Lamia Matriarch

Huge monstrosity (shapechanger), chaotic evil

Armor Class 21 (natural armor)

Hit Points 370 (28d12 + 196)

Speed 50 ft., fly 80 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR 26 (+8) · DEX 24 (+7) · CON 26 (+8) · INT 18 (+4) · WIS 20 (+5) · CHA 22 (+6)

Saving Throws Dex +14, Con +15, Wis +12, Cha +13

Skills Deception +13, Perception +12, Stealth +14, Persuasion +13, Insight +12

Damage Resistances Cold, Lightning; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks

Damage Immunities Poison, Psychic

Condition Immunities Poisoned, Charmed

Senses Truesight 60 ft., Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 22

Languages All languages, telepathy 300 ft.

Challenge 17

Traits

Amphibious. The Lamia can breathe air and water.

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

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

Multiheaded Prowess. The Lamia has nine heads. For each head beyond one, it gains an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks. Whenever the Lamia takes 35 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the Lamia dies. At the end of its turn, it regrows one lost head unless it has taken fire or radiant damage since its last turn. The Lamia dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.

Regeneration. The Lamia regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn for each of its living heads. If the Lamia takes fire or radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of its next turn.

Swallow Whole. The Lamia can swallow Huge or smaller creatures. Same effects as previous, but can hold up to three creatures swallowed at a time.

Shapechanger. The Lamia can use its action to polymorph into a Large female humanoid or back into its true form. Its statistics, other than its size, are the same in each form. Its equipment isn't transformed. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

Water Mastery. The Lamia can cast the control water spell at will, and can also cast tsunami (spell save DC 22) once per day.

Innate Spellcasting. The Lamia's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

- At will: charm person, detect thoughts, invisibility, major image, dispel magic

- 3/day each: suggestion, mass suggestion, feeblemind, chain lightning, dominate person

- 1/day each: dominate monster, mass suggestion, storm of vengeance

Actions

Multiattack. The Lamia makes as many Bite attacks as it has heads.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.

Hit: 22 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage plus 14 (4d6) poison damage.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 20 ft., one Huge or smaller creature.

Hit: 27 (4d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 22). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Lamia can't constrict another target.

Breath of Enchantment (Recharge 5–6). The Lamia exhales a magical mist in a 90-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is charmed by the Lamia for 8 hours. While charmed, the creature is under the Lamia's control. It takes the Lamia's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can and is a willing target for the Lamia's bite attacks.

Death Glare. The Lamia targets one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed with fear for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Bonus Actions

Mist Form. The Lamia transforms into a misty cloud until it reverts to its true form as a bonus action. In mist form, the Lamia can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless, gains a flying speed of 60 feet, can hover, and can enter a creature's space. While in mist form, the Lamia is immune to all nonmagical damage, and it has advantage on saving throws.

Reactions

Reactive Heads. For each head the Lamia has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks.

Spell Reflection. If the Lamia makes a successful saving throw against a spell or a spell attack misses it, the Lamia can choose another creature (including the spellcaster) it can see within 120 feet of it. The spell targets the chosen creature instead of the Lamia. If the spell requires a saving throw, the chosen creature makes its own save.

Legendary Actions

The Lamia 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 Lamia regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

- Move. The Lamia moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

- Attack. The Lamia makes one Bite or Constrict attack.

- Cast a Spell (Costs 2 Actions). The Lamia casts one spell from its Innate Spellcasting feature.

- Regrow Heads (Costs 2 Actions). The Lamia regrows one lost head.

## Description

### Appearance

The Lamia Enchantress and Lamia Matriarch are larger and more formidable versions of their lesser kin. Their serpentine bodies are massive, covered in shimmering golden scales that exude an aura of otherworldly power. Each head resembles that of a vicious hound or dragon, with eyes that glow with malevolent intelligence. The Lamia can also assume a humanoid form of extraordinary beauty, which it uses to beguile and deceive.

### Personality

These Lamias are cunning and manipulative, delighting in the suffering of others. They are fiercely territorial and covetous of treasures, magical artifacts, and knowledge. They often use their charm and enchantment abilities to control weaker creatures, amassing followers and servants to do their bidding.

Lore

A medium-sized creature with the body of a snake and the head of a dog.

Lamia is a medium-sized creature with the body of a snake and the head of a dog. Some legends categorize this creature as a dragon. According to tales, the mouth of this monster can open so wide that it can swallow a person or animal in a single gulp. Its body is covered with yellow snake scales that can stretch to significant sizes when swallowing.

As it ages, a Lamia can grow additional heads; with each new head, its strength and wisdom increase. Typically, a Lamia can grow up to nine heads and acquire new magical abilities. In some stories, it's mentioned that the Lamia has wings that allow it to fly and attack its prey from the air—usually membranous wings like those of a bat.

From The Witchwood Bestiary 5E, p. 63 · Fern Flower Press