Charon (D&D 5E Epic Fantasy Monster)

CHARON

Medium undead, lawful evil

AC: 15 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 127 (17d8+51)

Speed: 30 ft.

STR             DEX             CON             INT               WIS              CHA

20 (+5)         12 (+1)         16 (+3)         12 (+1)         20 (+5)         16 (+3)

Saving Throws: Con +9, Int +7, Wis +7

Skills: Arcana +7, History +7, Insight +11, Intimidation +9, Perception +11, Religion +7

Damage Resistances: Cold, lightning, necrotic

Damage Immunities: Poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Condition Immunities: Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned

Proficiencies: Vehicles (Water)

Senses: Truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21

Languages: Common (Greek), Akkadian, Egyptian, Infernal, Latin, Primordial

Challenge: 12 (8,400 XP)

Rejuvenation. Charon has a phylactery and, if destroyed, gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all his hit points and becoming active again. His new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery inside the vault in his lair. 

Spellcasting. Charon is a 17th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). Charon has the following Cleric spells prepared:

Cantrips (5; at will): Chill Touch, Guidance, Mage Hand, Resistance, Thaumaturgy

1st level (4 slots): Bane, Command, Create or Destroy Water, Protection from Evil and Good

2nd level (3 slots): Blindness/Deafness, Enhance Ability, Hold Person

3rd level (3 slots): Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Water Walk

4th level (3 slots): Banishment, Control Water, Freedom of Movement

5th level (2 slots): Contagion, Geas

6th level (1 slot): Harm

7th level (1 slot): Regenerate

8th level (1 slot): Control Weather

9th level (1 slot): Imprisonment

Actions

Multiattack. Charon makes two melee attacks with his oar.

Oar: Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10+4) bludgeoning damage.

Chill Touch: Ranged Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, one creature, range 120 ft., Damage: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage, plus the target cannot regain hit points until the start of the caster’s next turn.

Charon

Charon is a Lich-like undead monster who appears as a tall, disturbingly gaunt, extremely old man with a long scraggly beard and fierce, flashing eyes, who is clad in a tattered and filthy burial shroud and armed with a long wooden oar. He dwells on the banks of the Styx in the underworld and is tasked with ferrying the souls of the dead from one side of the gloomy river to the other. His vessel is an ancient Egyptian-style funerary barge that is propelled by a half-dozen animated oars on each side.

In ages long past, Charon was a priest to the gods of Egypt and served as the boatman who ferried deceased members of the aristocracy across the Nile River to their burial places on its western bank. As a result of his continuous exposure to the dead and study of necromantic magic, he developed rituals that would allow him to indefinitely prolong his existence as a lich-like undead being.

Charon is not interested in living beings one way or another and will not pay any attention to them if he does not have to. If attacked, however, he will defend himself strenuously, and if characters attempt to board his boat he will warn them off and, if they persist, attack them.

If battling living beings, Charon will use Imprisonment in an attempt to trap the soul of one opponent in his phylactery, which is sealed within the vault in his lair, a temple-like tomb located above the ferry port on the far side of the Styx.

Charon casts Control Weather to calm the water in the channel he traverses across the turgid river to ensure he never has problems. He can also use Chill Touch and Imprisonment, which are normally Wizard spells, and is also able to cast a special form of Regenerate that can affect only himself. 

* Characters who offer Charon an appropriate bribe and make a successful DC 15 Charisma (Persuasion) ability check can convince him to transport their party across the river. Valuables worth at least 100 gp per character must be offered and if a bribe worth at least 1,000 gp total is made then the check will be at advantage. If a magic item is offered then the check will be made at advantage and the DC will be lowered by 1 for every 1,000 gp value of the item. 

* Characters who can channel positive energy (e.g., Clerics, Paladins) may attempt to make a DC 20 Charisma (Intimidate) check against Charon and, if successful, he will agree to transport them. Likewise, if a character successfully turns Charon, he will be cowed and can be ordered to carry characters to the other side of the Styx. If any such attempt fails, Charon will become infuriated and attack those attempting to bend him to their will.