Ravana

This figure pops up in stories occasionally.

Ambergris the Wizard's gaze locked onto a man sitting across the room, a dark figure clad in nondescript clothing. The man appeared ordinary to the casual observer, but to Ambergris, the truth was unmistakable. He stormed across the room, his staff in hand, and pointed it directly at the man.

"You!" Ambergris bellowed, his voice booming through the tavern like a thunderclap. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to him. "I know you for what you truly are—a foul servant of Van Droth of the The Arcane Octad. Harbinger of the desert waste! Disperser of the Yan Ki! Confidant of Crannog! Preserver of wickedness! King and kidnapper! Be gone before I smite you from this world and send you back to the foul abyss that spawned you!"

The man, now the center of attention, froze. For a brief moment, his facade flickered. His skin rippled and distorted, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a hulking figure with the head of an elephant, towering over the patrons. Gasps filled the room, but just as quickly, the transformation reversed, and the man resumed his human form. Panic flared in his eyes, and without a word, he bolted for the door, shoving tables and chairs aside as he fled into the night.

Ravana was present at the defeat of the Rakshasa civilization:

When humans began to spread across Phoor, they found many of the Serpentmen's cities abandoned, with only remnants of the Rakshasa Empire remaining. The elven armies, spearheaded by forces from the Empire of Drakkar and the Empire of Bamasuj, launched campaigns to crush the rakshasa strongholds. The Rakshasa leader, Ravana, summoned a horde of demons from a dark dimension to turn the tide of battle, marking their last great victory in Phoor. This pyrrhic triumph, while impressive, signaled the beginning of the rakshasa's decline.

👑 Ravana, Rakshasa Lord of Schemes

Medium fiend (shapechanger), lawful evil
CR: 13 (10,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus: +5
Spellcasting Level: 13th (Charisma-based caster)

🧠 Stats (Post-Tuning)

Armor Class 18 (natural armor, Ring of Free Action, Robe of Serpents)
Hit Points 175 (25d8 + 75)
Speed 40 ft.
Saving Throws Dex +10, Wis +7, Cha +9
Skills Deception +14, Insight +10, Arcana +9, Persuasion +10
Damage Vulnerabilities Piercing from magic weapons wielded by good-aligned creatures
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Infernal, telepathy 60 ft.
Wisdom set to 15 via Ioun Stone of Insight

✨ Magic Items

Ioun Stone (Insight): Wisdom becomes 15.
Ring of Free Action: Immune to magical effects that paralyze, restrain, or reduce movement.
Scarab of Protection: Advantage on saving throws against spells and resistance to necromantic damage. Absorbs up to 12 charges from necromancy spells.
Potion of Supreme Healing (×3): Heals 10d4+20 HP each.
Wand of Enemy Detection: 7 charges; uses 1 charge to detect the nearest hostile creature within 60 feet.
Robe of Serpents: Contains 1d4+2 serpent tokens (used in legendary actions).
Ring of Mind Shielding: Immune to telepathy, mind reading, and mental detection unless he allows it.
Scroll of Teleportation Circle: One-time-use escape item sewn into his robe.

🔮 Spellcasting

Ravana is a 13th-level spellcaster (Charisma, spell save DC 17, +9 to hit). He casts the following spells innately:

At will: Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion, Suggestion
3/day each: Dominate Person, Fly, Invisibility (self only), Major Image
1/day each: Plane Shift, True Seeing, Shield
From Scroll: Teleportation Circle

🌀 Modified Magic Resistance

Selective Resistance. Ravana has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects (from his Scarab of Protection and fiendish heritage), but he is not immune to lower-level spells.

This makes him resilient, but not unfairly untouchable.

🧬 Traits

Shapechanger. Ravana can polymorph into a humanoid or revert to his fiend form as an action.
Master Deceiver. Advantage on Deception and Persuasion checks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target.
- Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. Target is cursed—cannot regain HP until the curse is removed.

🐍 Robe of Serpents Ability

Ravana may pull a serpent from his robe as a bonus action or legendary action. Each acts as a Venomous Snake (MM), crumbles to thread after 1 minute or death.

🐉 Legendary Actions (3/turn)

1. Illusory Step. Ravana teleports up to 30 feet and leaves behind an illusory double (AC 10, 1 hp) until end of next round.

2. Serpent Strike. Unleashes a serpent from his robe to attack: +7 to hit, 1d4+3 piercing + 3d6 poison.

3. Command the Puppet (2 Actions). Casts Suggestion or Detect Thoughts without expending a spell slot.

4. Feed the Fear (2 Actions). Target a cursed, frightened, or charmed creature: 3d10 psychic damage (5d10 if cursed), and Ravana regains 10 HP.

5. Bend the Light (3 Actions). Casts Major Image without using a slot. Lasts 1 minute, no concentration required.

Stats