Count Fishula
Medium Aberration (Aquatic Undead), Chaotic Evil
Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor, +2 Dexterity)
Hit Points: 85 (13d8 + 26)
Speed: 30 feet, 60 feet swimming
Challenge Rating: 4 (1,100 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 18 |
Saving Throws: Dexterity +6, Wisdom +7, Charisma +8
Skills: Deception +8, Persuasion +8, Stealth +6 (advantage while in water), Performance +8 (musical calls)
Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant Damage
Damage Resistances: Cold Damage, Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: Poison, Charm, Frightened condition
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened
Senses: Darkvision 60 feet, Truesight 30 feet (in water only), Perception +3
Languages: Understands Common, Aquan, and Infernal but speaks only through melodic calls.
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. Count Fishula is a 6th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). Count Fishula has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): *vicious mockery*, *dancing lights*
1st level (4 slots): *charm person*, *disguise self*, *silent image*
2nd level (3 slots): *darkness*, *mirror image*
3rd level (2 slots): *fear*, *phantasmal force*
Special notes about the spellcaster’s spellcasting abilities or actions: Count Fishula prefers to cast *charm person* before combat to manipulate his opponents into acts that benefit him. He may use *silent image* to create illusions that distract or mislead his foes during encounters. In addition, he often casts *darkness* in combat, using it to obscure his movements and separate his enemies. His haunting, melodic voice may be used to enhance the effects of his spells, particularly in luring adventurers closer with *vicious mockery*.
Actions & Abilities
Bite: *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 1d8 + 3 piercing damage. Additionally, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take an extra 1d6 necrotic damage due to the draining nature of the bite.
Claw: *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 1d6 + 2 slashing damage. If the target is grappled, this damage increases to 1d8 + 2 as Count Fishula claws at the trapped prey.
Haunting Melody (Recharge 5-6): Count Fishula emits an enchanting melody that affects all creatures within 30 feet that can hear him. Each target must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute. While charmed in this way, a creature regards Count Fishula as a trusted friend to be led into danger. The charm ends if Count Fishula or his allies deal damage to the affected creature.
Fathomless Call (Recharge 5-6): Count Fishula unleashes a bone-chilling call. Each creature of his choice within 60 feet must make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target is frightened until the end of Count Fishula’s next turn. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Spectral Minion Call (Twice per Day): Count Fishula can summon 1d4 Ghostly Fish (using *Specter* stat block). The spectral fish appear within 10 feet of him and act immediately after his turn. They can distract or confuse players while he plans his next move.
Defensive Retreat: When Count Fishula takes damage, he can use his reaction to disengage and swim immediately 30 feet into deeper waters, obscuring himself in the depths. This ability can only be used if he is in an aquatic environment.
Appearance
In a striking, upright pose that commands attention, Count Fishula looms at an impressive height of 6 feet, his lean and elongated build resembling a predatory elegance. His body narrows toward the waist, evoking the sleek silhouette of a fish while exuding an air of both nobility and danger, a noble figure cursed by his own nature.
Count Fishula’s skin captivates with its slick bluish-green coloration, reminiscent of the dark, undulating waters under a glowing moon. This hue shimmers and shifts as he moves, revealing deeper shades within shadows and intermingling pale yellow-green swirls that evoke the murkiness of a deep lake. The mesmerizing visual impact is accentuated by delicate bioluminescent patterns that pulse across his form in vibrant turquoise and violet, flowing rhythmically like the currents of a haunted tide.
His face, a haunting amalgam of human and fish features, reveals a narrow skull and sharply defined cheekbones that convey a ghostly allure. Large, pale eyes shimmer with an ethereal light, mirroring a depth of sorrow and despair. Count Fishula’s wide mouth, cavernous and filled with oversized, sharp fangs, hints at his insatiable hunger, an ever-present menace beneath his enchanting exterior.
Count Fishula’s limbs exude an otherworldly grace, with elegantly elongated arms ending in webbed fingers, each tipped with deadly claws that belay their swift, dexterous movements. These hands perform hypnotic gestures, emphasizing his control over the depths. His robust legs provide stability on land but are designed for fluidity in swimming, reflecting his affinity for both the earth and the water.
Moving with unexpected fluidity, Fishula maintains a proud, upright posture, embodying the weight of his tragic past. When submerged, he glides effortlessly, the water parting as if in reverence, highlighting his mastery over his aquatic domain. On land, his movements bear a deliberate heaviness, echoing the burdens of his cursed existence.
Fishula’s presence is suffused with a potent allure; a faint, melodic hum accompanies him, drawing in those who encounter him with its haunting call. When agitated, shadows flicker around him, hinting at his dark powers beneath the surface. Ethereal lights, shaped like ghostly fish, occasionally dance around him, hinting at his dominion over the spirits of the lake, further enhancing his enigmatic essence. Count Fishula is a creature of beauty and terror, forever suspended between the worlds of land and water, beckoning with his striking visage and the whispered secrets of the deep.
Tactical Information
Count Fishula: Behavior in Day-to-Day Life
In the gloomy depths of haunted lakes and curdled rivers, Count Fishula embodies the epitome of decadent isolation. His lair, an ornate yet dilapidated underwater castle constructed from sunken ships and adorned with shimmering trinkets from lost souls, serves as both his sanctuary and a trap for unfortunate wanderers. Each day is a relentless cycle of crafting new enticements for weary travelers who tread too close to his domain.
With an insatiable hunger for beauty, his days revolve around the collection of haunting melodies emanating from the depths. He listens intently to the whispers of the waters, amalgamating their secrets into his own mesmerizing compositions. An eerie aura encircles his home, especially at twilight when bioluminescent patterns pulse rhythmically. Though he is alone, spectral aquatic allies, remnants of his ancient pacts, flit in and out of sight—a ghostly court observing their ghastly master.
Count Fishula’s motivations are driven by the twin forces of hunger and nostalgia. He longs for the vibrancy of his former life as a dandy nobleman, enclosed now within an insatiable need to feed on the lifeblood of those who dare approach. When he encounters lost souls near his domain, he manipulates their desires, weaving tales that speak to their hopes and fears. But beneath his lyrical tongue lies an unyielding predator, ready to ensnare those who fall under his spell.
Combat Behavior
When combat begins, Count Fishula exudes an air of nonchalance, seemingly relishing the unfolding conflict. He begins encounters with a haunting melody, using Fathomless Call to instill fear in his adversaries, often preemptively positioning himself just beneath the surface of the water, his bioluminescent patterns glowing to attract attention.
As foes approach, he utilizes Charm of the Abyss, immediately trying to sow discord among their ranks by captivating key players—spellcasters or the strongest fighters—into becoming unwitting allies. A hypnotic smile dances across his elongated visage as he observes the chaos impending in the wake of his charm. He prioritizes isolating enemies, manipulating their trust against them.
When faced with overwhelming odds, Count Fishula relies on the environment to his advantage. He retreats into the deeper waters of his lair, summoning his Spectral Minions to further disorient the adventurers. While they are distracted by the ghostly fish, he lurks just outside their immediate sight, waiting for the perfect moment to strike—his elongated claws emerging swiftly from the depths to drain life with Blood of the Lost.
Should the tide turn against him, Count Fishula is not above fleeing, disappearing into the murky waters as a shadow, his melodic laughter echoing ominously through the currents. He understands the power of patience and prefers to regroup when faced with superior numbers, confident that the darkness of his aquatic realm offers him opportunities to return later when the odds are more favorable.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions
In non-combat encounters, Count Fishula is the epitome of charm and courtly mannerisms, a tragic figure draped in elegance marred by his malevolence. He captivates adventurers with his haunting songs and eloquent speech, often welcoming them to his domain under the guise of providing solace or aid. His voice licks their ears like the cool waters of his territory, weaving promises of treasures, ancient knowledge, and lost wonders.
However, it does not take long for his true nature to seep through his cultured veneer. He coldly assesses any offers made to him, seeking to twist them in his favor. Severely mistaking his intentions could result in a sudden shift from cordial to predatory, showcasing his ability to deceive and manipulate. Should an adventurer present an act of aggression, Count Fishula would respond with a chilling smile and languid movements, an unsettling elegance in his retreating form as he prepares for battle or vanishes into the depths.
If cornered, he isn’t likely to fight at all but will instead resort to socio-political manipulation. Count Fishula will try to persuade the adventurers of an external threat or offer to “share” power through dark gifts should they agree to serve him, emphasizing the curses laid upon Eldervale as a shared burden. He employs emotional appeals, dramatizing the tragedy of his plight to curry favor or to subvert their intent, always using his eloquence to mask his predatory instincts.
With a mind keen enough to strategize and navigate through human emotions, Count Fishula thrives as both a horror and tragic figure, inviting players into his dark world—a realm where beauty and danger meld in the liquid shadows of eternity.
