[5E] Lurking Strangler (from The Whispering Cairn)

[Sam Stockdale]

Following my conversion of the Wind Warrior and the Mad Slasher, here's the Lurking Strangler, who was a bit trickier

Lurking Strangler
Tiny aberration, lawful evil
Armour Class 14
Hit Points 7 (2d4+2)
Speed 5 ft., fly 20 ft.
STR 5 (-3), DEX 19 (+4), CON 13 (+1), INT 4 (-3), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 10 (+0)
Skills Perception +2, Stealth +6
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages --
Challenge 1 (200 XP)
All-Around Vision. The lurking strangler's eyes and physiology is such that it has advantage on sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks, and the lurking strangler can't be surprised.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The lurking strangler can make two eye ray attacks.
Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: The target is grappled (escape DC 12). Until the grapple ends, the creature is restrained and starts suffocating (PHB 183). The lurking strangler can't constrict another creature while it is grappling.
Eye Ray of Fear. The lurking strangler projects a phantasmal image of the target’s worst fears. Each creature within a 30-foot cone emanating from the lurking strangler must succeed on a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become frightened for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, a success ending the effect.
Eye Ray of Sleep. The lurking strangler causes a single creature within 90 feet of it to fall into a magical slumber. The target gets a Wisdom saving throw with a DC 12. The magical slumber lasts for 1 minute.

 

[Cleon]

Just FYI, the font color is set to #000000 on the stats and power names of this conversion, as well as the Mad Slasher and Wind Warrior.

It makes it very hard to read the posts when viewed in "Legacy" or the "Eric Noah" styles. It looks like a mostly empty post unless I highlight the text.

As for the conversion, the save DC 12 of the eye rays feels a bit high. The original version had DC 11 eye rays, and that was 3E with its higher Difficulty Classes.

I'm also wondering whether you should add a Hit Dice or two to it. 7 hit points is awfully fragile for a CR 1 creature. Giving it hit points of 10 (3d4+3) or 14 (4d4+4) would give it a bit more survivability and is in keeping with many 5E monsters having more HD than their earlier-edition versions.

Finally, I would give it an attack that does actual damage - the original had a feeble Lash attack, after all. It doesn't have to be much damage, but I feel it ought to have some way of inflicting physical injury directly. At the moment it can only lower its target's hit points via suffocation, which seems rather all-or-nothing considering how 5E suffocation rules work. (which I don't like, incidentally. Then again, I don't care for the 3E suffocation rules either.)