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    Astarte

    Large fiend (demon), lawful evil

    Armor Class 21 (natural armor)

    Hit Points 336 (27d10 + 189)

    Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (hover); 120 ft. while mounted on her chariot

    STR 25 (+7) · DEX 18 (+4) · CON 23 (+6) · INT 20 (+5) · WIS 18 (+4) · CHA 22 (+6)

    Saving Throws Dex +11, Con +13, Int +12, Wis +11, Cha +13

    Skills Deception +13, History +12, Insight +11, Perception +11, Persuasion +13

    Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

    Damage Immunities poison

    Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned

    Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 21

    Languages Celestial, Common, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.

    Challenge 21 (33,000 XP)

    Traits

    Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Astarte fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.

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

    Magic Weapons. Astarte’s weapon attacks are magical.

    Celestial Iron Weakness. When Astarte is hit by a melee weapon forged of celestial iron or takes radiant damage from a spell, that damage ignores her resistances, and she takes an extra 11 (3d6) radiant damage.

    Aura of Intoxicating Passion. Any creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of Astarte must make a DC 21 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed until the start of its next turn. While charmed in this way, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0. A creature that succeeds is immune to the aura for 24 hours. Constructs, undead, and fiends are immune to this effect.

    Chariot of Astarte. As a bonus action, Astarte summons her infernal chariot drawn by four immortal horses. The chariot appears in an unoccupied space within 10 feet of her and remains until she dismisses it (no action required) or is incapacitated. While she is mounted on it:

    • Her AC becomes 23.

    • Her speed is 120 ft., and she can move across liquid surfaces and through the air without falling.

    • If she moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a melee attack in the same turn, the target takes an extra 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

      • She and the chariot can enter the space of Large or smaller creatures. The first time she enters a creature’s space on a turn, that creature must make a DC 21 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16 (3d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save or half as much on a success.

    • The chariot has AC 20, 75 hit points. If reduced to 0 hit points, it disappears and can’t be summoned again until Astarte finishes a short or long rest.

    Spellcasting. Astarte is an 18th-level spellcaster. Her spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 21, +13 to hit with spell attacks). She needs no material components. She has the following spells prepared:

    At will: detect thoughts (PHB, p. 231/262), dispel magic (PHB, p. 234/264), suggestion (PHB, p. 279/321), telekinesis (PHB, p. 280/331);

    3/day each: dominate person (PHB, p. 235/266), plane shift (self only; PHB, p. 266/305), wall of fire (PHB, p. 285/305);

    1/day each: antipathy/sympathy (sympathy only; PHB, p. 213/242), mass suggestion (PHB, p. 258/296), power word stun (PHB, p. 267/306).

    Actions

    Multiattack. Astarte makes three attacks: one with her Bite and two with her Claws or Whip of Dominion.

    Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (2d10 + 8) piercing damage plus 11 (3d6) necrotic damage.

    Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) fire damage.

    Whip of Dominion. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) lightning damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 21 Strength saving throw or be pulled up to 20 feet toward Astarte.

    Blinding Starburst (Recharge 5–6). Astarte emits incandescent light in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the cone must make a DC 21 Constitution saving throw, taking 45 (10d8) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. On a failed save, a creature is also blinded for 1 minute (repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the blindness on success).

    Summon Rephaim (1/Day). Astarte summons 2d4 wraiths or 1d4 dread wraiths. The summoned undead appear in unoccupied spaces within 60 feet of her, act immediately after her on the same initiative count, obey her verbal commands, and disappear when reduced to 0 hit points or after 1 hour.

    Bonus Actions

    Fiendish Step. Astarte magically teleports up to 120 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

    Chariot of Astarte. (see above)

    Reactions

    Parry. Astarte adds +4 to her AC against one melee attack that would hit her. She must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

    Legendary Actions

    Astarte 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. She regains spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.

    Attack. Astarte makes one Claw or Whip of Dominion attack.

    Lore

    A lioness-headed queen of love and the dead who rides a four-horse chariot and can be appeased only by blood-mixed wine.

    Astarte is one of the most significant figures in the history of the occult, an example of the shift from an ancient goddess to a demonic entity. Once the supreme goddess of the Canaanite and Phoenician pantheons—embodying the creative force of nature, love, and war—she has, over the centuries, become one of the Great Demonesses, wielding power over fundamental aspects of human existence: passion, relationships, and, paradoxically, compassion.

    Her name appears in the Phoenician tradition as Astart, in Ugaritic as Attart, and is linked to the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Sumerian Inanna. During her demonization, Hebrew scribes distorted her name, adding the vowels of her name to the word boshet (shame), creating the form Ashtoreth. In demonological tracts and grimoires she is listed under various names and titles—“Ishtar’s Bane,” “Lady of the Lilu,” “Queen of Heaven”—each reflecting aspects of her abilities: war, sexuality, dominion over the spirits of the dead, protection, the magic of compassion and lust, as well as wisdom and control over past and future.

    From Demonic Bestiary 5E, p. 18 · Fern Flower Press