SS | The Forgotten King, Rubedo

"In all his anger, all his loathing, all his hatred, the Forgotten King represents the absolute of emotions at man's greatest and worst moments."

Attributes

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Type: Forgotten Primal

Initiative: +9

Saves: INT (+14) CHA (+16)

Spell Attack: +16 (INT) (20 in Tier 2) (Primary save DC - 20, Alt - 18)

Armor Class: 14 (24 in Phantom)

HP: ???

Resistances: Necrotic, Radiant

Immunities: Charm, Poison, Disease

Legendary Actions: 4/round (Non-Cosmic)

Challenge Rating: 20

Playing The Forgotten King

The Forgotten King avoids directly confronting opponents and prefers to play at a range unless dealing primarily with ranged opponents, upon which case he will use his abilities to gap close and threaten them with Thrash. Thrash is especially effective against Spellcasters, whom he prioritizes with physical abilities when possible. Else, he uses Psychotic Break to try to render opponents vulnerable for his various domain abilities. The Forgotten King, however, does not hold back when it appears he is genuinely threatened, and will liberally summon hordes of Forgotten and try to stack effects to blow targets up with Mind Spike.

Rubedo is prone to emotional outbursts and can be manipulated until he becomes enraged, upon which only near-death can force him to regain his senses. Once enraged, Rubedo fully activates the Golden Road no matter his current location and uses the full extent of his resources to destroy whatever it is that drew his ire.

Traits

Curse of the Phantom Cat - Reaction - When the Forgotten King is struck by a physical attack, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the Forgotten King detaches from a misty duplicate of its body, and appears within 90ft of its current position. The attack hits the duplicate. When 4 attacks hit the duplicate, it is destroyed. Else, the duplicate survives until the end of Rubedo's next turn and can perform all the actions that Rubedo can on his next turn.

Astral Sense - The Forgotten King Advantage on Perception, History, Religion & Arcana checks. Additionally, the Forgotten King has Resistance to Mind-effecting spells, regardless of the save they use.

Fervor of the Last Star - The Forgotten King is entirely immune to damage from Low Function sources, Necrotic and Poison, as well as Disease. He has Resistance to High Function Fire and Radiant damage.

Red Dream - The Forgotten King has two auras. The largest, extending to 90ft, imposes Disadvantage on Concentration checks for any enemies within it. The second, extending to 30ft, imposes Disadvantage on all physical actions by any enemies, including physical saves and skill checks, within unless they are warded against Red Sickness. The Red Dream aura consitutes as Red Domain. When Rubedo first assumes the form of the Forgotten King, Psychotic Break is performed for free.

Red Domain - Units within any portion of the Red Domain, being within the Forgotten King's presence or within the Red Dream itself, are considered viable targets for Psychotic Break and its related abilities. Furthermore, domain effects can be willfully suppressed by Rubedo within Red Domain, unless a CHA contest vs Rubedo's spell DC is successful three times. Every minute an enemy maintains a domain within his territory the contest must be re-attempted or it will again be suppressed.

Contra Motion (Tier2) - Rubedo may freely summon a Clone that duplicates his turn on any other target within that action's activation range, regardless of what action that is. This Clone functions as a Phantom and also duplicates his Legendary Actions on that target for the rest of the round, until Rubedo's next turn summons another Clone.

Red Sickness - Units within the immediately domains of the Forgotten King's true form make DC 20 CON saves at the beginning of every turn, unless they are Warded. Failure applies a stacking vulnerability to Phantom damage, which inflicts +4d6 Phantom damage per stack.

Greater Red Sickness - Damage applied from Red Sickness is also applied to Maximum Health until the end of a long rest, and damage while inflicted with this illness also inflicts loss of a 1d10 spell slot.

Attacks

Multiattack - Thrash

Thrash has two components - a Physical and a Phantom component. The Phantom component may be exchanged for an Ability, and Thrash may be exchanged for a Cosmic Action. Rubedo may use his Phantom Fire abilities as well.

Physical

Agony of the Unsleeping

Talon - +14 to hit, 4d8+9 10ft reach, CON DC 16 vs Mind-Wracking Poison (-3 to Mental saves, Stacking)
> Murder Mittens - +14 to hit, 4d6+8 x2 - OR grapple (+12), STR 16 save vs 30ft knockback (optional), 2d10 collision damage. Damage vs Grappled turns into DC 22 STR save (half).
>> Hooked Jaw - +10 to hit, 8d6+9, INT DC 14 6d6 Catalyst Poison
>>> Tail Slam - DC 15 DEX save (Avoid), 4d12+8 10ft AoE, 15ft reach, DC 16 CON save vs Mind-Wracking Poison

Phantom

Phantasmal Savage - DC 18 DEX save vs 8d8+9 Phantom Talons in a 15ft range around Rubedo's target. Units afflicted by this attack cannot regenerate health by natural or magical means until the end of Rubedo's next turn.

Phantasmal Chain - DC 17 DEX save vs 60ft 6d6+9 Phantom Chain and Restrain. Pulls unit 30ft towards Rubedo at the beginning of his following turns. Escape DC 22, taking 6d6+9 per failure. Chain has 40 Low Function immune hp. Chains do not follow host when it teleports, remaining attached to Phantoms.

Abilities

Phantasmal Killer

Target makes a DC 16 CHA save. On failure, they are afflicted by Phantasmal Killer. They will see Phantasmal creatures manifest and begin to attack them, which function as independent units. They may make the save again on the beginning of their next turns - until then, they may interact with the Phantasms, e.g. be attacked by them. Only individuals afflicted by Phantasmal Killer can see or interact with them.

Phantasmal Haunt

Creates a Phantom that hunts a target perpetually. It functions similarly to Phantasmal Killer, but gains strength based on the distance it travels. If ignored, it will eventually manifest as a Haunted Forgotten, which only its victim can see or attack unless revealed with Truesight. Haunted Forgotten can be manipulated by Rubedo at will.

Psychotic Break

Attacks any number of units within Rubedo's Red Domain. The units make a DC 20 Cha save. Should they fail, they are considered Broken, and are vulnerable to Rubedo's Red Movement abilities.

Red Domain - Fifty Shades of Terror

Enemies within Rubedo's domain make a DC 20 CHA save vs Stun as primordial fears built from a profile of their instincts take hold of them and lose cohesion as well as awareness of the world around them. If Rubedo wills if, the fears will manifest and attack them, tearing them apart so long as they remain Stunned, and inflicts 10d8 damage at the beginning of Rubedo's following turns. Damage from other sources will provoke a re-attempt of the save. Else, the opponents may re-attempt the save at the end of their following turns.

Red Movement - Isolation

Provokes a DC 20 CON save in a target within Rubedo's domain. Upon failure, the opponent's blood begins to crystalize, dealing 12d6 Piercing damage at the beginning of their following turns as it pierces through their organs and flesh, forming into jagged spikes, and imposes Slow. The effect can be removed via Greater Restoration or Remove Curse (against DC 20). The victim may re-attempt the save at the end of its following turns. Opponents with Chemical resistance make this save with Advantage, but it is not a Poison effect.

Red Movement - Submission

Attempts to inject psychic life into the bonds of a unit within Rubedo's Domain. The opponent makes a DC 20 CHA save. Upon failure, small phantom spiders gestate within their body and begin to eat them alive from the inside-out, inflicting 10d6+10 High Function Force damage each round, restoring that health to Rubedo, and they constitute as Poisoned. The effect can be removed via Greater Restoration or Remove Curse (DC 20). The victim may re-attempt the save at the end of its following turns. Should a victim fall unconscious while under the effects of this spell it results in death, and they will raise as a Forgotten within the hour, depending on their strength.

• Phantom Flames

Rubedo is encircled by three Phantom Flames, representing cursed and abandoned souls forgoed for the salvation of Eden (Zahir, Zohar, Koheem). These flames act independently on Rubedo's turn and may perform the following actions.

• Phantom Fire
• Hurls three magenta fireballs up to 60 ft distance. DEX Save 14 vs 6d6, and the fireballs leave behind columns of flame that spawn Ignoble Forgotten at a rate of one per round each, unless destroyed by spell or effect. The columns last for 1d4 rounds before turning back into Phantom Fire and returning to Rubedo.

• Phantom Fire (Tier 2)
• Hurls three magenta fireballs up to 120 ft distance. DEX Save 18 vs 12d8 and one stack of Exhaustion, and the fireballs leave behind columns of flame that spawn Tier 2 Forgotten at a rate of one per round each, unless destroyed by spell or effect. The columns last as long as Rubedo desires.

• Haunting Fire >
• Uses one of Rubedo's Phantom Fires to Haunt an enemy. For 1d4+1 rounds, that enemy must make a DC 18 WIS save at the beginning of their turns. If this effect ticks for its full duration it deals 6d6 (10d6 for Tier 2) for every turn it ticked.

Cosmic Actions >

Mind Spike

Any enemy afflicted by one of Rubedo's mental debuffs can be attacked by Mind Spike. They must roll an INT save for every such Debuff that is currently on them. If they fail the save, they suffer 7d6 Psychic damage for every Debuff they possessed, and those debuffs are consumed and considered "successful" for any conditions they may have had. Once an opponent has been hit by this ability they have Advantage on saving against it in the future.

Ignominy

Target makes a DC 20 CHA save. Should they fail, roll a 6d4. In order, the target "forgets" the energy of spell slots from rank 1 to rank 6 in the order of the dice rolled, and forget the number of slots that are rolled for those stages, and are afflicted by Slow. They may remake the save at the end of their following turns, restoring the lost slots and recovering from Slow when they successfully make the save. Once they successfully make the save they have Advantage against this ability for 24 hours.

Dissolve Cosmic Bonding

Target and any adjacent units make a DC 18 CHA save. Failure results in 12d8+20 damage, and provokes a DC 20 CON save. Failure results in 3 ranks of Exhaustion. Success grants Resistance against this ability. Can be used to destroy nearly any object or construct instantly.

Tier 2 Cosmic Abilities

Tantra of Forgetfulness

Rubedo attacks the genetic memories of a unit within Red Domain, attempting to make them "forget" their own existence. DC 22 INT save vs Tantra aspect 1, which deals 20d4 Maximum Health damage until the end of a long rest, followed by DC 22 WIS save vs Tantra aspect 2, which inflicts Great Red Sickess.

Descent of Concept

Attacks a conceptual or ideological (at Disadvantage) bond of a unit afflicted by Great Red Sickness. The unit makes a DC 20 INT save or suffers Exhaustion and is considered Conceptually Tainted. Further attacks from this ability will allow Rubedo to steal non-cosmic aspects of the concept, including Attributes (2 at a time). Once non-cosmic aspects are fully exhausted, Rubedo will be able to steal cosmic aspects. This ability, though it requires Rubedo to make some effort at setting it up for success, allows him to dismantle and consume many of the most powerful creatures in the Apex world.

Identity Theft

Rubedo can use Descent of Concept to steal identity. He can choose to duplicate an identity or consume it. Duplication requires a DC 20 INT save, while theft requires an additional DC 20 CHA save. Rubedo can only steal one aspect of an identity at a time - such as a fragment of memory, a skill, or a spell. Rubedo can steal hypothetical constructs and spirit weapons with this ability, but not Contra motion objects or warded ones.

Conceptual Corruption

Rubedo provokes a DC 20 CHA save followed by a DC 20 WIS save. Failure allows him to rewrite a portion of the genetic memories of a unit up to conceptual level. As opposed to stealing aspects, this particular ability allows him to inject aspects - such as vulnerabilities, memories, or duplicate something he possesses such as a skill or spell and grant the unit access to it, though generally with a hefty physical or mental cost associated.

This ability is functionally different from Descent of Concept in that it provokes saves in a different pattern, representing an infiltration of a mental construct rather than a direct assault on a mental body.