Buy me a coffeeAzi, Gandareva
“Meet the Gandareva: a colossal, acid-spewing sea dragon that snatches sailors and sinks ships with a single curse!”
The Gandareva is a gargantuan, draconic sea creature that strikes fear into the hearts of sailors and adventurers alike. Its body, resembling a massive serpent, stretches nearly 30 feet long, with sinuous coils covered in pebbled, armor-like scales that resemble the jagged seabed. The creature’s four mighty claws, each capable of crushing stone, extend from its serpentine body, complementing its vicious draconic maw lined with razor-sharp teeth. Its dark, stormy-gray hide blends seamlessly with the ocean depths, making it an apex predator in its domain. Massive wings, though poor for flight, allow it to glide above the waves with surprising swiftness, rivaling its speed underwater.
Gandarevas are solitary hunters, dwelling in the deep, warm ocean waters, typically near the coastlines or in vast, unexplored trenches. Their cavernous lairs are often hidden beneath tumultuous waves or submerged caves, where the danger of discovery is minimal. These creatures are most active in the dead of night when storms rage over the sea, mirroring the turmoil of their internal chaos.
In combat, the Gandareva is a terrifying force of nature. It uses its breath weapon, an acidic ooze that spreads like a venomous fog, to incapacitate foes and entangle them in sticky muck. With its claws and tail, it batters its prey while maintaining its position with swift movements, even as it dives and surfaces in a blur of chaotic action. The creature’s cursed powers make it even more lethal, as it can cause swimmers to become overwhelmed with unnatural weight, dragging them into the abyss or leaving them helpless in the depths.
Gandarevas are driven by a primal hunger for dominance over their domain. They view anything that enters their territory—ships, sailors, or intruding creatures—as potential threats to their supremacy and, thus, must be destroyed or captured. Their motivations go beyond mere survival; they seek to assert their power over the seas, ensuring no one dares challenge their reign. Driven by a deep-seated hatred of those who dare trespass into their aquatic realm, Gandarevas instill terror in those who cross their path, their sheer presence often enough to ensure no ship survives an encounter.
Azi, Gandareva 5e
Azi, Gandareva Pathfinder
Gandareva
Gargantuan Dragon (Aquatic), Neutral Evil
Armor Class 19 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 380 (30d12 + 180)
Speed 30 ft., Swim 90 ft., Fly 60 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 (+10) | 16 (+3) | 24 (+7) | 18 (+4) | 20 (+5) | 22 (+6) |
Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +14, Wis +12, Cha +13
Damage Immunities Acid, Poison
Damage Resistances Fire, Lightning
Condition Immunities Paralysis, Frightened, Charmed
Senses Blindsight 60 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 15
Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic, Telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 18 (20,000 XP)
TRAITS
Amphibious
The Gandareva can breathe both air and water.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day)
If the Gandareva fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Toxic Aura (Recharge 5-6)
Creatures within 10 feet of the Gandareva at the start of their turn must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or take 3d10 acid damage and become poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Keen Senses
The Gandareva has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight, hearing, or smell.
Terrifying Presence (Recharge 6)
As an action, the Gandareva can roar, causing all creatures within 120 feet of it to make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
ACTIONS
Multiattack
The Gandareva makes three attacks: one with its bite, one with its claws, and one with its tail.
Bite
Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 30 (4d10 + 10) piercing damage.
Claws
Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 22 (3d8 + 10) slashing damage.
Tail
Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target.
Hit: 26 (3d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage.
Acidic Breath (Recharge 5-6)
The Gandareva exhales a 60-foot cone of acidic gas. Each creature in that area must make a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
The area of the breath weapon becomes covered in sticky, burning acid for 1 minute. Creatures entering or ending their turn in the area take 10 (3d6) acid damage.
Claw Snatch (Recharge 5-6)
The Gandareva makes one claw attack. On a hit, the target is grappled (escape DC 23). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Gandareva can use its claws to throw the creature 30 feet into the air, dropping them into the ocean or onto jagged rocks. This attack causes the target to take 4d10 bludgeoning damage from the fall.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The Gandareva 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 Gandareva regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Claw Swipe. The Gandareva makes one claw attack.
- Wing Buffet. The Gandareva makes a tail attack against one creature within 10 feet. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
- Swim-By Attack (Costs 2 Actions). The Gandareva moves up to its swim speed and makes one claw attack at any point during its movement, without provoking attacks of opportunity.
SPELL-LIKE ABILITIES (4/Day)
The Gandareva can cast the following spells, using Charisma as its spellcasting modifier (spell save DC 21):
- At will: Fog Cloud, Detect Magic, Speak with Animals
- 3/day: Charm Monster, Hallucinatory Terrain (DC 17), Control Water
- 1/day: Acid Fog, Veil (DC 18), Song of Discord (DC 17)
TACTICS
The Gandareva is a relentless, territorial predator of the sea. When it first engages enemies, it utilizes its Terrifying Presence to instill fear and gain the upper hand. It then uses its Acidic Breath to damage and slow enemies, often trapping them in the acidic pool left behind. If opponents are too close or trying to escape, it uses Claw Snatch to incapacitate and control them, throwing them into dangerous terrain or deeper into the ocean. The Gandareva will often attack with a Swim-By Attack to quickly strike and retreat into the depths, avoiding retaliation and keeping its enemies off balance.
Its Legendary Actions allow it to remain mobile and continue its onslaught, making it difficult for enemies to predict its next move. If enemies get too close, it uses its Claw Swipe and Wing Buffet to displace them and clear space for more attacks. The Gandareva uses its environment to its advantage, often hiding in dark, underwater crevices to ambush ships or sailors, then retreating into the depths when it is injured, healing and regaining its strength.
In battle, the Gandareva is a vicious force, driven by hunger and territorial rage. It strikes with unrelenting force, seeking to overwhelm foes with both physical power and its acidic breath.
ENVIRONMENT
The Gandareva thrives in warm, aquatic environments, particularly deep oceanic trenches, shipwrecked zones, or near coastal areas with dense fog or strong currents. It is often encountered near sunken fleets, where it hoards treasures or guards sacred oceanic ruins. When resting, it can often be found camouflaging among the remnants of shipwrecks, hidden by the water’s murkiness.
Azi, Gandareva
Four massive claws extend from the coils of this gigantic serpent, each rivaling its monstrous draconic mouth in ferocity. Its skin pebbled like the seabed, this dragon-like terror looks as if it could easily splinter even the sturdiest vessel.
A menace to the open waters, gandarevas terrorize ships that dare to sail through their domain. Frequently identified as sea serpents by superstitious sailors, gandarevas possess four mighty arms, capable of plucking travelers from the decks of their ships and flinging them into stormy seas.
Their mighty wings serve them almost as well above the waves as beneath, allowing them to sail over the waves nearly as swiftly as they Swim below them. An adult gandareva measures almost 30 feet long and weighs upward of 15 tons.
| Gandareva CR 16 |
| NE Gargantuan dragon (aquatic) Init +1; Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Low-Light Vision; Listen +17, Spot +30 |
| Defense |
| AC 34, touch 7, flat-footed 33 (+1 Dexterity, +27 natural, -4 size) hp 264 (23d12+115) Fort +18, Ref +14, Will +15 DR 15/magic; Immune Paralysis effects, poison, sleep; Resist acid 10, fire 10; SR 24 |
| Offense |
| Speed 20 ft., Fly 80 ft. (poor), Swim 80 ft. Melee bite +27 (4d6+8) and 4 claws +25 (2d8+4) and tail slap +25 (2d8+4) Space 20 ft., Reach 15 ft. (bite 20 ft.) Special Attacks breath weapon, cursed to the depths, swim-by attack Spell-Like Abilities (CL 14th) At will curse water, fog cloud, detect magic, speak with animals 3/day arcane eye, charm animal (DC 13), hallucinatory terrain (DC 17), obscure object (DC 15), quench (DC 15), solid fog 1/day acid fog, control water, song of discord (DC 17), veil (DC 18) |
| Statistics |
| Strength 26, Dexterity 12, Constitution 21, Intelligence 14, Wisdom 15, Charisma 15 Base Atk +23; Grapple +43 Feats Alertness, Awesome Blow, Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Improved Bull Rush, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch Skills Appraise +15, Bluff +28, Diplomacy +19, Escape Artist +14, Hide +15, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (arcana) +15, Knowledge (nature) +17, Listen +17, Search +15, Spot +30, Survival +15, Swim +42 Languages Aquan, Common, Draconic SQ amphibious |
| Ecology |
| Environment warm aquatic Organization solitary Treasure double standard Advancement 24-35 HD (Gargantuan), 36-47 HD (Colossal) |
| Special Abilities |
| Amphibious (Ex) Although gandarevas are aquatic, they can survive indefinitely on land. Breath Weapon (Su) A gandareva can spew forth a wave of thick, acidic ooze (60-foot cone, once every 1d4 rounds, damage 14d8 acid, Reflex 26 DC half ). In addition, every square affected by a gandareva’s breath is covered in this vicious slurry for 1 minute. If a creature in the area succeeded at its save, it is entangled within the sticky muck, but not prevented from moving, though moving is more difficult than normal. If a creature failed its save, it is entangled and can’t move from its space, but can break loose by spending 1 round and making a DC 26 Strength check or a DC 26 Escape Artist check. Once loose (either by making the initial Reflex save or a later Strength check or Escape Artist check), a creature remains entangled, but may move through the muck very slowly. Each round devoted to moving allows the creature to make a new Strength check or Escape Artist check. The creature moves 5 feet for each full 5 points by which the check result exceeds 10. The muck retains its acidic quality until it dissolves. Thus, any creature that ends its turn in a square affected by the slime takes 3d8 points of acid damage (one-fourth of the breath weapon’s initial damage). This ooze is as equally effective underwater as it is on land. The save and check DCs are Constitution-based. Cursed to the Depths (Su) Once every minute, a gandareva can hiss a deadly curse that causes any single creature currently swimming to become much heavier and potentially begin sinking. The target must make a DC 23 Will save or instantly take a 10 penalty on all Swim checks as it feels unnaturally heavy for the next 5 minutes. During this time, a victim, even one with a Swim speed, must make a Swim check every round to move. Every Swim check that fails by 4 or less means the target makes no progress swimming, while failure by 5 or more means the target sinks by 10 feet. remove curse ends this effect immediately. The save DC is Charisma-based. Swim-By Attack (Ex) Nimble in the water despite its size, a gandareva can attack while swimming and continue its movement. When using the attack action with one of its natural weapons, a gandareva can move both before and after the attack. The distance moved cannot be longer than a gandareva’s Swim speed. When a gandareva performs this action, it does not provoke an attack of opportunity from the creature attacked, but may draw attacks of opportunity from other creatures in the combat. A gandareva must move at least 5 feet both before and after the attack. |