Faolyn
(she/her)
Based on a creature of Celtic mythology, lhiannan shee means “fairy lover” in Scottish Gaelic. They are vampiric muses, granting inspiration to artists while at the same time draining their life. In Creature Catalog, Roger Moore emphasized the vampiric part by making them undead, which was continued when they were updated to 2e and put into the second Forgotten Realms Monstrous Compendium Appendix. However, in 3e, they were updated on WotC’s website in their now defunct Monster Mayhem column for 3x (Wayback Machine link), where the more traditional spelling of leanan sidhe was used (well, the truly traditional spelling is sìdhe, with a accent grave over the i), and there, they were made into Fey. So I’m combining them. They’re a form of undead fey now. Best of both worlds!
While the Creature Catalog (and later FR MC Appendix) version consists entirely of females, the Monster Mayhem version, along with the original legends (according to Wikipedia, at least), has both males and females, as does my version. In either case, the lhiannan shee isn’t really the type of monster you sic on the party. It’s the type you sic on NPCs and then have the PCs investigate.
The lhiannan shee is also pretty much the embodiment of the emotionally abusive significant other--even without their magical abilities, gaslight and isolate their prey--so be careful of your players if you use it.
Artist: Roger Raupp
Lhiannan Shee
Creature Catalog III, Dragon Magazine #101 and Monster Mayhem
Created by Roger Moore and Robert Wiese
In the Feywild, breathtaking beauty is everywhere. A garden tended by pixies or a dryad is more vibrant than any mundane garden in the Material World. A castle owned by faerie noble frequently outshines any created by even the most talented of mortal architects. Even a common fey’s humble cottage is often more quaintly picturesque than a human’s farmer’s hut. Some fey seek to bring that beauty into the mortal world and act as muses to musicians, actors, artists, writers, and artisans. And mostly they succeed—many a famous person has gotten a jolt of inspiration from these muses. And that’s where most fey muses stop: they seek to help mortals get over their hangups and creator’s blocks and achieve the artistry that already lies in their soul. Once that talent is realized, the muse moves on, pleased with a job well-done.
But some of these muses can’t stop. These fey begin to live vicariously through the mortals they aid, feeding off their creativity and ambition. In the end, the artist is drained, physically and mentally, and if they live, they are often completely bereft of any creativity. These fey, completely corrupted by their actions, change into something not truly alive: the lhiannan shee.
A lhiannan shee resembles an extraordinarily beautiful faerie, but upon close inspection, their beauty seems hollow and unreal, and they always have a hungry look in their eyes. They smell of high-quality, floral perfume, each one with a slightly different scent. Like a vampire, they cast no shadow or reflection and their pallid skin is as cold as the grave. They are solid only at night; during the day, they are insubstantial.
Vampiric Muses. Lhiannan shee find and befriend themselves to artists—painters, singers, musicians, and the like. They approach the artist in private, and indeed, remain invisible to everyone else, and use their wiles, flattery, and flirting to ingratiate themselves to the artist while at the same time subtly denigrating the artist’s friends, with the ultimate goal of isolating them. They take on the role of a fan, a student, a potential model, or even a manager. Once they have found an artist, they visit them every night, granting them inspiration. The art created by their ”friend” quickly becomes of the highest quality.
Their kiss drains the life from their artist “friends,” slowly but surely. Victims of the lhiannan shee become sickly and pale, and to the lay person, suffer from the effects of poor living (among those artists who are known for partying), or consumption (among those artists who live in poor areas). Although nearly every artist who has been targeted by a lhiannan shee dies an early death, most are not upset by this, as they will be immortalized by their art.
Jealous Suitors. Lhiannan shee are jealous and demanding. If they feel their “blessing” is being misused (such as with a minstrel who continues to play in cheap taverns instead of posh theaters) or if their chosen artist isn’t respectful or thankful enough, or continues to associate with their other friends or loved ones, they will refuse to grant inspiration. They may even curse their chosen artist by removing their skills. Such a curse is so greatly feared and loathed by the chosen artists that most of the time, they will do anything to please the lhiannan shee. If the lhiannan shee feels slighted enough, it may even leave for a time after placing such a curse. If the victim dies from despair, the lhiannan shee counts that as a victory.
Magic Item: Charm of the Lhiannan Shee
Wondrous item (charm), very rare (cost 1,500 gp), requires attunement
Each lhiannan shee carries a special object which can take on a variety of forms but is always made at least partly of silver. It usually appears as a simple piece of jewelry or as an artist’s tool such as a quill pen or guitar pick. The lhiannan shee often gives its victim this charm as a token of remembrance. The object is cursed for both the bearer and the lhiannan shee, and so the lhiannan shee is careful as to who it gives the charm to.
While wearing or using this charm, you gain an expertise die in one of Performance, one musical instrument, or in one set of artisan’s tools in which you are already proficient, chosen by the lhiannan shee when it bequeaths the charm. You can break the charm to release its power: for 1 minute after you break the charm, the lhiannan shee has vulnerability damage from melee attacks you make against it.
Curse. While attuned to this charm and charmed by the lhiannan shee, you become obsessed with the it and will not willingly part with it. You also have disadvantage on saving throws made against the lhiannan shee's Charming Speech and Draining Kiss. if the lhiannan shee uses Inspire Despair on you, you roll a d6 instead of a d4. In addition, the lhiannan shee will always know your location, as long as you are on the same plane.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Lhiannan shee are undead who act like muses. They grant boons to artists, but are easily offended if their boon is misused.
DC 15. The kiss of the lhiannan shee drains the life out of the recipient--in some cases, permanently without the aid of powerful magic.
DC 20. Once fey creatures, the lhiannan shee became obsessed with forcing artists to fulfill the fey’s visions of beauty, until they became so corrupted that they turned into undead.
Lhiannan Shee Encounters
Terrain: ruins, settlement
CR 3-4 1 lhiannan shee
Treasure: silver and onyx jewelry worth 100 gp.
Signs
1-2. An artist who has recently skyrocketed in popularity; everyone says their art is otherworldly in quality.
3. Several artists in a large city have died recently, all of the same wasting illness.
4. People gossiping about an artist’s mysterious paramour.
5. The same figure appearing in the artwork of several different artists over the years, all of whom died early.
6. A suicidally-depressed artist
Behavior
1-3. Visiting its victim in their place of work
4. Attending an art show.
5. Stalking its victim and learning about them before approaching for the first time
6. Watching a performance on stage.
Names
Arwyn, Eithin, Ianthe, Jinadev, Musette, Vishali
Lhiannan Shee
Medium undead (fey)
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
AC 14
HP 65 (10d8+20; bloodied 32)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 8 (-1) DEX 19 (+4) CON 14 (+2)
INT 16 (+3) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 23 (+6)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +8
Skills Deception +8 (+1d6), Insight +4 (+1d4), Perception +4, Perform +8 (+1d6), Persuasion +8 (+1d4), Stealth +6
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; damage from nonmagical attacks.
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities fatigue, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, and two others
Charming Speech (1/Day; Usable Only At Night). The lhiannan shee speaks to a humanoid within 30 feet of it for at least 1 minute. That creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the lhiannan shee for 24 hours. The charmed creature idolizes the lhiannan shee during this time and views it as a beloved friend and confidant. The creature may make a new saving throw if it takes damage from any source other than the lhiannan shee's Draining Touch, ending the effect on itself on a success.
The lhiannan may send short telepathic messages (25 words or less) to the charmed creature as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. This form of telepathy doesn’t allow for the creature to respond.
Daylight Insubstantiality. During the day or when in sunlight, the lhiannan shee can’t pick up or move objects or creatures. It can move through objects and creatures, and it takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. It loses this trait sundown.
Magic Resistance. The lhiannan shee has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting (3/Day). The lhiannan shee can cast disguise self. Its spellcasting attribute for this trait is Charisma. When this spell is active, it casts a reflection and a shadow.
Soundless. The lhiannan shee makes no noise when it is walking or when it touches an object.
Turn Resistance. The lhiannan shee has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Undead Nature. The lhiannan shee doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Unhealing. The lhiannan shee can only regain hit points through use of its Draining Touch.
Actions
Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4+4) cold damage.
Draining Kiss. The lhiannan kisses a willing creature or a creature charmed by it, and that creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by 1 and the lhiannan shee regains 10 hit points. The target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by 1 until the creature is no longer charmed by the lhiannan shee and is subjected to a greater restoration or similar magic, or the lhiannan shee is destroyed. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the creature completes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Inspire Despair. The lhiannan curses a creature charmed by it. That creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be overcome with despair for 24 hours. During this time, the creature must roll a d4 and subtract it from all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws it makes. Additionally, it also has disadvantage on rolls made with one skill, musical instrument, or artisan’s tool of the lhiannan shee’s choice.
The lhiannan shee can revoke this curse at any time (no action required). A calm emotions or similar magic can also end the effect.
Muse’s Blessing. The lhiannan shee blesses one creature she can see within 30 feet, granting it a d6 expertise die in Performance, one musical instrument, or in one set of artisan’s tools in which it is already proficient. This expertise die lasts for 1 hour and can stack with existing expertise dice up to a d10, exceeding the usual limit on expertise die.
Additionally, if the creature has levels in the Bard class, it gains one additional Bardic Inspiration die during this time, and the spell save DC for any Bard spells it casts is increased by 1.
The lhiannan shee can revoke this blessing at any time (no action required).
Bonus Actions
Selective Invisibility. The lhiannan shee and any equipment it wears or carries magically turns invisible the until lhiannan shee attacks, casts a spell, becomes incapacitated, or uses a bonus action to become visible. Draining Kiss does not count as an attack for this purpose. While invisible, it also can’t be heard. Each time that the lhiannan shee turns invisible, it may choose one creature that can see it and hear it.
At the start of each of its turns, a creature who can see invisible objects must make a DC 14 Perception check. On a failure, it doesn’t see the lhiannan shee. On a success, the creature can see the lhiannan shee until it uses this ability again.
Combat
The lhiannan shee commands its charmed victim to attack, and turns invisible and then moves to safety. If its charmed victim isn’t nearby, it will telepathically send out a message to it, urging it the victim to come to the lhiannan shee’s aid. If cornered and unable to flee, it will use its Touch attack.
Variant: Lhiannan Shee for Other Classes
The way it’s written up, the lhiannan shee is a creature that goes after bards, but I feel like you can target artificers as well; they’re as creative as bards, albeit in different ways. In this case, substitute Engineering for Perform with their Muse’s Blessing trait, and when using the Muse's Blessing trait, instead of granting another Bardic Inspiration die, the artificer can instead reroll one fizzle die (and must use the new roll), and the spell save DC for any artificer spells they cast increases by 1.
If you want, the lhiannan shee can target anyone, of course--what they want in a target is creativity and, more importantly, the ability to be creative while isolated and to produce a legacy through their works. A lhiannan shee may attach themselves to a rogue (and encourage to perform daring heists or cons), a marshal (to bolster their tactical abilities), a wizard (to aid in the research and development of rare spells), a fighter (allowing them to become a weapon master), a savant (allowing them an even greater knowledge and understanding). In these cases, Muse's Blessing gifts an additional maneuver, the ability to research spells faster and more cheaply, or something similar, and a +1 to the appropriate spell save DC.
While the Creature Catalog (and later FR MC Appendix) version consists entirely of females, the Monster Mayhem version, along with the original legends (according to Wikipedia, at least), has both males and females, as does my version. In either case, the lhiannan shee isn’t really the type of monster you sic on the party. It’s the type you sic on NPCs and then have the PCs investigate.
The lhiannan shee is also pretty much the embodiment of the emotionally abusive significant other--even without their magical abilities, gaslight and isolate their prey--so be careful of your players if you use it.
Artist: Roger Raupp
Lhiannan Shee
Creature Catalog III, Dragon Magazine #101 and Monster Mayhem
Created by Roger Moore and Robert Wiese
In the Feywild, breathtaking beauty is everywhere. A garden tended by pixies or a dryad is more vibrant than any mundane garden in the Material World. A castle owned by faerie noble frequently outshines any created by even the most talented of mortal architects. Even a common fey’s humble cottage is often more quaintly picturesque than a human’s farmer’s hut. Some fey seek to bring that beauty into the mortal world and act as muses to musicians, actors, artists, writers, and artisans. And mostly they succeed—many a famous person has gotten a jolt of inspiration from these muses. And that’s where most fey muses stop: they seek to help mortals get over their hangups and creator’s blocks and achieve the artistry that already lies in their soul. Once that talent is realized, the muse moves on, pleased with a job well-done.
But some of these muses can’t stop. These fey begin to live vicariously through the mortals they aid, feeding off their creativity and ambition. In the end, the artist is drained, physically and mentally, and if they live, they are often completely bereft of any creativity. These fey, completely corrupted by their actions, change into something not truly alive: the lhiannan shee.
A lhiannan shee resembles an extraordinarily beautiful faerie, but upon close inspection, their beauty seems hollow and unreal, and they always have a hungry look in their eyes. They smell of high-quality, floral perfume, each one with a slightly different scent. Like a vampire, they cast no shadow or reflection and their pallid skin is as cold as the grave. They are solid only at night; during the day, they are insubstantial.
Vampiric Muses. Lhiannan shee find and befriend themselves to artists—painters, singers, musicians, and the like. They approach the artist in private, and indeed, remain invisible to everyone else, and use their wiles, flattery, and flirting to ingratiate themselves to the artist while at the same time subtly denigrating the artist’s friends, with the ultimate goal of isolating them. They take on the role of a fan, a student, a potential model, or even a manager. Once they have found an artist, they visit them every night, granting them inspiration. The art created by their ”friend” quickly becomes of the highest quality.
Their kiss drains the life from their artist “friends,” slowly but surely. Victims of the lhiannan shee become sickly and pale, and to the lay person, suffer from the effects of poor living (among those artists who are known for partying), or consumption (among those artists who live in poor areas). Although nearly every artist who has been targeted by a lhiannan shee dies an early death, most are not upset by this, as they will be immortalized by their art.
Jealous Suitors. Lhiannan shee are jealous and demanding. If they feel their “blessing” is being misused (such as with a minstrel who continues to play in cheap taverns instead of posh theaters) or if their chosen artist isn’t respectful or thankful enough, or continues to associate with their other friends or loved ones, they will refuse to grant inspiration. They may even curse their chosen artist by removing their skills. Such a curse is so greatly feared and loathed by the chosen artists that most of the time, they will do anything to please the lhiannan shee. If the lhiannan shee feels slighted enough, it may even leave for a time after placing such a curse. If the victim dies from despair, the lhiannan shee counts that as a victory.
Magic Item: Charm of the Lhiannan Shee
Wondrous item (charm), very rare (cost 1,500 gp), requires attunement
Each lhiannan shee carries a special object which can take on a variety of forms but is always made at least partly of silver. It usually appears as a simple piece of jewelry or as an artist’s tool such as a quill pen or guitar pick. The lhiannan shee often gives its victim this charm as a token of remembrance. The object is cursed for both the bearer and the lhiannan shee, and so the lhiannan shee is careful as to who it gives the charm to.
While wearing or using this charm, you gain an expertise die in one of Performance, one musical instrument, or in one set of artisan’s tools in which you are already proficient, chosen by the lhiannan shee when it bequeaths the charm. You can break the charm to release its power: for 1 minute after you break the charm, the lhiannan shee has vulnerability damage from melee attacks you make against it.
Curse. While attuned to this charm and charmed by the lhiannan shee, you become obsessed with the it and will not willingly part with it. You also have disadvantage on saving throws made against the lhiannan shee's Charming Speech and Draining Kiss. if the lhiannan shee uses Inspire Despair on you, you roll a d6 instead of a d4. In addition, the lhiannan shee will always know your location, as long as you are on the same plane.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana or Religion check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 10. Lhiannan shee are undead who act like muses. They grant boons to artists, but are easily offended if their boon is misused.
DC 15. The kiss of the lhiannan shee drains the life out of the recipient--in some cases, permanently without the aid of powerful magic.
DC 20. Once fey creatures, the lhiannan shee became obsessed with forcing artists to fulfill the fey’s visions of beauty, until they became so corrupted that they turned into undead.
Lhiannan Shee Encounters
Terrain: ruins, settlement
CR 3-4 1 lhiannan shee
Treasure: silver and onyx jewelry worth 100 gp.
Signs
1-2. An artist who has recently skyrocketed in popularity; everyone says their art is otherworldly in quality.
3. Several artists in a large city have died recently, all of the same wasting illness.
4. People gossiping about an artist’s mysterious paramour.
5. The same figure appearing in the artwork of several different artists over the years, all of whom died early.
6. A suicidally-depressed artist
Behavior
1-3. Visiting its victim in their place of work
4. Attending an art show.
5. Stalking its victim and learning about them before approaching for the first time
6. Watching a performance on stage.
Names
Arwyn, Eithin, Ianthe, Jinadev, Musette, Vishali
Lhiannan Shee
Medium undead (fey)
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
AC 14
HP 65 (10d8+20; bloodied 32)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 8 (-1) DEX 19 (+4) CON 14 (+2)
INT 16 (+3) WIS 15 (+2) CHA 23 (+6)
Proficiency +2
Maneuver DC 14
Saving Throws Wis +4, Cha +8
Skills Deception +8 (+1d6), Insight +4 (+1d4), Perception +4, Perform +8 (+1d6), Persuasion +8 (+1d4), Stealth +6
Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; damage from nonmagical attacks.
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities fatigue, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Elven, Sylvan, and two others
Charming Speech (1/Day; Usable Only At Night). The lhiannan shee speaks to a humanoid within 30 feet of it for at least 1 minute. That creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the lhiannan shee for 24 hours. The charmed creature idolizes the lhiannan shee during this time and views it as a beloved friend and confidant. The creature may make a new saving throw if it takes damage from any source other than the lhiannan shee's Draining Touch, ending the effect on itself on a success.
The lhiannan may send short telepathic messages (25 words or less) to the charmed creature as long as they are within 1 mile of each other. This form of telepathy doesn’t allow for the creature to respond.
Daylight Insubstantiality. During the day or when in sunlight, the lhiannan shee can’t pick up or move objects or creatures. It can move through objects and creatures, and it takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. It loses this trait sundown.
Magic Resistance. The lhiannan shee has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Spellcasting (3/Day). The lhiannan shee can cast disguise self. Its spellcasting attribute for this trait is Charisma. When this spell is active, it casts a reflection and a shadow.
Soundless. The lhiannan shee makes no noise when it is walking or when it touches an object.
Turn Resistance. The lhiannan shee has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Undead Nature. The lhiannan shee doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Unhealing. The lhiannan shee can only regain hit points through use of its Draining Touch.
Actions
Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4+4) cold damage.
Draining Kiss. The lhiannan kisses a willing creature or a creature charmed by it, and that creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by 1 and the lhiannan shee regains 10 hit points. The target must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by 1 until the creature is no longer charmed by the lhiannan shee and is subjected to a greater restoration or similar magic, or the lhiannan shee is destroyed. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the creature completes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Inspire Despair. The lhiannan curses a creature charmed by it. That creature must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be overcome with despair for 24 hours. During this time, the creature must roll a d4 and subtract it from all ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws it makes. Additionally, it also has disadvantage on rolls made with one skill, musical instrument, or artisan’s tool of the lhiannan shee’s choice.
The lhiannan shee can revoke this curse at any time (no action required). A calm emotions or similar magic can also end the effect.
Muse’s Blessing. The lhiannan shee blesses one creature she can see within 30 feet, granting it a d6 expertise die in Performance, one musical instrument, or in one set of artisan’s tools in which it is already proficient. This expertise die lasts for 1 hour and can stack with existing expertise dice up to a d10, exceeding the usual limit on expertise die.
Additionally, if the creature has levels in the Bard class, it gains one additional Bardic Inspiration die during this time, and the spell save DC for any Bard spells it casts is increased by 1.
The lhiannan shee can revoke this blessing at any time (no action required).
Bonus Actions
Selective Invisibility. The lhiannan shee and any equipment it wears or carries magically turns invisible the until lhiannan shee attacks, casts a spell, becomes incapacitated, or uses a bonus action to become visible. Draining Kiss does not count as an attack for this purpose. While invisible, it also can’t be heard. Each time that the lhiannan shee turns invisible, it may choose one creature that can see it and hear it.
At the start of each of its turns, a creature who can see invisible objects must make a DC 14 Perception check. On a failure, it doesn’t see the lhiannan shee. On a success, the creature can see the lhiannan shee until it uses this ability again.
Combat
The lhiannan shee commands its charmed victim to attack, and turns invisible and then moves to safety. If its charmed victim isn’t nearby, it will telepathically send out a message to it, urging it the victim to come to the lhiannan shee’s aid. If cornered and unable to flee, it will use its Touch attack.
Variant: Lhiannan Shee for Other Classes
The way it’s written up, the lhiannan shee is a creature that goes after bards, but I feel like you can target artificers as well; they’re as creative as bards, albeit in different ways. In this case, substitute Engineering for Perform with their Muse’s Blessing trait, and when using the Muse's Blessing trait, instead of granting another Bardic Inspiration die, the artificer can instead reroll one fizzle die (and must use the new roll), and the spell save DC for any artificer spells they cast increases by 1.
If you want, the lhiannan shee can target anyone, of course--what they want in a target is creativity and, more importantly, the ability to be creative while isolated and to produce a legacy through their works. A lhiannan shee may attach themselves to a rogue (and encourage to perform daring heists or cons), a marshal (to bolster their tactical abilities), a wizard (to aid in the research and development of rare spells), a fighter (allowing them to become a weapon master), a savant (allowing them an even greater knowledge and understanding). In these cases, Muse's Blessing gifts an additional maneuver, the ability to research spells faster and more cheaply, or something similar, and a +1 to the appropriate spell save DC.
Last edited:
