Gourdy
Gourdy is a lumpy, plant-like beholder living in the caverns beneath the Falling Leaves thieves' guild where he rules from below. He is known for his paranoia and his talkativeness.
Gourdy's Lair
Gourdy's lair is filled with several different kinds of gourd patches. If Gourdy is encountered in his lair, he has a challenge rating of 15 (13,000 XP).
Lair Actions
When fighting inside his lair, Gourdy can invoke the magic of his gourds to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), gourdy can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects:
- Gourdy invokes the magic of the bicolor gourds. Creatures of Gourdy's choice within 5 ft. of the bicolor gourds must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be under the effects of the faerie fire spell until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Gourdy invokes the magic of the lumpy gourds. The patch of lumpy gourds becomes difficult terrain until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Gourdy invokes the magic of the orange gourds. Creatures of Gourdy's choice within 5 ft. of the orange gourds must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 fire damage as the gourds go ablaze.
- Gourdy invokes the magic of the spindly gourds. Each creature of Gourdy's choice that starts its turn within 5 feet of the spindly gourds must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled by the gourds. Escaping requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The gourds release their grip at initiative count 20 on the next round.
- Gourdy invokes the magic of the spiny gourds. Creatures of Gourdy's choice within 5 ft. of the spiny gourds must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or have their walking speed halved until they regain any hit points.
- Gourdy invokes the magic of the white gourds. If gourdy is within 5 feet of the white gourds, he regains 3d8 hit points.
Gourdy can't repeat an effect until they have all been used, and he can't use the same effect two rounds in a row.
Eating Gourds
The gourds in Gourdy's lair confers certain benefits to a creature when they use an action to consume a gourd. The effect depends on the type of gourd being consumed. A creature can only have the benefits of a single gourd at a time.
Bicolor Gourds. A creature that uses their action to consume a bicolor gourd sheds colorful bright light from their body in a 10-foot radius, and dim light for an additional 10 feet. A bicolor gourd becomes inviable after 8 hours of being plucked.
Lumpy Gourds. A creature that uses their action to consume a lumpy gourd grows thick bumps over their skin, increasing their AC by 2 until the end of that creature's next turn. A lumpy gourd becomes inviable after 4 hours of being plucked.
Orange Gourds. A creature that uses their action to consume an orange gourd gains immunity to fire damage until the end of that creature's next turn. An orange gourd becomes inviable after 1 hour of being plucked.
Spindly Gourds. A creature that uses their action to consume a spindly gourd gains a +10-foot bonus to their walking speed until the end of that creature's next turn. A spindly gourd becomes inviable after 1 hour of being plucked.
Spiny Gourds. A creature that uses their action to consume a spiny gourd grows sharp spines from their hands that last until the end of that creature's next turn. While the creature has spines growing from their hands, their unarmed strikes deal an additional 1d6 piercing damage. A spiny gourd becomes invialbe after 1 hour of being plucked.
White Gourds. A creature that uses their action to consume a white gourd regains 2d4 hit points. A white gourd becomes inviable after 1 hour of being plucked.
Gourdy
Large aberration (beholder), lawful evil
- Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 212
- Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)
- Saving Throws Int +9, Wis +7, Cha +9
- Skills Perception +12
- Damage Vulnerabilities fire
- Condition Immunities prone
- Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22
- Languages Common, Deep Speech, Thieves' Cant, Undercommon
- Challenge 14 (11,500 XP)
Antimagic Cone. Gourdy's central eye creates an area of antimagic, as in the antimagic field spell, in a 150-foot cone. At the start of each of his turns, Gourdy decides which way the cone faces and whether the cone is active. The area works against Gourdy's own eye rays.
Fire Susceptibility. If Gourdy takes fire damage, he can only use up to one eye ray during his next turn.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage.
Eye Rays. Gourdy shoots three of the following magical eye rays at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one to three targets it can see within 120 feet of him:
- 1. Charm Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by Gourdy for 1 hour, or until Gourdy harms the creature.
- 2. Paralyzing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- 3. Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- 4. Slowing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target's speed is halved for 1 minute. In addition, the creature can't take reactions, and it can take either an action or a bonus action on its turn, not both. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
- 5. Enervation Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 36 (3d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
- 6. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or Gourdy moves it up to 30 feet in any direction. It is restrained by the ray's telekinetic grip until the start of Gourdy's next turn or until Gourdy is incapacitated. If the target is an object weighing 300 pounds or less that isn't being worn or carried, it is moved up to 30 feet in any direction. Gourdy can also exert fine control on objects with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a door or a container.
- 7. Sleep Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or fall asleep and remain unconscious for 1 minute. The target awakens if it takes damage or another creature takes an action to wake it. This ray has no effect on constructs or undead.
- 8. Petrification Ray. The targeted creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature begins to turn to stone and is restrained. It must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effect ends. On a failure, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
- 9. Disintegration Ray. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 45 (10d8) force damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, its body becomes a pile of fine gray dust. If the target is a Large or smaller nonmagical object or creation of magical force, it is disintegrated without a saving throw. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of magical force, this ray disintegrates a 10-foot cube of it.
- 10. Death Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 55 (10d10) necrotic damage. The target dies if the ray reduces it to 0 hit points.
Legendary Actions
Gourdy can take 3 legendary actions, using the Eye Ray or Invoke Gourd options below. Gourdy can only take one legendary action at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Gourdy regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Eye Ray. Gourdy uses one random eye ray.
Invoke Gourd. Gourdy invokes the magic of a patch of gourds within 60 feet of him. Alternatively, Gourdy consumes a gourd within 5 ft.
Gourdling
Gourdlings are tribal plant creatures living within Gourdy's lair. They are mostly naive to outsiders, but are cautious to those they haven't seen before. They are very knowledgeable of the landscape and may direct the way to Gourdy if properly incentivized.
Due to the effect that the gourdlings have when they perish, they are more useful in combat when they do so. Gourdlings are fearless of death as the next gourdling that grows from their vine with carry on with the memories of the deceased gourdling, as if it had never died at all. The only way to truly defeat a gourdling is to burn its familial vine.
Gourdling
Tiny plant, chaotic neutral
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 3 (1d4+1)
- Speed 20 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 3 (–4) 18 (+4) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 9 (–1)
- Skills Perception +3, Survival +3
- Damage Vulnerabilities fire
- Senses darkvision 60ft., passive Perception 13
- Languages Gourdling
- Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
Aftermath. When the gourdling drops to 0 hit points, it instantly dies. One of the following effects occurs at random:
- 1. Bicolor Glow. A creature of the gourdling's choice within 15 feet must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or begin shedding light in a 10-foot radius until the end of that creature's next turn. Nny attack roll against a glowing creature has advantage if the attacker can see it, and the glowing creature can't benefit from being invisible.
- 2. Lumpy Mush. The gourdling explodes, leaving sticky mush within a 5-foot radius of the gourdling. The mush counts as difficult terrain and disappears after 1 minute.
- 3. Orange Flash. A creature of the gourdling's choice within 15 feet must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 fire damage.
- 4. Spindly Grab. A creature of the gourdling's choice within 5 feet must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or be grappled by a vine from within the gourdling's body. Escaping requires a successful DC 15 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
- 5. Spiny Shrapnel. All creatures within a 5-foot radius of the gourdling must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 piercing damage.
- 6. White Refreshment. A creature of the gourdling's choice within 15 feet regains 1d8 hit points.
Actions
Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.
General Ability Description. General Attack Description