Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities
Psychic
Condition Immunities
Frightened
LanguagesGiant, Undercommon
Traits and Actions
Blighted Eye
TraitCustom
Blinded
Condition
The balor's eye is a conduit of ruin. As a bonus action, it can open its eye fully, emitting a 60-foot cone of searing light. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 20 Dexterity saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. A creature that fails by 5 or more is Blinded until the end of its next turn. Once used, the eye cannot be used again until the balor finishes a short or long rest.
Regeneration
TraitCustom
The balor regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If it takes Fire damage, this trait does not function at the start of its next turn. The balor dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and does not regenerate.
Magic Resistance
Trait
The balor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Keen Sight
Trait
Perception
Rule
The balor has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Multiattack
Action
The balor makes two attacks: one with its Warhammer and one with its Crushing Fist.
Warhammer
Action
Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8+8) Bludgeoning damage plus 10 (3d6) Force damage.
Crushing Fist
Action
Grappled
Condition
Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d8+8) Bludgeoning damage. If the target is a Large or smaller creature, it must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or be Grappled (escape DC 22). The balor can grapple only one creature at a time with this attack.
Blighted Eye (Reaction)
ReactionCustom
When the balor is reduced to half its hit points or fewer, it can use its Blighted Eye immediately, even if it has already been used this rest. This does not count against its normal rest limitation.
Combat Behavior
Tactics
• Open with Blighted Eye to soften enemies. • Use Warhammer on spellcasters and Crushing Fist on melee threats. • Grapple a dangerous foe and use Warhammer on others. • Use reaction Blighted Eye when bloodied.
Combat Style
Strategic and brutal; targets leaders and spellcasters first.
Morale
Never retreats; fights to the death.
Monster Description
Balor, the Blighted Eye, is a Fomorian king of legend, a being of immense size and terrible power. His body is a mass of scarred, pale flesh, twisted by centuries of dark magic and war. His most defining feature is his single, enormous eye, which sits in the center of his forehead. When closed, it appears as a cracked, milky orb, but when opened, it blazes with a sickly, golden light that can sear the soul from a mortal. He is often depicted in ancient murals as a conqueror, leading armies of twisted giants against the kingdoms of the surface world. His presence is said to cause the very ground to tremble, and his voice is a low, rumbling thunder that carries the weight of countless curses.
Monster behavior
Balor is a patient and calculating tyrant. He rarely enters combat directly, preferring to command his minions from a distance. When he does engage, he uses his Blighted Eye to devastating effect, targeting clusters of enemies or powerful spellcasters. He is not a frenzied berserker; he is a strategist who uses his regeneration and brute strength to outlast opponents. He will often toy with foes, breaking their morale before delivering a killing blow. His morale is unshakable; he has never retreated from a battle, viewing any retreat as a sign of weakness.
Ecology
Balor is not a natural creature; he is a cursed being, sustained by dark magic and his own will. He does not need to eat or sleep, but he does consume the life force of captured creatures to maintain his power. He is a apex predator in the Underdark, feared by even the most powerful denizens. His presence warps the local environment, causing plants to wither and animals to become sickly. He is often found in the ruins of ancient Fomorian fortresses, surrounded by the echoes of his past conquests.
History
According to Fomorian legend, Balor was once a mighty king who ruled a vast empire beneath the earth. His eye was a gift from a dark entity, a source of power that allowed him to conquer all who opposed him. However, his arrogance led him to challenge the gods themselves. In a great battle, the gods cursed him, sealing his eye and banishing him to the deepest reaches of the Underdark. For centuries, he has slept, but now he has awakened, his eye burning with a renewed hunger for conquest. He seeks to reclaim his empire and exact revenge on the surface world that forgot him.
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