Bringer of plague, scourge of life, rotter of flesh. A champion of pestilence, at least by itself, is the least directly destructive of the apocalypse dragoons. Its presence foments and incites diseases to spread and linger, making them almost impossible to cure. In combat, the champion inflicts the unraveller, a magical disease that turns the mightiest warrior into a mewling babe. Appearing as a rotting undead centaur leaking putrid contagion, these foul creatures contaminate everything they come into contact with. A champion of pestilence exists to prove the fragility of living flesh. Rot and infection are its evidence, dismantling mighty dragon and humble commoner alike.
CHAMPION OF PESTILENCE
Large undead, chaotic evil
Armor Class 18 (plate)
Hit Points 352 (28d10 + 198)
Speed 60 ft.
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 (+2) | 12 (+1) | 25 (+7) | 19 (+4) | 22 (+6) | 26 (+8) |
Saving Throws Con +14, Int +11, Wis +13, Cha +15
Skills Arcana +11, Medicine +20, Perception +13, Religion +11
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, stunned, unconscious
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 23
Languages understands all languages but cannot speak
Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)
TRAITS
Aura of Contagion. At the start of each of the champion’s turns, each flesh-and-blood creature within 120 feet of it must attempt a DC 23 Constitution saving throw. If a creature fails three saving throws against this feature, it contracts a magical disease called the unraveller. These failures need not be consecutive—keep track of a creature’s accumulated failed saving throws. A creature’s number of failed saving throws resets to zero when it finishes a short or long rest.
Creatures afflicted with the unraveller take double damage from all sources, deal half damage with weapon and spell attacks, and automatically fail saving throws and ability checks.
Feast Upon Pestilence. When a flesh-and-blood creature fails a saving throw against one of the champion’s abilities or spells, the champion gains 20 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last for 1 minute.
Herald of the Apocalypse. The champion cannot be compelled to act in a manner that prevents it from causing pestilence and disease to living creatures.
Noxious Poisons. When the champion would deal poisondamage, it can choose to deal necrotic damage instead.
Spellcasting. The champion is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 23, +15 to hit with spell attacks). The champion can cast the following spells without the need for verbal or material components:
- Cantrips (at will): infestation, poison spray
- 4/day each (as a 5th-level spell): confusion, contagion, dispel magic, ray of sickness
- 3/day each (as a 7th-level spell): cloudkill, feeblemind
- 2/day each (as a 9th-level spell): blight, maddening darkness.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The champion casts a spell and then casts two cantrips or casts a spell and makes an attack.
Mass Infection (Recharge 5–6). The champion casts a spell that targets a single creature. The range of the spell is increased to 300 feet and the champion may target any number of creatures of its choice within range.
Plague Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +15 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The creature must immediately attempt a DC 23 Constitution saving throw as though affected by the champion’s Aura of Contagion ability.
Ref: TPKB1 p36