Mehrunes Dagon - TES

Name & Title

Mehrunes Dagon, known as the Prince of Destruction, Lord of Change, and Harbinger of Apocalypse, is a powerful entity from the Outer Planes who embodies chaos, destruction, and ambition. In your D&D world, he can be reimagined as an Archfiend or Primordial Daemon Lord, rivaling demon princes and archdevils in power.

Alignment

Chaotic Evil
Dagon thrives on upheaval, ruin, and the dismantling of order. His followers seek to tear down kingdoms, topple gods, and remake reality in fire and blood.

Domain & Influence

• Primary Domains: Destruction, Fire, Revolution, Ambition

• Secondary Domains: Natural disasters, war, and forbidden knowledge of cataclysmic magic.

In D&D terms, Mehrunes Dagon could be tied to:

• Cleric Domains: Tempest, War, Forge (corrupted), or a custom Destruction Domain.

• Warlock Patron: A unique Fiend Patron variant granting powers of fire, chaos, and planar rifts.

Appearance

Dagon manifests as a towering, four-armed titan wreathed in flame and molten stone, with horns like jagged mountains and eyes burning like suns. His mere presence warps reality—earth quakes, skies bleed fire, and oceans boil.

Goals & Philosophy

Mehrunes Dagon seeks absolute transformation through annihilation. He believes creation is stagnant and only through destruction can true progress occur. His cults preach:

• “From ruin comes rebirth.”

• “The old world must burn for the new to rise.”

Followers & Cults

• Cult Structure: Decentralized cells called Ashen Hands, each led by a Harbinger who interprets Dagon’s will.

• Common Goals: Sabotage governments, unleash natural disasters, summon planar rifts.

• Symbols: A four-armed silhouette engulfed in flame, or a broken tower surrounded by fire.

Typical Followers:

• Fire-worshipping zealots

• Warlocks seeking apocalyptic power

• Barbarians who revel in chaos

• Pyromancer sorcerers

Artifacts

• Razor of Ruin (Legendary Dagger): A blade that can sever planar boundaries, allowing Daedric incursions.

• Oblivion Stone: A crimson gem that can trigger volcanic eruptions or earthquakes when shattered.

• Mantle of the Harbinger: Grants immunity to fire and the ability to summon destructive elementals.

Lair & Plane

Dagon’s realm could be adapted as a layer of the Abyss or a unique Outer Plane called The Deadlands:

• A scorched wasteland of volcanic mountains, rivers of lava, and skies torn by perpetual storms.

• Lair Actions: Earthquakes, firestorms, and planar rifts spawning fiends.

Stat Block Suggestion

Treat Mehrunes Dagon as a CR 30 Fiendish Titan:

• Type: Fiend (Daemon Lord)

• Legendary Actions: Summon Firestorm, Rift Tear (opens portal to his realm), Crush Reality (destroys magical effects).

• Innate Spellcasting: Meteor Swarm, Earthquake, Fire Storm, Plane Shift.

Adventure Hooks

1. The Ashen Prophecy: A cult seeks to summon Dagon during a solar eclipse, triggering an apocalypse.

2. The Razor’s Edge: A legendary dagger tied to Dagon is stolen, and its activation could tear open the Abyss.

3. The Deadlands Rising: Volcanic eruptions signal that Dagon’s realm is bleeding into the Material Plane.

The Prince of Destruction (Warlock Patron)

Mehrunes Dagon—Harbinger of Apocalypse, Lord of Ruin—offers power to those willing to break the old world so a new one can be forged in flame.

Expanded Spell List

The Prince of Destruction lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell.
Note: Some spells are outside the Warlock list; this Patron adds them to your options.

DM tip: If your table prefers core sources only, replace erupting earth with lightning bolt and destructive wave with immolation.

1st—Harbinger of Ruin

You are marked by Dagon’s brand of cataclysm.

• Fire Hardened. You gain resistance to fire damage.

• Siegebreaker. Your spells and attacks deal double damage to objects and structures.

• Ashen Brand (PB/long rest). As a bonus action, wreathe a weapon, your unarmed strike, or your eldritch blast in ruinous flame until the end of your next turn. While branded:

  • Add your Charisma modifier to one damage roll you make on your turn (attack or spell), and that damage becomes fire if it isn’t already.

  • The damage ignores fire resistance; creatures immune to fire take half from the branded damage.

  • If the target is an object or structure, the branded damage is doubled.

6th—Rift-Step

When reality cracks, you slip through.

• Reactive Rift (Cha mod/long rest, min 1). When you take damage from a creature you can see within 60 ft, you can use your reaction to open a brief rift, teleport up to 30 ft to a space you can see, and reduce the triggering damage by your warlock level + Charisma modifier.

• Searing Rupture. When you use Rift-Step, choose the origin or destination space; the ground there becomes superheated until the end of your next turn. The first creature (other than you) to enter that space or start its turn there takes fire damage equal to your proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier.

10th—Worldbreaker’s Pressure

Your presence stresses the fabric of the world.

• Unstable Ground. The area within 10 feet of you is difficult terrain for enemies.

• Sundered Resistances. Your spells and features that deal fire damage ignore resistance; creatures immune to fire take half damage instead.

• Cataclysmic Pulse (1/turn). When you deal damage with a spell of 1st level or higher, choose one creature you damaged; it must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone or pushed up to 10 feet (your choice).

14th—Deadlands Incursion

You tear open the boundary and let the Deadlands bleed through.

• Action—Rift of Ruin (1/long rest). Open a 15-foot-radius rift at a point you can see within 120 ft. Creatures in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d10 fire + 8d10 force damage, is knocked prone, and the area becomes Deadlands terrain for 1 minute. On a success, it takes half damage and isn’t knocked prone.

• Deadlands Terrain. The area is difficult terrain; nonmagical objects ignite; the ground shudders and rends. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it takes fire damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

• Grasp of Oblivion. For the duration, at the end of each of your turns, choose one creature in the Deadlands. It must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be banished into a crushing pocket of unreality until the end of its next turn, then returns to the same space (or nearest unoccupied one) taking 2d10 fire damage.

Design note: This is comparable in swing and impact to the Fiend’s Hurl Through Hell, trading single-target control for area dominance.

Optional Eldritch Invocations (for this Patron)

• Ashen Harbinger (Prereq: 5th level, Prince of Destruction): When you use Ashen Brand, you also gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier.

• Razor of Ruin (Prereq: Pact of the Blade): Your pact weapon becomes a Razor of Ruin—counts as magical, deals an extra 1d6 fire on hit, and has the Siege property (double damage to objects/structures). When you drop a creature to 0 HP with it, you can move up to 10 ft without provoking opportunity attacks.

• World-Razer Blast (Prereq: eldritch blast cantrip): When eldritch blast hits a creature adjacent to a wall, pillar, or barricade, you can collapse a 5-foot-wide section of nonmagical cover (DM adjudication) into difficult terrain.

• Deadlands Strider (Prereq: 9th level): You ignore difficult terrain, and have advantage on saving throws against grapples or restraints created by terrain.

Patron Roleplaying Notes

Cultists call themselves Ashen Hands; many Harbingers mark their skin with charcoal sigils that glow when the Prince’s power manifests. Dagon’s edicts: “From ruin comes rebirth. Break the old pillars that bind the will.”

Destruction Domain (Cleric)

Clerics of Mehrunes Dagon preach revolution through annihilation: only by tearing down the stagnant can the new rise. In the wake of their miracles, stones split, skies scorch, and towers fall.

Domain Spells

You gain domain spells at the cleric levels listed.

DM tip: To stay core-only, swap erupting earth for lightning bolt and destructive wave for immolation or wall of stone.

Bonus Proficiencies (1st)

You gain proficiency with martial weapons and heavy armor.

Doctrine of Ruin (1st)

Your god sanctions devastation.

• Siegebreaker. Your spells and weapon attacks deal double damage to objects and structures. You have advantage on Strength checks to break doors, bars, or similar obstacles.

• Firebrand. PB/long rest (minimum 1): As a bonus action, until the end of your next turn, you can change one spell or weapon damage roll you make to fire or thunder, and add your Wisdom modifier to that roll (stacking with normal ability mods if any).

Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath (2nd)

When you roll fire, thunder, or force damage for a spell, you can use your Channel Divinity to deal maximum damage instead of rolling.

Example: A fireball (8d6) becomes a flat 48 damage (before saves), plus any modifiers.

Deadlands Step (6th)

You move through ruin as if born to it.

• You gain resistance to fire damage.

• You ignore difficult terrain caused by rubble, craters, or nonmagical hazardous ground.

• Raze the Footing (PB/long rest). When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals fire, thunder, or force damage, one creature you damage must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone or pushed up to 10 feet (your choice).

Divine Strike (8th)

Once on each of your turns, when you hit with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 fire damage. At 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Option: If your table prefers a caster-focused build, replace Divine Strike with Potent Spellcasting (add your Wisdom modifier to cleric cantrip damage). Choose one at subclass selection.

Apocalypse Avatar (17th)

You become an engine of cataclysm.

• You gain immunity to fire and resistance to thunder damage.

• Your spells ignore fire resistance, and creatures immune to fire take half damage from your spells instead.

• Deadlands Mantle (1/long rest). When you cast a 5th-level or higher spell that deals damage, you may create a 20-foot-radius Deadlands zone centered on a point you can see within the spell’s area for 1 minute. The zone is difficult terrain for enemies; nonmagical objects ignite; enemies that start their turn in the zone take 2d8 fire damage.

Design & Balance Notes (DM Guidance)

• Parallels: The Warlock’s 14th-level feature mirrors the Fiend patron’s capstone in impact, trading single-target lockout for a controllable area threat. The Cleric’s Destructive Wrath intentionally echoes Tempest Domain’s identity, retyped for fire/thunder/force to fit the destruction theme.

• Siege Property: Doubling damage to objects/structures is powerful in adventures with fortifications. Encourage creative use but remember object HP and immunities (DMG) to keep it fair.

• Resistance Override: Both subclasses partially bypass fire resistance to differentiate them from typical fire casters; this helps against higher-tier foes often resistant/immune to fire.

• Terrain Control: “Deadlands” is intended as hazardous difficult terrain with minor ongoing damage; it stacks well with forced movement without becoming oppressive.

Quick NPC Hooks

• Harbinger of the Ashen Hands (Warlock): A zealot aims to collapse a city’s ancient aqueduct to “free the river.”

• Dagonite Demolitionist (Cleric): A priest leads miners in “holy strikes” to awaken a volcano and reveal “new land.”

Mehrunes Dagon

Gargantuan Fiend (Daemon Lord), Chaotic Evil

Armor Class 25 (natural armor)

Hit Points 1,050 (30d20 + 450)

Speed 60 ft., climb 40 ft.

STR 30 (+10) | DEX 16 (+3) | CON 30 (+10) | INT 24 (+7) | WIS 22 (+6) | CHA 28 (+9)

Saving Throws Str +18, Con +18, Wis +14, Cha +17

Skills Intimidation +17, Arcana +15, Perception +14

Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities fire, poison

Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 24

Languages Abyssal, Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.

Challenge 30 (155,000 XP)

Traits

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Dagon fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Siegebreaker Aura. Structures within 120 ft of Dagon take double damage from all sources. Nonmagical objects ignite when touched by him.

Reality Fracture. When Dagon casts a spell or uses a lair action, the ground in a 30-ft radius becomes Deadlands terrain (difficult terrain, ignites nonmagical objects, deals 10 fire damage to creatures starting their turn there).

Innate Spellcasting

Dagon’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (DC 26, +18 to hit). He can cast the following spells innately, requiring no components:

• At will: fireball, wall of fire, dispel magic

• 3/day each: meteor swarm, earthquake, plane shift (self only)

• 1/day: wish (only to duplicate non-healing spells)

Actions

Multiattack.

Dagon makes four attacks: two with his claws and two with his crushing arms.

• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target.
  Hit: 45 (6d10 + 10) slashing damage plus 21 (6d6) fire damage.

• Crushing Arm. Melee Weapon Attack: +18 to hit, reach 20 ft., one target.
  Hit: 52 (8d10 + 10) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 26 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 26). While grappled, the creature is restrained.

Cataclysmic Rift (Recharge 5–6).

Dagon tears open reality in a 60-ft radius centered on himself. Each creature in the area must make a DC 26 Dexterity saving throw, taking 120 (20d10) fire damage + 120 (20d10) force damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. The area becomes Deadlands terrain for 1 minute.

Legendary Actions (3/round)

Dagon can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below:

• Attack. Make one claw or crushing arm attack.

• Firestorm. Cast firestorm (no spell slot).

• Rift Tear (Costs 2 Actions). Open a planar rift within 60 ft; creatures within 20 ft must succeed on a DC 26 Strength save or be pulled 30 ft toward the rift and take 45 (10d8) fire damage.

• Reality Collapse (Costs 3 Actions). Cause the ground in a 40-ft radius to erupt; creatures must succeed on a DC 26 Dexterity save or take 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage and fall prone.

Mythic Trait: Harbinger of Apocalypse

When reduced to 0 hit points, Dagon does not die immediately. Instead, he explodes in a Deadlands Cataclysm:

• All creatures within 300 ft must make a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or take 200 (40d10) fire damage and 200 (40d10) force damage, or half on success.

• The terrain in a 1-mile radius becomes permanently scorched and unstable.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing ties), Dagon can use one of the following lair actions:

1. Volcanic Eruption. A fissure opens within 120 ft, spewing lava in a 30-ft radius. Creatures in the area take 45 (10d8) fire damage.

2. Deadlands Surge. The ground in a 60-ft radius becomes Deadlands terrain for 1 minute.

3. Summon Daedric Fiends. Dagon summons 1d4 CR 10 fiends (DM chooses type).

Regional Effects

The land within 10 miles of Dagon’s lair is warped by his presence:

• Volcanoes erupt unpredictably.

• Firestorms sweep the skies.

• Structures crumble without cause.

Design Notes

• Comparable to Tarrasque + Fiendish Titan, but with spellcasting and terrain control.

• Damage output is extreme—intended for epic-level parties with mythic boons.

• Mythic Trait ensures a two-phase fight or catastrophic ending.