dmdave

[Free] Broadsword Guide to the Negative Energy Plane Monsters - True Wraith

Added 2025-02-15 06:48:13 +0000 UTC

This is part of a series I'm calling "true undead;" essentially, undead monsters from 2e that I've taken and converted into 5e almost 1:1. This means that undead are true horrors, the type of things characters should avoid instead of this "oh har har it's just a wraith whatever lolololol" that we have now. In old editions, when you say a wraith, you got the FUCK out of there.

Enjoy! ^_^

A wraith is a malevolent, undead spirit, the lingering essence of a powerful human consumed by their own evil. These entities manifest as dark, ghostly figures—vaguely human-shaped clouds with two glowing red eyes. Though incorporeal, they mimic the form of a torso, limbs, and a head—a hollow echo of the body they once possessed.

Combat. In combat, a wraith’s touch chills the very soul, draining life energy and leaving victims feeling hollow and diminished. Animals instinctively fear wraiths, sensing their unnatural presence and fleeing before they draw near. Those who succumb to a wraith's touch rise again as lesser wraiths, eternally bound to their slayer.

Habitat/Society. Wraiths haunt tombs and ancient crypts, driven only by a relentless hatred of life. They do not speak or reason; any attempt at communication is met with silent scorn. Even among their own kind, wraiths operate under a brutal hierarchy of domination. Powerful necromancers or greater undead may control them, forcing their malice to serve a higher, dark purpose.

Ecology. Wraiths serve no natural function and leave nothing behind but death and despair.