Draconodium
Gargantuan • Aberration • Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 21
Hit Points 407 (22d20 + 176)
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Initiative +9 (19)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 (+7) | 13 (+1) | 27 (+8) | 18 (+4) | 23 (+6) | 24 (+7) |
Saving Throws Str +15, Con +16, Wis +14, Cha +15
Skills Insight +14, Intimidation +15, Perception +22
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone, stunned
Senses truesight 150 ft., passive Perception 32
Languages Common, Deep Speech, Draconic but speaks in an insane, confused manner
CR 27 (105,000 XP; PB +8)
Aura of Hatred. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 23, each creature starting their turn in a 60-foot emanation originating from the draconodium. Failure: The target must use its action to attack or inflict a harmful effect.
Frenzied. While bloodied, the draconodium gains the following benefits:
- The draconodium’s Aura of Hatred increases its emanation to 150 feet.
- The draconodium’s heads fall into a bickering frenzy. The draconodium gains an additional legendary action per round but creatures have advantage on saving throws against them.
- The draconodium ignores difficult terrain and its movement speed can’t be reduced by any means.
Magic Resistance. The draconodium has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Hyper Regeneration. The draconodium regains 30 hit points at the start of each of its turns. If the draconodium is subjugated to psychic damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of its next turn, and the draconodium must use its Rampage before it does anything else on its next turn. The draconodium dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. If the corpse of the draconodium is not completely destroyed, it comes back to life after 2d4 days.
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If the draconodium fails a saving throw or is hit by an attack, it can choose to succeed instead or have the attack miss. When it does so, roll a d100. On a 50 or lower, it can’t use one specific legendary actions until it finishes a long rest (that specific legendary action is rerolled when randomly determined).
War of Many Minds. At the start of each of its turns, the draconodium randomly determines a preferred target among the creatures it is aware of within 150 feet. If it reduces that target to 0 hit points or kills it, the draconodium gains 20 temporary hit points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The draconodium makes one Maddening Bite attack and uses its Rampage once.
Maddening Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15, reach 5 ft. Hit: 33 (4d12 + 7) piercing damage and the target is affected by the confusion spell until the end of its next turn. Additionally, a Large or smaller creature is grappled.
Rampage. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 23, each creature in a 15-foot emanation originating from the draconodium. Failure: 45 (10d8) piercing damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: A grappled creature is flung 30 feet in a random direction, and the grapple ends.
BONUS ACTIONS
Reckless Abandon. The draconodium ends one effect or conditions on itself and moves up to half its speed. When it does so, it loses 18 (4d8) hit points.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Legendary Action Uses: 3. Immediately after another creature’s turn, the draconodium can expend a use to take one of the randomly determined following actions. The draconodium regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Chronobreak Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: The target ages 1d10 years and gains one level of exhaustion.
Fleshshift Breath. Strength Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 60-foot-long, 15-foot-wide line. Failure: The target becomes restrained (escape DC 24). Failure or Success: The ground becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute.
Maggot Breath. The draconodium creates 4d4 swarms of insects (with an AC 8 and a walking and climbing speed of 10 ft.) in random spaces in a 30-foot cone.
Null Breath. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Failure: 45 (7d12) psychic damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: All magical effects that overlap with the area are dispelled as if by a 9th-level dispel magic spell.
Rotfire Breath. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: 27 (6d8) fire damage and 27 (6d8) necrotic damage (double damage against objects). Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: Each nonmagical object in the area or worn or carried by a creature in that area takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed.
Mindblind Breath. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Failure: 25 (10d4) radiant damage and become unable to distinguish friend and foe until the end of its next turn.
Paleghost Breath. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: Become affected by the slow spell, poisoned, deafened, and blinded for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending all effects on a success.
Voidveil Breath. Each creature and object in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point that the draconodium can see within 60 feet vanishes and is forgotten. After 1 round, a target springs back into existence, reappearing in its original space or the nearest unoccupied space, and creatures regain their memory of it.
Draconodium
Gargantuan • Aberration • Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 20
Hit Points 367 (21d20 + 147)
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Initiative +8 (18)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 (+6) | 13 (+1) | 25 (+7) | 18 (+4) | 21 (+5) | 22 (+6) |
Saving Throws Str +13, Con +14, Wis +12, Cha +13
Skills Insight +11, Intimidation +13, Perception +19
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone, stunned
Senses truesight 90 ft., passive Perception 29
Languages Common, Deep Speech, Draconic but speaks in an insane, confused manner
CR 24 (XP 64,000; PB +7)
Aura of Hatred. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 21, each creature starting their turn in a 30-foot emanation originating from the draconodium. Failure: The target must use its action to attack or inflict a harmful effect.
Frenzied. While bloodied, the draconodium gains the following benefits:
- The draconodium’s Aura of Hatred increases its emanation to 120 feet.
- The draconodium’s heads fall into a bickering frenzy. The draconodium gains an additional legendary action per round but creatures have advantage on saving throws against them.
- The draconodium ignores difficult terrain and its movement speed can’t be reduced by any means.
Magic Resistance. The draconodium has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Hyper Regeneration. The draconodium regains 30 hit points at the start of each of its turns. If the draconodium is subjugated to psychic damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of its next turn, and the draconodium must use its Rampage before it does anything else on its next turn. The draconodium dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. If the corpse of the draconodium is not completely destroyed, it comes back to life after 2d4 days.
Legendary Resistance (4/Day). If the draconodium fails a saving throw or is hit by an attack, it can choose to succeed instead or have the attack miss. When it does so, roll a d100. On a 50 or lower, it can’t use one specific legendary actions until it finishes a long rest (that specific legendary action is rerolled when randomly determined).
War of Many Minds. At the start of each of its turns, the draconodium randomly determines a preferred target among the creatures it is aware of within 150 feet. If it reduces that target to 0 hit points or kills it, the draconodium gains 20 temporary hit points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The draconodium makes one Maddening Bite attack and uses its Rampage once.
Maddening Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13, reach 5 ft. Hit: 25 (3d12 + 6) piercing damage and the target is affected by the confusion spell until the end of its next turn. Additionally, a Large or smaller creature is grappled.
Rampage. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 21, each creature in a 15-foot emanation originating from the draconodium. Failure: 35 (10d6) piercing damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: A grappled creature is flung 30 feet in a random direction, and the grapple ends.
BONUS ACTIONS
Reckless Abandon. The draconodium ends one effect or conditions on itself and moves up to half its speed. When it does so, it loses 18 (4d8) hit points.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Legendary Action Uses: 3. Immediately after another creature’s turn, the draconodium can expend a use to take one of the randomly determined following actions. The draconodium regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Chronobreak Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: The target ages 1d10 years and gains one level of exhaustion.
Fleshshift Breath. Strength Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in a 60-foot-long, 15-foot-wide line. Failure: The target becomes restrained (escape DC 22). Failure or Success: The ground becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute.
Maggot Breath. The draconodium creates 3d4 swarms of insects (with an AC 8 and a walking and climbing speed of 10 ft.) in random spaces in a 30-foot cone.
Null Breath. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Failure: 32 (5d12) psychic damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: All magical effects that overlap with the area are dispelled as if by a 9th-level dispel magic spell.
Rotfire Breath. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: 18 (4d8) fire damage and 18 (4d8) necrotic damage (double damage against objects). Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: Each nonmagical object in the area or worn or carried by a creature in that area takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed.
Mindblind Breath. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 22, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Failure: 20 (8d4) radiant damage and become unable to distinguish friend and foe until the end of its next turn.
Paleghost Breath. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 24, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: Become affected by the slow spell, poisoned, deafened, and blinded for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending all effects on a success.
Voidveil Breath. Each creature and object in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point that the draconodium can see within 60 feet vanishes and is forgotten. After 1 round, a target springs back into existence, reappearing in its original space or the nearest unoccupied space, and creatures regain their memory of it.
Draconodium
Gargantuan • Aberration • Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 22
Hit Points 507 (26d20 + 234)
Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Initiative +11 (21)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 (+8) | 14 (+2) | 28 (+9) | 20 (+5) | 24 (+7) | 26 (+8) |
Saving Throws Str +17, Con +18, Wis +16, Cha +17
Skills Insight +16, Intimidation +17, Perception +25
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, prone, stunned
Senses truesight 150 ft., passive Perception 35
Languages Common, Deep Speech, Draconic but speaks in an insane, confused manner
CR 30 (XP 155,000; PB +9)
Aura of Hatred. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 25, each creature starting their turn in a 60-foot emanation originating from the draconodium. Failure: The target must use its action to attack or inflict a harmful effect.
Frenzied. While bloodied, the draconodium gains the following benefits:
- The draconodium’s Aura of Hatred increases its emanation to 150 feet.
- The draconodium’s heads fall into a bickering frenzy. The draconodium gains an additional legendary action per round but creatures have advantage on saving throws against them.
- The draconodium ignores difficult terrain and its movement speed can’t be reduced by any means.
Magic Resistance. The draconodium has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Hyper Regeneration. The draconodium regains 30 hit points at the start of each of its turns. If the draconodium is subjugated to psychic damage, this trait doesn’t function at the start of its next turn, and the draconodium must use its Rampage before it does anything else on its next turn. The draconodium dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn’t regenerate. If the corpse of the draconodium is not completely destroyed, it comes back to life after 2d4 days.
Legendary Resistance (5/Day). If the draconodium fails a saving throw or is hit by an attack, it can choose to succeed instead or have the attack miss. When it does so, roll a d100. On a 50 or lower, it can’t use one specific legendary actions until it finishes a long rest (that specific legendary action is rerolled when randomly determined).
War of Many Minds. At the start of each of its turns, the draconodium randomly determines a preferred target among the creatures it is aware of within 150 feet. If it reduces that target to 0 hit points or kills it, the draconodium gains 20 temporary hit points.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The draconodium makes one Maddening Bite attack and uses its Rampage once.
Maddening Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +17, reach 5 ft. Hit: 47 (6d12 + 8) piercing damage and the target is affected by the confusion spell until the end of its next turn. Additionally, a Large or smaller creature is grappled.
Rampage. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 25, each creature in a 15-foot emanation originating from the draconodium. Failure: 55 (10d10) piercing damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: A grappled creature is flung 30 feet in a random direction, and the grapple ends.
BONUS ACTIONS
Reckless Abandon. The draconodium ends one effect or conditions on itself and moves up to half its speed. When it does so, it loses 18 (4d8) hit points.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Legendary Action Uses: 3. Immediately after another creature’s turn, the draconodium can expend a use to take one of the randomly determined following actions. The draconodium regains all expended uses at the start of each of its turns.
Chronobreak Breath. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 26, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: The target ages 1d10 years and gains one level of exhaustion.
Fleshshift Breath. Strength Saving Throw: DC 26, each creature in a 60-foot-long, 15-foot-wide line. Failure: The target becomes restrained (escape DC 26). Failure or Success: The ground becomes difficult terrain for 1 minute.
Maggot Breath. The draconodium creates 5d4 swarms of insects (with an AC 8 and a walking and climbing speed of 10 ft.) in random spaces in a 30-foot cone.
Null Breath. Intelligence Saving Throw: DC 26, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Failure: 58 (9d12) psychic damage. Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: All magical effects that overlap with the area are dispelled as if by a 9th-level dispel magic spell.
Rotfire Breath. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 26, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: 36 (8d8) fire damage and 36 (8d8) necrotic damage (double damage against objects). Success: Half damage. Failure or Success: Each nonmagical object in the area or worn or carried by a creature in that area takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed.
Mindblind Breath. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 26, each creature in a 30-foot-long, 5-foot-wide line. Failure: 30 (12d4) radiant damage and become unable to distinguish friend and foe until the end of its next turn.
Paleghost Breath. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 26, each creature in a 30-foot cone. Failure: Become affected by the slow spell, poisoned, deafened, and blinded for 1 minute. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending all effects on a success.
Voidveil Breath. Each creature and object in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point that the draconodium can see within 60 feet vanishes and is forgotten. After 1 round, a target springs back into existence, reappearing in its original space or the nearest unoccupied space, and creatures regain their memory of it.
QUICK REFERENCE
Habitat
- Astral plane rifts and cosmic anomalies
- Ruins of ancient civilizations or inside the ruins of a town freshly destroyed by it
- Secret laboratory or wizard tower in a city
Behavior
- Strongly schizophrenic; speaks in jumbled, contradictory phrases
- Indiscriminately aggressive against all other living beings and always on the lookout to kill more
- Leaves trails of destruction, uncaring of valuables or valuable possessions
Information (Intelligence Check)
- DC 20 Religion: Created as an artificial god, a mixture between dragons and beholders
- DC 25 History: Ancient texts describe it as a destroyer of its birthplace, as it succumbed to its own madness
- DC 25 Insight: Knows that it is highly schizophrenic, leading to randomized attack patterns instead of focused targeting
Combat
- Reckless fighting style constantly switching to focus on its War of Many Minds’ target
- Even with focusing on its target, it assumes a central position to ensure that its short-range breath weapons find enough targets in their areas
- Switching between Maddening Bite into Rampage, and vice versa, according to what the draconodium needs more: crowd control through the confusion effect or positioning through the shove effect of the Rampage
Loot Ideas
- Draconic scales of swords of dragon types
- Organic tissue with hyper-regenerating abilities as ingredients for potions or a ring of regeneration
- Remnants of devoured adventurers or scientists inside its tummy
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.