Dungeons & Dragons 5e Monster / Creature: Death Shroud
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Death Shroud
Innate Spellcasting. The Death Shroud’s innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence. The Death Shroud can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.
Antimagic Susceptibility. The Shroud is incapacitated while in the area of an antimagic field. If targeted by dispel magic, the Shroud must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against the caster's spell save DC or fall unconscious for 1 minute. Immutable Form. The Death Shroud is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Damage Transfer. While it is grappling a creature, the Death Shroud takes only half the damage dealt to it, and the creature grappled by the Shroud takes the other half. Swarm. The undead swarm beneath the Death Shroud can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Small humanoid. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. Turn Immunity. Undead under the dominion of a Death Shroud are immune to effects that turn undead.
Actions
Multiattack. The Death Shroud makes three attacks: three Slams, or one Smother and two Slams. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage, or 8 (1d8 + 4) bludgeoning damage if the swarm has half of its hit points or fewer. Smother. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one Medium or smaller creature. Hit: The creature is grappled (escape DC 14). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, blinded, and at risk of suffocating, and the Death Shroud can't smother another target. In addition, at the start of each of the target's turns, the target takes 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
The Death Shroud is a rare consequence of wayward necromancy from a miscast raise dead spell that leached onto burial cloth. The small scrap of fabric hit by the spell transforms into an awakened creature which quickly tears itself free, often taking a limb or two with it. This bizarre construct has the uncanny ability to animate and control any corpse it covers, and its collection is ever growing as it follows the aftermath of a typical adventuring party. Strangely this creature can develop an accord with adventurers as it leaves trinkets and gold at their campsites as thanks for their contributions. As its intelligence increases with its amassing hoard, a Death Shroud will crave rarer creatures to add to its collection, and may make specific requests for the party. Large Shrouds have an uncanny knack for gleaning lost memories from the dead, and will happily trade valuable information and spells for a pristine corpse.
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