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Image promptspectral fey hunter king, hollow translucent regal body, jagged shadow crown, tattered dark finery, phantom crown-blade, half-invisible dissolving edges, hovering in moonlit Feywild glade, shaft of bright light as weakness, psychic dread aura, menacing drift, necrotic greys and bruised purple, dark fantasy, grimdark, painterly digital art, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, muted desaturated palette with corrupted-crimson accents, weathered post-Cataclysm atmosphere, intricate high detail, cinematic composition

Hollow King

Medium Fey, Neutral Evil
CR 14LurkerForest / Feywild
AC 18
HP 189 (18d8 + 108)
Speed 40 ft., Fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR
14
+2
save +2
DEX
22
+6
save +11
CON
22
+6
save +11
INT
17
+3
save +3
WIS
19
+4
save +9
CHA
20
+5
save +5
Skills Deception +10, Perception +9, Stealth +16
Resistances Necrotic, Psychic
Immunities Charmed, Frightened
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Truesight 30 ft.; Passive Perception 19
Languages Sylvan, Common; telepathy 120 ft.

Traits

Magic Resistance. Advantage on saving throws.

Hollow Crown. The Hollow King is considered Invisible for as long as it remains unseen. It becomes visible when it attacks; it can become Invisible again with a Bonus Action (see Vanish).

Regal Ambush. The first attack the Hollow King makes from Invisible deals 27 (6d8) extra Psychic damage.

Fey Step Aversion. The Hollow King cannot use Vanish while in Bright Light.

Actions

Multiattack. The Hollow King makes three Crown Blade attacks.

Crown Blade. Melee Attack Roll: +11, reach 5 ft. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) Slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) Psychic damage.

Hollow Gaze (Recharge 5–6). Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 18, every creature that can see the Hollow King within 60 feet.

  • Failure: 36 (8d8) Psychic damage, and the target has the Frightened condition for 1 minute. A Frightened target also cannot see the Hollow King (it is considered Invisible to that target). The target can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns.
  • Success: Half damage.

Bonus Actions

Vanish. The Hollow King becomes Invisible and spends half its movement to move without provoking Opportunity Attacks.

How to Use

Turn-one math: 3 × (17 + 9) + 27 ambush = 105 damage. That kills a Lv14 Rogue in a single turn.

Hollow Gaze is deviously cruel: a Frightened target can no longer see it — meaning a second ambush is all but guaranteed.

Key

Bright Light (Vanish doesn't work) plus Truesight/See Invisibility. And immunity to Frightened (a Paladin's aura) neutralizes this monster by half.