Gargantuan aberration (grell), neutral evil
Armor Class 26 (12 when not implanted in a ship)
Hit Points 112 (9d20+18)
Speed 10 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 (+4) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+2) | 19 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 18 (+4) |
Proficiency Bonus +3
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +4, Con +5, Int +7, Wis +6, Cha +7
Skills Arcana +7, Insight +6, Investigation +7, Perception +6, Religion +7
Damage Immunities lightning
Condition Immunities blinded, prone
Senses blind sight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive perception 16
Languages Grell
Challenge 6 (2,300 X P)
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The grell patriarch makes eleven attacks: ten with its tentacles and one with its beak.
- Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 30 ft. , one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target is paralyzed , and it can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. The target is also grappled (escape DC 17). If the target is Medium or smaller, it is also restrained until this grapple ends. While grappling the target, the grell has advantage on attack rolls against it and can’t use this attack against other targets. When the grell moves, any medium or smaller target it is grappling moves with it.
- Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing 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
The Grell Patriarch is a gargantuan aberration that resembles a colossal floating brain with a ring of tentacles around its beak-like mouth. It is the leader and the most intelligent member of a grell colony, a group of sightless creatures that dwell in the dark depths of the underground or in the vastness of wildspace. The Grell Patriarch has a pale pink-gray to faint purple-pink skin that is tough and leathery, and its tentacles are covered with sharp barbs that can inject a paralyzing venom into its prey. The Grell Patriarch is capable of hovering through the air with ease, using its innate sense of echolocation to navigate through the complex caverns or the starry void. The Grell Patriarch is also a powerful psionic creature, able to manipulate the minds of other beings and communicate telepathically with its colony.
COMBAT
The Grell Patriarch is a formidable opponent in combat, using its size, strength, and psionic abilities to overwhelm its enemies. It can attack with its tentacles and beak, delivering devastating blows and injecting venom into its victims. It can also use its psionics to create illusions, dominate minds, levitate objects, and blast foes with mental force. The Grell Patriarch is not afraid to use its colony as a shield or a distraction, commanding them to swarm and harry its adversaries while it focuses on the most dangerous threats. The Grell Patriarch is also cunning and ruthless, often laying traps or ambushing unsuspecting intruders into its domain. In wildspace, the Grell Patriarch may also use spelljamming ships or asteroids as weapons, hurling them at its foes or crashing into them.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The Grell Patriarch lives in the underground or in wildspace, depending on its preference and opportunity. It prefers dark and secluded areas, where it can establish its colony and hunt for food without much interference from other creatures. The Grell Patriarch is the undisputed ruler of its colony, which consists of grell workers, soldiers, and philosophers. The workers are the most numerous and the least intelligent, responsible for gathering food and maintaining the colony’s lair or ship. The soldiers are slightly more intelligent and stronger, tasked with defending the colony from threats and assisting the patriarch in combat. The philosophers are the most intelligent and rarest, serving as advisors and researchers for the patriarch. The Grell Patriarch communicates with its colony through telepathy, issuing orders and sharing information. The Grell Patriarch is also interested in learning about other cultures and civilizations, often capturing and interrogating prisoners or sending out spies to gather intelligence. In wildspace, the Grell Patriarch may also seek to acquire spelljamming technology or magic items to enhance its power and influence.
ECOLOGY
The Grell Patriarch is an apex predator in the underground or in wildspace, feeding on any creature it can catch and devour. It has a voracious appetite, requiring large amounts of food to sustain itself and its colony. It prefers fresh meat, but will also consume carrion or fungi if necessary. The Grell Patriarch reproduces by budding off smaller grells from its body, which then grow into workers, soldiers, or philosophers depending on their intelligence and strength. The Grell Patriarch has few natural enemies, as most creatures avoid or fear it. However, it may occasionally clash with other powerful denizens of the underground or wildspace, such as drow, mind flayers, beholders, neogi, or illithids.