The Questing Beast

Large monstrosity, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 150 (20d10 + 40)
Speed 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	16 (+3)	14 (+2)	10 (0)	14 (+2)	8 (-1)

Skills Perception +6
Damage Immunities Poison
Condition Immunities Frightened, Poisoned

Keen Senses. The Questing Beast has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Magic Resistance. The Questing Beast has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Multiattack. The Questing Beast can make three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.

Enigmatic Presence. Any creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of The Questing Beast must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute. The charmed creature is compelled to embark on a quest or journey determined by the DM, and it regards The Questing Beast as a mystical guide. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Dimensional Stride. The Questing Beast can magically teleport, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.

Actions

Mystical Gaze. The Questing Beast fixes its gaze on one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute. The charmed creature is compelled to seek out and complete a quest determined by the DM. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Ethereal Traverse (Recharge 5-6). The Questing Beast steps into the ethereal plane, becoming incorporeal and immune to all damage until the start of its next turn. While ethereal, it can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain.

Legendary Actions

The Questing Beast 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 Questing Beast regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

1. Mystic Echo. The Questing Beast magically echoes a haunting sound. All creatures within 30 feet must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
2. Portal Shift. The Questing Beast teleports to an unoccupied space within 60 feet.
3. Enigmatic Whispers. The Questing Beast imparts cryptic advice or guidance to a creature within 60 feet. The creature gains advantage on its next saving throw or ability check.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), The Questing Beast takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects:

1. Mystical Distortion. The mystical energies within the lair become unpredictable. All creatures must make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be affected by the confusion spell until the start of The Questing Beast’s next turn.
2. Temporal Flux. The flow of time within the lair becomes distorted. The initiative order for all creatures is shuffled.
3. Ephemeral Presence. The lair becomes ethereal, causing all attacks made within the lair to have disadvantage until the start of The Questing Beast’s next turn.

Regional Effects

The region containing The Questing Beast’s lair is warped by its mystical presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:

1. Strange phenomena and illusions occur within 1 mile of the lair, including ghostly sounds and shifting lights.
2. Creatures within 1 mile of the lair are prone to vivid dreams and visions, often related to quests and prophecies.
3. Natural creatures within the lair’s region are drawn to The Questing Beast, following it as if guided by a mysterious force.

Legendary Lair Actions

While The Questing Beast is within its lair, it can take legendary actions to harness the ambient magic. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), The Questing Beast can take one of the following lair actions:

1. Arcane Resonance. The mystical energies in the lair amplify, granting The Questing Beast and its allies advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects until the start of its next turn.
2. Veil of Confusion. The lair becomes shrouded in illusion, causing creatures within it to be affected by the blur spell until the start of The Questing Beast’s next turn.
3. Temporal Disturbance. The lair’s connection to time becomes erratic. All creatures within it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the slow spell until the start of The Questing Beast’s next turn.

Equipment

• Luminescent Feathers. The feathers of The Questing Beast are coveted magical components, often sought by enchanters and alchemists for use in creating potent potions and spell scrolls.
• Ethereal Amulet. A mystical amulet that allows the wearer to glimpse into the ethereal plane. Once per day, the wearer can cast the etherealness spell.

CR Level: 15
XP: 13,000

This bizarre creature is over ten feet long. Its body resembles that of a leopard, its haunches those of a lion, its feet are those of a deer, and its neck and head those of a serpent. Its long serpentine tail ends in a spiked ball. 

The original questing beast was created by a powerful sorceress to avenge the death of her lover, a giant slain by Sir Pellinore, one of the Knights of the Round Table. Its name comes from its unusual roar, which sounds like “thirty couple hounds questing.” While the original questing beast could only be slain by those of Pellinore’s bloodline,
the means to destroy other questing beasts include specific weapons or powerful magic. A questing beast is 10 feet long and weighs 2 tons. A questing beast cannot speak, but understands Common and Draconic.

The Questing Beast is a monster from Arthurian legend, the subject of quests by famous knights like King Pellinore, Sir Palamedes, and Sir Percival. The strange creature has the head and neck of a serpent, the body of a leopard, the haunches of a lion and the feet of a hart. Its name comes from the great noise it emits from its belly, a barking like “thirty couple hounds questing”.

The first accounts of the beast has the Questing Beast appear to King Arthur after he has had an affair with his sister Morgause and begotten Mordred (they did not know they were related). Arthur sees the beast drinking from a pool just after he wakes from a disturbing dream that foretells Mordred’s destruction of the realm; he is then approached by King Pellinore who reveals it is his family quest to hunt the beast. Merlin reveals the Questing Beast had been borne of a human woman, a princess who lusted after her own brother. She slept with a devil who had promised to make the boy love her, but the devil manipulated her into accusing her brother of rape. Their father had him torn apart by dogs, but before he died he prophesied his sister would give birth to an abomination that would make the same sounds as the pack of dogs that killed him. The beast has been taken as a symbol of the incest, violence, and chaos that eventually destroys Arthur’s kingdom.

Later ithe Saracen knight Sir Palamedes hunts the Questing Beast. It is a futile venture, much like his love for Sir Tristan’s paramour Iseult, offering him nothing but hardship. He finally slays the creature during the Grail Quest after he, Percival and Galahad have chased it into a lake.

Originally Posted by Shade of the En World forums.

On this Thread

Questing Beast
Large Dragon
Hit Dice	10d12+80 (145 hp)
Initiative	+10
Speed	50 ft. (10 squares)
Armor Class	25 (–1 size, +10 Dexterity, +6 natural), touch 19, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple	+10/+24
Attack	Bite +19 melee (1d12+10) or tail slap +19 melee (1d10+15)
Full Attack	Bite +19 melee (1d12+10) and 2 claws +19 melee (1d8+5) and tail slap +19 melee (1d10+15)
Space/Reach	10 ft./5 ft. (10 ft. with bite)
Special Attacks	Breath weapon, improved grab, rake, swallow whole
Special Qualities	Darkvision 60 ft., immunity to sleep and Paralysis, Low-Light Vision, regeneration 15, Spell Resistance 20
Saves	Fort +15, Ref +17, Will +9
Abilities	Strength 31, Dexterity 30, Constitution 26, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 14, Charisma 16
Skills	Balance +27, Hide +23, Intimidate +12, Jump +27, Listen +15, Move Silently +27, Spot +15
Feats	Cleave, Improved Multiattack, Multiattack, Power Attack
Environment	Any land
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	13
Treasure	None
Alignment	Always neutral
Advancement	11-20 HD (Large), 21-30 HD (Huge)
Level Adjustment	–

COMBAT

A questing beast simply wanders the countryside, spreading death and destruction. Their preferred prey are canines, which they always attempt to swallow whole.

Breath Weapon (Su): 40-ft. cone, once every 1d4 rounds, 5d8 acid damage, Reflex DC 23 half. The save DC is Constitution-based.

Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a questing beast 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.

Rake (Ex): Attack bonus +14 melee, damage 1d8+5.

Regeneration (Ex): No form of attack deals lethal damage to the questing beast. The questing beast regenerates even if it fails a saving throw against a disintegrate spell or a death effect. If the questing beast fails its save against a spell or effect that would kill it instantly (such as those mentioned above), the spell or effect instead deals nonlethal damage equal to the creature’s full normal hit points +10 (or 145 hp). The questing beast is immune to effects that produce incurable or bleeding wounds, such as mummy rot, a sword with the wounding special ability, or a clay golem’s cursed wound ability.

The questing beast can be slain only by raising its nonlethal damage total to its full normal hit points +10 (or 145 hit points) and using a limited wish, wish or miracle spell to keep it dead. Legends claim that specific bloodlines and weapons can also deal lethal damage to the beast. If the questing beast loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 1d6 minutes (the detached piece dies and decays normally). The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Swallow Whole (Ex): The questing beast can try to swallow a grabbed opponent of up to two sizes smaller by making a successful grapple check. The swallowed creature takes 1d12+10 points of bludgeoning damage and 8 points of acid damage per round from the questing beast’s stomach. A swallowed creature can cut its way out by using a light slashing or piercing weapon to deal 15 points of damage to the gizzard (AC 13). Once the creature exits, muscular action closes the hole; another swallowed opponent must cut its own way out.

The questing beast’s gizzard can hold 2 Small, 8 Tiny, or 32 Diminutive or smaller opponents.

Skills: The questing beast has a +4 racial bonus on Balance, Hide, Jump, and Move Silently checks.

Originally appeared in Legends and Lore (1990).