Skip to main content

The Sabersworn




Wearing a scarred, spiked helm, the muscled corpse stalks its prey with a relentless pace. Dead-white eys remorselessly stare from within; windows revealing a soul consumed by cold hatred. Its shirtless torso is marred by rigamortis bruising and a oozing laceration where the sabersworn's weapon sometimes rests. When on the hunt, however, the slasher pulls the red-steel saber free from its wound and uses it to strike its victim's down. The sabersworn wears spiked gauntlets, ragged black pants, and barbed greaves in the style of a bygone and savage age.


Faux Undead. While the sabersworn appears to be a revenant at first glance, it is in truth a swarm of thousands of mite-sized constructs that have reshaped a corpse and pilot it as a vessel to commit their deadly deeds. The first sabersworn was the warlord who funded the mad constructs' fabrication. He wished for a set of armor and accompanying weapon that could change with the ebbs and flow of battle. When he needed to move fast the armor could adapt to something close to a chain shirt. In the thick of melee it would become brigandine, or on the back of a horse, ornate plate. Likewise, the linked weapon could alternate between axe and sword, dagger and lance depending on martial demands.


Like all who live by the sword, however, the warlord was doomed to die by it. Facing defeat at the hands of his own sons, the tyrant plunged his weapon (a saber at the time) into his chest rather than surrender. He spat an oath to never give the kingdom a moment's peace while usurpers ruled it. Fearing the wrath of an undead horror, the sons had the body quartered, burned to ash, and buried in hallowed ground.


However, it wasn't the curse of undead that pulled the sabersworn from its grave. Instead, the oath imprinted itself on the miniscule constructs. Those that survived the body's destruction sought out those left in the wounds of the warlord's victims. Using one such cadaver as a grisly resource, the machines rebuilt a version of their former master; a process repeated time and again whenever the sabersworn is struck down and the land foolishly believes the terror is finally over.


It is never over...




The Sabersworn

Medium construct, chaotic evil

Armor Class 9

Hit Points 170 (20d8 + 80)

Speed 30ft

Str 22 Dex 9 Con 18 Int 9 Wis 9 Cha 14

Saving Throws Str +10, Con +8

Skills Perception +3, Stealth +7 (expertise), Survival +7 (expertise)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing

Damage Immunities fire

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages -

Challenge 11 (7200)

Bloody Regeneration.

The Sabersworn regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the Sabersworn takes lightning damage or failed to deal damage to a creature last turn, this trait doesn't function until the start of the Sabersworns's next turn. The Saber's body is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.

Immutable Form.

The Sabersworn is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Mark for Death.

The Sabersworn targets a creature it can see within 120ft and uses its bonus action marks it for death. For the next hour the Sabersworn deals an extra 1d6 damage to the target whenever Sabersworn hits it with a weapon attack, and Sabersworn has advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check Sabersworn makes to find it.

Magic Resistance.

The Sabersworn has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Magic Weapons.

The Sabersworn's weapon attacks are magical.

Right Behind You.

As a bonus action, the Sabersworn collapses into a red mist and teleports up to 30ft to an unoccupied space that it can see. It must end its move closer to a creature it has marked for death or it cannot use this ability.

Rejuvenation.

When the Sabersworn’s body is destroyed, its minuscule constructs seek out a new host. After one month, the machines inhabit and animate another humanoid corpse of a creature that the Sabersworn slew within 10 miles and regains all its hit points. The corpse magically transforms into the Sabersworn with its saber sticking from its chest.

While the machines are searching, a wish spell can be used to destroy all of the minuscule constructs and prevent the Sabersworn from rising. Likewise, if there are no corpses that the Sabersworn killed within 10 miles the Saber will not rise again.

Actions

Multiattack.

The Sabersworn makes two attacks as one action.

Slam.

Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) bludgeoning damage.

Saber.

Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 0ft., one target. Hit: 10 (1d8+6) slashing damage; or 10 (1d10+6) . If the target is a creature, it must also succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom save or be Frightened of the Sabersworn for the next minute.

Legendary Actions

The Sabersworn 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 Sabersworn regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.


Crush (1 point).

The Sabersworn makes a slam attack.

No Where to Hide. (1 point).

The Sabersworn makes a slam attack against an object or structure and deals triple damage on a successful hit. If the object or structure is destroyed the Sabersworn may take the Dash action.

No Where to Run (2 points).

The Sabersworn targets a creature it can see within 60 ft that can see the Sabersworn with bad luck. That creature must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity save or immediately fall Prone and be Restrained until the end of its next turn.

No Where to Be Found (2 points).

The Sabersworn moves up to 30ft and makes a Hide check with Advantage. This movement does not provoke an Opportunity attack.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Frame Mimic

Rattling from the shadows, a gaggle of rat-gnawed bones march forward eager to slay the living. One of them lags behind, looking a bit more solid than the rest. You know your mace should have broken the leading skeletons to pieces. Yet, it merely cracked bones instead of shattering them. Tentacles lash out from the slower skeleton, adhering to you and pulling you closer to the maw manifesting from its ribcage. This is the frame mimic. The spawn of the ossuary mimic, this monstrosity also feels a kinship to the undead - specifically animated skeletons. It adopts a group of such horrors and its very presence temporarily empowers them. This is why the skeletons keep it around instead of hacking it to pieces as they would any other living thing. On top of that, frame mimics develop a supernatural stubbornness that can only be called boneheaded. So powerful is this force of will, that it mends their wounds as they plough forward against deadly spells. Frame Mimic Medium Monstrosit...

Brocade Mimic

The masked bard in gaudy attire was strumming away when the bar fight started. It kept playing even as chairs broke and mugs flew. Not one strum was missed even when blood was spilled. Then someone grew sick of the racket and stuck a hand ax into the bard's neck...with a wooden thunk. The fancy vest exploded with teeth, tentacles, and eyes. Then there was the color spray... The first brocade mimic lurked in the rafters of a bard college. Instead of eating a future player, it learned alongside them and caught a passion for the arts. Of course, it could have become an instrument but that wasn't quite grand enough. The mimic became a set of fancy clothes and was worn out the front doors. Sometimes it and its spawn become a bard's best friend. sometimes it pilots a dead one around for a bit, and other times it takes over a mannequin to strike out on its own. No matter how, the show must always go on. Brocade Mimic Medium Monstrosity (shapechanger), neutral ...

Yoke Mimic

Something tore apart the bandits you've been tracking, but it's not obvious what chewed and in some cases melted them. Maybe there's a wyrmling in the area? Either way, all that remains alive in the camp is a pair of oxen burdened by their cart. Though, they are quite nonplussed given the violence that must have occurred around them. Surely these simple beasts couldn't be the case of the carnage, could they? As you ponder this, the oxen start plodding away, pulling the cart of goods with them. Trying to stop them was the logical thing to do... their yoke coming undone with twin, yawning mouths not so logical. You know what that means... initiative rolls, please. Relatively benign, for a mimic, the yoke mimic was cultivated by an industrious farmer. They didn't see the point of wasting an animal that came into their care, even a strange monstrosity such as this one. It became a valuable tool not only to get fields plowed, but also kept the animals attached to it d...