A death embrace is a giant, jellyfish-like aberration native to the Netherdeep.
Description[]
Appearance and behavior[]
Extending from a death embrace's bell are six barbed, translucent tentacles, each 60 feet long. Between these tentacles is a hanging, vivid red mass teeming with tendrils, and the magical energy of this mass is palpable.[1]
Death embraces are not especially aggressive creatures, but one will readily tangle prey that comes within range of its long tentacles, which is also the extent of its perception. If there are multiple creatures present, the death embrace will patiently use a grappled creature as a shield from attacks.[2] Swarms of tiny sorrowfish, naturally immune to petrification and being restrained, sometimes seek protection among a death embrace's tendrils and feed on creatures caught there.[3]
Abilities[]
The following is all taken from Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep, p. 197.
- Saving throw proficiencies: STR, WIS
- Condition immunities: exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, prone
- Petrifying Tendrils: First restrains, then petrifies creatures who fail CON saving throws
- Reel: Automatically pulls grappled creatures toward the death embrace
- Water Breathing: Can breathe only while underwater
- Actions
- Tentacle: Deals piercing and psychic damage, and each tentacle can grapple one Large or smaller creatures
- Multiattack: Makes two tentacle attacks
- Body Shield: Can use a reaction to cause one grappled creature to take the damage that would have been dealt by an attack that hits
Known death embraces[]
- One death embrace that lairs in a ruined villa in Cael Morrow has its bell covered in a lattice of crystalline ruidium because it has a ruidium greataxe embedded in it; this weapon has been dubbed the "Key to the Netherdeep", though any ruidium weapon will do.[4]
- A pair of death embraces can be found in the Vents of Fury in the Netherdeep.[5]
- Another death embrace loiters in the Chasm of Yearning.[6]
Trivia[]
James Haeck, who contributed to the creation of monsters of the Netherdeep, said the death embrace was his favorite.[7]
References[]
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 197. See also pp. 135 and 168.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 197. See also p. 168.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 210. See also pp. 135 and 168.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, pp. 135–136.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 157.
- ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 168.
- ↑ See "Dangers of the Netherdeep | Critical Role | D&D Beyond" at 2:57.
Art:
- ↑ Depiction of a death embrace, by Crystal Sully (source). This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.