Druid Circle From The Beyond

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Abalor the Abhorrent

Circle from the Beyond for druids


inspired by a terror from another dimension
Credits
Writing: David Friant, Doug Vehovec
Editing and Layout: Doug Vehovec
Photography and Painting: Jake Kosman
Miniatures: Pacesetter Ga& Simulations
Paints: Vallejo

Visit the Nerdarchy YouTube channel for the video that inspired Abalor the Abhor-
rent and the Circle from the Beyond druid for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons.

Product identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game
License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper
names (characters, place names, new deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork,
sidebars, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not
included in this declaration.)

Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the material in this Nerdarchy
game product is Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion
of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without
written permission.

Copyright © 2018 Nerdarchy LLC


www.nerdarchy.com

2
Abalor the Abhorrent

Froghemoth miniature from Pacesetter Games & Simulations, paints by Vallejo, painting by Jake
Kosman. [Photo by Jake Kosman]

Adventure Hooks
Tier Two
In the Sewers. Another scenario is a
Tier One Spawn of Abalor has been relocated be-
Pilgrims on the Road. Traveling along neath a city. Dutiful acolytes, themselves
the road is a group of Abalor’s followers. pilgrims who transported the spawn to
He has sent out pilgrims with one of it’s its destination, tend to the spawn as it
spawn. These pilgrims transport the spawn grows. They are kidnapping undesirables
in a special container and carry it reverent- from the city to feed to the spawn. You
ly. This could be a simple encounter or the can use the cultist, druid, cult fanatic, or
seed of a longer adventure. You can use the Druid of Abalor for the pilgrims. For
the cultist, druid, cult fanatic, or the Druid the leader use the stat block for Druid
of Abalor for the pilgrims. For the leader of Abalor, cult fanatic, or High Druid of
use the stat block for Druid of Abalor, cult Abalor.
fanatic, or High Druid of Abalor.

3
Tier Three
The Master. A small village on the edge Amphibious. Abalor can breathe air and
of a swamp lives under the sway of their water.
god, Abalor the Abhorrent. The village
is full of cultists and druids of Abalor. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Abalor
The creature rules from the heart of the fails a saving throw, it can choose to
swamp, creating its spawn and sending succeed instead.
them out into the wider world.
Siege Monster. Abalor deals double dam-
Tier Four age to objects and structures.
The Heart of Madness. Deep in the
swamp, Abalor lurks at the spot where a Shock Susceptibility. If Abalor takes light-
comet crashed eons ago, carrying the bi- ning damage, it suffers several effects until
zarre spawn that would slowly grow and the end of its next turn: its speed is halved,
evolve into the abhorrent creature now it takes a −2 penalty to AC and Dexterity
spreading its mad influence throughout saving throws, it can’t use reactions or
the world. The corrupted water surround- Multiattack, and on its turn, it can use ei-
ing its lair is infested with its spawn, and ther an action or a bonus action, not both.
any number of cultists and druids may be
in attendance before their bloated lord. Actions
It is quite possible any other evil aber-
rations have come for an audience with Multiattack. Abalor makes four attacks
Abalor the Abhorrent as well... with its tentacles. It can also use its
tongue or bite.
Abalor the Abhorrent Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to
Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil
hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 24 (3d10
+ 8) bludgeoning damage, and the target
is grappled (escape DC 21) if it is a Huge
Armor Class 22 (Natural Armor)
or smaller creature. Until the grapple
Hit Points 420 (20d20 + 210)
ends, Abalor can’t use this tentacle on
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
another target. Abalor has four tentacles.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit,


STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
27 (+8) 13 (+1) 24 (+7) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 27 (3d12 +
8) piercing damage, and the target is
swallowed if it is a Medium or smaller
Saving Throws STR +16, DEX +9, CON creature. A swallowed creature is blinded
+15, INT +9, WIS +9, CHA +10 and restrained, has total cover against
Skills Perception +9, Stealth +9 attacks and other effects outside Abalor,
Damage Resistances Fire, Lightning and takes 42 (12d6) acid damage at the
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Percep- start of each of Abalor’s turns.
tion 19 Abalor’s gullet can hold up to four crea-
Languages Common, Deep Speech tures at a time. If Abalor takes 50 damage
Challenge 25 (75,000 XP) or more on a single turn from a creature
inside it, Abalor must succeed on a DC

4
20 Constitution saving throw at the end of STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
that turn or regurgitate all swallowed crea- 19 (+4) 13 (+1) 16 (+3) 4 (-3) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
tures, each of which falls prone in a space
within 10 feet of Abalor. If Abalor dies, a
swallowed creature is no longer restrained Saving Throws CON +5, WIS +3
by it and can escape from the corpse using Skills Perception +3, Stealth +3
10 feet of movement, exiting prone. Damage Resistances Fire, Lightning
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Percep-
Tongue. Abalor targets one large or smaller tion 13
creature that it can see within 30 feet of it. Languages Common, Deep Speech
The target must make a DC 21 Strength Challenge 3 (700 XP)
saving throw. On a failed save, the target is
pulled into an unoccupied space within 5
feet of Abalor, and Abalor can make a bite Amphibious. The Spawn of Abalor can
attack against it as a bonus action. breathe air and water.

Produce Spawn of Abalor. 1-2 Spawn of Ab- Shock Susceptibility. If the Spawn of Aba-
alor erupt from a sacs on the back of Abalor. lor takes lightning damage, it suffers sev-
eral effects until the end of its next turn: its
Legendary Actions speed is halved, it takes a −2 penalty to AC
and Dexterity saving throws, it can’t use
Abalor can take 3 legendary actions, reactions or Multiattack, and on its turn, it
choosing from the options below. Only can use either an action or a bonus action,
one legendary action option can be used not both.
at a time and only at the end of another
creature’s turn. Abalor regains spent leg- Actions
endary actions at the start of its turn.
Multiattack. The Spawn of Abalor makes
Produce Spawn of Abalor. (3 Actions) Ab- two attacks with its tentacles. It can also
alor makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. use its tongue or bite.

Tentacle Attack. Abalor makes one tenta- Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
cle attack. reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (3d4 + 4)
bludgeoning damage, and the target is
Tongue. Abalor makes one tongue attack. grappled (escape DC 13) if it is a Large or
smaller creature. Until the grapple ends,
the Spawn of Abalor can’t use this tentacle
Spawn of Abalor on another target. The Spawn of Abalor
Medium aberration, chaotic evil
has four tentacles.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach


Armor Class 14 (Natural Armor)
5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) piercing
Hit Points 60 (8d8 + 24)
damage, and the target is swallowed if it is
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
a Medium or smaller creature. A swallowed
creature is blinded and restrained, has total
cover against attacks and other effects

5
outside the Spawn of Abalor, and takes 7 Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
(3d4) acid damage at the start of each of
the Spawn of Abalor’s turns.
The Spawn of Abalor’s gullet can hold Conjure Aberrations. The druid can
a small creature at a time. If the Spawn summon aberrations with the conjure
of Abalor takes 5 damage or more on a woodland beings spell.
single turn from a creature inside it, the
Spawn of Abalor must succeed on a DC Spellcasting. The druid is a 12th-level
20 Constitution saving throw at the end spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wis-
of that turn or regurgitate all swallowed dom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell
creatures, each of which falls prone in a attacks). It has the following druid spells
space within 10 feet of the Spawn of Aba- prepared:
lor. If the Spawn of Abalor dies, a swal-
lowed creature is no longer restrained by Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, produce
it and can escape from the corpse using flame, resistance, thorn whip
10 feet of movement, exiting prone. 1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, faerie fire,
thunderwave
Tongue. The Spawn of Abalor targets one 2nd level (3 slots): augury, beast sense,
small creature that it can see within 10 crown of madness, flame blade, pass with-
feet of it. The target must make a DC 13 out trace
Strength saving throw. On a failed save, 3rd level (3 slots): conjure animals, dispel
the target is pulled into an unoccupied magic, fear, hunger of Hadar, plant growth
space within 5 feet of the Spawn of Aba- 4th level (3 slots): arcane eye, conjure
lor, and the Spawn of Abalor can make a woodland beings, Evard’s black tentacles,
bite attack against it as a bonus action. freedom of movement, wall of fire
5th level (2 slots): commune with nature,
High Druid of Abalor conjure elemental, contact other plane,
Medium humanoid (any race), chaotic dream, scrying
neutral 6th level (1 slot): transport via plants, wall
of thorns

Armor Class 14 (Hide Armor) Actions


Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
Speed 30 ft. Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack : +3
to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6)
bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) blud-
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA geoning damage if used with two hands.
11 (+0) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 20 (+5) 14 (+2)
Druid of Abalor
Medium humanoid (any race), any align-
Saving Throws DEX +5, CON +6, WIS +8 ment
Skills Nature +3, Perception +8, Survival
+8
Senses Passive Perception 18 Armor Class 11 (16 With Barkskin)
Languages Common, Druidic, Deep Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5)
Speech

6
Speed 30 ft.
Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, produce
flame, shillelagh
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 1st level (4 slots): augury, crown of
10 (+0) 12 (+1) 13 (+1) 12 (+1) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) madness, entangle, longstrider, speak with
animals, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): animal messenger,
Skills Medicine +4, Nature +3, Perception +4 barkskin
Senses Passive Perception 14
Languages Druidic, Deep Speech plus
any two languages
Actions
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2
to hit (+4 to hit with shillelagh), reach 5
Spellcasting. The druid is a 4th-level
ft., one target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning
spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wis-
damage, 4 (1d8) bludgeoning damage
dom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell
if wielded with two hands, or 6 (1d8 + 2)
attacks). It has the following druid spells
bludgeoning damage with shillelagh.
prepared:

Circle from the Beyond


There are other places in the multiverse, Brooking with strange energies can cause
past forest and glade, mountain, swamp, odd quirks to manifest in a Circle from
desert and tundra. Circle from the Beyond the Beyond druid. You can choose from or
druids revere these places and the crea- roll on the Circle from the Beyond Quirks
tures that hail from them. They have a spe- table to create an unusual quirk for your
cial connection with these creatures, which character.
only grows stronger as they progress and
delve deeper into those chaotic places. Quirks
1 You have one or more extra eyes
Sometimes circles will make a connection 2 You have an extra mouth
through one of these powerful yet bizzare 3 While sleeping, you babble incoherently
creatures or through a places connected 4 You eat odd foods, such as live worms,
to the Far Realm, Xoriat, or some oth- entrails, live goldfish, a particular poisonous
er nameless plane of madness. Others berry you’ve become immune to, or
perceive members of this circle as existing putrefied foods
5 Your body manifests boils or sores
and operating outside of the natural order
6 You hear voices — and they might not be
of things. Druids of the Circle from the Be- imaginary
yond believe they follow a greater calling. 7 You carry an inanimate object and treat it
This can manifest itself in minor eccentric- as a companion
ities all the way to stark raving madness. 8 You don’t cast a shadow, or your shadow
appears to be that of an alien creature

7
Circle from the Beyond Features angles.
Druid Level Feature You choose one of the options below,
2nd Circle spells, Language of centered on a point you can see within
Beyond, Open the Gates 60 feet. The gate remains open for 1 min-
6th Aberration Affinity, Mind of ute or until you choose to end it. When
Madness you use this ability, you may choose any
10th Conjure Aberrations
number of creatures. These creatures
14th Glimpse of the Beyond,
Immunity to charm are unaffected by the area. Any other
creatures entering the area are affected.
Only creatures affected by this ability,
Circle Spells or creatures with truesight, can see the
Your connection to realms beyond
changes in the area.
mortal understanding gives you access
to certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and
Altered Reality. From the point you
9th level you gain access to the spells
choose, the area within 30 feet becomes
listed for that level in the Circle from the
difficult terrain. As creatures struggle
Beyond Spells table.
with the change in the environment,
their attack rolls and ability checks are
Once you gain access to one of these
made with disadvantage.
spells, you always have it prepared, and
it doesn’t count against the number of
Crushing Tentacles. From the point you
spells you can prepare each day. If you
choose, the ground erupts into a swarm
gain access to a spell that doesn’t appear
of flailing, rubbery tentacles. Creatures
on the druid spell list, the spell is none-
moving into or starting their turn in the
theless a druid spell for you.
area take 1d6 bludgeoning damage as
the tentacles slam and bash into them.
Circle from the Beyond Spells This damage increases by 1d6 when you
Druid Level Spells reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6),
3rd augury, crown of madness
and 17th level (4d6).
5th fear, hunger of Hadar
7th arcane eye, Evard’s black tentacles
9th contact other plane, dream Obscuring Haze. From the point you
choose, a 30 foot radius sphere or scintil-
Language of Beyond lating color swirls into existence. Affect-
At 2nd level, you gain the ability to con- ed creatures are considered blinded
verse with aberrant creatures. You learn while within the affected area.
to speak, read and write Deep Speech.
Aberration Affinity
Open the Gates Starting at 6th level, you are accustomed
Starting at 2nd level, you learn to open to dealing with creatures and entities
a window to realms beyond sanity, sum- beyond normal comprehension. When-
moning a portion of terrain from another ever you make a Charisma check when
dimension. The affected area becomes interacting with an aberration, your
filled with incomprehensible features proficiency bonus is doubled if it applies
such as flailing tentacles, scintillating to the check.
colors, bizarre creatures and impossible

8
Mind of Madness against your druid spell save DC. On a fail-
Starting at 6th level, your thoughts have ure, the creature can’t take reactions until
grown alien in nature. You have resistance the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to
to psychic damage. determine what it does during its turn. On
a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. One
Conjure Aberrations a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action or
Starting at 10th level, whenever you cast bonus action and uses all its movement to
the conjure woodland beings spell, you move in a randomly determined direction.
may summon aberrations instead of fey On a 7 or 8, the creature makes a melee
creatures. attack against a randomly determined
creature within reach or does nothing if it
can’t make such an attack.
Glimpse of the Beyond
At 14th level, you can make your aberrant
madness manifest through your gaze. Immunity to Charm
As an action, choose one target creature Starting at 14th level, your nature has
you can see within 20 feet. The creature become utterly alien. You gain immunity
must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw to charm effects.

More online • Nature Possessed Warforged


• Scaled Skald
Check out the Nerdarchy YouTube chan-
• Quick Strike
nel for videos where we discuss all these
character builds and encounters, share • Night Parade
tips and insights and more.
• Combat Medic

Nerdarchy also has a series of Adventur- • Ultimate Duelist


ers League Character Guides that include
level breakdowns from 1st-20th level, • The Roper Wrangler Encounter
plus a bonus for Dungeon Masters — a
• The Hag's Apprentice
brand new creature stat block inspired by
the character build for use as an ally, NPC • Kobold Cavalry Encounter
or antagonist in your D&D games.

• Mind Breaker Paladin Thank you to the Nerdarchy and D&D


• Zen Archery Master community for continued support and
• Sewer Ninja Tortle
until next time, stay nerdy!

9
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