Dire Bulette
Spiciness: 5/5
Feeds about players, level 11-13
Scales for: Number of Players, Player Level
Ingredients:
- Dire Bulette
Scale for Party Size. If there's more than 3 players, you may want to consider giving the Bulette Legendary Actions. Give it 1 point for every player above 3. It can either move as a legendary action (1 point) or make a bite attack (2 points).
Preparation
The Dire Bullete is not just a higher CR Bullete-- it's smarter (knowing Terran), and more adapted to underground life. It's Tremorsense is expanded to 120ft, and gains blindsight 5ft, but it's lost its normal sight entirely. It relies on electroreception (a real thing, look it up!) to see creatures that aren't directly touching the ground. Thus, if a creature is more than 5ft away & flying, it's invisible to the Bullete.
Additionally, it gains a stronger version of the acid that Bulettes canonically have to dig through the earth. This acid is strong enough to burn creatures that touch it, as well as damage non-metal weapons used against it-- even if the attack misses (it clashes against the Bulette's armor, which is soaked in acid).
Before Combat. Unless the Bulette is above ground for some strange reason (eating? Already wounded?), it's likely able to catch them by surprise. Sure, the party will may hear it burrowing underground, but is that an earth quake? Which direction is it coming from? If the Bulette waits for them to get close, it could use it's 40ft burrow speed to get to them and make an attack in that first round before they've realistically figured out what the threat is.
Because of that, I'd give the party each a Perception Check DC 10 (real low), with creatures that fail being surprised.
Things you should know
Tremorsense. A creature with tremorsense is sensitive to vibrations in the ground and can automatically pinpoint the location of anything that is in contact with the ground and within range.
Blindsight. A creature with blindsight can perceive its surroundings without relying on sight, within a specific radius.
Prone. A prone creature’s only Movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition (costs half movement to stand, cannot stand if 0 movespeed). The creature has disadvantage on Attack rolls. An Attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the Attack roll has disadvantage.
Readying Actions
Sometimes you want to get the jump on a foe or wait for a particular circumstance before you act. To do so, you can take the Ready action on your turn, which lets you act using your reaction before the start of your next turn.
First, you decide what perceivable circumstance will trigger your reaction. Then, you choose the action you will take in response to that trigger, or you choose to move up to your speed in response to it. Examples include "If the cultist steps on the trapdoor, I'll pull the lever that opens it," and "If the goblin steps next to me, I move away."
When the trigger occurs, you can either take your reaction right after the trigger finishes or ignore the trigger. Remember that you can take only one reaction per round.
When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs. To be readied, a spell must have a casting time of 1 action, and holding onto the spell's magic requires concentration. If your concentration is broken, the spell dissipates without taking effect. For example, if you are concentrating on the web spell and ready magic missile, your web spell ends, and if you take damage before you release magic missile with your reaction, your concentration might be broken.
Cooking the Dire Bulette
Normally, I'd give a round-by-round breakdown of abilities to use, but the Bulette is a very conditional beast.
If the party is grouped together, you can use your Deadly Leap to slam into multiple of them. That's most likely going to happen on Round 1-2, but not guaranteed. Once you Deadly Leap, burrow underground again.
If the party spreads out, use your Undertow to knock one down, then Bite (with advantage because they're prone). Note that undertow can be used against multiple people a turn, so if the first doesn't work-- try someone else.
Your best defense is going to be to remain underground when it isn't your turn. The party will have to ready actions to attack you when you appear, but that means they'll be making one attack instead of the several that they might normally make. Don't forget to use your Armored Body to negate one of the attacks too (by adding +2 to your armor class).
Fleeing Conditions. The Bulette is looking for a meal-- not a warrior's death. If it gets low on HP (20 or so), it'll run off. Similarly, if it knocks a player down, have it Grapple the downed player in its large mouth and begin to burrow-- a death sentence for that PC as the Bulette effectively digs their grave, before chowing down. Happily full, it doesn't return.
Dire Bulette
Large monstrosity, unaligned
- Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 112 (9d10 + 63)
- Speed 40 ft., burrow 40 ft,
jump (up 15 ft, 30ft horizontal, no running start)
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 19 (+4) 11 (+0) 25 (+7) 6 (-2) 10 (+0) 8 (-1)
- Senses tremorsense 120 ft, blindsight 5ft
- Languages Terran
- Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
Electroreceptive The Bulette has blindsight 5ft & tremorsense 120ft, but has no normal vision.
Acidic Skin The Dire Bullete's skin excretes an acidic slime, which it uses to burrow more easily. A creature that grapples or makes an unarmed attack against the Bulette takes 2d6 Acid Damage.
Non-metal weapons used against the Bulette become weakened by this acid, gaining a -1 bonus to damage rolls permanently for each attack made. If this accumulates to -5, the weapon breaks.Undertow. When a Dire Bulette digs just under the surface, it shifts the earth as it tears through the ground. That area becomes difficult terrain to any creature without a burrow speed, and any creature standing on the surface when the Bulette digs under them needs to make a DC 16 Dexterity Save or be knocked Prone. This effect only triggers once per creature per turn.
Actions
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 30 (4d12 + 4) piercing damage & 7 (2d6) Acid Damage.
Deadly Leap. If the bulette jumps at least 15 feet as part of its movement, it can then use this action to land on its feet in a space that contains one or more other creatures. Each of those creatures must succeed on a DC 16 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or be knocked prone and take 18 (4d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 18 (4d6 + 4) acid damage. On a successful save, the creature takes only half the damage, isn't knocked prone, and is placed adjacent to the Bulette.
Reactions
Armored Body. As a reaction, the Bulette can position its armored plating, gaining +2 to its AC against the triggering attack.
