Spirit of Pain and Vengeance: Boglurker
Cervus megaceros, by Harry Johnston, CC0 via Biodiversity Heritage Library
The unnatural wail that emanates from beyond the fog is no bobcat’s caterwaul or moose’s long call. It belongs to the boglurker, a gruesome guardian of dank marshlands.
Boglurkers
Formed of petrified wood and animal bones infused with the spirit of a murdered tree guardian, boglurkers are viciously territorial. Appearing to be nothing more than half-submerged tree roots or the decaying remains of a drowned beast, boglurkers lay in wait for the hapless victims that cross into its protected lands.
Terror-torial. The boglurker is an extremely hardy undead creatures and not easily turned away while within its own lair. Although it rarely pursues trespassers beyond its territory, only the boglurker knows for sure where that unseen borderline lies.
Hazardous Hinterland. Marshes haunted by boglurkers are avoided and condemned as impassable by most travelers, and even daring adventurers prefer to detour around such places of death and decay.
Keening Dread Spirits. When it senses a powerful undead, one that shares its rage and abhorrence at those living beings who desecrate the lands with their very existence, a boglurker may serve such a creature, even allowing it to ride upon its back.
BOGLURKER CHALLENGE 9
LARGE UNDEAD 5,000 XP
AC 19 (natural armor)
HP 136 (13d10 + 65; bloodied 68)
Speed 50 ft.
Initiative Dex +0 (10), Insight +6 (16), Perception +2 (12)
STR: 17 (+3) DEX: 11 (+0) CON: 20 (+5)
INT: 9 (–1) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 10 (+0)
Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 15
Saving Throws Str +3, Dex +0, Con +9, Int –1, Wis +2, Cha +0
Skills Insight +6, stealth +4
Damage Immunities poison
Damage Resistances Fire, damage from nonmagical weapons
Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Common, Sylvan, Druidic, but can not speak
Righteous Anger. While in its lair, the boglurker has advantage on any saving throws against being turned.
False Appearance. While the boglurker remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from an animal carcass or fallen bogwood tree.
Deathroot Spurns. When the boglurker hits with a melee attack, it does an additional 4 (1d8) piercing damage (included in the attack).
In addition, the ground within 15 feet of the Bogwalker is difficult terrain.
Trampling Charge. If the boglurker moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a gore attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the boglurker can make one stomp attack against it as a bonus action.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The boglurker makes 1 gore attack and 2 hooves attacks or 3 hooves attacks.
Gore. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Stomp. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one prone creature. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) piercing damage.
Combat
A boglurker takes advantage of its false appearance, allowing trespassers a false sense of security before rising up. It then rushes in with a trampling charge gore attack against a surprised creature, stomping it if it falls prone. It uses its Speed to move swiftly around the battlefield when it senses it may get cornered or surrounded.
BOGRIDER LICH CHALLENGE 21
MEDIUM UNDEAD 33,000 XP
AC 18 (natural armor)
HP 170 (20d8 + 80; bloodied 85)
Speed 30 ft.
Initiative Dex +3 (13), Insight +10 (20), Perception +10 (20)
STR: 12 (+1) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: 18 (+4)
INT: 20 (+5) WIS: 16 (+3) CHA: 16 (+3)
Proficiency +7; Maneuver DC 18
Saving Throws Str +1, Dex +3, Con +11, Int +12, Wis +10, Cha +3
Skills Arcana +12 (+1d6), History +12, Insight +10, Perception +10, Religion +12
Damage Immunities Poison, damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Resistances cold, lightning
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigued, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages any six
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). The lich’s body or vestments are warded with three protective runes. When the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does so, one of its protective runes disappears.
Rejuvenation. The lich is a 16th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The lich has the following wizard spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost
1st-level (4 slots): detect magic, shield, silent image, thunderwave
2nd-level (3 slots): blur, detect thoughts, invisibility, acid arrow
3rd-level (3 slots): animate dead, dispel magic, fireball
4th-level (3 slots): blight, confusion, dimension door
5th-level (2 slots): cloudkill, geas, scrying
6th-level (1 slot): create undead, disintegrate
7th-level (1 slot): finger of death, teleport
8th-level (1 slot): power word stun
Tongueless Utterance. Unless a spell has only a vocal component, the lich can cast the spell without providing a vocal component.
Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Undead Nature. A lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
ACTIONS
Paralyzing Touch.Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (4d6 + 5) cold damage. The target makes a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
Arc Lightning. The lich targets up to 3 creatures within 60 feet. Each target makes a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 28 (8d6) lightning damage.
Ray of Frost (Cantrip; S). Ranged Spell Attack: +12 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d10) cold damage.
Thunderwave (1st-Level; S). Thunder rolls from the lich in a 15-foot cube. Each creature in the area makes a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 9 (2d8) thunder damage and is pushed 10 feet from the lich. On a success, a creature takes half damage and is not pushed.
Blur (2nd-Level; V, Concentration). The lich’s form is blurred. Attack rolls against it are made with disadvantage unless the attacker has senses that allow them to perceive without sight or to see through illusions (like blindsight or truesight).
Fireball (3rd-Level; S, M). Fire streaks from the lich to a point within 120 feet and explodes in a 20-foot radius, spreading around corners. Each creature in the area makes a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.
Cloudkill (5th-Level; S, M, Concentration). The lich creates a 20-foot radius sphere of poisonous, sickly green fog within 120 feet. The fog can spread around corners but not change shape. The area is heavily obscured . A strong wind disperses the fog, ending the spell early.
Until the spell ends, when a creature enters the area for the first time on its turn or starts its turn there, it takes 5d8 poison damage.
The fog moves away from the lich 10 feet at the start of each of its turns, flowing along the ground. The fog is thicker than air, sinks to the lowest level in the land, and can even flow down openings and pits.
Confusion (4th-Level; S, M, Concentration). Each creature within 10 feet of a point the lich can see within 120 feet makes a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, becoming rattled until the end of its next turn on a success. On a failure, a creature is confused for 1 minute and can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Disintegrate (6th-Level; S, M). The lich disintegrates a target within 60 feet. A Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, or a 10-foot-cube section thereof, is automatically destroyed. A creature makes a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 75 (10d6 + 40) force damage on a failed save. If reduced to 0 hit points, the creature and its nonmagical gear are disintegrated, and the creature can be restored to life only with true resurrection or wish.
Finger of Death (7th-Level; S). A creature within 60 feet makes a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, taking 61 (7d8 + 30) necrotic damage on a failed saving throw or half damage on a success. A humanoid killed by this spell turns into a zombie under the lich’s control at the start of the lich’s next turn.
Power Word Stun (8th-Level; V). The lich targets a creature within 60 feet. If the target has more than 150 hit points, it is rattled until the end of its next turn. Otherwise, it is stunned. It can make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
BONUS ACTIONS
Eldritch Aura. The lich surrounds itself with a magical, rune-covered, glowing, translucent aura in a 10-foot radius. The aura moves with the lich and casts dim light inside its area. The aura disappears at the beginning of the lich’s next turn.
Death Aura. The aura casts purple light. Each living creature that ends its turn inside the aura takes 17 (5d6) necrotic damage, and the lich regains the same number of hit points.
Shield Aura. The aura casts orange light. It has 35 hit points. Whenever the lich would take damage, the aura takes the damage instead, and the aura visibly weakens. If the damage reduces the aura to 0 hit points, the aura disappears, and the lich takes any excess damage.
Spell Shield Aura. The aura casts blue light. Any spell cast with a 5th-level or lower spell slot from outside the aura can’t affect anything inside the aura. Using a spell to target something inside the aura or include the aura’s space in an area has no effect on anything inside.
REACTIONS
Sabotage Spell. When a creature within 60 feet casts a spell that targets the lich, the lich attempts to interrupt it. The lich makes an Intelligence check against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the spell fails, and the caster takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.
Shield (1st-Level; V, S). When the lich is hit by an attack or targeted by magic missile, it gains a +5 bonus to AC (including against the triggering attack) and immunity to magic missile. These benefits last until the beginning of its next turn.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cast Spell. The lich casts cantrip or a 1st-level spell. The lich can use 2 legendary actions to cast a 2nd-level spell or 3 legendary actions to cast a 3rd-level spell.
Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses Paralyzing Touch.
Arc Lightning (Costs 3 Actions). The lich uses Arc Lightning.
Combat
From atop a charging boglurker, a bogrider lich ignites a shield aura and casts cloudkill at the center of the enemies. It leverages spells and cantrips on its turn and via legendary actions, singling out spellcasters with sabatoge spell as needed. As it takes damage, the lich ignites its death aura.
