Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 67 (9d8+27)
Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
Proficiency Bonus +3
Proficiency Bonus +4 (5th Edition Advanced Mode)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (-2) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 12 (+1) | 14 (+3) | 15 (+2) |
Saving Throws (suggested) Dex +6
Damage Resistance acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Incorporeal Movement. The wraith can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
ACTIONS
- Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
- Life Drain (suggested). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 3) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0. A humanoid slain by this attack rises at the start of the Wraith’s next turn as a spectre under the Wraith’s control, unless the humanoid is restored to life or its body is destroyed. The Wraith can have no more than seven spectres under its control at one time.
- Create Specter. The wraith targets a humanoid within 10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 minute and died violently. The target’s spirit rises as a specter in the space of its corpse or in the nearest unoccupied space. The specter is under the wraith’s control. The wraith can have no more than seven specters under its control at one time.
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
A wraith is a terrifying undead creature that resembles a dark and twisted humanoid shadow. It is the result of a powerful negative emotion, such as hatred, envy, or despair, that lingers after death and corrupts the soul. A wraith is an undead spirit of a powerful, evil human. As such, it is usually found in tombs or places where such men and women would have died or where their mortal remains are buried. A wraith is filled with malice and hatred for all living things, and seeks to destroy them or turn them into its undead spawn. A wraith has no physical form, but can manifest as a black mist or a vaguely humanoid shape with glowing red eyes. It can move through solid objects and fly with great speed. It is vulnerable to sunlight, which causes it pain and weakness.
COMBAT
A wraith attacks by draining the life force of its victims with a touch of its cold and spectral hand. This attack not only inflicts necrotic damage, but also reduces the maximum hit points of the target until it rests or dies. A creature that dies from this effect becomes a specter, a lesser form of undead that is under the wraith’s control. A wraith can create up to seven specters in this way, and can command them telepathically. A wraith is resistant to most forms of damage, except those from silvered or magical weapons. It is immune to necrotic and poison damage, as well as to any condition that affects a living creature. A wraith can be dominated by powerful evil creatures, particularly other undead, priests, and wizards, and made to serve their will.
HABITAT / SOCIETY
A wraith usually haunts the place where it died or where its mortal remains are buried. It may also wander in dark and desolate places, such as dungeons, crypts, or swamps, looking for prey. A wraith is solitary and does not associate with other undead, except for the specters it creates. It may occasionally ally with other evil creatures that share its goals or serve its master, if it has one. A wraith may have been a powerful or influential person in life, such as a tyrant, a traitor, or a murderer, and may retain some of its memories and personality traits. Since such men and women are frequently buried together, in the case of the wealthy, or with their families, wraiths are most commonly encountered in packs.
ECOLOGY
A wraith is an unnatural abomination that defies the natural cycle of life and death. It does not need to eat, drink, or breathe, but it feeds on the life force of living creatures. It does not reproduce, but it can create spawn from its victims. It does not grow or age, but it can be destroyed by sunlight or by powerful magic. A wraith is a source of fear and evil in the world, and a threat to any living being that crosses its path. It exists more in the Negative Material Plane than in the Prime Material Plane, and thus is not a natural part of this world. The wraith has no proper niche, serving no useful purpose in nature and providing no by-products that others can use. It requires no nourishment, killing only for the sheer hatred of life. All creatures close to nature will shun the presence of a wraith.