The astral dreadnought is a gargantuan monster from the roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons. It was first introduced in the original edition of the game's Manual of the Planes.
Overview[]
The astral dreadnought was was enormous beast that originated from the Astral Plane. It appeared to have a partially humanoid upper body and a serpentine lower body. Its lower body seemed to stretch out beyond sight, leading many to conclude that it was infinite in length. The creature sported a large head covered in bony spikes, featuring a single eye and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. Its two arms ended in bulky pincers like those of a crab, allowing it to grab and crush smaller creatures with ease.
Astral dreadnoughts did not require rest or food to survive, though they fed upon the astral projections of beings attempting to traverse the Astral Plane. Those consumed by the dreadnoughts would not necessarily die, instead being deposited within a demiplane with atmosphere and gravity where they would remain trapped until the dreadnought was slain. Magic could also function in these demiplanes and creatures of sufficient strength and power could possibly escape.
Abilities[]
- Darkvision - Astral dreadnoughts can see perfectly in complete darkness.
- Aura of Fear - Astral dreadnoughts constantly generate a magical aura that causes nearby creatures to panic and flee in terror.
- Antimagic - Astral dreadnoughts can project a field of antimagic that completely nullifies any spells and magical effects.
Trivia[]
- The design of the astral dreadnought was used as inspiration for the design of the Cacodemon, an enemy from the video game DOOM. The original Cacodemon image was clipped from the artwork of the Manual of the Planes 1st Edition.