[ Eladrin ] [ Aestetica | Empyreal Lords ]
Zocteri Eladrin
Who are at one with the darkness and with doubt
CG; CR 17 ‡
Alternate form: a lightless void
Dark of hair and beautiful as a starless night, zocteri are the eladrin of confrontation and contest; they challenge the status quo, challenge assumptions, and challenge the principles and values of others. To a zocteri, any ideal that a person is unwilling to defend is one that they do not truly hold, and they delight in being contrarian, playing devil’s advocate in order to draw out a passionate affirmation or force a realisation. To this end, zocteri are the eladrin most likely to challenge adventurers to prove their mettle, often using their powers over darkness and phantasm to invisibly confront would-be heroes with their most terrible fears.
Zocteri serve as the commanders in eladrin forces, working under the tulani when necessary, though otherwise they stand apart. Rather than participate in the Court of Stars, they hold their own Court of Night, where leading zocteri gather under a sunless sky around the Oasis of Night, a forest on Mithardir, to acknowledge the Unclaimed Throne. Fond of argument, debate, and analysis, they can only ever truly agree that they need no leader – and indeed, it is likely they could never truly acknowledge one.
More than anything else, zocteri desire to see the true worth in all things, be they people or ideas, and by creating doubt and uncertainty they hope to give that which is clouded in unnecessary distractions a trial by fire under dark of night. In their true forms, zocteri are dark shadows of self-doubt concealing a brilliant core of passion that gleams like a phantom star.
Zocteri Eodath
Medium Celestial (Shapechanger), Typically Chaotic Good
Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 178 (21d8 + 84)
Speed 40 ft., fly 80 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 18 (+4) | 20 (+5) | 19 (+4) | 16 (+3) | 19 (+4) | 18 (+4) |
Saving Throws Dex +11, Int +9, Wis +10, Cha +10
Skills Deception +10, Insight +10, Perception +10, Stealth +11
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities psychic
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, restrained
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 20
Languages all
Challenge 17 (13,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +6
Magic Resistance. The zocteri has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. The zocteri’s weapon attacks are magical.
Probe Fault. The zocteri is always aware of what damage types a target has resistance or immunity to.
Unbound Movement. The zocteri ignores difficult terrain and is immune to any effect which would forcibly move them. Spells and other magical effects can not reduce the zocteri’s speed. The zocteri can also spend 5 feet of movement to automatically escape from nonmagical restraints, such as manacles or a creature that has it grappled.
Actions
Multiattack. The zocteri makes three attacks using Shadow Weapon, Will Spike, or a combination of them. One attack can be replaced by a use of Spellcasting.
Shadow Weapon. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 26 (5d8+4) bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Damage from this attack is magical.
Will Spike. Ranged Spell Attack: +10 to hit, range 200/800 ft., one target. Hit: 35 (10d6) psychic damage.
Overwhelming Doubt (Void Form Only; Recharge 5-6). The zocteri can unleash a metaphysical tremor in a 60-foot burst that subsumes a creature in their own indecision. Each creature in that area must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw, becoming paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each of its turns, an affected creature can make another Wisdom saving throw to try and end this condition.
Spellcasting. The zocteri casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 18):
- At will: charm person, greater invisibility, hold monster, nondetection, phantasmal force, wrathful smite
- 3/day each: blinding smite, deeper darkness, fear
- 1/day each: word of recall, weird
Bonus Actions
Change Shape. The zocteri turns themself into a lightless void the size of a 5-foot sphere or back into their true form. While in void form, the zocteri can’t make weapon attacks or use their confronting gaze, but can speak and use their Will Spike attack and Spellcasting. In this form, they are weightless, have a flying speed of 120 feet, can hover, can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. They take 5 (1d10) force damage if they end their turn inside an object. In this form, they also have advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and they are immune to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. They revert to their true forms if they die.
Reactions
Confronting Gaze. In response to being targeted by an attack roll or spell, the zocteri turns their magical gaze toward one creature it can see within 60 feet of themself and forces it to make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 21 (6d6) psychic damage and becomes frightened for 1 minute. On a success, the creature takes half of this damage but is not frightened. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the effect on themself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for them, the creature is immune to the zocteri’s Confronting Gaze for the next 24 hours.
Source: Afroakuma. Canonwatch: ‡ This is a homebrew creature.
