Faolyn
(she/her)
You are correct. It probably started out as a collection of actions and I forgot to change it when it became more passive in nature.
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Level Up (A5E) A Leveled-Up Bestiary: Volume Two
- Thread starter Faolyn
- Start date
DarkRainbowFiend
Explorer
well, save terrifying glare which is the only action.
Faolyn
(she/her)
As we’ve all known since 1st edition, wight used to mean person but now refers to a type of evil undead. Much like the mummy, the wight was given some extra treatment in Van Richten’s Guide to the Walking Dead, along with other relatively minor corporeal undead—skeletons, zombies, ghouls, and revenants. There, wights were “the restless dead,” alongside the “obedient undead” and the “hungry undead.” Sadly, the wraith—which will be covered in the next template—didn’t get any sort of similar benefits. Maybe if Sword & Sorcery hadn’t ended their Ravenloft line, there would have been a Van Richten’s Guide to Phantoms or something which would have covered wraiths, shadows, specters, and other such incorporeal undead.
Speaking of Ravenloft, the 3e Ravenloft monster book has dread wights (any Ravenloft-specific version of a core monster is a “dread” whatever) and “greater dread wights,” but dread wights are merely ogres, trolls, hill giants, and other “small” giants who got… wighted out. (sorry) The weird thing is that they didn’t bother to come up with templates for any sort of wight. You’d think it’d be just as easy as coming up with two different statblocks, especially considering that giants aren’t really common at all in the Domains of Dread.
Anyway, the wight. Why is it not immune to poison damage? Is this a reference to something? I know that Level Up just wanted to use the OGL monsters with extra actions, but I really wish they had corrected minor bits of weirdness like this (and like the dread knight not being resistant to normal weapons).
Wight (Template)
The Risen Dead, Dragon Magazine #300
Creature by Wizards of the Coast R&D
“Wight” is a template that can be added on any beast giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.
Type. The wight’s type changes to undead. It loses any other tags it had.
Attributes. The wight’s Strength and Charisma increase by 2 (maximum of 30).
Resistances. The wight is resistant to cold and necrotic damage and damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons.
Senses. If the base creature didn’t have darkvision, then it gains darkvision to 60 feet.
Cold Aura. A creature that starts its turn grappled by the wight, touches it, or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet takes 3 (1d6) cold damage. A creature can take this damage only once per turn. If the wight has been subjected to fire damage since its last turn, this trait doesn’t function.
Bonus Action: Life Drain. The wight makes a melee attack against one creature within range. On a hit, the target takes necrotic damage depending on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 4 (1d8) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 9 (2d8) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 27 (6d8) necrotic damage
The target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the target takes a level of strife and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight’s control.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wight has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Undead Nature. A wight doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Action: Seize. The wight makes a melee attack against one creature within range. On a hit, it inflicts cold damage and the target is grappled. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the only attack the wight can make is Life Drain against the grappled target. The amount of cold damage depends on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 3 (1d6) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 14 (4d6) necrotic damage
Variant: King-Wight
Remember how Tom Moldvay did those great articles on different types of undead? Well, back in #198, he created the king-wight and wraith-king. So here’s me template-ifying it
This template can be placed on any creature that has the Wight template and is CR 5 or higher. It regains all of the statistics of the base wight except as noted below.
Resistances. The wight is resistant to lightning damage.
Immunities. The wight is immune to cold and necrotic damage and to the charmed, confused, and frightened conditions.
Attributes. The king-wight’s Strength increases by 4 and its Charisma increases by 2.
Draining Attack. When the king-wight scores a critical hit with a weapon attack, it inflicts additional necrotic damage equal to twice its Charisma modifier (minimum 1 point), and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a wight under the king-wight’s control.
Action: Befuddling Gaze. The king-wight targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the king-wight’s PB + the king-wight’s Charisma modifier) or be confused for 1 minute. On a successful saving throw, the target is rattled until the end of its next turn. At the end of each of tis turns, and whenever it takes damage, a confused target may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Altered Action: Life Drain. A creature whose hit point maximum is reduced to 0 by the king-wight’s Life Drain rises 24 hours later as a wight under the king-wight’s control.
Variant: Salient Powers
Van Richten’s Guide to the Walking Dead recommends that a restless dead have one power for each point of Charisma bonus, plus one for every 8 Hit Dice it has. Myself, I'd ignore the math and give it maybe one or two powers, and only if the undead is going to be a major player, or at least a named NPC.
These powers can be granted (or exchanged with an existing power) to revenants and other corporeal undead of in the CR 3-10 range (although feel free to give these powers to higher CR or incorporeal undead as well, if you want). That includes the ankou, bloody bones, ghulah, and even the lhiannan shee from my first Bestiary and the angreden, hangman, and visceraith from this one.
Action: Death Glare (Gaze; Recharge 6). One creature within 30 feet of the wight must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature takes psychic damage equal to the amount of damage it inflicts with its Life Drain.
Action: Diseased Breath (Recharge 6). The wight expels a cloud of pestilence in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Constitution modifier) or contract a disease chosen by the Narrator from the options in the contagion spell.
Dire Enmity. Due to events in its life or surrounding its death, the wight feels a particular hatred for a specific type of creature. This may be based on creature type, character class, or even non-class profession or appearance. The wight gains a d4 expertise die on attack rolls made against creatures of that type.
Face Graft. The wight is proficient in Deception. It can spend 30 minutes carefully removing the face from a creature it has killed, then place it over its own face. For the next 1d4+2 days, the wight looks and sounds exactly like the dead creature. After the third day, the face begins to rot and the disguise begins failing. At this point, an observer can make a Perception check against the wight’s passive Deception to see through the graft.
Foul Drain. When the wight inflicts necrotic damage to a creature with its Life Drain, the target becomes diseased. At the end of each hour, the diseased creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to half the wight’s PB, and its hit point maximum is reduced by that amount. The creature dies if this reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This damage continues until the creature is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar spell. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight assassin’s control.
Bonus Action: Frightful Aura. Creatures within a specific distance of the wight must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier) or become frightened until the end of the wight’s next turn. The distance depends on the wight’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 10 feet
CR 5 – 16: 30 feet
CR 17 – 22: 60 feet
CR 23 or higher: 90 feet
Action: Haunting Lament (1/day). The wight emits a disturbing chant, haunting song, or other terrifying song. Each creature within 30 feet of the wight who can hear it recall the most disturbing or sorrowful thing they have ever encountered and must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature is frightened for 1 minute and takes 1 level of strife. On a success, the creature is rattled for 1 minute and doesn’t take any strife. A frightened creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Action: Hellish Laughter (1/day). The wight emits maniacal laughter. Each creature within 30 feet of the wight who can hear it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier) or be overcome by laughter for 1 minute, as if targeted by the hideous laughter spell. The creature falls prone, becomes incapacitated, and can’t spell. At the end of each of the creature’s turns, and whenever it takes damage, it may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Life Drinker. When the wight inflicts necrotic damage to a creature with its Life Drain, it regains hit points equal to half the necrotic damage inflicted.
Action: Paralyzing Glare (Gaze; Recharge 6). One creature within 40 feet of the wight must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature is paralyzed for 1 minute. On a success, the creature is rattled for 1 minute. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Action: Shadow Self. The wight can detach its shadow from itself and send it off. It has the statistics of an undead shadow, and the wight can use its action to see and hear through the shadow, although while doing so, it is blinded and deafened with regards to its own surroundings. The wight and shadow share a telepathic bond with a range of 100 feet. If the shadow is destroyed, the wight will produce a new shadow in 24 hours.
Unerring Hunter. The wight is proficient in Survival and has advantage on Survival checks made to track a creature it has previously spoken to or wounded. In the base creature is already proficient in Survival, it gains a +d6 expertise die in it.
Undying. If defeated in combat, the wight returns in 1d4 days. It can only be permanently put to rest if remove curse is cast over its corpse.
Unholy Aura. The wight and all allied undead within 30 feet of it have advantage on saving throws to avoid being turned.
Trackless Step. The wight leaves no sign of its passage.
--
The following uses an assassin as the base creature
Wight Assassin
Medium humanoid; Challenge 7 (2,300 XP)
AC 16 (leather brigadine)
HP 97 (15d8+30; bloodied 48)
Speed 35 ft.
STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 14 (+2)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 14
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +4, Wis +4
Skills Acrobatics +6 (+1d6), Deception +4 (+1d6), Perception +4, Stealth +6 (+1d6)
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic; damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages any two
Assassinate. During the first turn of combat, the wight assassin has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t acted. On a successful hit, each creature of the assassin’s choice that can see the assassin’s attack is rattled until the end of the assassin's next turn.
Cold Aura. A creature that starts its turn grappled by the wight assassin, touches it, or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet takes 3 (1d6) cold damage. A creature can take this damage only once per turn. If the wight assassin has been subjected to fire damage since its last turn, this trait doesn’t function.
Dangerous Poison. As part of making an attack, the wight assassin can apply a dangerous poison to its weapon (included below). The wight assassin carries 3 doses of this poison. A single dose can coat one melee weapon or up to 5 pieces of ammunition.
Evasion. When the wight assassin makes a Dexterity saving throw against an effect that deals half damage on a success, they take no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.
Life Drinker. When the wight inflicts necrotic damage to a creature with its Life Drain, it regains hit points equal to half the necrotic damage inflicted.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The wight assassin deals an extra 21 (6d6) damage when they hit with a weapon attack while they have advantage on the attack, or when the assassin’s target is within 5 feet of an ally of the wight assassin while the wight assassin doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wight assassin has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Trackless Step. The wight leaves no sign of its passage.
Undead Nature. A wight assassin doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.
Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.
Seize. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) cold damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the only attack the wight assassin can make is Life Drain against the grappled target.
Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. The wight assassin takes the Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.
Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes a level of strife and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight assassin’s control.
Rapid Attack. The wight assassin attacks with its shortsword.
Speaking of Ravenloft, the 3e Ravenloft monster book has dread wights (any Ravenloft-specific version of a core monster is a “dread” whatever) and “greater dread wights,” but dread wights are merely ogres, trolls, hill giants, and other “small” giants who got… wighted out. (sorry) The weird thing is that they didn’t bother to come up with templates for any sort of wight. You’d think it’d be just as easy as coming up with two different statblocks, especially considering that giants aren’t really common at all in the Domains of Dread.
Anyway, the wight. Why is it not immune to poison damage? Is this a reference to something? I know that Level Up just wanted to use the OGL monsters with extra actions, but I really wish they had corrected minor bits of weirdness like this (and like the dread knight not being resistant to normal weapons).
Wight (Template)
The Risen Dead, Dragon Magazine #300
Creature by Wizards of the Coast R&D
“Wight” is a template that can be added on any beast giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.
Type. The wight’s type changes to undead. It loses any other tags it had.
Attributes. The wight’s Strength and Charisma increase by 2 (maximum of 30).
Resistances. The wight is resistant to cold and necrotic damage and damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons.
Senses. If the base creature didn’t have darkvision, then it gains darkvision to 60 feet.
Cold Aura. A creature that starts its turn grappled by the wight, touches it, or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet takes 3 (1d6) cold damage. A creature can take this damage only once per turn. If the wight has been subjected to fire damage since its last turn, this trait doesn’t function.
Bonus Action: Life Drain. The wight makes a melee attack against one creature within range. On a hit, the target takes necrotic damage depending on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 4 (1d8) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 9 (2d8) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 27 (6d8) necrotic damage
The target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the target takes a level of strife and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight’s control.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wight has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Undead Nature. A wight doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Action: Seize. The wight makes a melee attack against one creature within range. On a hit, it inflicts cold damage and the target is grappled. Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the only attack the wight can make is Life Drain against the grappled target. The amount of cold damage depends on the base creature’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 3 (1d6) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 14 (4d6) necrotic damage
Variant: King-Wight
Remember how Tom Moldvay did those great articles on different types of undead? Well, back in #198, he created the king-wight and wraith-king. So here’s me template-ifying it
This template can be placed on any creature that has the Wight template and is CR 5 or higher. It regains all of the statistics of the base wight except as noted below.
Resistances. The wight is resistant to lightning damage.
Immunities. The wight is immune to cold and necrotic damage and to the charmed, confused, and frightened conditions.
Attributes. The king-wight’s Strength increases by 4 and its Charisma increases by 2.
Draining Attack. When the king-wight scores a critical hit with a weapon attack, it inflicts additional necrotic damage equal to twice its Charisma modifier (minimum 1 point), and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a wight under the king-wight’s control.
Action: Befuddling Gaze. The king-wight targets a creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the king-wight’s PB + the king-wight’s Charisma modifier) or be confused for 1 minute. On a successful saving throw, the target is rattled until the end of its next turn. At the end of each of tis turns, and whenever it takes damage, a confused target may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Altered Action: Life Drain. A creature whose hit point maximum is reduced to 0 by the king-wight’s Life Drain rises 24 hours later as a wight under the king-wight’s control.
Variant: Salient Powers
Van Richten’s Guide to the Walking Dead recommends that a restless dead have one power for each point of Charisma bonus, plus one for every 8 Hit Dice it has. Myself, I'd ignore the math and give it maybe one or two powers, and only if the undead is going to be a major player, or at least a named NPC.
These powers can be granted (or exchanged with an existing power) to revenants and other corporeal undead of in the CR 3-10 range (although feel free to give these powers to higher CR or incorporeal undead as well, if you want). That includes the ankou, bloody bones, ghulah, and even the lhiannan shee from my first Bestiary and the angreden, hangman, and visceraith from this one.
Action: Death Glare (Gaze; Recharge 6). One creature within 30 feet of the wight must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature takes psychic damage equal to the amount of damage it inflicts with its Life Drain.
Action: Diseased Breath (Recharge 6). The wight expels a cloud of pestilence in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Constitution modifier) or contract a disease chosen by the Narrator from the options in the contagion spell.
Dire Enmity. Due to events in its life or surrounding its death, the wight feels a particular hatred for a specific type of creature. This may be based on creature type, character class, or even non-class profession or appearance. The wight gains a d4 expertise die on attack rolls made against creatures of that type.
Face Graft. The wight is proficient in Deception. It can spend 30 minutes carefully removing the face from a creature it has killed, then place it over its own face. For the next 1d4+2 days, the wight looks and sounds exactly like the dead creature. After the third day, the face begins to rot and the disguise begins failing. At this point, an observer can make a Perception check against the wight’s passive Deception to see through the graft.
Foul Drain. When the wight inflicts necrotic damage to a creature with its Life Drain, the target becomes diseased. At the end of each hour, the diseased creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to half the wight’s PB, and its hit point maximum is reduced by that amount. The creature dies if this reduces its hit point maximum to 0. This damage continues until the creature is targeted by a lesser restoration or similar spell. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight assassin’s control.
Bonus Action: Frightful Aura. Creatures within a specific distance of the wight must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier) or become frightened until the end of the wight’s next turn. The distance depends on the wight’s CR:
CR 4 or lower: 10 feet
CR 5 – 16: 30 feet
CR 17 – 22: 60 feet
CR 23 or higher: 90 feet
Action: Haunting Lament (1/day). The wight emits a disturbing chant, haunting song, or other terrifying song. Each creature within 30 feet of the wight who can hear it recall the most disturbing or sorrowful thing they have ever encountered and must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature is frightened for 1 minute and takes 1 level of strife. On a success, the creature is rattled for 1 minute and doesn’t take any strife. A frightened creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Action: Hellish Laughter (1/day). The wight emits maniacal laughter. Each creature within 30 feet of the wight who can hear it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier) or be overcome by laughter for 1 minute, as if targeted by the hideous laughter spell. The creature falls prone, becomes incapacitated, and can’t spell. At the end of each of the creature’s turns, and whenever it takes damage, it may make a new saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Life Drinker. When the wight inflicts necrotic damage to a creature with its Life Drain, it regains hit points equal to half the necrotic damage inflicted.
Action: Paralyzing Glare (Gaze; Recharge 6). One creature within 40 feet of the wight must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the wight’s PB + the wight’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature is paralyzed for 1 minute. On a success, the creature is rattled for 1 minute. A creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Action: Shadow Self. The wight can detach its shadow from itself and send it off. It has the statistics of an undead shadow, and the wight can use its action to see and hear through the shadow, although while doing so, it is blinded and deafened with regards to its own surroundings. The wight and shadow share a telepathic bond with a range of 100 feet. If the shadow is destroyed, the wight will produce a new shadow in 24 hours.
Unerring Hunter. The wight is proficient in Survival and has advantage on Survival checks made to track a creature it has previously spoken to or wounded. In the base creature is already proficient in Survival, it gains a +d6 expertise die in it.
Undying. If defeated in combat, the wight returns in 1d4 days. It can only be permanently put to rest if remove curse is cast over its corpse.
Unholy Aura. The wight and all allied undead within 30 feet of it have advantage on saving throws to avoid being turned.
Trackless Step. The wight leaves no sign of its passage.
--
The following uses an assassin as the base creature
Wight Assassin
Medium humanoid; Challenge 7 (2,300 XP)
AC 16 (leather brigadine)
HP 97 (15d8+30; bloodied 48)
Speed 35 ft.
STR 12 (+1) DEX 16 (+3) CON 14 (+2)
INT 12 (+1) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 14 (+2)
Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 14
Saving Throws Dex +6, Int +4, Wis +4
Skills Acrobatics +6 (+1d6), Deception +4 (+1d6), Perception +4, Stealth +6 (+1d6)
Damage Resistances cold, necrotic; damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons
Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages any two
Assassinate. During the first turn of combat, the wight assassin has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t acted. On a successful hit, each creature of the assassin’s choice that can see the assassin’s attack is rattled until the end of the assassin's next turn.
Cold Aura. A creature that starts its turn grappled by the wight assassin, touches it, or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet takes 3 (1d6) cold damage. A creature can take this damage only once per turn. If the wight assassin has been subjected to fire damage since its last turn, this trait doesn’t function.
Dangerous Poison. As part of making an attack, the wight assassin can apply a dangerous poison to its weapon (included below). The wight assassin carries 3 doses of this poison. A single dose can coat one melee weapon or up to 5 pieces of ammunition.
Evasion. When the wight assassin makes a Dexterity saving throw against an effect that deals half damage on a success, they take no damage on a success and half damage on a failure.
Life Drinker. When the wight inflicts necrotic damage to a creature with its Life Drain, it regains hit points equal to half the necrotic damage inflicted.
Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The wight assassin deals an extra 21 (6d6) damage when they hit with a weapon attack while they have advantage on the attack, or when the assassin’s target is within 5 feet of an ally of the wight assassin while the wight assassin doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wight assassin has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Trackless Step. The wight leaves no sign of its passage.
Undead Nature. A wight assassin doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.
Actions
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.
Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) poison damage.
Seize. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) cold damage and the target is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained and the only attack the wight assassin can make is Life Drain against the grappled target.
Bonus Actions
Cunning Action. The wight assassin takes the Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use an Object action.
Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) necrotic damage, and the target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes a level of strife and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant reduced to 0 hit points by this attack dies. Its corpse rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight assassin’s control.
Rapid Attack. The wight assassin attacks with its shortsword.
DarkRainbowFiend
Explorer
So i beleive the only undead template left so far is the lich.
Faolyn
(she/her)
There's actually a few more (minor undead), but yes--the lich is coming.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
Always my favorite!
Faolyn
(she/her)
If my math is right, the lich should be coming Wednesday. Today, though...
Another combo template! Much like the angelic and fiendish templates, this one combines the half-farspawn and pseudonatural templates, both from Lords of Madness.
I have no idea why that book had both templates in the same book. They’re almost identical.
Note that there were actually two pseudonatural templates. One of them was printed three times: here in LoM and again in Manual of the Planes and Complete Arcane. The second template was from the Epic Level Handbook and was suitably high-powered. The standard sample pseudonatural creature was a 3 HD, CR 2 hippogriff. The epic sample pseudonatural creature was a 6 HD, CR 21 troll.
This template is for the lower-powered one. If you really need to stat out some mostly-unkillable Great Old One, use the kaiju template but up the mental stats (or lower them, if you want an Azathoth-styled mindless god), then use this one.
As with many of these templates, I’m trying to spice it up a bit with some extra abilities (blatantly stolen from various other aberrations). These things shouldn't be identical. Anyway, here’s the farspawn. Use it both for creatures that have been altered by eldritch energies and for all of your Wilbur Whately needs.
Farspawn (Template) (INC)
Source: Lords of Madness; Designers: Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter
The place known as the Far Realm is not some much another plane of existence as it is the space outside of the other true planes. As such, it bears no resemblance to the Waking or any other plane—nor do the entities that dwell within it have any resemblance to the state of body or mind that creatures from those other planes call normality or sanity. They in fact do not have bodies or minds in the way other creatures would understand them, and to look at one in its true form is to invite madness.
Farspawn are horrible to look at and have many disturbing features such as tentacles, translucent flesh, color-changing chromatophores, writhing cilia, too many eyes, mouths, or limbs emerging from strange places, tumorous growths, or are seemingly made, partially or completely, of inorganic substances.
Avatars. The greatest of the Far Realm’s natives are often referred to as Great Old Ones. The ever-shifting matter these beings are made of, combined with their often unfathomably huge size and the fact that the real material the planes are made of reject the not-reality of the Far Realm, means it is impossible for them to travel from their not-plane to the Waking or other plane. Whether they attempt to travel on their own, or are summoned by a spellcaster, only a fraction of a Great Old One’s being can be brought to another plane. Called avatars, aspects, or more commonly, farspawn, these entities are forced into a body that is not entirely unlike one of the native creatures. Those who deal with farspawn should be grateful, as the mere sight of a Great Old One in its true form rapidly causes death or madness, or worse.
One Name, Many Entities. The term farspawn is disliked by many sages, because it refers to several different, albeit closely related entities, not just the avatars. Great Old Ones often have servitors who can be summoned along with them. Some of their avatars have the ability to create servitors out of native creatures by use of eldritch rituals, or worse yet, by mating with them. And worst yet, places that are steeped in the energies of the Far Realm have a mutative effect on people, animals, and plants alike. Over the generations, more and more heavily-mutated creatures are born. All of these things are called farspawn. And perhaps they all are; these entities may be beyond mortal classification.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 15. Farspawn are creatures from the Far Realm that have been brought into the material world. They have grasping tentacles and an array of eldritch abilities.
DC 20. These abominations of nature have impenetrable minds. Those who attempt to contact them telepathically risk madness.
Signs
1. A minor servitor tries to lead the party towards or away from its master's lair
2. Plant and animal life in the area has become mutated
3. Dragging footsteps and a trail of blood lead to a gibbering humanoid that has gone mad
4. People reporting strange dreams filled with eldritch imagery
5. Magically imprisoned to an area; using telepathy to try to convince others to free it.
6. A shrine to an unknown god
Behavior
1. Creating a ritual site in order to summon more powerful avatar
2. Guarding a site important to the cult that summoned it
3. Hunting in the shadows
4. Attacks on sight
5. In disguise, subtly converting helpless bystanders to its cult.
6. A corpse; its wounds are covered in a foul-smelling ichor
--
“Farspawn” is a template that can be placed on any corporeal creature other than an undead.
Type. The farspawn is an aberration.
Attributes. The farspawn’s Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma each increase by 2 and its Constitution and Wisdom each increases by 4. If its Intelligence is 1 or 2, it becomes 3 (-4). Recalculate its hit points.
Resistances. The farspawn is resistant to acid and lightning damage and to damage from nonmagical weapons
Immunities. The farspawn is immune to poison damage and to the poisoned and unconscious conditions.
Skills. The farspawn is proficient in Intimidation. If its Intelligence is 14 or higher, it is also proficient in Arcana, History, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion
Senses. The farspawn gains blindsight 120 ft.
Languages. The farspawn gains telepathy to 100 feet.
Alien Mind. Magic and other abilities can’t determine the farspawn’s creature type, Hit Dice, CR, resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities. When a creature reads the farspawn’s thoughts or deals psychic damage to it, it must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw (save DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or be stunned for 1 minute. The stunned creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the stunned creature takes damage from any source.
Magic Resistance. The farspawn has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mental Defense. The farspawn’s AC includes its Charisma modifier.
Action: Multiattack. The farspawn gains Multiattack if it doesn’t already have it, and can make two tentacle attacks, in addition to however many attacks it can already make.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). If the farspawn’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are 3 or higher, it gains the ability to cast spells. The farspawn’s spellcasting trait is Intelligence, unless it already has Innate Spellcasting that relies on another attribute. It can cast the following spells (depending on the base creature’s CR) without the need for material components, and it knows the spells of lower CRs as well:
CR 4 or lower: 1/day each (choose two): abstraction, alter self (can appear as a Small or Medium humanoid), blur, detect thoughts, enthrall, sending
CR 5 – 16: 1/day each (choose two): black tentacles, dementing touch, dimension door, dream, mass suggestion, stinking cloud
CR 17 – 22: 1/day each (choose two): contagion, eldritch cube, mass suggestion, modify memory, phantasmal killer, telekinesis
CR 23 or higher (choose two): 1/day each: antipathy/sympathy, astral projection, disintegrate, feeblemind, maze, weird
Action: Tentacles. The farspawn gains two tentacle attacks. The bludgeoning damage it inflicts and the tentacles’ reach depends on its size. A creature that is hit by a tentacle attack is grappled and restrained (escape DC = the farspawn’s Maneuver DC).
Tiny: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage, 5 ft. reach
Small and Medium: 4 (2d4) bludgeoning damage, 10 ft. reach
Large: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, 15 ft. reach
Huge: 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage, 20 ft. reach
Gargantuan: 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage, 30 ft. reach
Eldritch Abilities. The farspawn gains a number of the following abilities depending on its CR:
CR 4 or lower: 1 ability
CR 5 – 16: 2 abilities
CR 17 – 22: 3 abilities
CR 23 or higher: 4 abilities
• Action: Acid Spray. The farspawn sprays acid on one creature it can see within 30 feet, or two creatures that are within 5 feet of each other. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the creature takes acid damage, depending on the farspawn’s CR, or half as much damage on a success. If the saving throw failed by 5 or more, the target also falls prone due to the slippery acid and takes 2 (1d4) ongoing acid damage until a creature uses its action to wipe the acid off.
CR 4 or lower: 9 (2d8)
CR 5 – 16: 18 (4d8)
CR 17 – 22: 27 (6d8)
CR 23 or higher: 36 (8d8)
• Amorphous. The farspawn can move through a space small enough for a creature two sizes smaller than it without squeezing.
• Aura of the Other Realms. Unless it is incapacitated, at the start of each of the farspawn’s turns, each creature within 5 feet of it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or take psychic damage. The amount of damage taken depends on the farspawn’s
CR 4 or lower: 3 (1d6)
CR 5 – 16: 7 (2d6)
CR 17 – 22: 14 (4d6)
CR 23 or higher: 17 (5d6)
• Bonus Action: Hideous Transformation. The farspawn magically transforms into a creature of its base type, or back to its true form. While in this form, it doesn’t have tentacles and can’t use its other Eldritch Abilities, but otherwise retains its game statistics. Any equipment it is wearing or wielding merges into its new form.
When it transforms, each creature that can see it within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or take 1 level of strife. A creature that makes its saving throw is immune to this farspawn’s Hideous Transformation for 24 hours.
• Create Spawn. Using a creature that is restrained or unconscious, the farspawn engages in a ritual that takes 2d12 hours to complete. At the end of this time, the creature is transformed into a new farspawn. In the process is uninterrupted, the target is partially transformed and gains the Alien Mind trait and Tentacles action (the farspawn may begin the ritual again), but a greater restoration or heal spell will reverse the transformation.
Only a farspawn of CR 10 or higher and that has Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of 8 or higher can take this eldritch ability.
• Multiple Brains. The farspawn’s Intelligence score increases by 4. It has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, confused, frightened, and stunned.
• Mutable Terrain. The farspawn warps the space around it in a 20-foot radius. This area is difficult terrain. Each time a creature starts its turn in this area or enters it for the first time on a turn, it must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC + 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Intelligence modifier) or fall prone.
• Otherworldly Blood. A creature within 5 feet of the farspawn takes 5 (1d10) acid, poison, lightning, or necrotic damage (chosen by the Narrator when creating the farspawn) whenever it hits the farspawn with a melee attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.
• Bonus Action: Out of Sight. The farspawn magically becomes invisible for up to 10 minutes or it makes an attack roll or casts a spell.
• Reaction: Strike True (When Bloodied). The farspawn has advantage on one weapon attack it makes before the end of its next turn.
• Regeneration. The farspawn regains a number of hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point. The amount regenerated depends on the farspawn’s CR. Choose one damage type to which it is not resistant or immune. If it takes damage of that type, this trait doesn’t function on its next turn.
CR 4 or lower: 5 hp/turn
CR 5 – 16: 10 hp/turn
CR 17 – 22: 20 hp/turn
CR 23 or higher: 20 hp/turn
• Rotting Constriction. The farspawn’s tentacle attacks deal additional necrotic damage depending on its CR. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by the amount of necrotic damage dealt. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.
CR 4 or lower: 2 (1d4) necrotic damage; the reduction lasts until the target completes a short or long rest.
CR 5 – 16: 3 (1d6) necrotic damage; the reduction lasts until the target completes a short or long rest.
CR 17 – 22: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage; the reduction lasts until the target completes a long rest.
CR 23 or higher: 14 (4d7) necrotic damage the reduction lasts until removed by a greater restoration or similar magic.
• Sense Magic. The farspawn senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.
• Slithering Movement. The farspawn gains a climb speed equal to its walking speed, and can use its climb speed even on difficult surfaces and upside down on ceilings.
• Action: Stunning Stare (Gaze). The farspawn targets one creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or be stunned. The creature is stunned for 1 minute. It may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to the Stunning Gaze of any farspawn for 24 hours.
• Target the Unnerved. The farspawn has advantage on attack rolls against frightened creatures.
--
The following uses a cyclops as the base creature.
Servitor of the One-Eyed God
Huge aberration; Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 148 (11d12+77; bloodied 74)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 22 (+6) DEX 12 (+1) CON 24 (+7)
INT 8 (-1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 12 (+1)
Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 18
Skills Animal Handling +6, Intimidation +5, Survival +6
Damage Resistances acid, lightning; damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, unconscious
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Giant, telepathy 100 ft.
Alien Mind. Magic and other abilities can’t determine the servitor’s creature type, Hit Dice, CR, resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities. When a creature reads the servitor’s thoughts or deals psychic damage to it, it must succeed on an DC 13 or be stunned for 1 minute. The stunned creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the stunned creature takes damage from any source.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The servitor’s spellcasting trait is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +3 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells without the need for material components:
1/day each: alter self (can appear as a Small or Medium humanoid), blur, dementing touch, dimension door
Magic Resistance. The servitor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mental Defense. The servitor’s AC includes its Charisma modifier.
Panicked Rage. While a servitor is frightened and the source of its fear is in sight, it makes attack rolls with advantage instead of disadvantage.
Poor Depth Perception. The servitor makes all ranged attacks with disadvantage.
Actions
Multiattack. The servitor makes four melee attacks, two of which are be tentacle attacks.
Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 120 ft. (see Poor Depth Perception), one target. Hit: 33 (5d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 18) and restrained.
Blur (2nd-Level; V, Concentration). The servitor’s form is blurred for 1 minute. Attack rolls against it are made with disadvantage unless the attacker has senses that allow them to perceive without sight or to see through illusions (like blindsight or truesight).
Dimension Door (4th-Level; V). The servitor teleports to a location within 500 feet. They can bring along one willing Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet. If a creature would teleport to an occupied space, it takes 14 (4d6) force damage, and the spell fails.
Stinking Cloud (3rd-Level; V, S, Concentration). The servitor creates a 20-foot sphere of noxious gas in a space up to 120 feet away. The sphere’s area is heavily obscured. A creature that starts its turn in the area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or use its action to retch and reel. Creatures that don’t need to breathe or are immune to poison automatically succeed. A moderate wind disperses the coud after 4 rounds; a strong wind, after 1 round.
Stunning Stare (Gaze). The servitor targets one creature within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. It may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to the Stunning Gaze of any servitor for 24 hours.
Bonus Actions
Thick Skulled (1/Day). The servitor can end one condition on itself that was imposed through a failed Wisdom saving throw.
Out of Sight. The servitor magically becomes invisible for up to 10 minutes or it makes an attack roll or casts a spell.
Reactions
Big Windup. When a creature hits the servitor with a melee attack, the servitor readies a powerful strike against its attacker. The servitor has advantage on the next club attack it makes against the attacker before the end of its next turn.
Another combo template! Much like the angelic and fiendish templates, this one combines the half-farspawn and pseudonatural templates, both from Lords of Madness.
I have no idea why that book had both templates in the same book. They’re almost identical.
Note that there were actually two pseudonatural templates. One of them was printed three times: here in LoM and again in Manual of the Planes and Complete Arcane. The second template was from the Epic Level Handbook and was suitably high-powered. The standard sample pseudonatural creature was a 3 HD, CR 2 hippogriff. The epic sample pseudonatural creature was a 6 HD, CR 21 troll.
This template is for the lower-powered one. If you really need to stat out some mostly-unkillable Great Old One, use the kaiju template but up the mental stats (or lower them, if you want an Azathoth-styled mindless god), then use this one.
As with many of these templates, I’m trying to spice it up a bit with some extra abilities (blatantly stolen from various other aberrations). These things shouldn't be identical. Anyway, here’s the farspawn. Use it both for creatures that have been altered by eldritch energies and for all of your Wilbur Whately needs.
Farspawn (Template) (INC)
Source: Lords of Madness; Designers: Richard Baker, James Jacobs, and Steve Winter
The place known as the Far Realm is not some much another plane of existence as it is the space outside of the other true planes. As such, it bears no resemblance to the Waking or any other plane—nor do the entities that dwell within it have any resemblance to the state of body or mind that creatures from those other planes call normality or sanity. They in fact do not have bodies or minds in the way other creatures would understand them, and to look at one in its true form is to invite madness.
Farspawn are horrible to look at and have many disturbing features such as tentacles, translucent flesh, color-changing chromatophores, writhing cilia, too many eyes, mouths, or limbs emerging from strange places, tumorous growths, or are seemingly made, partially or completely, of inorganic substances.
Avatars. The greatest of the Far Realm’s natives are often referred to as Great Old Ones. The ever-shifting matter these beings are made of, combined with their often unfathomably huge size and the fact that the real material the planes are made of reject the not-reality of the Far Realm, means it is impossible for them to travel from their not-plane to the Waking or other plane. Whether they attempt to travel on their own, or are summoned by a spellcaster, only a fraction of a Great Old One’s being can be brought to another plane. Called avatars, aspects, or more commonly, farspawn, these entities are forced into a body that is not entirely unlike one of the native creatures. Those who deal with farspawn should be grateful, as the mere sight of a Great Old One in its true form rapidly causes death or madness, or worse.
One Name, Many Entities. The term farspawn is disliked by many sages, because it refers to several different, albeit closely related entities, not just the avatars. Great Old Ones often have servitors who can be summoned along with them. Some of their avatars have the ability to create servitors out of native creatures by use of eldritch rituals, or worse yet, by mating with them. And worst yet, places that are steeped in the energies of the Far Realm have a mutative effect on people, animals, and plants alike. Over the generations, more and more heavily-mutated creatures are born. All of these things are called farspawn. And perhaps they all are; these entities may be beyond mortal classification.
Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:
DC 15. Farspawn are creatures from the Far Realm that have been brought into the material world. They have grasping tentacles and an array of eldritch abilities.
DC 20. These abominations of nature have impenetrable minds. Those who attempt to contact them telepathically risk madness.
Signs
1. A minor servitor tries to lead the party towards or away from its master's lair
2. Plant and animal life in the area has become mutated
3. Dragging footsteps and a trail of blood lead to a gibbering humanoid that has gone mad
4. People reporting strange dreams filled with eldritch imagery
5. Magically imprisoned to an area; using telepathy to try to convince others to free it.
6. A shrine to an unknown god
Behavior
1. Creating a ritual site in order to summon more powerful avatar
2. Guarding a site important to the cult that summoned it
3. Hunting in the shadows
4. Attacks on sight
5. In disguise, subtly converting helpless bystanders to its cult.
6. A corpse; its wounds are covered in a foul-smelling ichor
--
“Farspawn” is a template that can be placed on any corporeal creature other than an undead.
Type. The farspawn is an aberration.
Attributes. The farspawn’s Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma each increase by 2 and its Constitution and Wisdom each increases by 4. If its Intelligence is 1 or 2, it becomes 3 (-4). Recalculate its hit points.
Resistances. The farspawn is resistant to acid and lightning damage and to damage from nonmagical weapons
Immunities. The farspawn is immune to poison damage and to the poisoned and unconscious conditions.
Skills. The farspawn is proficient in Intimidation. If its Intelligence is 14 or higher, it is also proficient in Arcana, History, Intimidation, Persuasion, and Religion
Senses. The farspawn gains blindsight 120 ft.
Languages. The farspawn gains telepathy to 100 feet.
Alien Mind. Magic and other abilities can’t determine the farspawn’s creature type, Hit Dice, CR, resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities. When a creature reads the farspawn’s thoughts or deals psychic damage to it, it must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw (save DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or be stunned for 1 minute. The stunned creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the stunned creature takes damage from any source.
Magic Resistance. The farspawn has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mental Defense. The farspawn’s AC includes its Charisma modifier.
Action: Multiattack. The farspawn gains Multiattack if it doesn’t already have it, and can make two tentacle attacks, in addition to however many attacks it can already make.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). If the farspawn’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are 3 or higher, it gains the ability to cast spells. The farspawn’s spellcasting trait is Intelligence, unless it already has Innate Spellcasting that relies on another attribute. It can cast the following spells (depending on the base creature’s CR) without the need for material components, and it knows the spells of lower CRs as well:
CR 4 or lower: 1/day each (choose two): abstraction, alter self (can appear as a Small or Medium humanoid), blur, detect thoughts, enthrall, sending
CR 5 – 16: 1/day each (choose two): black tentacles, dementing touch, dimension door, dream, mass suggestion, stinking cloud
CR 17 – 22: 1/day each (choose two): contagion, eldritch cube, mass suggestion, modify memory, phantasmal killer, telekinesis
CR 23 or higher (choose two): 1/day each: antipathy/sympathy, astral projection, disintegrate, feeblemind, maze, weird
Action: Tentacles. The farspawn gains two tentacle attacks. The bludgeoning damage it inflicts and the tentacles’ reach depends on its size. A creature that is hit by a tentacle attack is grappled and restrained (escape DC = the farspawn’s Maneuver DC).
Tiny: 2 (1d4) bludgeoning damage, 5 ft. reach
Small and Medium: 4 (2d4) bludgeoning damage, 10 ft. reach
Large: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage, 15 ft. reach
Huge: 13 (3d8) bludgeoning damage, 20 ft. reach
Gargantuan: 18 (4d8) bludgeoning damage, 30 ft. reach
Eldritch Abilities. The farspawn gains a number of the following abilities depending on its CR:
CR 4 or lower: 1 ability
CR 5 – 16: 2 abilities
CR 17 – 22: 3 abilities
CR 23 or higher: 4 abilities
• Action: Acid Spray. The farspawn sprays acid on one creature it can see within 30 feet, or two creatures that are within 5 feet of each other. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the creature takes acid damage, depending on the farspawn’s CR, or half as much damage on a success. If the saving throw failed by 5 or more, the target also falls prone due to the slippery acid and takes 2 (1d4) ongoing acid damage until a creature uses its action to wipe the acid off.
CR 4 or lower: 9 (2d8)
CR 5 – 16: 18 (4d8)
CR 17 – 22: 27 (6d8)
CR 23 or higher: 36 (8d8)
• Amorphous. The farspawn can move through a space small enough for a creature two sizes smaller than it without squeezing.
• Aura of the Other Realms. Unless it is incapacitated, at the start of each of the farspawn’s turns, each creature within 5 feet of it must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or take psychic damage. The amount of damage taken depends on the farspawn’s
CR 4 or lower: 3 (1d6)
CR 5 – 16: 7 (2d6)
CR 17 – 22: 14 (4d6)
CR 23 or higher: 17 (5d6)
• Bonus Action: Hideous Transformation. The farspawn magically transforms into a creature of its base type, or back to its true form. While in this form, it doesn’t have tentacles and can’t use its other Eldritch Abilities, but otherwise retains its game statistics. Any equipment it is wearing or wielding merges into its new form.
When it transforms, each creature that can see it within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or take 1 level of strife. A creature that makes its saving throw is immune to this farspawn’s Hideous Transformation for 24 hours.
• Create Spawn. Using a creature that is restrained or unconscious, the farspawn engages in a ritual that takes 2d12 hours to complete. At the end of this time, the creature is transformed into a new farspawn. In the process is uninterrupted, the target is partially transformed and gains the Alien Mind trait and Tentacles action (the farspawn may begin the ritual again), but a greater restoration or heal spell will reverse the transformation.
Only a farspawn of CR 10 or higher and that has Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of 8 or higher can take this eldritch ability.
• Multiple Brains. The farspawn’s Intelligence score increases by 4. It has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, confused, frightened, and stunned.
• Mutable Terrain. The farspawn warps the space around it in a 20-foot radius. This area is difficult terrain. Each time a creature starts its turn in this area or enters it for the first time on a turn, it must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC + 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Intelligence modifier) or fall prone.
• Otherworldly Blood. A creature within 5 feet of the farspawn takes 5 (1d10) acid, poison, lightning, or necrotic damage (chosen by the Narrator when creating the farspawn) whenever it hits the farspawn with a melee attack that deals piercing or slashing damage.
• Bonus Action: Out of Sight. The farspawn magically becomes invisible for up to 10 minutes or it makes an attack roll or casts a spell.
• Reaction: Strike True (When Bloodied). The farspawn has advantage on one weapon attack it makes before the end of its next turn.
• Regeneration. The farspawn regains a number of hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point. The amount regenerated depends on the farspawn’s CR. Choose one damage type to which it is not resistant or immune. If it takes damage of that type, this trait doesn’t function on its next turn.
CR 4 or lower: 5 hp/turn
CR 5 – 16: 10 hp/turn
CR 17 – 22: 20 hp/turn
CR 23 or higher: 20 hp/turn
• Rotting Constriction. The farspawn’s tentacle attacks deal additional necrotic damage depending on its CR. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by the amount of necrotic damage dealt. The target dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.
CR 4 or lower: 2 (1d4) necrotic damage; the reduction lasts until the target completes a short or long rest.
CR 5 – 16: 3 (1d6) necrotic damage; the reduction lasts until the target completes a short or long rest.
CR 17 – 22: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage; the reduction lasts until the target completes a long rest.
CR 23 or higher: 14 (4d7) necrotic damage the reduction lasts until removed by a greater restoration or similar magic.
• Sense Magic. The farspawn senses magic within 120 feet of it at will. This trait otherwise works like the detect magic spell but isn’t itself magical.
• Slithering Movement. The farspawn gains a climb speed equal to its walking speed, and can use its climb speed even on difficult surfaces and upside down on ceilings.
• Action: Stunning Stare (Gaze). The farspawn targets one creature within 60 feet. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the farspawn’s PB + the farspawn’s Charisma modifier) or be stunned. The creature is stunned for 1 minute. It may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to the Stunning Gaze of any farspawn for 24 hours.
• Target the Unnerved. The farspawn has advantage on attack rolls against frightened creatures.
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The following uses a cyclops as the base creature.
Servitor of the One-Eyed God
Huge aberration; Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
AC 14 (natural armor)
HP 148 (11d12+77; bloodied 74)
Speed 40 ft.
STR 22 (+6) DEX 12 (+1) CON 24 (+7)
INT 8 (-1) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 12 (+1)
Proficiency +4; Maneuver DC 18
Skills Animal Handling +6, Intimidation +5, Survival +6
Damage Resistances acid, lightning; damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned, unconscious
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Giant, telepathy 100 ft.
Alien Mind. Magic and other abilities can’t determine the servitor’s creature type, Hit Dice, CR, resistances, immunities, or vulnerabilities. When a creature reads the servitor’s thoughts or deals psychic damage to it, it must succeed on an DC 13 or be stunned for 1 minute. The stunned creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The condition also ends if the stunned creature takes damage from any source.
Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The servitor’s spellcasting trait is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +3 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells without the need for material components:
1/day each: alter self (can appear as a Small or Medium humanoid), blur, dementing touch, dimension door
Magic Resistance. The servitor has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Mental Defense. The servitor’s AC includes its Charisma modifier.
Panicked Rage. While a servitor is frightened and the source of its fear is in sight, it makes attack rolls with advantage instead of disadvantage.
Poor Depth Perception. The servitor makes all ranged attacks with disadvantage.
Actions
Multiattack. The servitor makes four melee attacks, two of which are be tentacle attacks.
Club. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+6) bludgeoning damage.
Rock. Ranged Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 120 ft. (see Poor Depth Perception), one target. Hit: 33 (5d10+6) bludgeoning damage.
Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, range 15 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d6+6) bludgeoning damage, and if the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 18) and restrained.
Blur (2nd-Level; V, Concentration). The servitor’s form is blurred for 1 minute. Attack rolls against it are made with disadvantage unless the attacker has senses that allow them to perceive without sight or to see through illusions (like blindsight or truesight).
Dimension Door (4th-Level; V). The servitor teleports to a location within 500 feet. They can bring along one willing Medium or smaller creature within 5 feet. If a creature would teleport to an occupied space, it takes 14 (4d6) force damage, and the spell fails.
Stinking Cloud (3rd-Level; V, S, Concentration). The servitor creates a 20-foot sphere of noxious gas in a space up to 120 feet away. The sphere’s area is heavily obscured. A creature that starts its turn in the area must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or use its action to retch and reel. Creatures that don’t need to breathe or are immune to poison automatically succeed. A moderate wind disperses the coud after 4 rounds; a strong wind, after 1 round.
Stunning Stare (Gaze). The servitor targets one creature within 60 feet. The target must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 minute. It may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns and whenever it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw is immune to the Stunning Gaze of any servitor for 24 hours.
Bonus Actions
Thick Skulled (1/Day). The servitor can end one condition on itself that was imposed through a failed Wisdom saving throw.
Out of Sight. The servitor magically becomes invisible for up to 10 minutes or it makes an attack roll or casts a spell.
Reactions
Big Windup. When a creature hits the servitor with a melee attack, the servitor readies a powerful strike against its attacker. The servitor has advantage on the next club attack it makes against the attacker before the end of its next turn.
DarkRainbowFiend
Explorer
ah yes, the lovecraft template.
Micah Sweet
Level Up & OSR Enthusiast
What about the vampire? Does the MM cover it adequately?
Faolyn
(she/her)
I'll do the template for that one as well--gotta have those salient powers, after all--but it'll be a while. I'm only on the Ls, after all.
