Spirit Meadows

Swarm of tiny undead, unaligned

Description

When the Sky Emerald sets, and night approaches in Ashandri, some areas reveal hidden landscapes. In the darkness, translucent meadows appear, shimmering in a soft light. Beautiful and otherworldly, these semi-corporeal fields exist in harmony with their surroundings.
Aside from their iridescent glow, Spirit Meadows have a healing power that affects all living beings: Every 30 minutes you stay within a Spirit Meadow, you gain one hit point. Many animals living in the vicinity of such a field have understood this, and wounded animals seek out these meadows to heal quickly.
Their beauty and benign effects have given Spirit Meadows a very positive reputation, and they are already part of local fairy tales. Unfortunately, there's a lesser known variant: The Vampiric Meadow. There's no visible difference between the two. The only way to discern them is by finding out whether they heal or harm living beings.

Geographic Distribution

• Ashandri

Spirit Meadow CR: 1

Gargantuan swarm of undead, unaligned

Armor Class: 13

Hit Points: 26 (4d8+8)

Speed: 0 ft

STR

0 -5

DEX

0 -5

CON

10 +0

INT

0 -5

WIS

0 -5

CHA

0 -5

Damage Immunities: Cold, necrotic, poison. In semi-corporeal state, piercing, slashing and bludgeoning damage by non-magical weapons.

Condition Immunities: Blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned.

Challenge Rating: 1

Unbound Spirit Traits

Braythebound. Unbound Spirits cannot be permanently destroyed. If they are killed, they reform with full health in the vicinity of their point of death at the next dusk.
Nocturnal Existence. Unbound Spirits appear at dusk and disappear at dawn.
Semi-corporeal Existence. Unbound Spirits are, most of the time, semi-corporeal. In this state, they gain the abilities Incorporeal Movement and Incorporeal Immunities. Attacks made by the spirit in this state only inflict necrotic damage, but no physical damage (except against other semi- or incorporeal creatures).
As a bonus action, the spirit can decide to become corporeal. It then loses the abilities Incorporeal Movement and Incorporeal Immunities, but its attacks become physical and now inflict all damage types.
Incorporeal Movement. In semi-corporeal state, the Unbound Spirit 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.
Incorporeal Immunities. In semi-corporeal state, the Unbound Spirit is immune to piercing, slashing and bludgeoning damage by non-magical weapons.
Undead Immunities. Unbound Spirits have the following condition immunities: Blinded, charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned.
They are also immune to the following damage types: Cold, necrotic, poison.
Possession. While Spirit Meadows can theoretically possess other beings, they lack the intelligence and instinct to do so.

Other Traits

Spirit Glow. The Spirit Meadow glows in an iridescent light, similar to the effect of a Light spell.

Lair Actions

Healing Aura. Every 30 minutes a living creature stays within a Spirit Meadow, it gains one hit point. Undead creatures must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage, which heals the Spirit Meadow by 10 hit points.
Variant: Vampiric Meadow.
Aura of Death. Every 30 minutes an undead creature stays within a Spirit Meadow, it gains one hit point. Living creatures must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage, which heals the Spirit Meadow by 10 hit points.

The area where the Spirit Meadow appears is considered its lair. Usually, this is within an existing meadow.