Hades

Medium Fiend, Unaligned · CR 30

by Codex · loop5

Hades
Armor Class
22
Hit Points
780
58d8 + 522
Speed
40 ft., burrow 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
  • STR +8
  • DEX +4
  • CON +9
  • INT +8
  • WIS +7
  • CHA +10
Saving Throws
Con +18, Int +17, Cha +19
Damage Resistances
Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder
Damage Immunities
Cold, Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities
Charmed, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Exhaustion
Senses
blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages
Common, Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 30 155,000 XP

Traits

  • Lord of the Dead. Hades is immune to the frightened and charmed conditions. Additionally, any undead creature within 60 feet of Hades must succeed on a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw or be unable to attack him.
  • Magic Resistance. Hades has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
  • Unseen Sovereign. While wearing the Helm of Darkness, Hades is invisible to all creatures, and he cannot be detected by any means, including blindsight, tremorsense, or divination magic.
  • Legendary Resistance. If Hades fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

  • Bident Thrust. Melee Weapon Attack: one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) damage. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 32 (4d10 + 10) piercing damage plus 22 (4d10) necrotic damage.
  • Soul-Shattering Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) damage. Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 36 (4d12 + 10) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 23 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
  • Breath of the Underworld. Melee Weapon Attack: one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) damage. Hades exhales a cloud of necrotic ash in a 60 ft. cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw, taking 77 (22d6) necrotic damage on a failure, or half as much on a successful one.
  • Shadow Bolt. Melee Weapon Attack: one target. Hit: 4 (1d8) damage. Ranged Spell Attack: +16 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 45 (10d8) necrotic damage.

Bonus Actions

  • Step of the Grave. Hades teleports up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. Each creature within 5 feet of his destination must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of him until the end of his next turn.
  • Command the Dead. Hades forces one creature he can see within 60 feet to make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target uses its reaction to make one weapon attack against a creature of Hades's choice within its reach.

Reactions

  • Unyielding Sovereign. When Hades is hit by an attack, he can impose disadvantage on the attack roll. If the attack misses, he can make one Bident Thrust against the attacker.

Legendary Actions

Hades can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time, and only immediately after another creature's turn. Hades regains spent legendary actions at the start of their turn.

  • Shadow Step.
  • Bident Strike.
  • Judgment of the Dead.

Mythic Actions

  • Lord of the Unseen. When Hades is reduced to 0 hit points, he does not die. Instead, he regains 400 hit points, his physical form turns into living shadow, and he summons the shades of three fallen heroes (each using the statistics of a Warlord) to fight by his side.
  • Call of the Abyss. Hades tears a rift in reality. Each creature within 30 feet of him must make a DC 25 Charisma saving throw, taking 66 (12d10) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one. Creatures that fail are pulled into the rift and banished to a pocket dimension until the end of Hades's next turn.

Lair Actions

  • Rivers of Torment. Spectral hands rise from the ground in a 20-foot radius centered on a point Hades can see. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 22 Strength saving throw or be restrained by the spirits of the damned until initiative count 20 of the next round.
  • Closing the Gates. Hades seals the exits of his realm. For 1 minute, no creature can teleport or use planar travel to leave the lair.
  • Veil of Darkness. Magical darkness fills a 60-foot-radius sphere centered on Hades. Nonmagical light cannot illuminate this area, and creatures within it have the blinded condition.

Regional Effects

  • Eternal Melancholy. Creatures within 6 miles of Hades's lair feel a profound sense of hopelessness, often losing the will to strive for future goals or ambitions. The effect extends 1 miles from the lair.
  • The Unseen Watcher. The sensation of being observed by thousands of invisible eyes persists throughout the region; local wildlife becomes unnaturally silent and avoids the area entirely. The effect extends 1 miles from the lair.
  • Spectral Flora. Plants within 1 mile of the lair turn gray and brittle, shedding leaves that turn to ash before hitting the ground.

Origin Story

He is a primordial deity born from the dawn of creation, emerging from the chaotic union of the Titans during the formative ages of the cosmos. His essence is woven into the very fabric of the afterlife, acting as both the judge and the jailer of every soul that passes from the mortal coil.

Habitat and Ecosystem

His domain is the vast, shadowed realm of the Underworld, a sunless expanse of deep subterranean vaults and misty rivers that border the roots of the world. It is a place of profound stillness where the air is heavy with the scent of cypress, cold stone, and the weight of countless forgotten memories.

Social Structure

He stands at the apex of the Underworld hierarchy, ruling alongside his queen Persephone and commanding a host of minor chthonic deities. His court is a place of formal protocol, where spirits and infernal beings alike must navigate his stern laws with the utmost care.

Historical Significance

He was instrumental in the Titanomachy, providing the tactical stability required to overthrow his father and establish the reign of the Olympians. His abduction of Persephone remains the most significant event in his history, an act that fundamentally altered the cycle of the seasons for the mortal world.

Relationships

He shares a complex, often strained relationship with his brothers Zeus and Poseidon, who frequently clash with his stoic isolationism. He maintains a begrudging respect for Hecate and other chthonic powers who assist him in the administration of his sprawling, gloomy realm.

Cultural Impact

Mortals view him with a mixture of profound fear and necessary reverence, often avoiding the utterance of his name to prevent drawing his unwanted attention. He is the patron of the funeral rite and the silent witness to every oath sworn upon the earth.

Behavior Patterns

He spends his immortality presiding over the judgment of souls and monitoring the integrity of the gates that separate the dead from the living. He rarely leaves his throne, preferring to observe the unfolding of mortal history through the shadows of his vast, obsidian palace.

Variants

While he is a singular deity, some mythologies describe aspects of him known as Plouton, the lord of subterranean wealth, who oversees the gems and metals hidden deep within the crust of the earth.

Interaction Reactions

Adventurers might encounter him if they dare to trespass into the Underworld, though he is more likely to offer a test of character or a grim bargain than engage in mindless violence. Those who seek his audience must be prepared to offer something of immense value, for he never grants a favor without an exact and heavy price.

Environmental Impact

The presence of Hades naturally draws the borders of life and death closer together, causing the flora in his immediate vicinity to wither into gray, translucent specters. Under his influence, the natural laws of growth and decay are suspended, creating a static landscape of eternal, frozen twilight.

Timeline

From the initial swallowing by his father to his liberation by Zeus, his emergence as a ruler of the dead, and his ongoing administration of the afterlife, he has acted as the enduring anchor of the divine pantheon. He remains the final destination for all beings, marking the end of every timeline that has ever been written.

Related Items or Artifacts

His most famous possession is the Helm of Darkness, which grants the wearer the ability to walk unseen by gods and mortals alike. He also guards the keys to the gates of Tartarus, a collection of iron shackles and seals that hold the most ancient and dangerous entities of the cosmos in check.

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