Overview
Selûne is Toril’s moon, represented in the Tomb of the Nine Gods as a bronze orb within an armillary sphere puzzle. The moon serves as a trap mechanism that releases a deadly nycaloth when first activated.
Location & Encounter
The bronze orb representing Selûne is located within an armillary sphere device. When a creature inside the sphere reorients its rings and outer orbs for the first time, the nycaloth trapped inside Selûne bursts free, shattering the bronze moon.
The Nycaloth Guardian
The nycaloth attacks all creatures in the room after being released and pursues fleeing enemies. It has specific tactical behaviors:
- Ignores creatures that remain inside the globe
- Attacks any creature that exits the globe
- Possesses an enhanced decapitation ability with its greataxe
Enhanced Decapitation Ability
When the nycaloth rolls a natural 20 on an attack with its greataxe, it decapitates the target (severing one head if the creature has multiple). The target dies if it cannot survive without the lost head.
Immunities to decapitation:
- Creatures immune to slashing damage
- Creatures that don’t have or need a head
- Creatures with legendary actions
- Creatures whose heads are too large for the greataxe to sever
Even if decapitation doesn’t occur, the target still takes full critical hit damage from the attack.