b'Ghoul, Emperor \n'b'  Family:   Ghouls  \n'b'\n'b'  Medium   undead ,  neutral evil  \n'b'  Armor Class  20 (natural armor)  Hit Points  204 (24d8 + 96)  Speed  30 ft., burrow 15 ft.\n'b' STATS STR: 18 (+4) DEX:  14 (+2)  CON:  19 (+4)  INT:  20 (+5)  WIS:  17 (+3)  CHA:  21 (+5)  \n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'\n'b'     Saving Throws   Dexterity  +8,  Wisdom  +9  Skills   Deception  +11,  Insight  +9,  Perception  +9,  Persuasion  +11  Damage Resistances  cold, necrotic  Damage Immunities  poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks  Condition Immunities   charmed ,  exhaustion ,  frightened ,  poisoned   Senses   darkvision  120 ft., passive  Perception  19  Languages  Common, Draconic, Gnoll, Undercommon  Challenge  20 (25,000 XP) \n'b' Special Traits \n'b'   Legendary Resistance (3/Day) . If the Emperor fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead. \n'b'  Sunlight Sensitivity . While in sunlight, the Emperor has disadvantage on  attack  rolls, as well as on  Wisdom  ( Perception ) checks that rely on sight. \n'b'  Turn Resistance . The Emperor has advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead. \n'b'  Spellcasting . The Emperor is a 17th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is  Charisma  (spell save DC 19, +11 to hit with spell attacks). He has the following  wizard  spells prepared:\n'b'\n'b'   Cantrips (at will) :  chill touch ,  message ,  prestidigitation ,  shocking grasp ,  true strike  \n'b'  1st level (4 slots) :  charm person ,  magic missile ,  shield ,  thunderwave  \n'b'  2nd level (3 slots) :  hold person ,  mirror image ,  misty step  \n'b'  3rd level (3 slots) :  counterspell ,  fear ,  fireball  \n'b'  4th level (3 slots) :  blight ,  dimension door ,  phantasmal killer  \n'b'  5th level (2 slots) :  cloudkill ,  dominate person ,  hold monster  \n'b'  6th level (1 slot) :  circle of death ,  create undead  \n'b'  7th level (1 slot) :  finger of death ,  teleport  \n'b'  8th level (1 slot) :  power word stun  \n'b'  9th level (1 slot) :  power word kill  \n'b'\n'b'  Actions \n'b'   Multiattack . The Emperor makes one bite  attack  and two claw attacks. He can make one  attack  with his scepter in place of a claw  attack . \n'b'  Bite .  Melee Weapon Attack : +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  Hit : 13 (2d8 + 4) piercing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18  Constitution  saving throw or contract darakhul fever. \n'b'  Claw .  Melee Weapon Attack : +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  Hit : 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18  Constitution  saving throw or be  paralyzed  for 1 minute. A  paralyzed  creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. \n'b'  Scepter .  Melee Weapon Attack : +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  Hit : 9 (1d10 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 17 (5d6) necrotic damage. \n'b'  Reactions \n'b'   Blood Armor . When the Emperor takes damage from a creature he can see within 60 feet of him, the attacker takes necrotic damage equal to half the damage it dealt to the Emperor. \n'b'  Legendary Actions \n'b' The Emperor 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\xe2\x80\x99s turn. The Emperor regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn. \n'b'   Attack . The Emperor makes one claw or bite  attack . \n'b'  Cantrip . The Emperor casts a cantrip. \n'b'  Font of Power (Costs 3 Actions) . Roll a d8; the Emperor regains one spell slot of that level or lower. \n'b'  Lair Actions \n'b' On  initiative  count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Emperor takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Emperor can\xe2\x80\x99t use the same effect two rounds in a row: \n'b'  Until  initiative  count 20 on the following round, all creatures other than undead and constructs who take necrotic damage take an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. \n'b' The emperor targets a creature within 30 feet that he can see. The creature must succeed on a DC 15  Constitution  saving throw or take 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. The emperor regains  hp  equal to the damage dealt. \n'b' A  wall of ice  springs up from a surface within 100 feet of the emperor. The wall is 60 feet long, 10 feet high, and 5 feet thick. A creature in the wall\xe2\x80\x99s space when it appears must succeed on a DC 15  Dexterity  saving throw or take 10 (3d6) cold damage; then the creature is pushed to either side of the wall (the creature\xe2\x80\x99s choice). Each 5-foot section of the wall has AC 10, 15  hit points ,  resistance  to piercing and slashing damage, immunity to cold, poison, and psychic damage, and  vulnerability  to fire damage. The wall disappears when the Emperor uses this lair action again or when the Emperor dies. \n'b'  Regional Effects \n'b' The region around the Emperor\xe2\x80\x99s lair is warped by his magic, which creates one or more of the following effects: \n'b'  Creatures within 1 mile of the lair who are infected with darakhul fever have disadvantage on  Wisdom  saving throws against spells and effects generated by ghouls or darakhul. \n'b' Dead bodies within 1 mile of the lair have an 80 percent chance to reanimate as skeletons or zombies 24 hours after their deaths. These undead never  attack  ghouls or darakhul but instinctively obey their commands. \n'b' Phantom lights appear within 10 miles of the lair, more frequently the closer they are to the lair. Each light sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. An undead in this dim light gains 1d6  temporary hp  at the start of each of its turns. Temporary  hp  an undead gains from this regional effect add to any  temporary hp  the undead gained from this regional effect but not from other effects. The undead\xe2\x80\x99s  temporary hp  can\xe2\x80\x99t exceed half its maximum  hp . \n'b' If the emperor dies, dead reanimated as skeletons or zombies crumble to dust after 1d10 days. The other effects end immediately. \n'b'  About \n'b' This man of middle years, with black hair and flesh as white as ivory, wears black and purple clothes and a silvery crown set with emeralds. His feet are sheathed in black boots, and his arms and fingers are covered in rich gold and silver jewelry. He holds a skull-topped scepter. \n'b'  Hungry Dead Nature . The Emperor requires no air or sleep.'