throes. When demonic Phaeros dies, he explodes, and each creature within 30 feet of him must make a DEX saving throw, taking 70 (20d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The explosion ignites flammable objects in that area that aren’t being worn or carried, and it destroys Phaeros’s weapons.
  • Fire Aura. At the start of each of Phaeros’s turns, each creature within 5 feet of him takes 10 (3d6) fire damage, and flammable objects in the aura that aren’t being worn or carried ignite. A creature that touches Phaeros or hits him with a melee attack while within 5 feet of him takes 10 (3d6) fire damage.
  • Golden Tattoos. Phaeros’s golden tattoos grant him complete immunity from critical hits.
  • Legendary Resistance (x3)
  • Magic Resistance. Phaeros has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Promethean Flame (Recharge 6, 1/Turn). Phaeros can cause an opponent to implode with any normal melee attack that deals damage. In addition to taking damage, the target must make a CON (Boon) saving throw or collapse in on itself and be killed instantly. Phaeros may declare after a successful melee attack if he is using this trait. It can be used only once per round.
  • Schizophrenic. Due to Phaeros’ dual nature, he gets two initiative counts per round – one for his angelic form and one for his demonic form. Legendary actions do not reset between forms, but reactions do. Innate Spellcasting is also shared between forms. Both forms have their own independent hit point pools. Once one form is reduced to 0 hit points it no longer acts during the rest of the encounter until it receives healing.
  • Shroud Alignment. Any item, spell or spell like ability that detects or is dependent on alignment will detect Phaeros as good or evil as appropriate.
  • Survivor. Phaeros regains 15 hit points at the start of his turn if he has at least 1 hit point.

ACTIONS (x1)

  • Ashen Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) lightning damage. If Phaeros scores a critical hit he does 32 slashing damage and 24 lightning damage. On his first hit each round with the ashen blade, the target must make a DEX (boon) saving throw or be immobilized in a bloom of white-hot fire, taking 73 (21d6) points of fire and lightning damage, on a success the target takes half damage and is not immobilized.
  • Enervating Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage, reducing their maximum hit point total until they take a long rest. Phaeros is healed for the necrotic damage amount.
  • Teleport. Phaeros magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
  • Summon Demon (Timer 1d4). Phaeros by force of will can automatically summon 1d3 +1 glabrezus or Charsultketh the mariltih as a bonus action. The summoned demon appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of him, acts as an ally of, and can’t summon other demons. It remains for indefinitely, until it or Phaeros dies, or until Phaeros dismisses it as a free action.

REACTIONS (x2)

  • Draining Bite. When Phaeros is hit by an attack he may make an enervating tentacle attack against the triggering creature.
  • Promethean Dispel Magic (1/Turn, Recharge 6). This reaction acts as a counterspell of 9th level. In addition, Phaeros rolls on the DCC dispel magic table (pg. 208) at +10 and may use the result in addition to cancelling the spell if he so wishes.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS (x1*)

*Phaeros has 1 legendary action for each initiative count picking from the appropriate table.  However, once one of his forms is killed he gains 3 legendary actions for the remainder of the fight.

  • Action Economy. Any available spell or action.
  • Phaeros uses ashen blade or enervating tentacles.
  • Sow Discord. Phaeros casts crown of madnessor dissonant whispers.
  • Insanity Gaze. The target suffers the effect of the confusionspell without making a saving throw. The effect lasts until the start of Phaeros’s next turn. Phaeros doesn’t need to concentrate on the spell.

DM Note: Target DC represents the AC/DC for all the creatures abilities. I just use one number for the everything the monster does instead of worrying about if its CON the DC should be 18, but if its STR is 19.

Posted in 5e, Clash of the Titans, Dungeons & Dragons, Monstrous Compendium

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