Astaroth
Astaroth — The Encounter
Enthroned seraph of the serpent's crown, before the fall · a boss your table can run with almost no prep. SRD 5.1-compatible.
Who Is Astaroth
Before the fall there were thrones, and upon one sat Astaroth, captain of a choir that mistook obedience to itself for obedience to the heavens. The grimoires that survive the cataclysm name him a teacher of secrets and a corrupter of judgment, a being who still wears the plate and pinions of his angelic rank even as the serpent-crown of his pride coils ever tighter about his brow. He does not rage; he sentences. To stand in his aura is to feel one's own conviction soften, one's sword arm waver, until the verdict falls and the radiant fire that once warmed the firmament burns instead as condemnation. Mortals who seek him for the secrets he hoards return changed, certain of things they should have doubted and doubtful of things they once held sacred. He is counted among the seventy-two for a reason: even unfallen, he was already learning to rule.
Run Astaroth in Sixty Seconds
- Aura first — the Crown of the Serpent makes everyone within 20 ft. roll at disadvantage; position so the front line eats it every turn.
- Open with Multiattack (two spears + tail) and keep Verdict of Ruin in your pocket until three or more PCs stand in a 30-ft. cone, then drop it.
- Kill-priority — Withering Decree the controller or healer; the frighten and disadvantage do nothing if their buffs let allies shrug it off.
- When bloodied it stops kiting: lands, full attacks, and burns both Throne-Bound Guard and every legendary action on the squishiest target.
- Three ways to run it — solo boss on its throne (legendary actions, T3), the seraph-captain leading Hasmed and cultists (T2), or a single climactic gatekeeper for a low party (T1, aura + spear).
Astaroth
Large celestial (angel), lawful evil
CR 11 · 7,200 XP · GUIDELINECrown of the Serpent. Astaroth's barbed tail-crown leaks a corrupting glamour. When a creature it can see starts its turn within 20 ft. of Astaroth, that creature must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes before the start of its next turn. A creature that fails three of these saves while in the aura is also frightened of Astaroth until it leaves the aura.
Wings of the Unfallen. Astaroth's six wings let it hover. It does not provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Magic Weapons. Astaroth's weapon attacks are magical.
Actions
Multiattack. Astaroth makes two attacks with its Crowned Spear and one with its Lashing Tail.
Crowned Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) radiant damage.
Lashing Tail. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) slashing damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of its next turn.
Verdict of Ruin (Recharge 5-6). Astaroth pronounces a sentence in a tongue older than thrones. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. A creature that fails is also knocked prone as its knees buckle.
Bonus Actions & Reactions
Throne-Bound Guard (Reaction). When a creature Astaroth can see hits it with an attack, Astaroth halves the damage of that attack and may immediately make one Lashing Tail attack against the attacker if it is within reach.
Legendary Actions (3/Round)
Tail Lash. Astaroth makes one Lashing Tail attack.
Soaring Step (Costs 1 Action). Astaroth flies up to half its fly speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Withering Decree (Costs 2 Actions). Astaroth targets one creature it can see within 60 ft. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage and have disadvantage on its next attack roll.
An armored seraph enthroned on cracked stone, six tide-colored wings fanned wide, a serpent-tail crown coiling above a horned helm while a smoking skull lies at the feet of its spear.
Astaroth, Bound
Companion · acts on your initiative
Bound · GUIDELINEShieldwing (signature). When an ally within 5 ft. is hit by an attack, Astaroth can use its reaction to grant that ally +2 AC against that attack, possibly causing it to miss.
Actions
Glaive of Embers. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) radiant damage.
Reactions
Interposing Pinion. When Astaroth would be hit by a ranged attack, Astaroth steps into the path and is hit instead if it is within 5 ft.
A lesser herald-angel of the same choir, sworn to shield the throne and finish what the verdict begins.
Guideline numbers — formula-tuned and read from the miniature's design, not yet table-proven. Tell us how it ran in the comments.
How It Fights — by Tier
Same creature, scaled threat. The traits never change; only the numbers move.
Open with the aura at the doorway so the party fights at disadvantage, then jab with the Crowned Spear from reach. If two or more PCs cluster, save Verdict of Ruin for the cone. Keep it as the scene's named threat with a couple of cultists; it is the centerpiece, not a mob piece.
Stay airborne over the throne, lash anyone who climbs to melee, and use Throne-Bound Guard to punish the first big hit. Open the round it has Verdict charged. Kill-priority is whoever breaks the frighten — drop it on them with Withering Decree.
Run it solo as a boss: aura up, fly to deny melee, spend legendary actions on Tail Lash and Soaring Step to stay mobile. Open with the full Multiattack, hold Verdict of Ruin until 3+ targets are in a cone, and target the party healer or buffer with Withering Decree. When bloodied it stops repositioning and unloads everything before the party can stabilize.
Put Astaroth on the table
Download the presupported STL and run the fight tonight — the model, and the encounter that comes with it.
Get the STL on MyMiniFactory →Clay Cyanide Companion Rules v1
How a bound creature acts
- A companion acts on its owner's initiative, immediately after the owner.
- It uses the Companion block above — roughly ×0.6 HP and damage, no recharge abilities, and at most one reaction trait.
- It moves freely; it takes its Action only while its owner is conscious.
- At 0 HP a companion is broken, not dead — restored on a long rest unless your table rules otherwise.
Original Clay Cyanide material © Clay Cyanide LLC — explicitly not the non-SRD official sidekick rules.
Questions, Asked at the Table
What CR is Astaroth?
Natively CR 11 (Tier 3, ~level 11-15) as a solo boss, with legendary actions letting it carry a fight alone. Drop it to the Tier 2 sheet (CR ~6) as a captain among lesser angels, or the Tier 1 sheet (CR ~2) as the named threat for a level 1-4 party.
Can Astaroth be a companion or ally?
Rarely, but yes — a desperate party that bargains with him gains a cold, conditional patron rather than a friend. Use the companion block (Hasmed, Bound Wing) for a cleaner allied seraph, or run Astaroth himself as a temporary ally who expects payment in secrets and obedience.
Why is Astaroth a celestial and not a fiend?
The render is 'Before the Fall' — he still wears angelic plate and six wings, so he is statted as a Large celestial (angel) with radiant attacks and truesight, but lawful evil to reflect his prideful corruption. He has not yet become a devil.
Tell Us How It Ran
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 ("SRD 5.1") by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
Clay Cyanide Miniatures is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This content is compatible with the fifth edition of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game. Companion rules, lore, names, and original mechanics © Clay Cyanide LLC.
Technical Specifications
32mm, 75mm
STL, Pre-supported STL
Standard or ABS-like resin, 0.05mm layer height
Yes — ready to print, optimized supports included
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