SHAPESHIFTERS: The Lord in the Pit No one said intelligent magic items had to be swords. Or property.

Strategy

Lord Blot is a curiosity: at once immune to nearly everything — and also highly vulnerable to a few attacks that well-equipped and knowledgeable parties might be able to muster.

Lord Blot is smart enough, however, to know what its only weaknesses are. It recognizes the periapt of the void on sight and sends intermediaries to destroy the periapt’s bearer, preferring not to get within range itself. It recognizes other talismans of the sphere and will sometimes pretend to be controlled by them, if only to lure the owners to their destruction.

Lord Blot also maintains its contingency and dimensional anchor spells at all times, well aware of the dangers that the gate spell and similar magics pose to it. On 9 days out of 10, Lord Blot can cast dimensional anchor outside of the version triggered by contingency. Upon noticing a gate, Lord Blot attempts to teleport to safety if its dimensional anchor isn’t active. If it is unable to teleport, it casts dispel magic (+14 on its check to dispel, vs. DC 19 for a gate spell) on the gate.

When anticipating meetings with visitors who have arrived with an apparent intention to talk, Lord Blot casts nondetection upon itself (if it hasn’t used the spell already that day) and lurks within the darkness of its home pit, about 40 feet below the lip and another 60 feet above the water line of a pool that is 30 feet deep. (Falling from the top of the pit into the water inflicts 10d6 bludgeoning damage.) Within the pit, Lord Blot is tough to make out against the surrounding darkness, though observers with darkvision can make out what appears to be an area of magical darkness midway down the pit.

The water at the bottom of the pit is filled with a carnivorous grottoweed, an aggressive lake weed that entangles those who fall into the water. Any creature in the water that isn’t immune to being grappled or restrained — even those with Swim speeds — treats the water as difficult terrain. Those that fail a Strength saving throw (DC 22) are restrained and dragged below the surface. In any turn after being restrained, an entangled character can use an Action to try to break free by making a successful Strength check (DC 22). Any creature pulled underwater without having taken a preparatory breath must also make a Constitution save each turn (DC 20 if struggling to get free; otherwise DC 15). Failure means the individual has run out of breath and can only last 1 round, plus additional rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum 1 round) before the character drops to 0 hit points and is dying. The huge plant has an AC 14 and 160 hit points, with vulnerability to fire damage — but only if it is not in the water. Anyone who drowns in the pool and is not retrieved is devoured by the grottoweed within 24 hours, assuming the grottoweed lives on. Lord Blot has ensured the planting of the grottoweed and ensures it is fed periodically, but it safely ignores any of the weed’s tendrils since it cannot be grappled.

During the encounter, Lord Blot forbids all visitors from gazing into the pit, informing guests that they are expected to speak their case from a point 10 feet from the edge of the pit. Lord Blot listens and respond as it sees fit, communicating its answers with a rumbling telepathic voice (or with a “physical voice” thanks to major image if it has an iteration of that spell left to cast). It willingly helps parties whose missions might bring them into violent encounters with its ancient enemies.

If Lord Blot notices anyone trying to look into the pit, it casts eyebite, choosing the Sicken effect. Affected targets feel as though staring into the pit triggered a combination of paralyzing fear and stomach-churning vertigo. Sickened targets have disadvantage on attack rolls and ability effects (including checks to try to control Lord Blot’s movements!).

If the visiting party becomes hostile, Lord Blot casts antipathy/sympathy. All humanoids within 60 feet (including anyone within 10 feet of the edge of the pit) must save against the spell (Wisdom DC 22) or be compelled to enter the pit and close within reach of Lord Blot.

On its second turn, Lord Blot casts wall of force to block the mouth of the pit, above anyone climbing down, with a bubble of force. Then Lord Blot moves in a straight line through all of the climbers’ spaces, up to the edge of the wall of force, causing damage to all climbers and forcing them to make a DC 22 Athletics (Climb) check or fall into the water at the bottom of the pit, taking 1d6 damage for every 10 feet fallen.

On its third turn, it casts telekinesis, ending its eyebite spell and ripping one climber off the wall to slam him or her into the other side before dropping the victim onto anyone below. It also passes through the vertical pit one more time, sweeping through anyone still clinging to the walls (and provoking more climbing checks) before burrowing into one of the walls. Once within the walls, on its fourth turn, it summons motes. On its fifth turn, it casts mirror image, and on its sixth, it charges out, relying on the motes and its duplicate images to draw fire and create confusion.

If the adversaries attempt to employ anything potentially lethal to Lord Blot (e.g., planar spells or magical items) and Lord Blot survives, the sphere proves ruthless and clever. It takes advantage of the ground as cover as it drills pits into the ground below each line of retreat, then begins collapsing ceilings, and, then finally, toppling walls. Against real threats, Lord Blot prefers these indirect, underground attacks to any attack that might require it to be in the open and vulnerable to hurled portable holes. Blot knows that most attacks will require line of sight on its form.  

Last page: The dimensional anchor spell and the Open Game License for this article.