MORKOTH – 5e stats

Medium aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 130 (20d8 + 40)
Speed 25 ft., swim 50 ft.

Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +8 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)

STRDEXCONINTWISCHA
14 (+2)14 (+2)14 (+2)20 (+5)15 (+2)13 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +9, Wis +6
Skills Arcana +9, History +9, Perception +10, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 11 (7200 XP)

Amphibious. The morkoth can breathe air and water.

Spellcasting. The morkoth is an 11th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The morkoth has the following wizard spells prepared:

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The morkoth makes three attacks: two with its bite and one with its tentacles or three with its bite.
  • Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage.
  • Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 14) if it is a Large or smaller creature. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and takes 15 (3d8 + 2) bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the morkoth’s turns, and the morkoth can’t use its tentacles on another target.
  • Hypnosis. The morkoth projects a 30-foot cone of magical energy. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed by the morkoth for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, the target tries to get as close to the morkoth as possible, using its actions to Dash until it is within 5 feet of the morkoth. A charmed target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature has advantage on saving throws against the morkoth’s Hypnosis for 24 hours.

REACTIONS

  • Spell Reflection. If the morkoth makes a successful saving throw against a spell, or a spell attack misses it, the morkoth can choose another creature (including the spellcaster) it can see within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the morkoth. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the attack roll is rerolled against the chosen creature.
  • Spell Reflection (suggested). If the morkoth makes a successful saving throw against a spell, or a spell attack misses it, the morkoth can choose another creature (including the spellcaster) it can see within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the morkoth. If the spell forced a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save. If the spell was an attack, the attack roll is rerolled against the chosen creature. If a dispel magic is cast in the same round, then the Morkoth spell suffers disadvantage on its saving throw to reflect the spell, but the Morkoth can attempt a saving throw to resist the dispelling effect.

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 morkoth is a monstrous aberration that resembles a cross between a squid and a lobster. It has a round, bulbous head with eight thick, octopus-like tentacles extending downward, and lobster-like legs protruding from its side. It has two large, bulging eyes and a beaked maw with many sharp teeth visible even when its mouth is shut. Its skin is black with patches of luminescence that glow faintly in the deep gloom. A morkoth can grow up to 6 feet long, but older specimens can be even larger.

A morkoth is also known as the “wraith of the deep”, as it lurks in tunnels hoping to lure its victims into a trap from which they cannot escape. The descriptions given by those who have encountered morkoths contain considerable variation, so no one is certain what they really look like. They may have fins for arms and legs that vaguely resemble those of humans, and a number of fins for navigation and propulsion in the depths. Morkoths have blindsight with a 90-foot range. They speak their own language.

COMBAT

A morkoth is a cunning and ruthless predator that uses its hypnotic powers to charm and ensnare its prey. It lives at the center of six spiraling tunnels, each of which leads to a central chamber. These tunnels are narrow (only one medium sized creature may enter at a time). As a victim passes over a tunnel, he is drawn in by a hypnotic pattern, which leads him toward the central chamber.

As the victim is drawn into the central chamber, he approaches the morkoth without realizing it and must roll a successful wisdom saving throw or be charmed. A charmed creature tries to get as close to the morkoth as possible, using its actions to dash until it is within 5 feet of the morkoth. A charmed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success.

A morkoth can also use its bite and tentacles to attack. It can make three attacks per round: two with its bite and one with its tentacles or three with its bite. Its bite deals slashing damage, while its tentacles deal bludgeoning damage and grapple the target if it is a large or smaller creature. A grappled target is restrained and takes bludgeoning damage at the start of each of the morkoth’s turns, and the morkoth can’t use its tentacles on another target.

A morkoth is highly resistant to magic. It reflects any spell that is cast at it back to the caster, including spells with an area of effect. If a dispel magic is simultaneously cast with a spell, there is a chance the morkoth will be unable to reflect it, though it is entitled to a saving throw.

A morkoth is resistant to nonmagical physical damage and has darkvision, making it adept at hunting in the dark depths of the sea. It can also breathe air and water, allowing it to ambush unsuspecting victims on land or in water.

HABITAT / SOCIETY

A morkoth lives in an isolated island or an underwater sanctum that it shapes with its magic. It collects everything odd, unusual, and valuable that it can find, using them as bait or bargaining chips. It has no interest in treasure or magic items for their own sake, only for their usefulness in attracting food or allies. A morkoth is aware of any new arrival on its island or sanctum, and can locate any creature or object on it as an action.

A morkoth is generally solitary and views most other races with disdain, suspicion, or indifference. It values almost nothing except food, which it consumes voraciously. It sometimes strikes deals with other evil races, such as krakens, sahuagin, or aboleths, helping them in exchange for a slave or two, which it usually eats in a short time. A morkoth revels in subterfuge and betrayal, and will turn on its allies the moment it is greatly advantageous for it to do so.

A morkoth rarely leaves its tunnels. The tunnels are originally natural, but are slowly carved over the course of centuries by the morkoths so that the central chamber grows larger. Morkoths sometimes build their tunnels near hot air vents, so the water in morkoth lairs may be warmer than normal.

Morkoths realize that other intelligent creatures like treasure, so they collect belongings from the creatures they kill to use in bargaining with other creatures. They place no value on gold or gems or even magical items. Morkoths enjoy deception above all else. They do not enslave their victims, if only because their appetites are so fierce that slaves would not survive long.

ECOLOGY

A morkoth is an aberration that does not fit into the natural order of things. It is a product of ancient experiments by mind flayers, who sought to create a perfect slave race that could serve them in any environment. The mind flayers failed in their attempt, creating instead a race of independent and rebellious creatures that escaped their control and fled into the depths of the sea. There they multiplied and spread across the world, hiding in remote islands or underwater lairs.

A morkoth has a lifespan of 80 to 100 years for males, but females are immortal unless killed by violence or disease. Females are extremely rare, however, and only one in a thousand morkoths is female. A female morkoth lays hundreds of eggs every century, which hatch into male offspring that she cares for until they are old enough to fend for themselves. A female morkoth is highly sought after by other morkoths, who will fight each other for the chance to mate with her and produce more offspring. A female morkoth can also mate with other aquatic races, such as tritons or merfolk, producing hybrid offspring that inherit some of her traits.

Once every ten years, a morkoth leaves its tunnels and wanders the seas searching for a mate, leaving a distinctive odor trail that is easy for morkoths to identify and follow. After mating, the male morkoth returns to its tunnels and the female lays a clutch of about 25 eggs, which she buries in the ocean floor. She then dies. The eggs hatch in two months, and the immature morkoths struggle to survive, instinctively searching for vacant tunnels. Most hatchlings die on this journey.

A morkoth is carnivorous and will eat nearly any sea creature. Its usual diet is deep-water creatures such as sharks, octopi, kuo-toas, and sahuagin.