Running a 5e conversion of the 2nd edition adventure “A Darkness Gathering” – a campaign I have just called Thoughts of Darkness (heavily inspired by Bloodborne). Its tuned to level 14 characters and my party is made up of 6 to 8 PCs. This is one of the potential sewer encounters on a failed skill check. A pair of bigger more intelligent otyughs.
Update 28/12/2018: Ended up running this as a random encounter right before the characters fought Shuluth. Went well, as expected, high-level player’s overcame this encounter easy enough but it wasn’t a steamroller due to the terrain.
NEO-OTYUGH
Huge aberration, neutral
Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 192 (12d12 + 48)
Speed 30 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 19 (+4) | 8 (-1) | 13 (+1) | 6 (-2) |
Saving Throws CON +7
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 11
Languages Otyugh
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Festering Doom. Black sores appear on the skin, oozing black filth and vital fluids when exposed to healing magic. Every 24 hours that elapse, the target must repeat the saving throw, reducing its HD maximum by 1 on a failure. The disease is cured on a success. This reduction to the target’s HD maximum lasts until the disease is cured. Each time the target is reduced to 50% of their maximum hit points or the target of a healing effect they lose another HD. The target dies if the disease reduces its HD maximum to 0.
Limited Telepathy. The otyugh can magically transmit simple messages and images to any creature within 120 feet of it that can understand a language. This form of telepathy doesn’t allow the receiving creature to telepathically respond.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The otyugh makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its tentacles.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw against disease or become poisoned until the disease is cured. See the festering doom trait for details.
Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) piercing damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 13) and restrained until the grapple ends. The otyugh has two tentacles, each of which can grapple one target.
Tentacle Slam. The otyugh slams creatures grappled by it into each other or a solid surface. Each creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage and be stunned until the end of the otyugh’s next turn. On a successful save, the target takes half the bludgeoning damage and isn’t stunned.
DESCRIPTION
A neo-otyugh is a larger, more intelligent version of a normal otyugh. It conforms to the general characteristics of an otyugh and are even more aggressive in their hunting of prey. Also, the neo-otyugh is slightly better at telepathic communication. Some specimens of these creatures reach 8 feet in diameter. The hide of a neo-otyugh is even tougher than that of an otyugh, although the appearance is similar. Neo-otyughs are very aggressive, much more so than otyughs. Unlike their lesser kin, neo-otyughs often leave their lairs and actively search for prey.
TERRAIN
These neo-otyugh’s are designed to work in the sewer terrain found in Yharnam. They sit at the bottom of 8 feet of water and will attempt to drown any PC they have grappled making them much more dangerous to deal with. They also have to be fought underwater which is another disadvantage the PCs need to deal with. Even worse, the PCs may even try and wade or swim across the pool of water making the otyugh attacks more likely to kill a PC.