With the Oriental Adventure conversions complete back to my actual campaign which involves a tournament to win the Mortal Blade. To make sense of these entries you will need to look at the adventure flowchart which gives context and explains my changes but it’s essentially a conversion of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament but with a lot more anime/manga tropes pertinent to a “Tournament Arc“.
This was an exhibition competition which my PCs participated in.
SHENZUZHO the HEADLESS
Huge undead (yokai), neutral evil
Armor Class 15 (tattered ghostly armor)
Hit Points 189 (14d12 + 98)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
25 (+7) 9 (-1) 24 (+7) 3 (-3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1)
Saving Throws STR +11, CON +11, WIS +4
Skills Athletics +11, Perception +4
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that are not crystal
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common (can’t speak)
Challenge 12 (8,400 XP)
Sickly Blue-Green Cloud. All creatures within 5 feet of the headless are slowed. This effect ends the moment the creature leaves the aura. A creature that is using divine confetti is immune to this effect.
Telegraphed Attacks. The headless is tough but slow and lumbering, and its attacks are slow, and it does not defend itself. All attacks against the creature have advantage.
Shenzuzho’s Rage (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). As a bonus action, the headless can enter a rage at the start of its turn. The rage lasts for 1 minute or until the headless is incapacitated. While raging, the headless gains the following benefits:
- The undead has advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws
- When it makes a melee weapon attack, the giant gains a +4 bonus to the damage roll.
- The undead has resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The headless makes two attacks with its Ghostly Purple Daikatana.
Ghostly Purple Daikatana. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 26 (3d12 + 7) slashing damage, or 30 (3d12 + 11) slashing damage while raging. A target hit by this attack, and the target must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw against being terrified. On a failed save, the creature is frightened, it has the urge to run away. It must repeat the saving throw the next time it is hit. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is paralysed with fear for 1 minute. On a third hit the creature drops to 0 hit points and is dying.
Wind Step. The headless turns invisible and teleports up to 240 feet next to a target and then makes a Ghostly Purple Diakatana attack.
TREASURE
Shenzhuzhu Sugar. This sugar grants Shenzuzho’s Rage.
DESCRIPTION
A headless is a type of undead from Toshigoku – the realm of slaughter – that has been enslaved by magic. He who possess its earthly head controls its spirit body. If the head is destroyed or no one commands, it the spirit will tend to stay where it was left slaughtering anything that comes near. It makes a strange keening sound when it attacks and has a sickly bluish orange aura.