Lesser bloodwights are either the pupa-like clone-spawn of true bloodwights or the first stage of recovery for a bloodwight who has been reduced to a desiccated state.

The Crimson Sheen. The signature of the bloodwights is the sheen of blood which they cause to erupt on the skin of the living. They are so inimical to life, that mortal flesh erupts in a hemorrhagic rejection of their presence. But the bloodwight itself thirsts for the warmth and energy of life, their limbs growing sleek and supple in its presence.

The sheen notably does not require line of sight, allowing bloodwights to lurk in sealed up attics or glide through city sewers. There are tyrants who have been known to wall up lesser bloodwights in oubliettes, into which can be thrown doomed prisoners.

Blood-Damned Nests. Bloodwights have a strong nesting influence, constructing mounds from whatever material may be at hand (furniture in mortal dwellings, detritus in ruins, leaves or fallen trees in forests, and so forth).

There may be a hunting component to this behavior, as the bloodwights can lay hidden within a nest while nevertheless feasting on any living creatures who pass by. In some cases, those excavating these nests have found them to be connected to other nests in the same area through shallow tunnels.

BLOODWIGHT, LESSER

Medium undead, neutral evil

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Armor Class 14

Hit Points 45 (6d8+18)

Speed 30 ft.

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STR 14 (+2), DEX 12 (+1), CON 16 (+3), INT 11 (+0), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 16 (+3)

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Skills Stealth +3, Perception +3

Damage Resistances cold, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13

Languages Any

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

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Bloodsheen. A living creature within 30 feet of a lesser bloodwight must succeed at a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or begin sweating blood (covering their skin in a sheen of blood). Characters affected by bloodsheen suffer 1d4 points of damage, plus 1 point of damage for each bloodwight within 30 feet. A character is only affected by bloodsheen once per round, regardless of how many bloodwights are present.

Health Soak. A lesser bloodwight within 30 feet of a living creature gains 2 hit points per round. A lesser bloodwight benefiting from health soak will gain hit points even after their normal maximum number of hit points has been reached, up to a maximum of 66 (the maximum number of hit points possible per Hit Die).

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ACTIONS

Multiattack. Lesser bloodwights make two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d6+2) bludgeoning damage.

Blood Welt. When a creature is struck by a lesser bloodwight’s claw attack, they must succeed at a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or suffer a blood welt. A blood welt bleeds for 1 point of necrotic damage per round. The victim can repeat the saving throw at the beginning of each turn, ending the effect of all current blood welts on a successful save. Alternatively, the bleeding can be stopped with a DC 14 Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Bloodwights appear in The Complex of Zombies.

True bloodwights are among the deadliest of the undead banes, capable of achieving power to rival even the most potent liches. If they become trapped and unable to feed, however, their blood-drenched flesh dries to desiccated husks; their desperate and unquenched need for living energy driving them first to madness and then to near-brainlessness.

Shambling Gait. When adventurers first encounter a desiccated bloodwight, they’ll often drawn the wrong conclusion. The shambling gait and limited actions of a desiccated bloodwight are likely to leave them thinking that they’re facing common zombies.

Bloodsheen. The first indication that something is wrong will come when they start sweating blood and their skin becomes coated with a scarlet sheen. As the blood drips from them, it will pool on the floor and flow towards the desiccated corpses which grow in strength with every passing moment.

Transformation. When a desiccated bloodwight has drained enough energy from the living, it will transform into a lesser bloodwight. Its dry skin will crack open as the undead horror literally tears itself out of its own body. The thing which emerges is a glistening mass of raw muscle, pulsing with thick veins of crimson-black blood. Its fang-like teeth glitter as its mouth parts in a ghastly, hissing smile…

BLOODWIGHT, DESICCATED

Medium undead, neutral evil

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Armor Class 8

Hit Points 22 (3d8+9)

Speed 20 ft.

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STR 12 (+1), DEX 8 (-1), CON 16 (+3), INT 6 (-2), WIS 10 (+0), CHA 16 (+3)

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Skills Stealth +1

Damage Resistances cold, necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities poison

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages Any

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

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Bloodsheen. A living creature within 30 feet of a desiccated bloodwight must succeed at a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or begin sweating blood (covering their skin in a sheen of blood). Characters affected by bloodsheen suffer 1d4 points of damage, plus 1 point of damage for each bloodwight within 30 feet. A character is only affected by bloodsheen once per round, regardless of how many bloodwights are present.

Health Soak. A desiccated bloodwight within 30 feet of a living creature gains 2 hit points per round. A desiccated bloodwight benefiting from health soak will gain hit points even after their normal maximum number of hit points has been reached, up to a maximum of 33 (the maximum number of hit points possible per Hit Die). If a desiccated bloodwight reaches the maximum number of hit points possible per Hit Die, they benefit from a restorative transformation (see below). If a desiccated bloodwight with more than their normal maximum number of hit points is no longer within 30 feet of a living creature, they will lose 1 hit point per minute until they return to their normal maximum number of hit points.

Restorative Transformation. A desiccated bloodwight who reaches the maximum number of hit points per Hit Die as a result of their health soak ability is transformed into a lesser bloodwight as a bonus action. From that point forward, the desiccated bloodwight is treated as a lesser bloodwight in all respects.

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ACTIONS

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage.

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Design Note: Bloodwights originally appeared in my 3E adventure The Complex of Zombies, which reinvented the typical cannon fodder zombie of fantasy roleplaying as a terrifying monster of horror commensurate with its cultural cachet. You can read some behind the scenes commentary here.

The honeytrap is a roper-like creature which relies on deceit and camouflage to trap its prey. The upper half of its body bears the appearance of a beautiful young maiden, but this beauty is wrapped around a mass of tentacular horror.

Quicksand Hunter. The honeytrap’s favored tactic is to secrete a corrosive chemical capable of rendering even solid rock into a quicksand-like liquescence. When its prey draws near, the honeytrap will cry in terror and plead for their aid. It will wait until they are at their most vulnerable before striking: Its sternum will part into a ravenous maw, exuding a half dozen coiled tentacles which will burst forth and wrap themselves lethally around the honeytrap’s would-be saviors.

Tentacular Chase. The honeytrap prefers to lure its victims into a dangerous mixture of complacency and chivalry before striking, but those seeking to flee a ravenous honeytrap may be shocked as it wrenches itself free from its muck-ridden hunting grounds and pursues them with great speed upon a second tumultuous mass of tentacles extruding from its “maiden” waist.

More startling even than that diabolic chuckle was the scream that rose at my very elbow from the salt-compounded sand – the scream of a woman possessed by some atrocious agony, or helpless in the grip of devils. Turning, I beheld a veritable Venus, naked in a white perfection that could fear no scrutiny, but immersed to her navel in the sand. Her terror-widened eyes implored me and her lotus hands reached out with beseeching gesture.

The Abominations of Yondo, Clark Ashton Smith

HONEYTRAP

Large monstrosity, chaotic evil

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Armor Class 18

Hit Points 119 (14d10+42)

Speed 40 ft.

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STR 19 (+4), DEX 13 (+2), CON 17 (+3), INT 12 (+1), WIS 11 (+0), CHA 17 (+3)

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Skills Athletics +7, Deception +6, Persuasion +6, Stealth +5

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages Common, Elven

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +3

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Grasping Tendrils. The honeytrap has six tendrils. Each tendril can be attacked (AC 18; 20 hit points; immunity to poison and psychic damage). Destroying a tendril deals no damage to the honeytrap. A tendril can also be broken if a creature takes an action and succeeds on a DC 16 Strength check against it.

Quicksand Liquiescence. A honeytrap can turn a 10 ft. radius of earth, dirt, or stone into quicksand in 1d4 minutes by excreting a powerful, acidic chemical. If a honeytrap is slain, moves, or stops excreting the chemical, the ground will re-solidify within 1d4 hours.

A creature entering quicksand sinks 1d4+1 feet and becomes restrained. At the start of each of its turns, the creature sinks another 1d4 feet. Creatures in quicksand can attempt a DC 10 + the number of feet it has sunk Strength check to escape. This check is made with advantage if they have hold of a rope or similar item attached to something out of the quicksand.

A creature completely submerged in quicksand cannot breathe and begins to suffocate. They are also no longer able to escape the quicksand without assistance.

A creature outside can pull a creature out of quicksand as an action with a DC 5 + the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand Strength check.

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ACTIONS

Multiattack. The honeytrap makes six attacks with its tendrils, uses Reel, and makes one attack with its bite.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 31 (6d8+4) piercing damage.

Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 30 ft., one creature. The target is grappled (escape DC 15). Until the grapple ends, the target is restrained and has disadvantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws, and the honeytrap cannot use the same tendril on another target.

Weakness. A honeytrap’s strands sap an opponent’s strength. Anyone grabbed by a strand must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw each round or suffer a level of exhaustion.

Reel. The honeytrap pulls each creature grappled by it up to 15 ft. straight toward it.

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Ash wraiths are the undead, burnt remains of corpses. They take the form of a swirling cloud of gray-black ash, usually vaguely humanoid in shape. Although they cannot properly be said to have corporeal bodies, their touch retains the passionate heat of their deaths and is scalding to mortal flesh.

Hauntings. Ash wraiths are most often found haunting ruined crematoriums or lingering near the horrors of execution pyres, but there are also tales of woods being haunted by ash wraith animals for years or even decades after the devastation of forest fires.

From One, Many. Ash wraiths can be created using the animate dead spell, although it requires special knowledge to do so.

Necromancers who perfect the rare art of creating ash wraiths are often able to claim two undead servants from a single corpse. Although the rites which create a skeleton usually consume the flesh of the corpse (if it has not already rotted away), a necromancer can first flense the corpse. The flesh and fat is then burned, providing the ashes for the wraith, while the skeleton is animated separately.

Undead Nature. An ash wraith doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ASH WRAITH

Medium undead, neutral evil

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Armor Class 12

Hit Points 18 (4d8)

Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)

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STR 7 (-2), DEX 14 (+2), CON 11 (+0), INT 6 (-2), WIS 8 (-1), CHA 5 (-3)

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Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons

Damage Immunities necrotic, poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, poisoned, prone, restrained

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9

Languages understands all languages it knew in life, but can’t speak

Challenge ¼ (50 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

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Ashen Movement. The ash wraith can move through other creatures’ spaces as if they were difficult terrain.

Undead Embers. If damage reduces the ash wraith to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw of DC 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the ash wraith will reform in 1d4 hours.

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ACTIONS

Fiery Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) fire damage.

Design Note: Ash wraiths are designed to provide an incorporeal form of undead that can be used in a fashion similar to skeletons and zombies. (In other words, minor undead that aren’t mind-searingly terrifying.) They were originally created for the original 1974 edition of D&D, and that stat block can be found here.

The likho is a lithe, slight humanoid with slick, purple-gray skin. Its slim limbs are wiry and muscular. Its face is dominated by a single large eye, beneath which are two thin slits for nostrils and a narrow gash of a mouth filled with needle-like teeth.

It has a strange, ever-changing gait — sometimes walking on its hands, sometimes on its legs, sometimes racing on all four — and will often vault and climb and clamber with wild abandon, slipping in and out of shadowy bowers or leaping out of black waters to surprise those peering into the deeps.

Personification of Misfortune. In the folk tales of the frontier, the likho is seen as the living embodiment of ill fortune and evil. “He’s had the likho on his back” is a saying that describes those who have suffered from a series of misfortunes. “Don’t stare the likho in its face” is a proverb suggesting that one should not tempt fate.

There are many who think this is just a turn of phrase. But, of course, the likho is quite real, and while most who suffer setbacks are just unlucky, some truly are cursed by the likho.

In some isolated communities that have a long history with the likho, lichy is a slang term that means something shoddy or unreliable. Some may also refer to likhoy, those who are too daring or foolhardy (and thus risk bringing ill fortune to both themselves and those around them).

Likho Items. Likho can create special bait items. These are often made to look quite valuable — e.g., a sword with a hilt of gold — in order to tempt the greed of their victims. Anyone touching a likho item will find that it is stuck in place and that they are unable to release it. (Wrenching their grasp free requires a DC 22 Strength check or a remove curse spell.) Furthermore, the likho who made the item is alerted as per an alarm spell. As the likho draws near, the one attached to a likho item will feel their presence growing like a darkness in their mind.

Many are the tales of those who have cut off their own hands in order to escape the approaching likho.

Likho’s Bargain. It is said that a likho can sometimes be bargained with. Its own evil can be turned back upon itself, if one can offer a great temptation or something of great worth related to a deadly sin. (Most commonly greed, like a blacksmith offering to make it a precious item or a wizard offering to conjure it a magical feast.)

In truth, however, the likho rarely honors these bargains: it will take what is offered and then betray the one who made the bargain with it. However, the clever can sometimes trick or cheat the likho.

LIKHO

Small fey, chaotic evil

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Armor Class 13

Hit Points 58 (13d6+13)

Speed 30 ft.

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STR 10 (+0), DEX 16 (+3), CON 12 (+1), INT 12 (+1), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 14 (+2)

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Skills Athletics +2, Deception +4, Insight +3, Stealth +5

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive perception 13

Languages Common, Sylvan

Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Proficiency Bonus +2

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Adherence: If a creature touches or is touched by the likho, they must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the likho adheres to them and simultaneously vanishes, becoming both invisible and intangible. Truesight or other abilities that perceive the Ethereal Plane allow one to see the likho, which clings to the target’s shoulders from the Border Ethereal.

A character who has been adhered to by a likho feels a weight on their soul and suffers from bad luck. They suffer disadvantage on all checks and must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw each day at dusk or suffer one level of exhaustion. They do not recover from exhaustion after long rests.

A remove curse spell will break the likho’s adherence, freeing its victim and forcing it to return to the Material Plane.

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ACTIONS

Multiattack. The likho makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack. +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d8) slashing damage. If the likho hits with a claw attack, the target is subjected to the Adherence trait.

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