Dungeons & Dragons 2024 (D&D) Monster/NPC: Hierophant of Annihilation
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MME3 48
Hierophants of Annihilation are the mightiest servants of Orcus and the progenitors of bodaks. They are free-willed but are absolutely loyal to the Lord of the Undead. These horrific demons resemble 20-foot tall giant bodaks with bat-like wing vestiges, bony tails that end with stingers, and ram skulls for heads. Their massive ribcages bear the marks of Orcus - gashes in sections that used to cover their hearts, and their desiccated bodies reek of a coppery, rotting smell. Faint greenish auras emanate from their bodies like sickly tendrils.
Devotees of Orcus. Orcus created the Hierophants of Annihilation from seven of his devotees - powerful high priests and liches faithful to the Prince of Undeath. It is said that among those seven were the infamous lich Zhengyi the Witch-King and the powerful high priest Banak from the Bloodstone Lands. When their souls went to the Abyss after their destruction, Orcus claimed them and transformed them into his first two Hierophants of Annihilation.
Warmasters of Orcus. In combat, a Hierophant of Annihilation will rely mostly on its supernatural strength to destroy its foes. Those strong enough to withstand the demon’s powerful blows and deadly stings must still contend with the Hierophant’s most potent weapon - its death gaze. Only a few can survive the demon’s lethal stare, and those who die from it rise as bodaks loyal to the Hierophant. The Hierophant can also unleash mighty death spells and conjure an aura of necrotic energy that rots the flesh of anyone foolish enough to be close to the demon.
Vassals of Orcus. The Hierophants of Annihilation serve Orcus, as well as Orcus’s Exarch, Doresain the Ghoul King, as their generals. Each Hierophant actively schemes against each other, vying for both Orcus and Doresain’s favor. On very rare occasions, Orcus may send one of his Hierophants on a mission to the Material Plane, such as serving as a guardian in the most important temples of the Cult of Orcus.
A Hierophant of Annihilation's Lair
Each Hierophant of Annihilation is in charge of defending a region in Thanathos, the 113th layer of the Abyss and home of Orcus. Each occupies a towering fortress made from stone, bones, and flayed skins. Ghouls, ghasts, bodaks, and maurezhis prowl its halls, ready to act on the hierophant's bidding. If a Hierophant is sent to the Material Plane, it constructs an identical lair.
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the hierophant takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the hierophant can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The hierophant innately casts chill touch.
- The hierophant innately casts dispel magic.
- The hierophant causes up to three corpses within the lair to rise as skeletons, zombies, or ghouls. These undead obey its telepathic commands, which can reach anywhere in the lair.
Regional Effects
The region containing a hierophant’s lair is warped by the hierophant’s foul magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- All normal plant life within 1 mile of the lair wither and die and water sources within 1 mile of the lair are supernaturally fouled. Creatures that drink such water regurgitate it within minutes.
- Beasts must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw at the end of each minute spent within 1 mile of the lair or become frightened until they are no longer within 1 mile of the lair. While frightened in this way, the beast must take the Dash action and move away from the lair by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move, in which case it needn't take the Dash action. The beast can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a beast's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to this regional effect for the next 24 hours.
- Skeletons, zombies, ghouls, ghasts, and wights within 1 mile of the hierophant’s lair serve as the hierophant’s eyes and ears.
If the hierophant dies, these effects fade over the course of 1-10 days.
| MOD | SAVE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 24 | +7 | +13 |
| DEX | 15 | +2 | +2 |
| CON | 22 | +6 | +12 |
| MOD | SAVE | ||
| INT | 20 | +5 | +5 |
| WIS | 20 | +5 | +11 |
| CHA | 22 | +6 | +12 |
Traits
Death Gaze. When a creature that can see the hierophant’s eyes starts its turn within 40 feet of the hierophant, the hierophant can force it to make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw if the hierophant isn’t incapacitated and can see the creature. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the creature is reduced to 0 hit points, unless it is immune to the frightened condition. Otherwise, a creature takes 27 (5d10) psychic damage on a failed save.
Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it has disadvantage on attack rolls against the hierophant until the start of its next turn. If the creature looks at the hierophant in the meantime, it must immediately make the saving throw.
Unless the hierophant already has three bodaks under its control, a humanoid creature slain by the hierophant's Death Gaze rises as a bodak at the start of the hierophant's next turn and is under the hierophant's control.
Magic Weapons. The hierophant's weapon attacks are magical.
Magic Resistance. The hierophant has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Sunlight Hypersensitivity. The hierophant takes 5 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Actions
Multiattack. The hierophant makes two melee attacks
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) bludgeoning damage plus 11 ( 2d10 ) necrotic damage.
Vestigial Wing. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) piercing damage
Innate Spellcasting. The hierophant’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: chill touch ( 3d8 ), detect magic
3/day: animate dead, dispel magic
1/day each: circle of death
Teleport. The hierophant magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Bonus Actions
Aura of Annihilation. The hierophant activates or deactivates this feature. While active, the aura deals 10 necrotic damage to any creature that ends its turn within 40 feet of the hierophant. Undead and fiends ignore this effect.
Legendary Actions
The hierophant gains 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 hierophant regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Teleport. The hierophant uses its teleport action.
Wing. The hierophant attacks with its Vestigial Wing.
Stinger (Costs 2 Actions). Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 15 ft., one creature. Hit: 17 (3d6 + 7) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned. While poisoned, the target is also paralyzed. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Withering Gaze (Costs 2 Actions). One creature that the hierophant can see within 60 feet of it must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, taking 27 (5d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
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