Medium monstrosity, neutral evil
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)
Speed 30 ft.
Proficiency Bonus +4
Proficiency Bonus +6 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 17 (+3) | 6 (-2) | 11 (+0) | 6 (-2) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Str +7, Con +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing while in dim light or darkness
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)
Psychic Leech. At the start of each of the Lonely’s turns, each creature within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 10 (3d6) psychic damage.
Thrives on Company. The Lonely has advantage on attack rolls while it is within 30 feet of at least two other creatures. It otherwise has disadvantage on attack rolls.
ACTIONS
- Multiattack. The Lonely makes one harpoon arm attack and uses Sorrowful Embrace.
- Harpoon Arm. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 60 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) piercing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15) if it is a Large or smaller creature. The Lonely has two harpoon arms and can grapple up to two creatures at once.
- Sorrowful Embrace. Each creature grappled by the Lonely must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. A creature takes 18 (4d8) psychic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. In either case, the Lonely pulls each creature grappled by it up to 30 feet straight toward it.
5th Edition Advanced Mode
Limiting the power of a character and making the overall difficulty of the game harder, does not reduce the creativity, indeed it does quite the opposite.
The Game Master has the option to use any and all of the instances proposed in this guide, or just some of them according to their preference.
It is the lack of something that move and motivate characters, not the abundance of it
DESCRIPTION
The Lonely are sorrowsworn creatures that embody the sorrow of isolation and the need for companionship. They are humanoid in shape, but their skin is pale and mottled, and their eyes are sunken and dark. They have long, thin arms that end in harpoons, which they use to grapple and drag their prey closer to them. The Lonely are always seeking to embrace someone, hoping to fill the emptiness in their hearts, but their touch is cold and painful, and their embrace is suffocating and deadly .
The sorrow of isolation afflicts many creatures that lurk in the Shadowfell, but the need for interaction is never manifested more dramatically than in the Lonely. When these sorrowsworn spot other creatures, they feel keenly the need for contact and so they launch their harpoon-like arms to drag their victims close.
COMBAT
The Lonely are not aggressive by nature, but they are drawn to any source of warmth and life. They will try to approach and hug anyone they see, regardless of their alignment or intentions. They are not very intelligent, and they do not understand that their embrace is harmful to others. They will not let go of their victims unless they are forced to, or unless they find a more appealing target. The Lonely can sense the emotions of others, and they are especially attracted to those who feel lonely or isolated themselves .
The Lonely have two main attacks: harpoon arm and sorrowful embrace. They can extend their harpoon arms up to 60 feet, and grapple a creature with them. Once grappled, the creature takes piercing damage every round, and is pulled closer to the Lonely. The Lonely can then use their sorrowful embrace, which deals psychic damage to the creature and heals the Lonely for the same amount. The creature must also make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the Lonely. The Lonely can only embrace one creature at a time .
The Lonely are resistant to physical damage while in dim light or darkness, and they have darkvision up to 60 feet. They are vulnerable to radiant damage, and they have disadvantage on attack rolls while in bright light. They also have disadvantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened .
HABITAT / SOCIETY
The Lonely are native to the Shadowfell, a plane of darkness and despair. They wander the bleak landscape, looking for any signs of life or warmth. They sometimes encounter other sorrowsworn, such as the Angry, the Lost, or the Wretched, but they do not interact with them. The Lonely are solitary creatures, but they crave company more than anything else. They do not speak, but they can understand Common .
The Lonely rarely leave the Shadowfell, but sometimes they find portals or rifts that lead them to other planes. They may also be summoned or conjured by powerful magic users who seek to use them as weapons or experiments. The Lonely do not care where they are, as long as they can find someone to hug .
ECOLOGY
The Lonely do not need to eat or drink, but they feed on the emotions and life force of others. They heal themselves by draining the psychic energy of their victims with their sorrowful embrace. They do not kill for sport or malice, but only out of desperation and loneliness. They do not understand that their embrace is lethal, and they may even feel remorse or sadness when their victims die in their arms .
The Lonely do not reproduce or age, but they can be killed by physical or magical means. Their bodies dissolve into shadows when they die, leaving behind no trace of their existence .