Medium aberration (slaad, shapechanger), chaotic evil
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 170 (20d8 + 80)
Speed 30 ft. (suggested 60 ft.)
Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +8 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 15 (+2) | 19 (+4) | 15 (+2) | 10 (+0) | 16 (+3) |
Skills Arcana +6, Perception +8
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder
Damage Resistances (suggested) acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing and slashing from non magical weapons.
Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages Slaad, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Shapechanger. The slaad can use its action to polymorph into a Small or Medium humanoid, or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.
Innate Spellcasting. The death slaad’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The slaad can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, invisibility (self only), mage hand, major image
- 2/day each: fear, fireball, fly, tongues
- 1/day each: cloudkill, plane shift
Innate Spellcasting (suggested). The death slaad’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The slaad can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components. The death slaad can pick up to three to spell-like powers from those marked as at will:
- At will: advanced illusion, astral spell, cloudkill, darkness, detect magic, detect thoughts, fear, flame strike, invisibility, locate object, see invisibility, unholy word, wind walk.
- 1/day each: fireball, phantasmal killer, symbol.
Magic Resistance. The slaad has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The slaad’s weapon attacks are magical.
Regeneration. The slaad regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point.
Summon Slaadi (suggested, recharge 6). A death slaad can attempt to gate in 1d8 random slaadi (except another death slaad). Note: include this special ability only if you consider the slaadi as fiends native from the plane of Limbo.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The slaad makes three attacks: one with its bite (slaad form) and two with its claws (slaad form) or two with its greatsword (humanoid form).
- Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.
- Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.
- Claws (Suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or suffer the stunned condition for 1d6 rounds.
- Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
A death slaad is a terrifying creature that resembles a humanoid toad with gray skin, red eyes, and sharp teeth. It is a shapechanger that can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid, often using this ability to infiltrate and sabotage civilized societies. A death slaad is infused with negative energy from the Plane of Shadow, and it revels in spreading death and destruction wherever it goes. A death slaad is also a powerful spellcaster, able to cast a variety of spells without any material components.
COMBAT
A death slaad is a formidable opponent in combat, using its innate magic to create illusions, fly, cause fear, hurl fireballs, and even shift planes. It prefers to strike from surprise, using its shapechanging ability to get close to its enemies or to escape when cornered. A death slaad is also proficient with a greatsword, which it uses to slash and stab its foes. Its bite and claws are also deadly weapons, inflicting necrotic damage in addition to physical harm. A death slaad’s natural armor and magic resistance make it hard to injure, and its regeneration allows it to heal quickly from most wounds.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A death slaad originates from the chaotic plane of Limbo, where it is one of the most feared and respected creatures among the slaadi. Slaadi are aberrant beings that embody the primal forces of chaos, constantly changing and mutating in unpredictable ways. They have no fixed society or hierarchy, but rather form temporary alliances based on whim or necessity. A death slaad is often the leader of such alliances, commanding other slaadi with its telepathy and charisma. A death slaad may also serve as an emissary or an agent of Ygorl, the lord of entropy and the ruler of all slaadi.
A death slaad rarely stays in Limbo for long, as it seeks to spread its influence and corruption to other planes. It often leads raids or invasions of other worlds, accompanied by hordes of red and blue slaadi. These lesser slaadi have the ability to infect humanoids with a disease that transforms them into new slaadi, thus increasing their numbers and sowing chaos. A death slaad may also act alone or in small groups, infiltrating or sabotaging civilized societies for its own amusement or agenda.
ECOLOGY
A death slaad is a living engine of entropy, consuming and destroying everything in its path. It has no natural predators or enemies, except for those who oppose its plans or challenge its authority. A death slaad has no need for food or water, but it may eat or drink for pleasure or as part of a disguise. A death slaad does not age or reproduce in a conventional way, but rather evolves and mutates according to the whims of chaos. A death slaad may be created from a blue slaad that is exposed to a powerful source of negative energy, such as a shadow dragon’s breath or a sphere of annihilation. Alternatively, a death slaad may be created by implanting a magic control gem in the brain of a blue slaad. This gem allows whoever possesses it to control the slaad’s actions and thoughts, but also alters its physiology and personality.