King Cernunnos, Lord of the Autumn Court

Medium Fey

AC 20
HP 225 (30d8+45)
Speed 30 ft., Fly 60 ft.   

STR 18 (4) 
DEX 16 (3) 
CON 20 (5)
INT 15 (2) 
WIS 22 (6)
CHA 30 (10)

Saving Throws: Constitution +12,Intelligence +9 , Wisdom +13, Charisma +17
Skills: Animal Handling +18, Athletics +11, Arcana +9, Insight +13, Intimidation +17, Nature +16, Perception +13, Performance +17, Persuasion +17, Stealth +10, Survival +13
Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing
Damage Immunities: Poison, Psychic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned 
Senses: Truesight 60ft. Darkvision 120ft. Passive Perception 23
Languages: Understands all languages.
CR: 24

ABILITIES

Legendary Resistance (3/Day) - If King Cernunnos fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Magic Resistance - King Cernunnos has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Autumnal King - Fey creatures targeted by King Cernunnos’ spells or abilities make their saving throws at Disadvantage. 

Otherworldly Presence - Each creature who can see King Cernunnos  must succeed on a DC 25 Wisdom saving throw or become Charmed. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If King Cernunnos attempts to harm a creature Charmed by this effect, the effect immediately ends. 

If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect is otherwise ended, the creature is immune to this ability for the next 24 hours. 

ACTIONS

Multiattack - King Cernunnos makes two Beheading Cleave or Serpent Strike attacks. 

Beheading Cleave - Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage and 9 (2d8) psychic damage. On a critical hit, the target becomes Incapacitated, as they feel themselves decapitated by the strike, despite their head still being attached. At the end of the creature’s turn, it may make a DC 23 Intelligence saving throw to see through the illusion and end the condition. 

Serpent Strike - Ranged Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, Range 120ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d10) Piercing damage. A creature hit by this attack must then make a DC23 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) Poison damage and becoming Poisoned on a failed save. A Poisoned creature may repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns to remove the Poisoned condition. 

Chord of Calling (Recharge 5-6) - Lord Cernunnos calls upon the forces of the natural world to create creatures made of earth, wood, bone and other natural materials that follow his commands. The summoned creatures act on his turn and follow his orders to the best of their ability. If not given a command, the creatures defend him, prioritizing his life over theirs. If Lord Cernunnos is Incapacitated, the creatures crumble back into their base components.

Creatures created by the crown take the form of any Beast from the world and use their statistics, with the following additions.

• Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

• Immunity to Poison and Psychic damage

• Immunity to the Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned conditions

• Advantage on Saving Throws against Spells and other magical effects. 

• The creature is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. 

The total CR of creatures summoned by this ability can never exceed 15. Lord Cernnunos may summon any number of creatures per use of this ability, as long as their combined CR does not surpass this number.

Spirits of Forest and Field (Recharge 6) -  Lord Cernnunos creates an emanation centered on himself out to 60 ft. Within this area, ghostly spirits of various animals flit in and out of existence, supporting and bolstering him and his allies for the next 1 minute. As a Bonus Action, he or any allied creature within the area of the emanation may activate this ability, choosing one of the following spirits and gaining advantage on any rolls linked to the chosen ability score until the end of their turn. Additionally, when Lord Cernunnos uses this bonus action on himself, all enemies within the emanation get Disadvantage on rolls using the chosen Ability Score.

Mighty Bull - Strength

Graceful Cat - Dexterity

Enduring Bear - Constitution

Wise Owl - Wisdom

Cunning Fox - Intelligence

Resplendent Eagle - Charisma

Spellcasting - King Cernunnos casts one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (spell save DC 23) 

At will: Absorb Elements, Animal Friendship (Level 5 Version), Charm Person, Command, Detect Magic, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Fog Cloud, Goodberry, Hunter’s Mark, Animal Messenger (Level 5 Version), Barkskin, Beast Sense, Enlarge / Reduce, Gust of Wind, Hold Person, Lesser Restoration, Pass Without Trace, Spike Growth, Beacon of Hope, Conjure Animals, Dispel Magic, Fear, Glyph of Warding, Major Image, Plant Growth, Revivify, Sending, Stinking Cloud, Summon Fey

3/day each: Aura of Life, Aura of Purity, Conjure Woodland Beings, Dimension Door, Dominate Beast, Freedom of Movement, Fount of Moonlight, Giant Insect, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Polymorph, Stoneskin, Awaken, Cloudkill, Contagion, Geas, Greater Restoration, Hold Person, Insect Plague, Tree Stride, Wall of Stone, Flesh to Stone, Harm, Heal, Hero's Feast, Mass Suggestion, Move Earth, Transport Via Plants, Wall of Thorns

1/day each: Etherealness, Mirage Arcane, Plane Shift, Power Word: Fortify, Project Image, Regenerate, Teleport, Animal Shapes, Dominate Monster, Earthquake, Foresight, Imprisonment, Mass Heal, Shapechange, Storm of Vengeance

BONUS ACTIONS

Fey Step - King Cernunnos teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 30ft. In an unoccupied space he can see.

REACTIONS

Wild Escape (Recharge 4-6) - In response to taking damage, King Cernunnos disappears in a puff of smoke and teleports, along with any equipment he is wearing or carrying, up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space he can see. Left behind in the space he previously occupied is a Beast of CR5 or lower, chosen at the time this ability is used. 

LEGENDARY ACTIONS

King Cernunnos 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. King Cernunnos regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Wild Huntsman - King Cernunnos moves up to his speed and makes one attack with his Beheading Cleave or Serpent Strike. 

Fey Step - King Cernunnos uses his Fey Step.

Chord of Calling (Costs 2 Actions) - King Cernunnos uses his Chord of Calling.

Spellcasting (Costs 2 Actions) - King Cernunnos uses his Spellcasting. 

Notes - Cernunnos is the High King of the Autumn Court of Faerie, brother of Titania, and Husband of both High Queen Mab of Winter, and Queen Mabon of the Autumn Court (I’m sure there’s something we could extrapolate there if we were to  dare psychoanalyze an extremely powerful lord of the fey.) Each of the High Kings and Queens take a political marriage, and a consort within their own season. These relationships are integral to maintaining the old alliances and lineages within the different fey clans.

There are not many who can say they know the Autumn King on a personal level, as Cernunnos is a man who wears many masks in his duties as the Autumnal King and must maintain a considerable distance due to the amount of duties and oaths he fulfills. He leads the Wild Hunt as it’s master commanding the winds and restless spirits who have yet to cross the veil through the woods of Autumn Dusk to prevent them from running amok. He is the Masked Lord of the Empty Throne, the final executioner and guardian of the deathly veil that all people of the fey will eventually cross, sharing this duty with the other Unseelie monarch, Queen Mab.

As a warrior Cernunnos is unparalleled, wielding his axe with unearthly proficiency.