Astral dreadnought

Astral dreadnoughts were gargantuan outsiders that roamed the Astral Plane.

"Astral dreadnoughts exist for one reason: hubris. Not the hubris of mortals, but the hubris of gods who deem themselves too mighty to be approached and looked upon."

- Mordenkainen

Description
Astral dreadnoughts were massive creatures. They had a single, large eye above a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. Instead of hands, they had crab-like pincers, which were incredibly strong and lined with sharp, serrated edges. Their entire body was protected by a layer of strong, spiked armor plates, and their lower half of their body was serpentine. Legend had it that their lower half was infinite, stretching off into the distance.

Combat
Astral dreadnoughts were a devastating force in combat. Very few creatures encountered one and lived to tell the tale. Their pincers were strong enough to easily crush a humanoid, and their powerful jaws could chew through even the strongest of armor, even capable of severing a silver cord.

Abilities
The eye of an astral dreadnought was capable of nullifying any magic within a cone-shaped area in length and  at its widest point. This anti-magic field was identical to the antimagic spell. Astral dreadnoughts projected an aura of fear.

Ecology
Astral dreadnoughts fed on the astral projections of travelers. They had little interest in creatures who were physically present on the Astral Plane, unless provoked. Astral dreadnoughts were incredibly rare, in fact they were so rare that it was debated that only one astral dreadnought existed.

Astral dreadnoughts lacked any sort of digestive system. Instead, anything they consumed was sent to a unique demiplane. This demiplane had a breathable atmosphere and gravity. Magic functioned normally there, and a creature was capable of escaping if strong enough, if they were lucky to be even still alive. The demiplane vanished upon the astral dreadnought's death. Anything within was released into the Astral Plane.

Astral dreadnoughts did not require food, liquid or sleep in order to survive.

History
Astral dreadnoughts were originally created by Tharizdun, with the objective of hunting down travelers who searched for portals into the Outer Planes. Setting the ageless creatures loose with their insatiable appetites, Tharizdun hoped to prevent mortals traveling in the Astral Plane from gleaning the secrets of godhood.

Uses
The secretion of an astral dreadnought was one of the material components for the powerful spell Waethra's warm welcome, protecting an area against magical travel.

Appearances

 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Stardock Under Siege