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Large aberration, lawful evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 247 (26d10 + 104)
Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +10, Int +12, Wis +12, Cha +12
Skills Arcana +12, Deception +12, Persuasion +12, Religion +18, Stealth +16
Proficiency Bonus +6
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)
Amphibious. The annulid can breathe air and water.
Spider Climb. The annulid can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The annulid's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20). The annulid can cast the following spells innately, requiring no material components:
At will: darkness, mage hand (the hand is invisible)
3/day each: charm person, confusion
1/day: teleport
Spellcasting. The annulid is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The annulid has the following cleric spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): guidance, mending, sacred flame, thaumaturgy, toll the dead
1st level (4 slots): bane, cure wounds, detect magic, guiding bolt
2nd level (3 slots): aid, enhance ability, hold person, spiritual weapon
3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, mass healing word, remove curse, spirit guardians
4th level (3 slots): banishment, divination, guardian of faith
5th level (3 slots): contagion, flame strike, insect plague
6th level (1 slot): blade barrier, heal
7th level (1 slot): divine word, regenerate
8th level (1 slot): holy aura
9th level (1 slot): mass heal
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The annulid makes two attacks, only one of which can be with its bite.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) piercing damage, and the annulid attaches to the target. While attached, the annulid can't make bite attacks and at the start of each of the annulid's turns, the target loses 14 (3d6 + 4) hit points due to blood loss.
The annulid can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. It does so after it drains 42 hit points of blood from the target or the target dies. A creature, including the target, can use its action to attempt to detach the annulid with a DC 18 Strength check.
Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6) psychic damage.
Nebulous Orb. Ranged Spell Attack: +12 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 22 (4d10) psychic damage and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of its next turn.
REACTIONS
Reflexive Blink. When the annulid takes damage, it magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The annulid can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The annulid regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Teleport. The annulid magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Nebulous Orb (Costs 2 Actions). The annulid makes a Nebulous Orb attack.
Discordant Whip (Costs 3 Actions). The annulid lashes a cord of dazzling psionic energy in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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While all annulids believe themselves to be descended from Isuga, the annulid messiahs are said to be her direct offspring. Blessed with incredible power, all annulids inherently acknowledge messiahs as their leaders and worship them as demigods, living instruments of Isuga's will. With all their gifts, it's hard to deny such stories.
Unlike most other annulids, a messiah neglects the use of a staff, preferring instead to use their own otherworldly magic to torment the minds of their enemies with but a simple touch. Alternatively, a messiah will use a scintillating, constantly squirming orb of maddening psychic power or a lashing whip that glows so brightly it's painful to look at.
An Annulid Messiah's Lair
Annulid messiahs make their lairs in grandiose temples constructed by their loyal followers, walls lined with eerily beautiful murals that glorify annulids and Isuga. Those who walk past these murals swear that they move when not directly observed and fear that they are somehow linked to the messiah.
While within its lair, the messiah can send dreams to creatures nearby, which it uses to send orders and warnings to its minions and threats to its enemies.
More dangerously, the annulid messiah's alien influence and bond to the Far Realm are so powerful that it can send its enemies directly to that godforsaken place, or even lure the miscreations that call it home into reality, where they act in unusual ways, hinting that the messiah has some measure of control over them. Of course, some of these monsters are merely illusions conjured to mislead those who seek to hunt the annulid.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the annulid takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the annulid can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The annulid rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.
- A flash of dazzling light briefly illuminates the lair near the annulid. Each creature of the annulid's choice within 120 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 5 (1d10) psychic damage.
- One creature the annulid can see within 120 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be banished to the Far Realm. To escape, the creature must use its action to make a Charisma check contested by the annulid's. If the creature wins, it escapes the Far Realm. Otherwise, the effect ends on initiative count 20 on the next round. When the effect ends, the creature reappears in the space it left or in the nearest unoccupied space if that one is occupied.
Regional Effects
The region containing an annulid messiah's lair is warped by the annulid's magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Whenever a creature that can understand a language sleeps or enters a state of trance or reverie within 6 miles of the annulid's lair, the annulid can cast the dream spell targeting that creature without expending a spell slot. The annulid can't deal any damage when it casts dream in this way.
- Images of Large or smaller aberrations haunt the land within 1 mile of the annulid's lair. These illusions move and appear real, although they can do no harm. A creature that examines an image from a distance can tell it's an illusion with a successful DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Any physical interaction with an image reveals it to be an illusion, because objects pass through it.
- Jagged gates appear in the sky within 1 mile of the annulid's lair, forming portals to the Far Realm that allow aberrant creatures into the world to dwell nearby.
If the annulid dies, these effects end immediately.
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