Corpse Puppeteer
Does your party choose violence? Are they in love with combat, constantly searching for more reasons to do various flavors of murder? Well, they'll get along wonderfully with our latest monster, a demonic necromancer and war fanatic. Of course, it'd also make a great enemy against a more peaceful party, but there's nothing quite like the only creature that loves battle more than the party to put a batch of murderhobos out of their misery to end a campaign on a poetically just, if sudden, note. We hope you enjoy!
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Corpse Puppeteer
Corpse puppeteers, sometimes known by their Abyssal name, Karnumdok, wander the endless battlefields of the lower planes in perpetual awe at the sprawling destruction wrought by the Blood War. Witnessing such splendid desolation sometimes causes a puppeteer to emit a piercing shriek of ecstasy that magically animates the corpses around them, creating new armies for the demonic hordes that the puppeteers hail from. On the strange occasion that a puppeteer finds itself on the Material Plane, it will cause unimaginable chaos and destruction as it aims to recreate the grim scenery that it once relished.
Corpse Puppeteer
Large Fiend (Demon), Chaotic Evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 285 (30d10 + 120)
Speed 40 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR 21 (+5)
DEX 13 (+1)
CON 19 (+4)
INT 18 (+4)
WIS 19 (+4)
CHA 17 (+3)
Saving Throws Strength +10, Constitution +9, Wisdom +9, Charisma +8
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lighting; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP) Proficiency Bonus +5
Magic Resistance. The puppeteer has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The puppeteer’s weapon attacks are magical.
Master of Puppets. Any zombies under the puppeteer’s control within 60 feet make attack rolls and saving throws with advantage. The puppeteer can control up to twenty zombies at any one time. If the puppeteer dies, any zombies under its control immediately crumble into piles of flesh.
Actions
Multiattack. The puppeteer makes three withering ray attacks or two slam attacks.
Withering Ray. Ranged Spell Attack: +9 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 26 (4d12) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. If the target’s hit point maximum is reduced to 0, it dies and rises at the start of the puppeteer’s next turn as a zombie that is permanently under the puppeteer’s command.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 38 (6d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
Stirring Shriek (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The puppeteer releases a horrific, piercing shriek. Each other creature that is not undead within 60 feet that can hear the shriek must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw, taking 28 (8d6) psychic damage and becoming frightened for 1 minute on a failure. Then, up to 10 corpses within 60 feet of the puppeteer rise as zombies that are permanently under the puppeteer’s command. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.