By Alan McCoy from Dungeons & Dragons: Fundamentals
How to build challenging encounters against a Lamia
Note: This has been prepared utilizing only the 5E Core Rules. The Lamia can be found in the Monster Manual page 201, because the Jackalwere (MM p. 193) and the Jackal (MM p. 331) are so closely linked to the Lamia, it is strongly suggested that you read those entries as well.
The Lamia is a Demon spawned by the Demon Lord Graz’zt from his mortal servants. They are sometimes called into being to protect a site or items that are important to Graz’zt, but not always.
He sometimes creates them just to see their horrible effects as they spread their evil.
The Lamia appears as a beautiful humanoid upper body that emerges from a powerful leonine form, having the body and limbs of a large lion. The Claws of the Lion part are large and black, advertising their love of torture and vicious nature.
When in its true form, the Lamia is a Large Sized Creature.
The Lamia has, as one of its spell-like abilities, use of a DISGUISE SELF spell variant that enables them to assume the form of any humanoid they choose. The Lamia will have several ‘costumes and roles’ prepared to enable it to pose as a damsel in distress or whatever ruse it thinks will best enable it to seduce and destroy its victim.
When in this assumed form, the Lamia is a Medium Sized Creature.
The Lamia tend to favor desert environments, specifically old ruins within the desert. There they use their powers to restore them and send their Jackalwere servants to acquire servants to populate them.
Once complete, what was once a ruin is now a grand pleasure palace. The forgotten cities of ancient powerful races, or the shrine erected over the tomb of an ancient king are both excellent places to set up a lair.
With a strongly civilized appreciation of beauty, the Lamia’s lair often has fountains, pools and breathtaking gardens on the outskirts and interiors of elegantly appointed apartments and opulent rooms, all tended by many eager slaves.
As mentioned, the Lamia itself rarely ventures out of its lair, instead it sends its Jackalwere servants to capture slaves, or to steal treasures from caravans and villages unfortunate enough to be within striking distance of the lair.
The Lamia greatly enjoy their pleasure filled hedonistic existence, but that isn’t the primary purpose for the creation of the ornate lair. The Lamia is Demon-Spawn and one of their purposes is to seduce the pure and good people of the world, forever tainting them and making them unfit to serve as servants of the Gods.
The Lamia will have within their lair a scrying pool that enables them to examine potential victims. They prize beauty and strength and will go to great lengths to seduce and capture these victims first.
The Lamia, being part lion enjoys toying with its prey before consuming it. Once the prey becomes boring, it will probably become dinner.
One final consideration:
Whenever possible, the Lamia avoid engaging in direct combat, far preferring to utilize their slaves to fight the battle.
Step 1) Let’s Review what we know about the Lamia
Physically the Lamia are Strong (+3), Dexterous (+1), and Tough (+2).
Mentally the Lamia are Smart (+2), Insightful (+2), and have great presence (+3).
Lamia are either created with, or learn proficiency with Deception (+7), Insight (+4) and Stealth (+3).
Lamia have Darkvision (60-foot) and a passive perception of 12.
Lamia can move 30 feet per round.
Lamia are Innate Spellcasters, able to cast Disguise Self and Major Image at will; Charm Person, Mirror Image, Scrying and Suggestion up to three times a day each, and they can lay a Geas one time per day.
If forced into combat, the Lamia makes two attacks, one with its dagger or intoxicating touch and one with its claws.
The intoxicating touch curses the target for one hour, during that time it has disadvantage on all wisdom-based saving throws.
Step 2) Determine the probable Strategy/Tactics
Lamia utilize a strategy of isolation and deception.
First, they settle in out of the way places where they can control all the variables of life and presence of any distraction that might cause a victim to regain its senses.
The Lamia will keep a close watch on it’s territory by using its ability to scry on its domain. When it detects suitable prey within it will utilize its major image spell to create appropriate set dressing and its magical ability to disguise self to match the race of the target in question.
Using wine, dancing slaves and other enticements, perhaps scented incense that has more than incense to fog the mind, the Lamia will employ its Intoxicating touch to thoroughly confuse and remove any resistance from its target’s will.
If all goes well, the fallen hero will be lamenting their fall in the dungeons (larder) in the morning.
If all does not go well, the Lamia will summon its Jackalwere servants and its many slaves to do the physical fighting while it escapes.
If forced into actual melee, the claws of the Lamia can do large amounts of damage, though if there are “allies” on the field, it is more likely to Dodge vs attack.
The Lamia will make use of any available cover and concealment and will, given the chance, transform using Disguise Self into the guise of a slave.
Step 3) DM Tips and Observations
For inspiration on Lamia society, I suggest you read RH Heinlein’s Farnham’s Freehold with special attention to the “Lord Protector” and his rule over his subjects.
I believe that a large size creature’s base move should be 40-feet per round, if you choose to do this, then it is also necessary to increase the Darkvision to 80 feet (not useful to be able to dash if you cannot see).
I personally hate dictated Multiattack combinations. If I were the designer, I would give them two claw attacks as an action, and a dagger or touch attack as a bonus action.
Armor Class 13. This is equivalent to Leather armor + Dexterity.
In Second Edition, they had an AC of 3, this is equivalent of Plate mail without a shield.
I would change the AC for 5E to 17.