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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Faolyn" data-source="post: 8805480" data-attributes="member: 6915329">Up net is the sluagh (sloo-ah). Like probably many other people, my first introduction to these creatures was from Changeling: the Dreaming (I actually played a pooka). Like many other creatures of Celtic legend, they are somewhere between fairies and undead. The name itself means “host” or “army” and they literally a swarm of undead or fairies (or undead fairies) that fly in huge flocks and can pick up a person and fly them away to… somewhere else. Perhaps another part of the land; perhaps to somewhere worse.Tom Moldvay’s sluagh is dark in color but is not a shadow. It’s described as looking like a “black sprite.” Ravenloft also had a black sprite, but that was another name for the fey they called baobhan sith (which has little to do with the mythical baobhan sith) and honestly, it’s not quite as cool as the sluagh is.According to the article, “sluagh are sometimes led by other types of undead,” and Moldvay really plays up the “army” nature of this fey’s name. 20 sluagh will be led by a wraith lieutenant; 40 sluagh will have a vampire captain, and 80 sluagh will have a lich commander. This is a pretty cool visual—give your high-powered undead a few sluagh swarms and see how it goes.SluaghOut of the Shadows, Dragon Magazine #162Created by Tom MoldvayFrom the distance, a roiling thundercloud moves across the sky, moving impossibly fast. Only when it draws near is it possible to see that the thundercloud is actually a great flock of tiny sprite-like fey—accompanied by a dozen or more flying zombies.A sluagh resembles a sprite, but dark and shadowy, with iridescent black wings. They sport wide, needle-toothed grins and wield arrows and swords made of blackened metal. Where sprites are born from trees and other fruit- or nut-producing plants, and pixies are born from flowers, sluagh crawl out of rotting corpses and piles of filth. Their bites cause nasty, inflamed boils.Army of the Dead. Sluagh are often in the employ of powerful undead and undeath-minded noble fey and have the task of gathering soldiers for them. They take to such a task with glee, as with a touch they can turn a corpse into a loyal, flying undead, and they love nothing more than making corpses. Even without a superior to give them orders, the sluagh are eager to kill and most swarms have a few zombies among them. If they have no one to battle, they often fight amongst themselves. Strangely, they never turn on undead; they seem to have a love and reverence for such beings, almost as strong as the love that pixies and sprites have for sylvan nature.Stolen By Faeries. Sluagh travel in huge flocks that blacken the sky, looking for mortals to toy with. When they spot one, they descend en masse and swoop that person up and carry them away. Such people are rarely seen again alive; those who manage to escape bear the scars of having survived sadistic torture.Legends and LoreWith an Arcana or Religion check, the characters can learn the following:DC 10. Sluagh are evil-minded fey creatures similar to sprites. They travel in swarms, like tremendous flocks of starlings or crows.DC 15. Almost more undead than fey, sluagh can create turn a corpse into a zombie with just a touch. A flock of sluagh is usually accompanied by several zombies.DC 20. Many sluagh are employed by powerful undead such as liches and vampires.Monster EncountersTerrain: forests, hills, mountains, ShadowfellCR 0-1 1d4 sluagh; 2 sluagh and 2 zombiesCR 3-4 swarm of sluagh; swarm of slugah and 1d4 zombiesCR 5-10 2 swarms of sluagh and zombie horde; swarm of sluagh and necromancerTreasure: platinum chain (250 gp), dagger of venom made of blackened silver mined from the Shadowfell, faerie love letterSigns1. A wheeling flock of small bird-like creatures against the evening or night sky.2. Running tracks that stop abruptly.3. A dead slugah.4. A corpse covered in hundreds of tiny bite marks.Behavior1. Fighting one another while other sluagh watch and cheer indiscriminately.2. Sent out to make zombies; will attack on sight.3. Spying for their master; will attack if disturbed.4. Torturing a person or animal they have captured.SluaghTiny fey (undead)Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)AC 13HP 3 (1d4+1; bloodied 1)Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.STR 2 (-4) DEX 17 (+3) CON 12 (+1)INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 14 (+2)Proficiency +2Maneuver DC 13Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5Damage Immunities necrotic, poisonCondition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, poisonedSenses darkvision 120 ft., passive PerceptionLanguages Common, SylvanEvil. The sluagh radiates an aura of evil.Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the sluagh has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.ActionsBite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage.Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its next turn. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even if it regains hit points, and is asleep while poisoned in this way.Recruit (Recharge After a Short or Long Rest). The sluagh touches the corpse of a humanoid that has been dead for less than 24 hours and animates it as a zombie with a fly speed of 40 feet. The zombie is under the sluagh’s control for 1 week and then turns back into a corpse, unless another creature exerts control over it with a spell such as animate dead. At this time, the zombie loses its fly speed.CombatSluagh typically target a single individual for special attention, ignoring other attackers. Since they usually travel with at least one zombie and often many more, sluagh rely on their zombies to attack other creatures while they focus on one. They prefer to capture a target and fly away with it so they can play with it later then face an entire group of combatants.*Swarm of SluaghMedium swarm of Tiny fey (undead)Challenge 3 (50 XP)AC 13HP 55 (10d8+10; bloodied 27)Speed 10 ft., fly 40 ft.STR 2 (-4) DEX 17 (+3) CON 12 (+1)INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 14 (+2)Proficiency +2Maneuver DC 13Skills Perception +2, Stealth +5Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashingDamage Immunities necrotic, poisonCondition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned, unconsciousSenses darkvision 120 ft., passive PerceptionLanguages Common, SylvanEvil. The sluagh radiates an aura of evil.Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the sluagh has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and move through any opening large enough for a Tiny creature. It can’t gain HP or temporary hit points.Innate Spellcasting (1/Day). The swarm can cast plane shift (to Shadowfell only), requiring no material components. The entire swarm and one creature it is grappling with Carry Away can travel to the Shadowfell. Its spellcasting ability for this trait is Charisma.ActionsBites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, or 7 (2d6) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the swarm is bloodied.Shortbows. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 40/160 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) piercing damage plus 21 (6d6) poison damage, and the target is slowed until the end of its next turn. If the poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even if it regains hit points, and is asleep while poisoned in this way.Recruit (Recharge 5-6). The sluagh touches the corpse of a humanoid that has been dead for less than 24 hours and animates it as a zombie with a fly speed of 40 feet. The zombie is under the sluagh’s control for 1 week and then turns back into a corpse, unless another creature exerts control over it with a spell such as animate dead. At this time, the zombie loses its fly speed.Carry Away. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: the target is grappled (escape DC 13). The swarm then flies up to its speed in any direction, carrying the grappled target with it. If the swarm takes any damage while it is grappling, it takes half the damage (rounded down) and the other half is dealt to the grappled target. The swarm can only have one creature grappled at once.</blockquote>

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