Yeenoghu

Prince of Gnolls, Gnoll Lord, Lord of Savagery, Beast of Butchery, Ruler of Ruin, Destroyer

Overview

Also known as the Beast of Butchery, Yeenoghu inspires his followers to devour any creatures they meet. In his mind, the cosmos is made up only of predators and prey.
To sate his blood lust, Yeenoghu often rampages across the Abyss, killing everything in his path. Only those demons that join him in wreaking carnage can avoid his wrath. Yeenoghu’s wanderings across the Abyss are like the meanderings of a storm. He and his cultists pass through an area like a monstrous hurricane whose course can never be predicted.
Of all the demon lords, Yeenoghu has made the greatest mark on the Material Plane. During his rampage across the world eons ago, the race of gnolls sprang up in his wake. Every gnoll is a miniature embodiment of Yeenoghu’s rage and hunger. They mimic their creator, killing any creatures that cross them and respecting only those that can withstand their fury.

Cultists

Yeenoghu rarely acquires cultists other than gnolls, leucrottas, and the other creatures spawned by his incursions across the planes. The few humanoids that take up his worship are disaffected loners, many of them outcasts that were driven away from civilization. A cult of Yeenoghu operates like a pack of gnolls, regardless of what creatures make it up. Yeenoghu infuses them with a cannibalistic hunger, and they know that each victim they claim draws them closer to his presence.

Yeekoghu's Lair

Yeenoghu’s lair in the Abyss is called the Death Dells, its barren hills and ravines serving as one great hunting ground, where he pursues captured mortals in a cruel game. Yeenoghu’s lair is a place of blood and death, populated by gnolls, hyenas, and ghouls, and there are few structures or signs of civilization on his layer of the Abyss.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Yeenoghu can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; he can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Yeenoghu causes a metal spike - 5 feet tall and 1 inch in diameter - to burst from the ground at a point he can see within 100 feet of him. Any creature in the space where the spike emerges must make a DC 24 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 6d8 piercing damage and is restrained by being impaled on the spike. A creature can use an action to remove itself (or a creature it can reach) from the spike, ending the restrained condition.
• Each gnoll or hyena that Yeenoghu can see can use its reaction to move up to its speed.
• Until the next initiative count 20, all gnolls and hyenas within the lair are enraged, causing them to have advantage on melee weapon attack rolls and causing attack rolls to have advantage against them.

Regional Effects

The region containing Yeenoghu’s lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects:

• Within 1 mile of the lair, large metal spikes grow out of the ground and stone surfaces. Yeenoghu impales the bodies of the slain on these spikes.
• Predatory beasts within 6 miles of the lair become unusually savage, killing far more than what they need for food. Carcasses of prey are left to rot in an unnatural display of wasteful slaughter.
• If a humanoid spends at least 1 hour within 1 mile of the lair, that creature must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or descend into a madness determined by the table below. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw can’t be affected by this regional effect again for 24 hours.

If Yeenoghu dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Madness of Yeenoghu

If a creature goes mad in Yeenoghu’s lair or within line of sight of the demon lord, roll on the table below to determine the nature of the madness, which is a flaw that lasts until cured.

d100	Flaw (lasts until cured)
1-20	“I get caught up in the flow of anger, and try to stoke others around me into forming an angry mob.”
21-40	“The flesh of other intelligent creatures is delicious!”
41-60	“I rail against the laws and customs of civilization, attempting to return to a more primitive time.”
61-80	“I hunger for the deaths of others, and am constantly starting fights in the hope of seeing bloodshed.”
81-100	“I keep trophies from the bodies I have slain, turning them into adornments.”

Yeenoghu CR: 24 (62,000 XP)

Huge fiend (demon), chaotic evil

Armor Class: 20

Hit Points: 333 (23d12 + 184)

Speed: 50 ft

STR

29 +9

DEX

16 +3

CON

26 +8

INT

16 +3

WIS

24 +7

CHA

15 +2

Saving Throws: Dex +10, Con +15, Wis +14

Skills: Intimidation +9, Perception +14

Damage Resistances: Cold, Fire, Lightning

Damage Immunities: Poison, as well as Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from nonmagical attacks

Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhausted, Frightened, Poisoned

Senses: Truesight 120 feet, Passive Perception 24

Languages: All, Telepathy 120 feet

Challenge Rating: 24 (62,000 XP)

Innate Spellcasting. Yeenoghu’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

• At will: detect magic, spiritual weapon (8th-level spell, 4d8 + 2 force damage on a hit, appears as a flail)
• 3/day each: dispel magic, fear, invisibility
• 1/day each: teleport

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Yeenoghu fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Yeenoghu has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons. Yeenoghu’s weapon attacks are magical.
Rampage. When Yeenoghu reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on his turn, Yeenoghu can take a bonus action to move up to half his speed and make a bite attack.

Actions

Multiattack. Yeenoghu makes three flail attacks. If an attack hits, he can cause it to create an additional effect of his choice (each effect can be used only once per Multiattack):

• The attack deals an extra 2d12 bludgeoning damage.
• The target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the start of Yeenoghu’s next turn.
• The target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the confusion spell until the start of Yeenoghu’s next turn.

Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 15 feet, one target. Hit: 1d12 + 9 bludgeoning damage.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. Hit: 1d10 + 9 piercing damage.

Legendary Actions

Yeenoghu 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. Yeenoghu regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Charge. Yeenoghu moves up to his speed.
Swat Away. Yeenoghu makes a Flail attack. If the attack hits, the target must succeed on a DC 24 Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet in a straight line away from Yeenoghu. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target falls prone.
Savage (Costs 2 Actions). Yeenoghu makes a Bite attack against each creature within 10 feet of him.

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Gender

Male