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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 8748219" data-attributes="member: 6915329">The musical spirit is an unusual undead, as it’s a protector and not destructive or vengeful. Which is nice—there’s no reason why undead have to be filled with hatred for the living. It also happens to be the second bard-centered undead I’ve done, which is weird that it’s happened twice. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />I really like this creature. It has a wonderfully folkloric feel to it. [ATTACH=full]259102[/ATTACH]Why did they never sign their art? Musical SpiritThe Dragon’s Bestiary, Dragon Magazine #119Created by Mark DeForestMusical spirits are believed to be the spirits of fey creatures, bards, or musically-inclined druid who have chosen to remain in the mortal world after their death in order to protect the wilderness and honor it with their music. They resemble drawn, withered, and nearly colorless versions of their living selves, wearing ancient, ragged clothing. They each have a musical instrument and do little but play that instrument.Night Music. Mostly found in fey woods, musical spirits only appear at night and vanish at the first touch of sunlight. Sunlight, even that produced by magic, doesn’t harm them, and magical sunlight doesn’t banish them. They are guardians of the forest at night, and even the most evil-minded creatures are wont to put aside their dastardly plans when they hear the spirit’s music.Beastly Herald. Many musical spirits have a companion animal which acts as both guard and herald. It is often a beloved pet that died with the spirit. When the spirit sits and plays, the beast circles the woodlands around it, watching out for danger; when the spirit moves, it moves ahead of it, clearing the path. It resembles a ghost-white version of a normal animal with blank eyes and has the attributes of a beast of CR 1/2 or lower with the zombie template added, and is generally not hostile.Legends and LoreWith an Arcana or History check, the characters can learn the following:DC 15. Musical spirits are benign undead who play music in the wilderness.DC 20. The musical spirit knows thirteen songs of haunting beauty, and is willing to teach these songs—for a price. The thirteenth song gives the one who plays it great magical power.Musical Spirit EncountersTerrain: Feywild, forest, ruinCR 1-2 Musical spiritSigns1-3. The sound of beautiful music in the distance.4. A pure-white dog, deer, or hawk appears and watches the party.Behavior1-2. Playing music alone3. Playing music to a crowd of beasts and fey.4. Attempting to teach a young minstrel one of its songs.Musical SpiritMedium undeadChallenge 2 (450 XP)AC 17 (natural armor)HP 45 (6d8+18; bloodied 22)Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.STR 12 (+1) DEX 15 (+2) CON 17 (+3)INT 12 (+1) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 22 (+6)Proficiency +2Maneuver DC 12Saving Throws Dex +4, Wis +5, Cha +8Skills Nature +5, Perform +8 (+1d10)Damage Resistances cold; damage from nonmagical weaponsCondition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, stunned, unconsciousSenses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13Languages Sylvan, the languages it knew in lifeInnate Spellcasting. The musical spirit’s spellcasting trait is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring only that the spirit play an instrument or sing:     3/day: dramatic sting, healing word, gust of wind, harmonic resonance     1/day each: commune with nature, hallow, insect plague, wind wallMagic Resistance. The musical spirit has advantage on saving throws versus spells and other magical effects.Speak with Nature. The musical spirit can communicate with beasts and plants.Turn Resistance. The musical spirit has advantage on saving throws against any effect that would turn undead. It is also unaffected by the dispel evil and good, hallow, and magic circle spells.Undead Nature. The musical spirit doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.ActionsWild Dance. Each creature within 30 feet of the musical spirit must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or must use all of its movement to dance in its space. It has disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws, and attack rolls made against it have advantage. It can use its action to repeat the save, ending the spell with an effect. At the end of each minute spent dancing, the creature takes one level of fatigue.     The dance lasts for as long as the spirit continues to play its instrument. It may cast spells while maintaining the Wild Dance.Insect Plague (V; Concentration). A 20-foot-radius sphere of biting and stinging insects appears centered on a point the god can see within 300 feet and remains for 10 minutes. The cloud spreads around corners and the area is lightly obscured. Each creature in the area when the cloud appears, and each creature that enters it for the first time on its turn, makes a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) piercing damage on a failed save, or half damage on a success. The musical spirit is immune to this damage.Bonus ActionsDramatic Sting (V; Concentration). A target must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw when the spell is cast and at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success or taking 2 (1d4) psychic damage and be frightened of the spirit until the spell ends.CombatMusical spirits never initiate combat. If forced to fight, it starts by using Wild Dance and lets the attackers dance themselves into exhaustion.Variant: The Thirteen SongsA musical spirit knows thirteen pieces of music unique to it, each one of haunting, otherworldly beauty. All creatures, even supernatural ones, will find the song to be deeply moving and meaningful. The spirit is willing to teach these songs to mortals or fey who are brave enough to approach it—and who pay for the knowledge by performing a great deed for the spirit or the wilderness around it, or by making a sacrifice of some sort. Each song taught requires its own payment. A creature that demands to be taught, refuses to pay the price, attempts to harm the spirit, or is otherwise hostile, will cause the musical spirit to attack.These pieces of music are difficult to learn. After 8 hours of practice, the character must make a DC 25 check using Performance or a musical instrument. After three successes, the song is learned; these successes don’t have to be consecutive. The song can only be learned directly from a willing musical spirit; the spirit can't be coerced or threatened into teaching the music. The music can’t be recorded through magical or mechanical means, if it is recorded through musical notation, the result will be a hollow, discordant parody of the true song, and a person who learned the song can't teach it to anyone else.While playing one of these pieces of music, the performer gains a d6 expertise die on their skill check to playand on Charisma checks made against a creature who has heard them play the music (this bonus to Charisma checks lasts for 12 hours after the music was played). This expertise die can be upgraded to a d10, exceeding the usual limit on expertise die.The thirteenth song can only be learned by a creature that already knows the twelve other songs. While playing this song, the musician can cast a variant of symbol, requiring no components other than playing or singing the music. The musician can choose which symbol to create (but cannot choose the Death option), and the effect does not involve a physical glyph. Instead, it affects all creatures within 60 feet of the musician. It requires concentration, as if concentrating on a spell, and ends early if the musician stops playing. The save DC is equal to the musician’s spell save DC, or 8 + its proficiency bonus + Charisma modifier, if it doesn’t have a spell save DC. The creature can use this effect once between rests.</blockquote>

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