Intelligent alien creatures such as aboleths, as well as the occasional mad wizard or capricious deity, enjoy tinkering with creatures to make them more suited for their environments or just as a thought exercise. Then the PCs have to go out and fight things like owlbears or chimeras.
Doesn’t it make you want to get in on the action? Monster Mix crosses two monsters from the Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault to create new horrors that combine elements from the original creatures beyond just shuffling their component abilities.
Check here for previous installments. This installment looks at demons that endure punishment or decide to enhance themselves by merging with oozes.
Gray Wrack
Smooth, glistening gray skin stretches and cracks as this twisted creature’s limbs extend at odd and disjointed angles.
Underground Infiltrators. The wrack demons’ Void-warped bodies proved receptive to a gray ooze infusion, allowing them to become nearly invisible in stony areas. They retain their ability to rearrange their forms to reach difficult locations and have the added benefit of liquefying their bodies to push themselves through previously inaccessible crawlspaces.
Highly Corrosive. Already able to expel void energy stored within their tormented forms, the demons add physical causticity to their arsenal. When not in infiltration forms, or protective forms where they solidify themselves to soften the blows from weapon strikes, they leak acid destructive to metal armor, weapons, and structures.
Independent Minded. Gray wracks usually shed their obsequiousness and cowardice with the modicum of power they obtain. They assert authority over lesser wrack demons and drive their minions to work against demon lords who have earned their enmity.
GRAY WRACKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â CR 6
Medium Fiend (Demon)
Armor Class 12
Hit Points 120
Speed 30 ft.
Perception 14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Stealth 15
Resistant acid | grappled, prone, restrained | Demonic Resilience
Immune frightened | Demonic Resilience
Senses darkvision 120 ft., keensense 60 ft.
Languages Abyssal, Void Speech, telepathy 120 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| +4 | +5 | +9 | +1 | +4 | −3 |
Fluid Form. The gray wrack can easily move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. It can squeeze through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide. The gray wrack’s destination must still have suitable room to accommodate its volume.
Demonic Resilience. The gray wrack is resistant to cold, fire, and lightning damage. In addition, it is immune to poisoned damage and to the poisoned condition.
Magic Resistance. The gray wrack has advantage on saves against spells and other magical effects.
Stone Camouflage. The gray wrack’s Stealth is 20 while in rocky terrain.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The gray wrack makes two Slam attacks.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) acid damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 CON save or have disadvantage on attack rolls as reality-warping energies of the Void temporarily distort its body.
Warping Burst (Recharge 5–6). The gray wrack unleashes a blast of void energy that warps and distorts the area around it. Each creature within 20 feet of the wrack must make a DC 15 CON save. On a failure, a creature takes 27 (6d8) necrotic damage plus 7 (2d6) acid damage, its speed is reduced by 10 feet and its AC is reduced by 2 until the end of its turn. Its armor is also affected by the wrack’s Corrosive Form, if applicable. On a success, a creature takes half as much damage, and it suffers no other ill effects.
BONUS ACTIONS
Body Warping. The gray wrack shifts its malleable form, rearranging its limbs, flesh, and bone as needed to fulfill its tasks. It chooses one of the following effects, which lasts until the gray wrack takes this bonus action again.
- Stony Hide. The gray wrack forces its exterior to solidify. It loses its Fluid Form trait, but its AC increases by 2, and it has advantage on checks and saves against any effect that would move it. Additionally, when it is hit by an attack, it can use a reaction to further solidify its body, reducing the damage it takes by 4 (1d8). If it took fire damage since the start of its last turn, the damage it takes is reduced by 5 (1d10) instead. The wrack can’t use this reaction if it has taken thunder damage since the start of its last turn.
- Corrosive Form. The gray wrack’s skin exudes acid. When it hits with a melee attack, and the target is wearing nonmagical metal armor, the armor is partly corroded and takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to the AC it offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 is destroyed. Additionally, when any nonmagical weapon made of metal deals damage to the wrack, the weapon takes a permanent and cumulative −1 penalty to damage rolls. If its penalty drops to −5, the weapon is destroyed. Nonmagical ammunition made of metal that hits the wrack is destroyed after dealing damage. Finally, the wrack can burn through 2-inch-thick, nonmagical metal in 1 round.
- Infiltration. The gray wrack changes the texture and stickiness of its skin, and the liquidity of its body. It gains a climbing speed of 30 feet. In addition, it can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check. Finally, it can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
