Medium fiend (demon, shapechanger), chaotic evil
Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (16d8 + 64)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +7 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 (+2) | 14 (+2) | 18 (+4) | 13 (+1) | 15 (+2) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +5, Wis +6, Cha +6
Skills Deception +10, Insight +6
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Immunities (suggested) lightning, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Abyssal, Elvish, Undercommon
Challenge 10 (5900 XP)
Shapechanger. The yochlol can use its action to polymorph into a form that resembles a female drow or giant spider, or back into its true form. Its statistics 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.
Magic Resistance. The yochlol has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spider Climb. The yochlol can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Innate Spellcasting. The yochlol’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +4 to hit with spell attacks ). The yochlol can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will: charm person (suggested), detect thoughts, web
- 1/day: dominate person
Web Walker. The yochlol ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The yochlol makes two melee attacks.
- Multiattack (suggested). The yochlol makes two bite attacks when in spider form or eight tentacle attacks when in demon form.
- Tentacle (suggested in Demon Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (2d4 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
- Slam (Bite in Spider Form). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. (10ft. in demon form), one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning (piercing in spider form) damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage.
- Mist Form. The yochlol transforms into toxic mist or reverts to its true form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying is also transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies. While in mist form, the yochlol is incapacitated and can’t speak. It has a flying speed of 30 feet, can hover, and can pass through any space that isn’t airtight. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to nonmagical damage. While in mist form, the yochlol can enter a creature’s space and stop there. Each time that creature starts its turn with the yochlol in its space, the creature must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of its next turn. While poisoned in this way, the target is incapacitated.
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.
DESCRIPTION
Lolth, the Queen of Spiders, is one of many powers that call the Abyss home. Her infinite maze of black webs fills an entire layer. While Lolth is preoccupied with the affairs of drow throughout the multiverse, she doesn’t ignore the balance of power within the Abyss. The yochlol are her servants in her home layer and her agents on the Outer Planes. No other type of tanar’ri has such a close relationship with a power that inhabits the Abyss; in fact, the yochlol are known as the Handmaidens of Lolth in some circles.
In their natural form, the yochlol bear a passing resemblance to a roper or an alkilith — they’re man-size heaps of amorphous slime, with eight powerful tentacles and a single, glaring, red eye. However, they can also assume the form of beautiful young woman of human or elven race (usually drow), or take the form of a giant black spider.
Like alkiliths, yochlol can assume gaseous form, taking the shape of a small stinking cloud. Some bloods’ve guessed that Lolth chose her handmaidens from the most suitable tanar’ri at hand and modified them for her own purposes, but there’s no way to prove this short of a trip to the Abyss. It’s not surprising that most sages’re happy to leave this particular question unanswered.
Yochlol stand apart from the common tanar’ri causes, existing only to serve their dark mistress in whatever tasks she sets before them. They couldn’t care less about the Blood War. The only part of the Abyss where the yochlol are common is in Lolth’s pits; they don’t leave their home layer except when Lolth commands them to, and even then they’re more likely to be sent to the Prime than any other part of the Abyss.
ORIGINS
The origin of the yochlol is shrouded in mystery and speculation. Some believe that they were once mortal followers of Lolth who were transformed into demons as a reward for their loyalty and devotion. Others suggest that they were created by Lolth from her own essence, or from some ancient and powerful spider-like creatures that she corrupted and enslaved.
Regardless of their origin, the yochlol have always been loyal to Lolth and her schemes. They serve as her eyes and ears in the Abyss and beyond, spying on her enemies and allies alike. They also act as her messengers and emissaries, delivering her commands and threats to those who would oppose or worship her.
BEHAVIOR
The yochlol are cunning and deceptive creatures, adept at manipulating others to serve their own ends. They enjoy tormenting and corrupting mortals, especially those who are faithful to other gods or ideals. They often infiltrate drow societies, posing as priestesses or nobles, and sow discord and strife among them. They also tempt drow with promises of power and favor from Lolth, luring them into traps or betrayals.
The yochlol are not mindless servants, however. They have their own personalities and goals, which sometimes conflict with Lolth’s plans or interests. They can also form genuine friendships or even love with charismatic mortals, though such relationships are often doomed by their loyalty to Lolth or by the hatred of other demons.
The yochlol are feared and hated by most other demons, who see them as favored pets of Lolth and rivals for her attention. The yochlol are immune to attacks from other demons, unless Lolth allows it or orders it. The yochlol often abuse this privilege, taunting and provoking other demons without fear of retaliation.
COMBAT
The yochlol are formidable foes in combat, using their shapechanging abilities to adapt to any situation. They have no fewer than four different body forms, and possess different powers and vulnerabilities in each. They prefer to fight in their spider form, which gives them enhanced speed and strength, as well as venomous fangs that can paralyze their victims. They also use their webbing to entangle or restrain their enemies, or to create traps and barriers.
The yochlol can also fight in their humanoid form, using weapons or spells that suit their disguise. They often use deception and charm to gain an advantage over their opponents, or to avoid combat altogether if possible. They can also switch to their ooze form to escape from harm or to surprise their enemies with a sudden attack.
The yochlol can also assume a gaseous form, which makes them immune to most physical attacks and allows them to pass through small openings or gaps. They can use this form to spy on their targets, or to suffocate them with their foul stench. They can also manifest pseudopods to strike or grapple their foes.
The yochlol are immune to poison and resistant to cold, fire, lightning, and nonmagical weapons. They can also see in the dark and communicate telepathically with other creatures. They are vulnerable to radiant damage, however, and to spells or effects that banish or dispel them.
In their natural amorphous forms, yochlol can attack with each of their eight tentacles, striking for moderate damage each, plus a bonus for their high strength.
In spider-form, yochlol can move freely in webby areas, have an armor class of 15, and can attack once per round for moderate damage. As spiders, their poisonous bite immediately kills their victim unless he or she succeeds with a saving throw against poison.
In human form, yochlol have an armor class of 10 but often use chain or plate mail of drow make to improve their armor class. They favor weapons used by drow, including short swords, hand crossbows, and javelins. Yochlol retain their high strength rating in humanoid form, and strike with a bonus to attack and damage with whatever weapon they use.
In gaseous form, yochlol create a stinking cloud roughly 10 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. Yochlol can’t use any physical attacks or spell-like abilities in this form, but they can make use of their psionic powers. In gaseous form, yochlol are immune to all physical damage and can be injured only by magical cold, magical fire, or magic missiles. A gust of wind spell inflicts severe damage to a yachlol in this form, and a wind walk spell slays the yochlol instantly with no saving throw or magic resistance check.
Generally, a yochlol will carefully evaluate a situation and decide if its mistress’s interests are best served through a deceptive approach of misdirection and subtlety, or a naked show of force. In the first instance, the yochlol hides its true form and uses its beauty and charm to beguile its opponents; in the latter case, it shows itself in its true form.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The yochlol are most commonly found in Lolth’s layer of the Abyss, where they serve as her loyal servants and guardians. They patrol her web-filled realm, keeping watch for intruders and enemies. They also attend to her whims and desires, bringing her offerings and sacrifices, or carrying out her orders and missions.
The yochlol rarely leave Lolth’s layer, unless she commands them to or grants them permission. They may travel to other parts of the Abyss, where they are guaranteed free passage by most Abyssal Lords. Even powerful demons such as Demogorgon or Graz’zt prefer not to aggravate the Spider Queen needlessly, and interfering with Lolth’s handmaidens is a quick way to draw her attention.
The yochlol may also venture to other planes, especially the Prime Material Plane, where they act as Lolth’s agents and emissaries. They often infiltrate drow societies, posing as priestesses or nobles, and sow discord and strife among them. They also tempt drow with promises of power and favor from Lolth, luring them into traps or betrayals. They may also spy on or sabotage other factions or races that oppose or worship Lolth.
The yochlol cooperate with each other surprisingly well, unlike most other demons. They are unswervingly loyal to Lolth and place her interests before their own — a rare characteristic in creatures of chaos and evil. It has been suggested that the Spider Queen maintains some kind of charm or control over her minions to ensure their continued loyalty, but it is more likely that the yochlol are terrified of what she might do to a traitor or a rebel.
The yochlol have no society or culture of their own, apart from their devotion to Lolth. They have no personal goals or ambitions, except to please their dark mistress and earn her favor. They have no friends or allies, except for those who serve Lolth as well. They have no enemies, except for those who oppose or defy Lolth. They live only for Lolth, and die only for Lolth.
ECOLOGY
The yochlol are not natural creatures, but rather the result of Lolth’s twisted experiments and rituals. They are recruited from the numberless ranks of least tanar’ri, the lowest and weakest of the demons, and subjected to unspeakable ceremonies and torture to win their elevated station.
The process of becoming a yochlol is not only painful, but also irreversible. Once a tanar’ri is chosen by Lolth, it can never return to its original form or identity. It loses all memories and connections to its previous life, and becomes a loyal servant of Lolth.
The yochlol are not born, but made. They do not reproduce or age, but exist only as long as Lolth wills it. They do not need to eat or sleep, but sustain themselves on the dark energy of the Abyss and the favor of Lolth. They do not have any natural predators or prey, but may fight or kill other creatures for Lolth’s sake or their own amusement.
The yochlol have no ecological role or impact, apart from serving Lolth’s plans and interests. They do not care about the balance or harmony of nature, but only about the chaos and evil of the Abyss. They do not respect or worship any other power or entity, but only Lolth. They are not part of any ecosystem, but only part of Lolth’s web.