Dendar the Night Serpent
S
ome say that Dendar the Night Serpent was
created the first time a mortal creature had a
dream. They believe that she was created to be
the dream’s opposite, and that had the first mortal
had a nightmare instead, a beautiful creature of
goodness and light would now roam the Gray
Waste, swallowing good dreams rather than
nightmares. Debate rages on whether or not this fate would
have been better for the world. Since her creation, Dendar
has been devouring the nightmares of mortals, gathering
them in her gullet where they swim in an eternal miasma of
fear and hatred. She takes pleasure in swallowing the fears of
mortals and immortals alike, particularly enjoying the fancies
of kings and gods.
The Night Serpent is said to be the harbinger of the end of
the world, so that when she has swallowed enough
nightmares, she will come forth from her lair to douse all of
existence in darkness and fear. Even the gods will be unable
to stop her, because they are subject to the same nightmares
as the mortals who serve them. A sect of plane-hopping
clerics and monks of Kelemvor (formerly Myrkul) believe that
it is their sacred duty to stop this from happening. They train
every generation to hunt the Night Serpent on her plane,
forcing her to expend precious nightmares in defense of her
lair and her life.
Although these religious fanatics know that they go to their
deaths when they move against Dendar, they believe that they
are vital to the continued existence of Faerûn and its people.
Dendar has been known by many names throughout the
ages. Different civilizations have different uses for a
legendary creature that swallows nightmares in an attempt to
bring about the end of the world. The ancient Rus called her
Nidhogg, and believed that she would gnaw the roots of the
world tree that connects all things, until it could no longer
survive. The people of Calimport believe that she is the
mother of the Night Parade, although this is not true. And in
Chult, the followers of Ubtao believe that Dendar lives
underneath the Peaks of Flame, and that she will emerge
through a massive iron door to devour the sun. Although she
sometimes slithers across the lower planes, Dendar is
content to spend most of her time in her lair, contentedly
gorged on the world’s unremembered nightmares. She lives
in a vast cave near the river that surrounds the Fugue Plane,
and the hiss of her breathing echoes throughout that plane as
she sleeps.
She is automatically aware of any creature that approaches
her cave, and she awakens in order to savor the taste of their
worst nightmares before she destroys them.
Dendar the Night
Serpent
Gargantuan Monstrosity (titan), Neutral Evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 770 (44d20 + 308)
Speed 80ft., climb 80.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
30 (+10) 13 (+1) 25 (+7) 24 (+7) 24 (+7) 29 (+9)
Saving Throws Con +16, Wis +16, Cha +27
Skills Arcana +16, Perception +16, Stealth +19
Damage Resistance psychic and cold
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning,
piercing, and slashing that is nonmagical
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened,
poisoned, petrified, prone
Senses darkvision 120 ft., truesight 60 ft., passive
Perception 17
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 30 155,000 XP)
Nightmare Scales. Anyone striking the Night Serpent in
melee combat causes one of her scales to fly off. Each
scale contains a consumed nightmare, which is
unleashed on the assailant, who must make a DC 19
Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target
takes 39 (7d10) psychic damage and is frightened of
the manifestation, believing it to be real. The ilusion
lasts for up to 1 minute and can’t be harmed. The
target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of
its turns, ending the illusion on a success, or taking 39
(7d10) psychic damage on a failure.
Crush. Dendar can move through and end her turn on
the space of any creature of size Large or smaller,
crushing them. Creatures crushed by the Night Serpent
take 46 (4d8+28) points of bludgeoning damage and
must attempt a DC 27 Dexterity saving throw. Failure
means the creature is restrained beneath her body,
automatically taking crush damage each round until the
creature is no longer in a space occupied by the Night
Serpent.
Nightmare Venom. Any creature struck by Dendar’s Bite
attack must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution save or
be poisoned and fall unconscious. While in this state,
the character is assailed by a constant stream of his
worst nightmares, taking 39 (7d10) psychic damage
each turn. This effect continues until the creature dies
or the poisoned condition is cured, in which case the
creature wakes up.
Innate Spellcasting (3/Day). Dendar can innately cast
Plane Shift (spell save DC 26). Her spellcasting ability
is Charisma.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Dendar fails a saving
throw, she can choose to succeed instead.
Actions
Multiattack. Dendar can use her Frightful Presence. She
then makes three attacks: two with her Bite and one
with her Tail. She can use Swallow instead of her Bite.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Dendar's choice
that is within 120 feet of Dendar and aware of her
must succeed on a DC 26 Wisdom saving throw or
become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat
the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending
the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving
throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the
creature is immune to Dendar's Frightful Presence for
the next 24 hours.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 20 ft.,
one target. Hit: 36 (4d12 + 10) piercing damage plus
14 (4d6) psychic damage. If the target is a creature,
the Nighmare Venom triggers, it is grappled (escape DC
20). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained,
and Dendar can't bite another target.
Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 20 ft., one
target. Hit: 24 (4d6 + 10) bludgeoning damage. If the
target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 20
Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Swallow. The Night Serpent makes one bite attack
against a Large or smaller creature she is grappling. If
the attack hits, the target takes the bite's damage, the
target is swallowed, and the grapple ends. While
swallowed, the creature is blinded and restrained, it has
total cover against attacks and other effects outside
the Night Serpent, and it takes 39 (2d10+28)
bludgeoning damage at the start of each of Dendar's
turns.
If Dendar takes 100 or more slashing or piercing
damage on a single turn from a creature inside her, the
creature cuts a way out. Once a creature has escaped
this way, the hole is sealed by muscle contractions.
Other swallowed creatures must find their own way
out.
Legendary Actions
Dendar can take 4 legendary actions, choosing from
the options below. Only one legendary action can be
used at a time and only at the end of another creature's
turn. Dendar regains spent legendary actions at the
start of her turn.
Unleash Nightmares. (Costs 4 Actions) If the Night
Serpent's current Hit Points are less than 400 HP, she
can cause any being on any plane to relive their worst
nightmares at the cost of postponing the end of the
world.
Dendar can unleash this ability as a breath weapon in
combat, if she does so, all creatures within a 100-foot
cone must succeed at a DC 26 Charisma saving throw,
and those that fail are carried by their own nightmares
into the Night Serpent’s belly, in addition to being
driven insane.
An insane creature can't take actions, can't understand
what other creatures say, can't read, and speaks only in
gibberish. The DM controls its movement, which is
erratic. This insanity can be cured only by a Greater
Restoration or Wish spell.
Any creatures inside Dendar are thrown out when she
uses Unleash Nightmares and land prone at on a
random space within 10 feet of the Night Serpent.
Lunge (Costs 2 Actions). The Night Serpent makes one
Bite attack or uses its Swallow.
Slither. Dendar moves up to half her speed.