Foulspawn Collection
General flavor here
Elder Evils 5e
What's the point of having a bunch of minions that serve the Elder Evils if you can't actually run an Elder Evil in 5th edition? Well, you're in luck: I've already converted the entire Elder Evils supplement from 3rd edition to 5e. This conversion presents ten premade elder evils and content that allows you to insert them into your campaign, as well as general rules you can use to create your own elder evils. You can find my full conversion of Elder Evils on Google Drive or on GM Binder. To see the other homebrew that I've made, see this link: Badooga's Homebrew.
Overlap Between Foulspawn
In official content, there are two types of foulspawn: the core spawn (EGW), and the star spawn (MTF). The two share a specific subtype called the seer, but the nature of a star spawn seer is much different than that of the core spawn seer.
In this homebrew, I took the overlap a bit further. For example, the star spawn worm is based on the core spawn worm in its wormlike shape and large size. However, a quick read will reveal that the star spawn worm is much different in its abilities, combat style, and specific appearance.
You will find more examples of this overlap throughout this document. It is used to suggest that despite the differing origins and themes of the various Elder Evils out there, some sort of inherent quality ties them (and their minions) together.
Core Spawn
Light Spawn
Sea Spawn
Shadow Spawn
Star Spawn
Star spawn are strange foulspawn that serve Elder Evils from the more alien planes of existence. They wield powers pertaining to madness, the void, antimagic, and the manipulation of space and time.
Star Spawn Leech
A star spawn leech is a worm-like aberration that is used by Elder Evil cultists to control the minds of others. After entering the target's body (typically through its nose or ear), the leech assumes control of its behavior and actions, leaving the victim cognizant of its surroundings yet unable to control its own bodies. It then remains undercover and pretends to be the target for some time, only deviating in behavior to advance the cult's nefarious plans.
A star spawn leech matures by consuming the psychic energy of its victims. Once it has matured, it undergoes a metamorphosis that transforms it into a star spawn worm.
Star Spawn Assassin
A star spawn assassin is an airborne predator that serves to silence those that would oppose a certain Elder Evil. They also act as sentinels that guard important shrines to the dark master that spawned them.
A star spawn assassin can only communicate by mimicking other creatures. It uses this ability to lure a victim close to it, and then uses its deadly speed to grab its victim's face and to suffocate it to death; this suffocation occurs through the use of tubes in the assassin's mouth that forcibly suck the air out of the victim's lungs.
When subtlety isn't an option, the assassin uses its Aberrant Quickness and Stunning Screech abilities to avoid being killed, but otherwise just chooses to attack nearby enemies until slain.
Star Spawn Voidcaller
A star spawn voidcaller has the silhouette of a normal humanoid, but its dark gray skin is dotted with hundreds of eyes, each varying in shape and size. Calling upon the latent energy that resides between the planes, a voidcaller is capable of assaulting both the mind and body. It is also capable of teleportation, magic negation, seeing through objects, and tracking the locations of its victims. This diverse arsenal makes a voidcaller a very powerful foe, especially when it is encountered alongside other star spawn that excel in melee combat.
A voidcaller sees all, and it knows all as well. It is said that each eye a voidcaller possesses once belonged to a creature that fell victim to the power of an Elder Evil and was destroyed. Remnants of these victims' minds dwell within the voidcaller, granting it knowledge of even the most obscure history or arcane lore out there.
Within a cult dedicated to an Elder Evil, a circle of six to eight voidcallers might be present at its highest ranks. These voidcallers report directly to the star spawn seer in charge, and carry out their orders without any hesitation or questioning.
Star Spawn Worm
Once a star spawn leech has consumed enough energy, it undergoes a metamorphosis that transforms it into a Gargantuan invertebrate horror. While physically strong, the worm's true threat lies with its enhanced psionic abilities. While its leech form could only control one creature at a time, a star spawn worm can have an unlimited number of slaves at once, giving it the potential to take over the leaders of an entire city given enough planning and patience.
While a star spawn seer is typically the leader of an Elder Evil cult, it is possible that this seer reports to a star spawn worm that directs multiple cult cells. As an enslaved creature that is at least 1 mile away from the worm has a chance to free itself, a star spawn worm relies on its seers to act as extensions its will. A star spawn worm can maintain telepathic contact with a star spawn seer over any distance, allowing for information and commands to flow through the upper echelons of the cult instantaneously.
Because a star spawn leech needs to consume a large amount of psychic energy to mature, star spawn worms are exceedingly rare. Unfortunately for it, this excessive need to consume carries over to the star spawn's worm form, requiring it to constantly seek out larger and larger amounts of psychic energy to feast on. When a star spawn worm inevitably starves to death, its body explodes in a shower of gore, leaving behind multiple star spawn leeches as its progeny.
Star Spawn Horror
A star spawn horror is summoned when a cult attempts to summon an Elder Evil from beyond the stars. If the summoning is incomplete or fails for some other reason, a ginormous mass of squirming black tendrils might emerge instead. Hailing from the space between the planes, this horror wields terrible power that allows it to serve a single purpose: widespread destruction.
Despite its simple purpose, a star spawn horror is not a mindless entity. It can think and communicate, allowing it to use effective tactics in combat and to command nearby star spawn to do its bidding. While a horror may appear to be spreading chaos indiscriminately, it is likely that its actions advance the goals of its vile master in some way.
Star Spawn Template
When a creature (referred to as the base creature) is transformed into a star spawn, it retains its statistics except as described below. A star spawn might retain or lose any or all of its lair actions or inherit new ones, as the DM sees fit.
Type. The star spawn is an aberration, and it doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Alignment. The star spawn's alignment is any evil alignment.
Armor Class. The star spawn gains natural armor if the base creature lacked it, and loses any other sources of Armor Class. The star spawn's Armor Class is equal to the base creature's Armor Class (including any manufactured armor) plus 2.
Speed. The star spawn gains a climbing, swimming, or flying speed (your choice) equal to its walking speed. Alternatively, its walking speed increases by 10 feet or more.
Damage Immunities. The star spawn is immune to psychic damage.
Condition Immunities. The star spawn is immune to being charmed or frightened.
Senses. The star spawn has blindsight, darkvision, or truesight (your choice) out to a range of 30 feet.
Languages. The star spawn learns Deep Speech. It can also gain telepathy out to a range of 60 feet (your choice).
The star spawn also gains one or more of the following abilities.
Aura of Madness. Creatures within 10 feet of the star spawn that aren't aberrations have disadvantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.
Claw or Touch (Action). The star spawn makes a melee weapon attack or melee spell attack (your choice) against a creature within its reach. This attack deals damage to one creature equal to the star spawn's most basic damaging ability; the damage type of the attack is slashing if it is a weapon attack, or psychic if it is a spell attack.
Teleport (Bonus Action). The star spawn magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Warped Mind. The star spawn has advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.
Whispering Aura. At the start of each of the star spawn's turns, each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC is Charisma-based) or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage, provided that the star spawn isn't incapacitated.
Star Spawn Cultist
Cults that worship Elder Evils from beyond the stars sometimes perform vile rituals that transform their leaders into horrible star spawn. From there, this newly awakened cult fanatic instructs its followers to perform a series of tasks that all help to summon more star spawn to the Material Plane.
Star Spawn Cult Fanatic
Medium aberration, any evil alignment
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 33 (6d8 + 6)
- Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 11 (+0) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 10 (+0) 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
- Skills Deception +4, Persuasion +4, Religion +2
- Damage Immunities psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 11
- Languages Common, Deep Speech, telepathy 60 ft.
- Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Spellcasting. The fanatic is a 4th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The fanatic has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): light, mind sliver, thaumaturgy
1st level (4 slots): command, ray of sickness, shield of faith
2nd level (3 slots): hold person, spiritual weaponWarped Mind. The fanatic has advantage on all Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.
Actions
Multiattack. The fanatic makes two melee attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage.
Mind Sliver (Cantrip). The fanatic targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or take 7 (2d6) psychic damage and subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of the fanatic's next turn.
Bonus Actions
Teleport. The fanatic magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Star Spawn Leech
Tiny aberration, lawful evil
- Armor Class 12
- Hit Points 35 (10d4 + 10)
- Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 2 (-4) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 18 (+4) 14 (+2) 15 (+2)
- Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +4, Cha +4
- Skills Deception +4, Insight +4, Perception +4, Stealth +4
- Damage Immunities psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 14
- Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 30 ft.
- Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the leech, the leech learns the creature's greatest desires if the leech can see the creature.
Psychic Leech. Whenever the leech deals psychic damage, it regains hit points equal to half the psychic damage dealt.
Whispering Aura. At the start of each of the leech's turns, each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage, provided that the leech isn't incapacitated.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage, and the leech attaches to the target. While the leech is attached, the target has disadvantage on saving throws against the leech's Whispering Aura and Take Over features, and the target has disadvantage on attack rolls against the leech.
Psychic Compulsion. The leech targets one creature that it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the leech also determines the target's actions and movement on its next turn.
Take Over (Recharge 6). One humanoid that the leech can see within 5 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the leech enters the target's body, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The leech now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The leech can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that target its mind, and it retains its languages, Probing Telepathy, Whispering Aura, alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.
The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points or the leech ends it as a bonus action. When the possession ends, the leech exits the target's body. The target is immune to this leech's Take Over for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
Star Spawn Assassin
Medium aberration, chaotic evil
- Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 102 (12d8 + 48)
- Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 17 (+3) 15 (+2) 18 (+4) 6 (-2) 9 (-1) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +2, Cha +6
- Skills Deception +6, Perception +2, Stealth +8
- Damage Immunities psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened
- Senses blindsight 30 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 12
- Languages understands Deep Speech but can't speak
- Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Aberrant Quickness (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). The assassin can take an extra action on its turn.
Magic Resistance. The assassin has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mimicry. The assassin can mimic simple sounds it has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal chittering. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 14 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Two Heads. The assassin has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks and on saving throws against being blinded, deafened, stunned, or knocked unconscious.
Actions
Multiattack. The assassin makes two bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (2d10 + 3) piercing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the assassin can choose to grapple the target (escape DC 13). While grappled, the target can't breathe or speak and is suffocating. The assassin can only grapple two creatures at a time (one for each head). While a head is grappling a target, it can only make bite attacks against that target.
Stunning Screech (Recharge 5–6). The assassin emits a horrific screech. Each creature within 20 feet of the assassin that isn't a star spawn and can hear its screech must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the assassin's next turn.
Quick Reference: Suffocating
A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds).
When a creature runs out of breath or is choking, it can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points and is dying, and it can't regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
For example, a creature with a Constitution of 14 can hold its breath for 3 minutes. If it starts suffocating, it has 2 rounds to reach air before it drops to 0 hit points.
Star Spawn Voidcaller
Medium aberration, lawful evil
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
- Speed 30 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 16 (+3) 17 (+3) 18 (+4) 20 (+5)
- Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +7, Cha +8
- Skills Arcana +9, History +9, Perception +10, Religion +9
- Damage Resistances force; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Damage Immunities psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20
- Languages all
- Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Avoidance. If the voidcaller is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to only take half damage, it instead takes no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.
Light Sensitivity. While in bright light, the voidcaller has disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, and it can't benefit from its Void Gazer feature.
Magic Resistance. The voidcaller has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Void Gazer. Unless the voidcaller is blinded or incapacitated, it can't be surprised, and attack rolls against it can't benefit from advantage. In addition, the voidcaller can see through solid objects to a range of 30 feet; when it does so, it perceives objects as ghostly, transparent images.
Actions
Multiattack. The voidcaller makes two attacks.
Annihilating Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (4d10 + 5) force damage. This attack deals triple damage to objects and structures.
Nether Blast. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 90 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (4d6 + 5) force damage, and the target is pushed up to 15 feet away from the voidcaller in a straight line.
Call of the Void (Recharge 5–6). The voidcaller targets any number of creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw, taking 36 (8d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, a target is also stunned until the end of its next turn, and the voidcaller knows its exact location for the next 24 hours.
Bonus Actions
Teleport. The voidcaller magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Antimagic Pulse (Recharge 5–6). The voidcaller emits a pulse of antimagic in a 60-foot cone. Any spell or magical effect within the area immediately ends. In addition, any celestial, elemental, fey, or fiend in the area must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or be sent back to its home plane (if it isn't there already).
Star Spawn Worm
Gargantuan aberration, lawful evil
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 232 (15d20 + 75)
- Speed 60 ft., burrow 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 26 (+8) 5 (-3) 20 (+5) 24 (+7) 20 (+5) 16 (+3)
- Saving Throws Int +12, Wis +10, Cha +8
- Skills Deception +8, History +12, Insight +10, Perception +10, Stealth +2
- Damage Immunities psychic
- Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
- Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 20
- Languages Deep Speech, telepathy 60 ft.
- Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Creature Sense. The worm is aware of the presence of creatures within 1 mile of it that have an Intelligence score of 4 or higher. It knows the distance and direction to each creature, as well as each creature's Intelligence score, but can't sense anything else about it. A creature protected by a mind blank spell, a nondetection spell, or similar magic can't be perceived in this manner.
Probing Telepathy. If a creature communicates telepathically with the worm, the leech learns the creature's greatest desires if the worm can see the creature.
Psychic Leech. Whenever the worm deals psychic damage, it regains hit points equal to half the psychic damage dealt.
Tunneler. The worm can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
Actions
Multiattack. The worm makes two attacks: one with its tentacles and one with its bite.
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 25 (5d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and it takes 14 (4d6) psychic damage at the start of each of the worm's turns. The tentacles can grapple only one creature at a time.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (5d8 + 8) piercing damage.
Mind Storm (Recharge 6). The worm unleashes a burst of disrupting energy in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 20 Intelligence saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save, a creature that takes any of this damage also can't take reactions and has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the end of the worm's next turn.
Enslave (3/Day). The worm targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or be magically charmed by the worm until the worm dies or until it is on a different plane of existence from the target. The charmed target is under the worm's control and can't take reactions, and the worm and the target can communicate telepathically with each other over any distance.
Whenever the charmed target takes damage, the target can repeat the saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. No more than once every 24 hours, the target can also repeat the saving throw when it is at least 1 mile away from the worm.
Star Spawn Horror
Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 385 (22d20 + 154)
- Speed 50 ft., climb 50 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 28 (+9) 15 (+2) 24 (+7) 17 (+3) 19 (+4) 24 (+7)
- Saving Throws Int +10, Wis +11, Cha +14
- Damage Resistances cold, force
- Damage Immunities psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
- Condition Immunities all
- Senses truesight 120 ft., blindsight 500 ft., passive Perception 14
- Languages Deep Speech
- Challenge 22 (41,000 XP)
Destroy. As a bonus action, the horror can make a tendril attack against an object or structure.
Herald of Oblivion. All star spawn within 60 feet of the horror have advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.
Immutable Form. The horror is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the horror fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Siege Monster. The horror deals double damage to objects and structures.
Spider Climb. The horror can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Void Tendrils. The area within 20 feet of the horror is lightly obscured by its tendrils. Any hostile creature that ends its turn in this area must succeed on a DC 19 Strength saving throw or be grappled by the horror. Until this grapple ends, the creature takes 9 (2d8) cold damage at the end of each of its turns.
Actions
Multiattack. The horror makes four tendril attacks, each of which it can replace with one use of Fling.
Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (2d10 + 9) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 19). Until this grapple ends, the creature takes 9 (2d8) cold damage at the end of each of its turns.
Fling. One Large or smaller object held or creature grappled by the horror is thrown up to 60 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be knocked prone.
Consume. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d8 + 9) force damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature or object grappled by the horror, the target is consumed by the horror, and the grapple ends.
While consumed, a creature is blinded and restrained, and it has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the horror. At the start of each of the horror's turns, the creature must make a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw, taking 44 (8d10) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target also experiences long-term madness for 1 hour. Consult the Long-Term Madness table (see "Madness Effects" in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) to determine the form of the madness. The affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each minute, ending the effect on itself on a success.
If the horror takes 40 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, the horror must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn or regurgitate all consumed creatures, which fall prone in a space 25 feet away of the horror. If the horror dies, its body fades into nothingness, and any consumed creatures fall prone in its space.Bonus Actions
Destroy. The horror makes one tendril attack against an object or structure.
Legendary Actions
The horror can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The horror regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Lurch. The horror moves up to half its speed.
- Attack. The horror makes one tendril attack or uses its Fling.
- Break Minds (Costs 2 Actions). The horror targets any number of creatures it can see within 60 feet of it. Each target must succeed on a DC 22 Intelligence saving throw or become frightened until the end of the horror's next turn. While frightened, a creature has disadvantage on checks and saving throws that use Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
- Revive Star Spawn (Costs 3 Actions). The horror grabs one Large or smaller dead star spawn within 20 feet of it and consumes its body. At the start of the horror's next turn, the star spawn is revived with all of its hit points and reappears in an unoccupied space within 20 feet of the horror.