Venger
Medium Fiend, Neutral EvilCorrupted Force of Evil
An immortal mage and Fiend with an implacable hatred for Tiamat, Venger seeks to rule nations by amassing sycophants and long-lost magical artifacts. Though his bat-like wings allow him to fly, Venger prefers to ride on his trusted flying steed, a Nightmare that lurks on the Ethereal Plane until it's needed. Venger sends his adviser, Shadow Demon (Shadow Demon), to survey distant lands, then weaves interlocking plans based on Shadow Demon's reports.
Venger was once a good-hearted human studying wizardry under the cryptic tutelage of his father. In time, Venger grew impatient and sought to increase his magical prowess by dabbling in minor pacts with demons. He eventually met demons who worshipped Tharizdun the Chained God, an entity the demons believed powerful enough to create whole planes of existence. Venger yearned to forge a pact with this entity, believing that doing so would give him immense power.
With the help of these Tharizdun-worshipping demons, Venger opened a brief window into the demiplane of Tharizdun's imprisonment. The demons had neglected to mention that the souls of all who look on the Chained God face certain doom. As Venger gazed on this entity—an unknowable, indescribable blend of demonic and aberrant influence—Venger's form warped, and the last traces of goodness sloughed off him. The demons collected this good essence and locked it in a vault that they spirited away to a distant corner of the Material Plane. Venger emerged from this encounter as a cruel, twisted version of himself, exalted now with immortality and magical might, and he vowed to free the Chained God.
At first, Venger earnestly pursued this promise. In time, though, he grew to despise his vow and neglected it in favor of his own pursuit of power. Now he no longer wants Tharizdun freed, knowing his disloyalty could make him a target of Tharizdun's wrath.
After abandoning his quest to free Tharizdun, Venger sought to use several Orbs of Dragonkind to control Tiamat. This futile endeavor earned Venger Tiamat's lifelong enmity. Venger now plots endlessly to destroy or subjugate Tiamat, among other nefarious designs. Roll on or choose a result from the Venger's Schemes table to inspire Venger's next power play.
Venger's Schemes
| 1d6 | Venger Plots To... |
|---|---|
| 1 | Imprison those who would oppose him in a vast labyrinth of his own creation called the Maze of Darkness. |
| 2 | Summon a two-headed, Abyssal dragon called the Demodragon (use the Adult Black Dragon stat block) and unleash it on a nation. |
| 3 | Recruit heroes to help him thwart the League of Malevolence, a villainous group led by his former lackey, the mage Kelek. |
| 4 | Disguise himself as a wise wizard or noble paladin to trick innocents into giving him a powerful artifact. |
| 5 | Assemble six powerful magic items and use their magic at a site called the Hall of Bones to gain enough power to destroy Tiamat for good. |
| 6 | Find an artifact called the Box of Balefire and keep it away from other villains; Venger fears it could unleash Tharizdun. |
AC 19
Initiative +17 (27)
HP 202 (27d8 + 81)
Speed 30 ft., Fly 30 ft.
STR
18 (+4)
Save +4
DEX
20 (+5)
Save +5
CON
16 (+3)
Save +3
INT
17 (+3)
Save +3
WIS
14 (+2)
Save +2
CHA
21 (+5)
Save +5
Skills Arcana +9, Deception +11, Intimidation +11, Perception +8
Resistances Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison
Immunities Poisoned
Senses Passive Perception 18
Languages Abyssal, Common, Infernal
CR 17
Traits
Fiendish Restoration. If Venger dies, his body dissipates into crimson dust, and he gains a new body in 1d10 days, reviving with all his Hit Points somewhere in one of his lairs.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day, or 4/Day in Lair). If Venger fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Venger has Advantage on saving throws against spells and magical effects.
Mounted Adept. While Venger is mounted, he and his mount have Advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and Venger can force an attack targeting his mount to target him instead. Venger can't use this trait if he has the Incapacitated condition.
Actions
Multiattack. Venger makes three attacks, using Crimson Claw or Crimson Blast in any combination.
Crimson Claw. Melee Attack Roll: +11, reach 5 ft. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) Slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) Fire damage.
Crimson Blast. Ranged Attack Roll: +11, range 120 ft. Hit: 24 (3d12 + 5) Force damage.
Spellcasting. Venger casts one of the following spells, using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 19):
At Will: Detect Magic, Invisibility, Mage Hand, Silent Image
2/Day Each: Alter Self, Contact Other Plane, Create Undead, Dimension Door
1/Day Each: Control Weather, Imprisonment
Bonus Actions
Telekinesis (2/Day). Venger casts Telekinesis, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.
Reactions
Protective Magic. Venger casts Counterspell or Shield in response to the spell's trigger, using the same spellcasting ability as Spellcasting.
Legendary Actions
Legendary Action Uses: 3 (4 in Lair). Immediately after another creature's turn, Venger can expend a use to take one of the following actions. Venger regains all expended uses at the start of each of his turns.
Booming Censure. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 19, one creature Venger can see within 60 feet. Failure: 14 (4d6) Psychic damage, and the target has the Frightened condition until the end of its next turn. Success: Half damage only.
Crimson Strike. Venger makes one Crimson Claw or Crimson Blast attack.
Magic-Binding Chains. Dexterity Saving Throw: DC 19, one creature Venger can see within 30 feet. Failure: The target has the Restrained condition until the end of its next turn. While Restrained, the target can't take the Magic action. Failure or Success: Venger can't take this action again until the start of its next turn.
Venger's Lairs
Venger keeps several lairs in each of the worlds he visits. Each is a castle perched above or extending from the side of a treacherous cliff, but none are identical.
Venger's presence fouls the regions his lairs inhabit, creating the following effects:
Desolate Terrain. Plant life within 1 mile of a lair withers and dies, creating a barren wasteland of cracked dirt.
Tormented Rest. Abyssal whispers plague visitors' dreams. Whenever a creature other than Venger or his allies finishes a Long Rest within 1 mile of a lair, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or gain 1 Exhaustion level.
If Venger dies or moves a lair elsewhere, these effects end immediately.