Drifting Terror

"Fear is the name you never forget of a face you can't remember."

The Drifting Terror is an anomaly that occurs on the edge of the Blighted Lands that is the result of entropic empathy. The residual and latent psychic energy left over from the destruction of so many so quickly all at once has created actualized embodiments of that fear that now drift through the gloom surrounding the Blight seeking comfort that they will never find. Outland settlements have learned the hard way to keep a watchful eye for these specters and avoid them at all cost.

Basic Information

Anatomy

It's easy to mistake one of these creatures for a weeping man or woman, sadly moving along their way. Most often huddled over or hunched, but always with their hands covering their faces. Closer inspection will reveal a slight translucent nature to their bodies and the smell of ozone. As one gets closer to one of these creatures, they become aware of the hollow sound of soft sobbing and that they are actually hovering just a few inches off of the ground.

Ecology and Habitats

These creatures drift aimlessly and blindly along the fringes of the Blighted Lands seeking out the living in a vain attempt to try and replace the life energy they lost in the Void. They will travel in no particular course or direction until they sense the presence of the living, at which time they will blindly seek them out, traveling in that direction until they feel the living close. Once within range, they will stop and wait for a victim to approach them.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Empathic Lure The Drifting Terror will put on a show once it has detected a nearby living presence, crying into its hands and appearing as helpless as possible. This is a tactic used to draw its victims into range of its gaze attack. The lure is a two pronged strategy that attempts to take advantage of the living's natural motivations to help the helpless and is made more powerful by the creatures residual nature, adding an unnatural compulsion to the effect, forcing those within hearing range to make a DC 12 wisdom save every round or find themselves drawn to the creature in an attempt to comfort it. Those affected may make an additional save each round to resist, but the effects continue until out of hearing range.
These solitary creatures do not socialize, or need to eat or sleep. As such they are driven to wander and seek the living by their base compulsions and will never deviate from this purpose until they are laid to rest permanently.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

THese creatures generally maintain some degree of the intelligence they had in life, but are too consumed by their own suffering to utilize it effectively. These creatures are genuinely neutral, seeking only to comfort their own unending suffering. They have no malice or evil in them, and as such cannot be detected by abilities that would allow alignment based detection. Mentalists and Spiritualists can still use empathic and psychic means to find them, as they radiate suffering, fear, and pain in a strong aura around them.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Detect Life. The Drifting Terror can psychically sense the presence of creatures up to 5 miles away that aren’t undead or constructs. It knows the general direction they’re in but not their exact locations.

Civilization and Culture

Major Language Groups and Dialects

• Languages Languages known in life

• Medium Undead, Unaligned
• Armor Class 12
• Hit Points 58 (13d8)
• Speed 30' (Hover)
• STR 1 (-5)
• DEX 14 (+2)
• CON 10
• INT 12 (+1)
• WIS 11
• CHA 17 (+3)
• Damage Resistances Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities Cold, Necrotic, Poison
• Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
• Vulnerabilities Light
• Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
• Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 

Abilities

• Detect Life. The Drifting Terror can psychically sense the presence of creatures up to 5 miles away that aren’t undead or constructs. It knows the general direction they’re in but not their exact locations.
• Incorporeal Movement. The Drifting Terror can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. The creature it is passing through takes 5 (1d10) negative energy damage if it ends her turn inside an individual.

Actions

• Empathic Gaze The Drifting Terror targets one humanoid it can see within 15' of it and drops its hands, revealing its face. If the target can see the creature, the target must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become enthralled. The enthralled target will attempt to embrace the Terror, love and concern motivating them to comfort the creature. If any actions harmful to the target occur other than the touch of the creature, it can repeat the saving throw. Otherwise, the effect lasts until the Drifting Terror is destroyed.
• Life Drain Melee Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5', one creature. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) negative energy 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 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.

Scientific Name

Undead