Monster
Merrenoloth
Outside your table’s allowed sources
Official reference · MTF · 2014
- Creature type
- Fiend
- Size
- Medium
- Armor class
- 13
- Hit points
- 40 (9d8)
- Speed
- Walk 30 ft., Swim 40 ft.
- Challenge rating
- 3
- Alignment
- Neutral Evil
- Strength
- 8
- Dexterity
- 17
- Constitution
- 10
- Intelligence
- 17
- Wisdom
- 14
- Charisma
- 11
- Passive Perception
- 14
- Saving Throws
- dex: +5; int: +5
- Skills
- history: +5; nature: +5; perception: +4; survival: +4
- Senses
- blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft.
- Languages
- Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
- Resistances
- cold, fire, lightning, resist: bludgeoning, piercing, slashing; note: from nonmagical attacks; cond: True
- Immunities
- acid, poison
- Condition Immunities
- poisoned
Traits
Magic Resistance
The merrenoloth has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons
The merrenoloth's weapon attacks are magical.
As a bonus action, the merrenoloth magically teleports, along with any equipment it is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space it can see.
Actions
Multiattack
The merrenoloth uses Fear Gaze once and makes one oar attack.
Oar
Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage.
Fear Gaze
The merrenoloth targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Innate Spellcasting
The merrenoloth's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: charm person, darkness, detect magic, dispel magic, gust of wind
1/day: control weather
3/day: control water
Lair actions
Any ship a merrenoloth is contracted to captain becomes the creature's lair. When fighting on the ship, the merrenoloth can invoke its ability to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the merrenoloth can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects; it can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The ship regains 22 (4d10) hit points.
- A strong wind propels the ship, increasing its speed by 30 feet until initiative count 20 on the next round.
- The air within 60 feet of the ship is filled with howling wind. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, that area is 3, and when a Medium or smaller creature flies into that area or starts its turn flying there, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Regional effects
A merrenoloth imbues its vessel with powerful magic that creates one or more of the following effects:
- The ship doesn't sink even if its hull is breached.
- The ship always stays on course to the destination the merrenoloth names.
- Creatures the merrenoloth chooses to take on the ship aren't discomfited by wind or weather, though this effect doesn't protect against damage.
If the merrenoloth dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d6 hours.