Large dragon, chaotic evil

Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)

Hit Points: 195

Speed: 40 ft , fly: 80 ft , swim: 40 ft

STR

19 +4

DEX

12 +1

CON

17 +3

INT

16 +3

WIS

13 +1

CHA

15 +2

Saving Throws: Dex +5, Con +7, Wis +5, Cha +6

Skills: Deception +6, Perception +9, Stealth +9

Damage Resistances: necrotic

Damage Immunities: poison

Condition Immunities: poisoned

Senses: blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19

Languages: Common, Draconic

Challenge Rating: 10

by Ascynd

Actions

Multiattack. Noxidus makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.   Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (1d8) necrotic damage.   Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.   Shadow Breath (Recharge 5-6). Noxidus exhales poisonous, shadow-infused gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies, and an undead shadow rises from its corpse and acts immediately after Noxidus in the initiative count. The shadow is under Noxidus' control.

Lair Actions

When fighting inside his lair, Noxidus can invoke the ambient magic to take lair actions. On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Noxidus can take one lair action to cause one of the following effects. Noxidus can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Pools of water that Noxidus can see within 120 feet of him surge outward in a grasping tide. Any creature on the ground within 20 feet of such a pool must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet into the water and knocked prone.
• A cloud of swarming insects fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point Noxidus chooses within 120 feet of himself. The cloud spreads around corners and remains until Noxidus dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The cloud is lightly obscured. Any creature in the cloud when it appears must make on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 10 (3d6) piercing damage.
• Magical darkness spreads from a point Noxidus chooses within 60 feet of himself, filling a 15-foot-radius sphere until Noxidus dismisses it as an action, uses this lair action again, or dies. The darkness spreads around corners. A creature with darkvision can't see through this darkness, and nonmagical light can't illuminate it. If any of the effect's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled.