Nemean Lion

Large monstrosity (mythic beast), chaotic neutral

---

Armor Class: 20 (Unyielding Hide)
Hit Points: 250 (20d10 + 140)
Speed: 50 ft., Climb 30 ft.

---

Ability Scores:

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
24 (+7)	18 (+4)	20 (+5)	8 (–1)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)

---

Saving Throws: Dex +8, Con +9, Wis +7
Skills: Perception +10, Stealth +8
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 20
Languages: —
Challenge: 14 (11,500 XP)

---

Traits:

• Unyielding Hide.
  The Nemean Lion’s legendary hide renders it nearly impervious to harm; any attack made with a nonmagical weapon is done at disadvantage.
• Keen Senses.
  The lion has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
• Mythic Resurgence.
  When the Nemean Lion is reduced to 0 hit points for the first time in a combat encounter, it instead regains 50 hit points and its melee attacks deal an extra 1d8 damage until the end of its next turn. This ability can be used only once per encounter.

---

Actions:

• Multiattack.
  The Nemean Lion makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its claws.
• Bite.
  Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Hit: 28 (4d10 + 7) piercing damage.
• Claw.
  Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Hit: 22 (3d10 + 7) slashing damage.
• Feral Roar (Recharge 5–6).
  The lion unleashes a thunderous roar infused with wild magic. Each creature within 30 ft. that can hear the roar must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

---

Legendary Actions:
The Nemean Lion 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. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Claw Attack.
  The lion makes one claw attack.
• Feral Leap (Costs 2 Actions).
  The lion leaps up to 30 ft. to a location it can see. If it lands within 5 ft. of a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage.
• Terrifying Snarl (Costs 3 Actions).
  The lion emits a bone-chilling snarl. Each creature within 15 ft. that can hear it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the creature’s next turn.

---

Tactics:

• Ambush and Disruption:
  The Nemean Lion begins combat by using its Feral Roar to sow fear among its foes, then quickly closing in on isolated targets. Its high mobility—bolstered by a swift 50 ft. speed and agile climbing—allows it to exploit terrain, such as rocky outcrops, to gain tactical advantages.
• Hit-and-Run Ferocity:
  Using its Feral Leap, the lion can suddenly close gaps and deliver punishing strikes, then retreat into shadowy recesses. Its relentless aggression forces enemies to constantly adjust their positioning.
• Area Control:
  In desperate situations, the lion resorts to Terrifying Snarl to disrupt enemy formations, stunning nearby foes and breaking coordinated attacks.
• Relentless Offense:
  Even when wounded, the Mythic Resurgence trait enables the lion to rebound and intensify its attacks, ensuring that only the most resilient or well-prepared challengers can hope to overcome its feral might.

A gigantic lion whose skin was impervious to weapons, he was the son of Typhon and Echidna.

The First Labour of Heracles

The first of Heracles‘ twelve labours was to slay the Nemean Lion and bring back its skin.Heracles followed the lion in a cave, which had two entrances. He closed the one entrance with stones and went in to find the lion.

The lion had been terrorizing the area around Nemea, and had a skin so thick that it was impenetrable to weapons. When Heracles first tackled it, his weapons – bow and arrow, a club made from an olive tree (which he pulled out of the ground himself) and a bronze sword – were all ineffective. At last Heracles threw away his weapons and wrestled the lion to the ground, eventually killing it by thrusting his arm down its throat and choking it to death. (In some variants, Heracles actually strangled the beast.)

Heracles spent hours trying unsuccessfully to skin the Nemean Lion, and gradually growing angrier as it appeared he would be unable to complete his first task. Eventually Athena, in the guise of an old crone, helped Heracles to realise that the best tools to cut the hide were the creature’s own claws, he skinned the lion with its own claws and wore its pelt as a cloak with its gaping jaws as a hood. Thus, with a little divine intervention, Heracles completed his first task.

Thereafter, he wore the impenetrable hide as armour. King Eurystheus, Heracles‘ taskmaster for the labours, was so frightened by Heracles‘ fearsome guise that he hid in a large bronze jar, and from that moment forth communicated all his instructions to Heracles through a herald.

The Nemeian lion was 15 feet long and weighed 3,500 pounds.

---

Nemean Lion
Large animal
Hit Dice	8d8+24 (88 hp+ 96)=184hp
Initiative	+2
Speed	120 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class	39 (-1 size, +2 Dexterity, +4 natural+12 insight bonus +12 luck bonus), touch 36, flat-footed 37
Base Attack/Grapple	+31/+42 (+25 luck bonus)
Attack	Claw +38 melee (1d6+7+20 luck bonus)
Full Attack	2 claws +38 melee (1d6+7+20 luck bonus) and bite +32 melee (1d8+3+20 luck bonus)
Space/Reach	10 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Improved grab, pounce, rake (1d6+3+20 luck bonus)
Special Qualities	Low-Light Vision, Scent, Fire and cold resistance 10, Damage reduction 50/natural, Spell Resistance +30, Fast healing 20, Natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Saves	Fort +19, Ref +18, Will +17 (+10 insight bonus)
Abilities	Strength 40, Dexterity 30, Constitution 32, Intelligence 17, Wisdom 27, Charisma 25
Skills	Hide +12*, Listen +17, Move Silently +15, Spot +17 (+10 competence bonus)
Feats	Alertness, Run, Weapon Focus (claw)
Environment	Warm plains
Organization	Unquie
Challenge Rating	20
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always neutral Evil
Advancement
Level Adjustment	–

Combat

The Nemean Lion attacks by running at prey, leaping, and clawing and biting as it rakes with its rear claws. It often jumps onto a creature larger than itself.

Improved Grab (Ex) To use this ability, a Nemean Lion must hit with its bite attack. It can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity. If it wins the grapple check, it establishes a hold and can rake.

Pounce (Ex) If the Nemeian lion charges, it can make a full attack, including two rake attacks.

Rake (Ex) Attack bonus +37 melee, damage 1d6+3+ 20.

Skills The Nemeian lion has a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.

*In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus improves to +8.