Full Statistics

The Hollow Maw

Starving Revenant, Epic Variant · Equivalent to CR 21

D&D 3.5 Edition

Bob's original stat block, verbatim. A ravenous, gluttonous undead spirit, currently locked away alongside the Ice Lich.

Creature Type: Large Undead (Starving Revenant / Epic Variant, Equivalent to CR 21) Hit Dice: 26d12+130 (299 hp) Initiative: +9 Speed: 40 ft., Burrow 20 ft. Armor Class: 36 (-1 Size, +5 Dex, +17 Natural, +5 Deflection), touch 14, flat-footed 31 Base Attack / Grapple: +13 / +28 Space / Reach: 10 ft. / 10 ft.
Attacks
Bite: +24 melee (3d8+11 / 19-20 plus Devour Vitality) 2 Claws: +19 melee (2d6+5 plus Desiccation) Full Attack: 1 Bite +24 melee (3d8+11 / 19-20) and 2 Claws +19 melee (2d6+5)
Special Attacks

Aura of Starvation (Su)

Any living creature within a 60-ft radius must make a DC 28 Fortitude save at the start of their turn or take 2d6 points of Constitution drain and become Exhausted from sudden extreme famine.

Devour Vitality (Su)

When the Hollow Maw hits with its bite, the target must succeed on a DC 28 Fortitude save or suffer 2d4 permanent Strength and Constitution drain. The Hollow Maw heals 10 hit points for each point drained.

Swallow Whole / Void Gullet (Ex)

Can swallow a Medium or smaller opponent it has grappled. The inside of its gullet is a planar void: targets take 4d8 crushing damage plus 4d8 negative energy damage per round. Escaping requires dealing 40 points of damage to the gullet (AC 22) with a light slashing weapon.

Desiccating Touch (Su)

Claws drain all fluid and moisture from the target, dealing 2d6 points of Desiccation damage that bypasses standard resistances.

Consume Magic (Su, 3/Day)

As an immediate action, can swallow a targeted spell or magical ray aimed at it, negating the effect and gaining temporary hit points equal to 5x the spell level.

Special Qualities

Undead Traits

Fast Healing 15, Damage Reduction 15/Epic and Good, Spell Resistance 35.

Immunities

Cold, Acid, Poison, Paralysis, Stunning, and Polymorph.

Inescapable Hunger

Immune to any effect that restricts movement or banishes entities back to native planes.

Saving Throws
Fortitude
+15
Reflex
+13
Will
+21
Ability Scores
STR
32
DEX
20
CON
Undead, no score
INT
18
WIS
22
CHA
24
Skills
Balance: +15
Intimidate: +36
Jump: +25
Listen: +35
Move Silently: +34
Search: +33
Spot: +35
Survival: +35
Feats
Alertness Blind-Fight Cleave Great Cleave Improved Critical (Bite) Improved Initiative Power Attack Snatch Weapon Focus (Bite)
Epic Feats
Devastating Critical (Bite) Overwhelming Critical (Bite) Epic Toughness

D&D 5th Edition (2024)

A from-scratch monster conversion, built to 5e's own math for a solo, CR 21 threat rather than forcing 3.5e's epic-grappler numbers into a 5e frame.

3.5e's epic-level math (base attack +13 feeding a +28 grapple, stacking natural and deflection armor into AC 36) doesn't translate cleanly to 5e, which caps most brutes at a single AC and a flat proficiency bonus. Rather than convert each bonus line by line, this build treats the Hollow Maw as a proper 5e monster at the power level 5e itself uses for a CR 21 solo encounter, with its signature abilities (the starvation aura, devouring bite, swallowing whole, desiccating claws, consuming hostile magic) carried over as monster traits and actions.
Large Undead Chaotic Evil Proficiency Bonus: +7 Challenge: 21 (33,000 XP)
STR
26
+8
DEX
16
+3
CON
24
+7
INT
14
+2
WIS
18
+4
CHA
20
+5
Armor Class: 20 (Natural Armor) Hit Points: 325 (26d10 + 182) Speed: 40 ft., burrow 20 ft. Saving Throws: Str +15, Con +14, Wis +11, Cha +12 Skills: Intimidation +19 (Expertise), Perception +18 (Expertise), Stealth +17 (Expertise), Survival +11 Damage Immunities: Acid, Cold, Necrotic, Poison Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Stunned Senses: darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 28 Languages: understands Deep Speech but can't speak

Intimidation, Perception, and Stealth use Expertise (double proficiency), the closest 5e equivalent to 3.5e's towering skill bonuses. Tremorsense covers its Burrow speed; the polymorph immunity from the original block is folded into the Unchanging Hunger trait below.

Traits

Aura of Starvation

At the start of each of its turns, the Hollow Maw deals 10 (3d6) necrotic damage to one creature of its choice within 60 feet of it. That creature also gains one level of exhaustion unless it succeeds on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw.

Regeneration

The Hollow Maw regains 15 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point (reskin of Fast Healing 15).

Magic Resistance

The Hollow Maw has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects (reskin of Spell Resistance 35).

Damage Resistance

Resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks (reskin of Damage Reduction 15/Epic and Good).

Unchanging Hunger

The Hollow Maw can't be polymorphed, banished, or have its speed reduced by any effect (reskin of Inescapable Hunger).

Legendary Resistance (3/Day)

If the Hollow Maw fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Actions

Multiattack

The Hollow Maw makes one Bite attack and two Claw attacks.

Bite

Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8+8) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or its Strength and Constitution scores each go down by 1d4. The Hollow Maw regains hit points equal to the total drained. The target dies if this reduces either score to 0.

Claw

Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+8) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage as it desiccates the wound. This necrotic damage can't be healed by any means until the target finishes a long rest.

Swallow

The Hollow Maw makes one Bite attack against a Large or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, that creature is swallowed instead of taking damage, and the grapple ends. A swallowed creature is blinded and restrained, has total cover against attacks from outside the Hollow Maw, and takes 21 (6d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of the Hollow Maw's turns. The Hollow Maw can have only one creature swallowed at a time. If it takes 30 damage or more on a single turn from a creature inside it, it must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw or regurgitate the creature, which falls prone in a space within 10 feet. If the Hollow Maw dies, a swallowed creature is no longer restrained and can escape by using 15 feet of movement to exit.

Reactions

Consume Magic (3/Day)

When targeted by a spell or a magical ranged attack, the Hollow Maw can use its reaction to negate that spell or attack. It gains temporary hit points equal to five times the level of the negated spell (or 5 temporary hit points for a magical ranged attack that isn't a spell).

Legendary Actions

The Hollow Maw can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Hollow Maw regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Claw

The Hollow Maw makes one Claw attack.

Burrow (Costs 2 Actions)

The Hollow Maw burrows up to half its burrow speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Feed (Costs 3 Actions)

The Hollow Maw makes one Bite attack.

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