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Pharsis the Everqueen

Named after a Xenoblade Chronicles X super boss but based on the alien xenomorph queen, my PCs took on one of Pharsis’ progeny – a juvenile broodmother. Was a great fight as the PCs had no idea what they were facing.  I had no prepared anything and because I figured she was a juvenile version I just gave her disadvantage on everything and that, along with smart play, probably saved the party from a TPK.  Here is the world-anvil rollable version.



Pharsis, the EverqueenCR: 24 (62,000 XP)

Huge monstrosity (aberration, engineered life), neutral evil
Armor Class: [15 plus average of party to-hit] or 20
Hit Points: [Total HPs of the party] or 600
Speed: 50ft Swim: 50ft Climb: 50ft

STR

26 +8

DEX

28 +9

CON

30 +10

INT

12 +1

WIS

18 +4

CHA

4 -3

Damage Resistances: cold; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from attacks that aren’t silvered; -1 on all damage die rolls
Damage Immunities: fire, poison
Condition Immunities: poisoned, immobilized, restrained
Senses: truesight 60 ft.
Languages: Aklo

Bonesword Weapons. The broodmother’s weapon attacks are magical. Chaotic Regeneration. Any fire and poison damage heals the broodmother back to full hit points. Cold and radiation damage heals her for half the damage inflicted. She still suffers the other effects of radiation, however. Legendary Magic Resistance (3/Day). The broodmother has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. She can also automatically succeed on a failed saving throw up to three times a day. Malignant Life Aura. Any creature with the poisoned condition that starts its turn within 30 feet of the broodmother must make a CON saving throw with disadvantage. On a failed save, the target vomits up Grendalspawn Larval Swarm. Once outside their host the newborn grendelspawn are harmless and attempt only to escape. However, the target takes 5d6 necrotic damage. If this attack reduces the target to 0 hit points, they are instead killed as the alien swarm tear their way out of the infested creatures stomach.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The broodmother makes four attacks: Gore, two Rending Claws and a Toxin Spike attack. She may also substitute an attack and instead manifest a psionic ability instead. Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d6+8 ) piercing damage and 21 (6d6 ) acid damage and the target gains the Poisoned condition. If the target is immune to the Poisoned condition, it instead looses its immunity and is now only resistant. Rending Claws. Melee Weapon Attack:1d20+14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8+8 ) slashing damage or 68 slashing damage on a critical. This attack scores a critical hit on 17-20. If this attack hits but does not score a critical hit, the broodmother can add one of the following psionic effects to the attack:

  • Contagion (1/Turn). The target gains the Poisoned condition. If the target is immune to the Poisoned condition, it instead looses its immunity and is now only resistant.
  • Bio-Plasma (1/Day). A creature targeted by this spell must make a CON saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 10d6+40 force damage, or half as much on a success. The target is disintegrated if this damage leaves it with 0 hit points.
  • Containment Spores (1/Day). The broodmother to drives a good aligned creature back to its home plane. The creature must succeed on a CHA saving throw or be sent back to its home plane (if it isn’t there already). If they aren’t on their home plane, undead are sent to the Shadowfell, and fey are sent to the Feywild.

 Toxin Spike. Melee Weapon Attack: 1d20+14 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10+8 ) bludgeoning damage and the target gains the Poisoned condition. If the target is immune to the Poisoned condition, it instead looses its immunity and is now only resistant. Regurgitator (Recharge 5-6, or Timer 1d4). The broodmother exhales a stream of immature spawn in a 90-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DEX saving throw, taking 21 (6d6 ) piercing and 21 (6d6 ) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Creatures damaged by this attack also gain the Poisoned condition. If the target is immune to the Poisoned condition, it instead looses its immunity and is now only resistant. 

BONUS ACTIONS

Trill. The alien creature starts to sing and one of the following effects occur until the broodmother stops singing or is otherwise silenced or incapacitated. She can have all songs going at the same time, if she does, additional mouths appear on her body. So long as the target can hear the alien trilling, they are subject to its effects:

  • Stupefaction Warble. The singing of the broodmother cause all enemies who hear her to become confused and distracted as the far-realm singing seems to whisper unsettling secrets and make unseemly promises – though its compolelty incomprehensible to non-grendalspawn. Creatures that can hear the Stupefaction Warble must make a WIS saving throw. Creatures of level/CR 5 or lower automatically fail the saving throw, creatures who succeed the saving throw have -2 on saving throws, attack rolls, ability and skill checks. Those who succumb to the spell must act at the whims of the warble’s violent frenzy. Roll 1D6 each round: 1-Take no action, listen paralyzed to the prism’s whispering. 2-Attack nearest foe. 3-Attack nearest ally. 4-Attack nearest possible target. 5-Attack self. 6-May act normally.
  • Paroxysm. The broodmother debilitates her enemies by triggering every nerve and pain receptor in their bodies, overwhelming their senses with wracking fits of agony. Technically trade this as the Slow spell, once a creature saves, they are immune to this effect.
  • Strange Piping. The crescendo of the broodmothers “singing” is both alien, terrible and awesome, as it breaks the minds of creatures who are not grendalspawns. At the start of each turn each character takes 10 psychic damage.

REACTIONS

Transfer Suffering. As a reaction to having a condition imposed on her or taking damage, a broodmother can transfer the imposed condition, harmful spell effect or attack damage from herself to a grendalspawn that is currently within her Malignant Life Aura or to any creature that has the Poisoned condition.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

The broodmother has 3 legendary actions and gains an additional legendary action for each 6 enemies she faces, 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. The broodmother regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.

  • Gory Arrival. This ability allows the broodmother to teleport herself from her current location to any other spot within 500 feet or to any spawn that is within 1 mile of her. She arrives at exactly the spot desired. On arrival, she explodes out from her spawn, destroying it entirely.
  • Tail Stinger The broodmother makes a Toxin Spike attack.
  • Regenerate (1/Day). The broodmother regains 4d8+15 hit points and then 1 hit point at the start of each of her turns for next 1 hour (10 hit points each minute).
  • The Horror (1/Day). The terrifying psychic presence of the broodmother radiates out to a 10-foot radius sphere entered on her, flooding the minds of the hives’ enemies and causing them to quail and panic. This barrier remains centered on the broodmother and hedging out creatures other than undead and constructs. The barrier lasts for 1 hour and can be dispelled with a level 5 dispel magic spell. The barrier prevents an affected creature from passing or reaching through. An affected creature can cast spells or make attacks with ranged or reach weapons through the barrier. If the broodmother moves so that an affected creature is forced to pass through the barrier, the effect ends.
  • Psyker Dead Zone (1/Day). The broodmother is a bio-weapon from a long forgotten Ancient’s war. She has a null-rod embedded into her skull. The null rod, once activated, creates a 10-foot radius barrier centered on the broodmother which nullifies all magic entering its area of effect, it otherwise is identical to the antimagic-field spell. Note, that this legendary action will suppress the effects of The Horror while active. The null rodforms part of a broodmothers hoard. It is a wondrous magic item that can cast antimagic-field 1/day.
  • Well of Life (Costs 2 Actions). The broodmother can unleash the primal life energy within her body to either heal herself or an ally she touches for 27 (6d8 ) hit points. Alternatively, the broodmother pulses with the primal energy of corrupted life causing 27 (6d8 ) radiant damage to all creatures within 30 feet of her, and half that damage out to 60 feet. A successful CON save halves the damage.

LAIR ACTIONS

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the broodmother takes the Mother’s Call lair action:

  • Mother’s Call. Every living grendalspawn will come to the defence of the broodmother. A group of grendalspawns joins the battle every turn. To determine the composition of the grendalspawn group that turns roll 1d6 for type – 1-5, 2d3 Grendalspawn Hunter, 6 Grendalspawn Eviscerator(50% chance 2d3 hunters accompany the eviscerator).

The lair of the broodmother xenomorph, is typically a dark and industrial-looking environment. It is often characterized by twisted metal corridors, pipes, and vents. The walls are usually made of a hard, black, organic material that is similar in appearance to the grendalspawn’s exoskeleton. The lair is dimly lit, with flickering lights and shadows casting an eerie glow. The atmosphere is humid, hot and oppressive, with a strong smell of burning metal and organic compounds. The lair is also filled with the sounds of hissing and dripping, as well as the eerie, mechanical noises made by the xenomorphs themselves.

Looking similar to her progeny – the hunter and eviscerator – the broodmother has a distinctive appearance, with a sleek black exoskeleton, a long, serrated tail, and a large, elongated head with a protruding jaw and sharp teeth. She also has two sets of arms, with the second set located lower on her torso, which are used to manipulate objects and defend herself. The broodmother, or Queen, is the ruler of her hive, and is responsible for laying the eggs from which the grendalspawn hatch. She is fiercely protective of her eggs and will defend them at all costs, using her powerful jaws and tail to attack any perceived threats. She is also highly intelligent and capable of complex problem-solving, making her an even more formidable adversary.

 NB: To create a juvenile version of the queen use the same statblock, but she has disadvantage on attack rolls, and characters have advantage on all saving throws.

Posted in 5e, Dungeons & Dragons, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Monstrous Compendium, Science-Fantasy, Skyfortress of the Space Wizards, The Ninth World

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