Phaerimm

Large aberration, lawful evil

Physical Description

A phaerimm resembles a floating, windsock-shaped cone approximately 10 to 12 feet long. Its body tapers from a broad upper section to a deadly venomous stinger at its tail. The creature has no discernible head—just a gaping, circular maw lined with row upon row of razor-sharp teeth near the top of its body, surrounded by four spindly yet powerful arms. Its greenish-brown hide is rough, scaly, and leathery, with pulsing veins of arcane energy visible beneath the surface. A phaerimm's presence warps magic itself, causing arcane energy to distort and fluctuate in its vicinity.

The air shimmers and distorts as the creature drifts into view—a hideous, conical aberration that seems to devour light itself. Its maw gapes like a bottomless pit ringed with countless teeth, while its four spindly arms reach outward with terrible purpose. The very fabric of magic trembles in its presence, and where it passes, life withers and dies.

Lore

Desert Makers. The phaerimm are among the most ancient and terrible threats to have ever plagued Faerûn. Their evil magic drains life and moisture from the natural world, and the Anauroch Desert was created through extensive use of their powers. What was once the fertile heartland of the Netherese Empire was transformed into a barren wasteland through their malevolent spellcraft.

Imprisoned Enemies. For millennia, the phaerimm were trapped beneath Anauroch by a mysterious race called the Sharn, who created a magical barrier to contain them after the phaerimm nearly destroyed the Netherese civilization. This imprisonment only intensified their hatred for surface dwellers. In recent centuries, some phaerimm have escaped their ancient prison, seeking vengeance against all who dwell beneath the sun.

Arcane Collectors. Phaerimm value magical knowledge above all else. They obsessively collect spells, magical items, and arcane lore, viewing other races merely as obstacles or resources in their pursuit of magical supremacy. Their ancient libraries contain spells lost to modern spellcasters, and their innate understanding of magic allows them to develop new and terrifying arcane techniques.

Immortal Plotters. With lifespans measured in millennia, phaerimm plan on timescales incomprehensible to most mortals. They are patient, calculating, and utterly merciless in pursuing their goals. A phaerimm may spend centuries perfecting a single spell or plotting revenge against those who wronged it.

Ancient Enemies

"The Netherese created the thaluud specifically to hunt the phaerimm—imagine how terrifying a creature must be when you need to invent an entirely new race of magical constructs just to fight them. The tomb tappers still seek them out to this day, driven by ancient programming to exterminate these funnel-shaped horrors wherever they may hide." — Elminster of Shadowdale

Stats

• Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
• Hit Points: 276 (24d10 + 144)
• Speed: 30 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
20 (+5)	10 (+0)	22 (+6)	22 (+6)	16 (+3)	20 (+5)

• Saving Throws: Dex +6, Con +12, Int +12, Wis +9, Cha +11
• Skills: Arcana +12, History +12, Perception +9, Insight +9
• Damage Resistances: acid, cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
• Damage Immunities: necrotic, poison
• Condition Immunities: charmed, frightened, poisoned, prone
• Senses: truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
• Languages: Deep Speech, Undercommon, Netherese, telepathy 120 ft.
• Challenge: 21 (33,000 XP)

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the phaerimm fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance. The phaerimm has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Arcane Mastery. The phaerimm has advantage on Intelligence (Arcana) checks related to the identification or creation of magical effects. Additionally, when it casts a spell that requires concentration, it has advantage on Constitution saving throws made to maintain concentration.

Desert Makers. The phaerimm is surrounded by a subtle aura of life-draining energy. Plant life within 10 feet of the phaerimm withers and dies over the course of minutes. Water within this radius evaporates at twice the normal rate. If a phaerimm remains in one location for a month or longer, the land within a mile begins to transform into desert.

Spellcasting. The phaerimm is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 20, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The phaerimm can cast spells without material components. It has the following wizard spells prepared:

• Cantrips (at will): acid splash, chill touch, mage hand, prestidigitation, ray of frost, shocking grasp, spell fangs
• 1st level (4 slots): magic missile, shield, absorb elements, detect magic, arcane leech
• 2nd level (3 slots): mirror image, misty step, scorching ray, desert's touch
• 3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, mage-slayer's curse
• 4th level (3 slots): dimension door, greater invisibility, ice storm, arcane consumption
• 5th level (3 slots): cone of cold, telekinesis, wall of force, netherese binding
• 6th level (2 slot): chain lightning, disintegrate, globe of invulnerability, essence drain
• 7th level (2 slot): finger of death, teleport, desert's embrace
• 8th level (1 slot): power word stun, arcane severance
• 9th level (1 slot): meteor swarm, phaerimm's vengeance

Innate Spellcasting. The phaerimm's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

• At will: detect magic, detect thoughts, dispel magic, fear, fly, telekinesis
• 3/day each: disintegrate, globe of invulnerability, wall of force, finger of death
• 1/day each: power word kill, imprisonment, weirdshield

Sorcery Points (20 points). The phaerimm has 20 sorcery points which it can expend to gain additional spell slots or use Metamagic options. It regains all spent sorcery points when it finishes a long rest.

Metamagic Mastery. The phaerimm can use the following Metamagic options when casting its spells by spending sorcery points:

• Empowered Spell (1 sorcery point): When rolling damage for a spell, the phaerimm can reroll up to 5 damage dice, taking the higher results.
• Quickened Spell (2 sorcery points): The phaerimm can cast a spell that normally requires an action as a bonus action.
• Twinned Spell (varies): When the phaerimm casts a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, it can target a second creature in range with the same spell by expending a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level.
• Subtle Spell (1 sorcery point): The phaerimm can cast spells without verbal or somatic components.

Magic Drain. When the phaerimm hits a creature wearing or carrying a magic item with a melee attack, it drains magic from one random item worn or carried by the target. The item loses all magical properties for 1 minute. Non-artifact magic weapons, armor, and shields have advantage on saving throws against this effect. The item regains its properties after the duration. Each time the phaerimm successfully drains magic, it regains 10 hit points.

Multiattack. The phaerimm makes two attacks: one with its bite and one with its tail spike.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d10 + 5) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) acid damage.

Tail Spike. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this way, the target's spellcasting ability score is reduced by 4, and it must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw to cast any spell of 3rd level or higher. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Arcane Leech (Recharge 5-6). The phaerimm targets one spellcaster it can see within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 18 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, the target loses one spell slot of the phaerimm's choice of 5th level or lower. The phaerimm can either regain a spent spell slot of the same level or lower, or regain 10 hit points per level of the spell slot drained.

Legendary Actions

The phaerimm can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The phaerimm regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Telekinetic Strike. The phaerimm makes one tail spike attack.
• Cast Spell (Costs 2 Actions). The phaerimm casts a spell of 3rd level or lower from its spell list that takes 1 action to cast.
• Draining Gaze (costs 3 actions). The phaerimm targets one creature it can see within 30 ft. of it. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or take 36 (8d8) necrotic damage and have its hit point maximum reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the phaerimm takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the phaerimm can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Arcane Surge. The phaerimm creates a 20-foot-radius sphere of wild magic centered on a point it can see within 120 feet. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, any spell cast within that area has a 50 percent chance to trigger a wild magic surge.

• Gravity Shift. The phaerimm alters gravity in a 40-foot-radius sphere centered on a point it can see within 100 feet. Until initiative count 20 on the next round, creatures in that area must succeed on a DC 18 Strength saving throw or be restrained. A restrained creature can use its action to make a DC 18 Strength check, freeing itself on a success.

• Arcane Drain. The phaerimm drains magical energy from its surroundings. Each creature within 60 feet of the phaerimm that is concentrating on a spell must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or their concentration is broken, and the phaerimm regains 10 hit points for each spell thus disrupted.

Regional Effects

The region containing a phaerimm's lair is warped by the creature's unnatural presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• Within 1 mile of the lair, water sources slowly dry up, vegetation withers, and the land gradually transforms into desert.
• Spells cast within 1 mile of the lair that restore hit points or bring dead creatures back to life have a 25 percent chance to fail.
• Within 1 mile of the lair, creatures with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher have unsettling dreams when they finish a long rest, causing them to gain one level of exhaustion unless they succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw.

If the phaerimm dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Tactics

A phaerimm begins combat by assessing its opponents from a distance, using detect thoughts to identify spellcasters and magical threats. It prioritizes eliminating powerful spellcasters first, using counterspell and its Arcane Leech ability to shut down magical opposition. The phaerimm prefers to stay airborne, using its hover ability to remain out of reach of melee attackers while raining down destructive spells.

When confronted by multiple enemies, it uses area-effect spells like fireball and cone of cold to damage groups, followed by targeted spells against survivors. Against physically powerful foes, it employs wall of force to isolate them while dealing with other threats. The phaerimm is intelligent enough to retreat if severely wounded, using dimension door or teleport to escape and recover.

The air grows unnaturally dry as the phaerimm drifts forward, its four arms weaving complex patterns that shimmer with arcane power. The very fabric of reality seems to bend around it, magic itself responding to its ancient will. Where its shadow falls, plants blacken and crumble to dust, and water evaporates into nothingness—a small preview of the desert it seeks to create.