Wraith (/ˈrɑːɪt/)
The Unquiet Dead
The creature is an incorporeal form and appears as a swirling dark mist of negative energy, with a vague skeletal human form that has wispy claw-like hands.
A wraith was an undead creature born of evil and darkness, despising light and all living things. They could drain the life from living creatures, turning them into Specters upon death. Wraiths were powerless in natural sunlight, appearing as a sinister, spectral figure robed in darkness. They had no visual features or appendages, except for their glowing red eyes.
A wraith is malice incarnate, concentrated into an incorporeal form that seeks to quench all life. The creature is suffused with negative energy, and its mere passage through the world leaves nearby plants blackened and withered. Animals flee from its presence. Even small fires can be extinguished by the sucking oblivion of the wraith's horrifying existence.
Vile Oblivion. When a mortal humanoid lives a debased life or enters into a fiendish pact, it consigns its soul to eternal damnation in the Lower Planes. However, sometimes the soul becomes so suffused with negative energy that it collapses in on itself and ceases to exist the instant before it can shuffle off to some horrible afterlife. When this occurs, the spirit becomes a soulless wraith-a malevolent void trapped on the plane where it died. Almost nothing of the wraith's former existence is preserved; in this new form, it exists only to annihilate other life.
Bereft of Body. A wraith can move through solid creatures and objects as easily as a mortal creature moves through fog.
A wraith might retain a few memories of its mortal life as shadowy echoes. However, even the strongest events and emotions become little more than faint impressions, fleeting as half-remembered dreams. A wraith might pause to stare at something that fascinated it in life, or it might curb its wrath in acknowledgment of a past friendship. Such moments come rarely, however, because most wraiths despise what they were as a reminder of what they have become.
Undead Commanders. A wraith can make an undead servant from the spirit of a humanoid creature that has recently suffered a violent death. Such a fragment of woe becomes a specter, spiteful of all that lives.
Wraiths sometimes rule the legions of the dead, plotting the doom of living creatures. When they emerge from their tombs to do battle, life and hope shrivel before them. Even if a wraith's armies are forced to retreat, the lands its forces occupied are so blasted and withered that those who live there often starve and die.
Undead Nature. A wraith doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
The Menagerie fought one in the Ziggurat of Tharizdun, below Skola Vale.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A wraith was an undead creature born of evil and darkness, despising light and all living things. They could drain the life from living creatures, turning them into new wraiths upon death. Wraiths were powerless in natural sunlight, appearing as a sinister, spectral figure robed in darkness. They had no visual features or appendages, except for their glowing red eyes.
“Death. We are death shrouded in darkness. Sweet, sweet darkness.”Wraiths are ethereal or semi-ethereal beings composed of pure dark magic. Their energy takes the form of flowing, tattered robes and their cold, cursed weapons; some wraiths have skeletal faces and hands, others wear armor, and some are simply a dark, empty void within.
Variants
Moon Wraiths
a crescent-shaped wraith that arose from lycanthropes who had died while in the midst of transforming. They used hit-and-run tactics, flying through their enemies in a crescent arc as often as they could. They were more powerful when under the light of the moon or stars.Wisp Wraiths
a type of wraith that resulted from humanoids killed by a wraith failing to form correctly into a true wraith. These were weaker than other types of wraith. They typically crowded around their opponents, using their necrotic powers to slow them down.Sword Wraith Warrior
The creature is an incorporeal form and appears as a swirling dark mist of negative energy, with the vague spectral form of a glory-obsessed warrior.Genetics and Reproduction
The origin of wraiths has yet to be completely ascertained. Some say they rise from the graves of wicked men, others that they spontaneously appear in areas of extreme evil and dark magic. Wraiths do not seem to reproduce biologically; they possess no organ systems and of the wraiths who have been heard speaking, all had male voices.
Ecology and Habitats
Wraiths favor areas of extreme cold and/or dampness, preferring to inhabit snow-swept tundra, underground caverns, or abandoned cities.
Though they could be found on the Prime Material plane, wraiths were far more prominent in the Negative Energy plane. They were typically encountered in places that were dark and gloomy, away from the debilitating rays of the sun. Beyond that, they could be found in the Domains of Dread.
Habitats
Though they could be found on the Prime Material plane, wraiths were far more prominent in the Negative Energy plane. They were typically encountered in places that were dark and gloomy, away from the debilitating rays of the sun. Beyond that, they could be found in the Domains of Dread. Environment: Underdark TerrainDietary Needs and Habits
Wraiths have never been observed eating, but it is believed they fuel themselves by consuming the souls of living beings, either while the victim is still alive and struggling or shortly after they have been killed.
Biological Cycle
Wraiths are ageless; they do not decay over time, due to their undeath.
Additional Information
Domestication
Being a type of undead connected to Negative Energy plane, wraiths acted as servants of the deities Jergal, Kiaransalee, and the Chultan demigod Eshowdow.
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Usage
Some were known to use the dust left behind by destroyed wraiths as a material component for the spell wraithform. This wraith residue was a shadowy ichor, sometimes used in creation of magic items, and sold for over 370 gold coins per a single pouch.Harvesting
Instructions
Instructions: Because this creature is an Undead, the player should roll a Arcana Check using the DCs in the table below. On a success, the player is able to harvest the item. On a failure, the item cannot be harvested (either because the character is not skilled enough, or because the item is ruined). The DM should note that many of the items have an expiration, and can not be sold or used after the expiration has passed.
| DC | Item | Description | Value | Weight | Expiration | Crafting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Wraith Dust | When a wraith is killed, its form disperses into a fine mist, often scattering tiny motes of dust. The dust is difficult to see, but resonates with dark necrotic energy. Spellcasters, especially necromancers, can use the dust in spells and rituals. The dust is also a useful alchemical ingredient. | 85 gp | 1 lb. | ∞s | - |
This kind of creature does not normally carry treasure. This kind of creature does not normally have or collect treasure. However, the creature may have a lair full of bodies, or reside somewhere that treasure already exists.
This creature produces no Harvested Meat. The meat of an undead creature, if any still exists, is decayed, rotten and often riddled with disease. Eating the meat can cause serious illness, and even death. Dungeon Master's discretion.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Abilities
Wraiths became far weaker when under the exposure of full sunlight. Like many undead, wraiths possessed a chilling touch. However, these beings were most similar in nature to the undead known as wights. Both could drain creatures of their life energy and could only be harmed by either silver or enchanted weaponry.Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms
Variants
Moon Wraiths
a crescent-shaped wraith that arose from lycanthropes who had died while in the midst of transforming.[10] They used hit-and-run tactics, flying through their enemies in a crescent arc as often as they could. They were more powerful when under the light of the moon or stars.Wisp Wraiths
a type of wraith that resulted from humanoids killed by a wraith failing to form correctly into a true wraith. These were weaker than other types of wraith. They typically crowded around their opponents, using their necrotic powers to slow them down.Civilization and Culture
History
In 1479 DR, wraiths, moon wraiths, and wisp wraiths could be found in the company of Shadovar.
Historical Figures
[aloud]
Notable Wraiths
Brysis
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
Being a type of undead connected to Negative Energy plane, wraiths acted as servants of the deities Jergal, Kiaransalee, and the Chultan demigod Eshowdow.
Sources
Source(s):
- Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Christopher Perkins (2014-09-30). Monster Manual 5th edition. Edited by Scott Fitzgerald Gray. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 302. ISBN 978-0786965614.
- Mike Mearls, Stephen Schubert, James Wyatt (June 2008). Monster Manual 4th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 266. ISBN 978-0-7869-4852-9.
- Skip Williams, Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook (July 2003). Monster Manual v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 257–258. ISBN 0-7869-2893-X.
- Doug Stewart (June 1993). Monstrous Manual. (TSR, Inc), p. 365. ISBN 1-5607-6619-0.
- Gary Gygax (December 1977). Monster Manual, 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 102. ISBN 0-935696-00-8.
- Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
- Jean Rabe (December 1991). Red Magic. (TSR, Inc.), p. 231. ISBN 1-56076-118-0.
- Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 12. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
- Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 113. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
- Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, Brian R. James (January 2009). Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 193. ISBN 0786950692.
- Bruce R. Cordell, Eytan Bernstein, Brian R. James (January 2009). Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 192. ISBN 0786950692.
- William W. Connors (1996). Monstrous Compendium - Ravenloft Appendices I & II. (TSR, Inc.), p. 70. ISBN 0786903929.
- Kirk Botulla, Shane Hensley, Nicky Rea, Teeuwynn Woodruff (1994). Ravenloft Monstrous Compendium Appendix III: Creatures of Darkness. Edited by William W. Connors. (TSR, Inc.), p. 8. ISBN 1-56076-914-9.
- Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 32. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 24. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 81. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- Vince Garcia (July 1989). “Variety, the Spice of Magic”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #147 (TSR, Inc.), p. 25.
- Ossian Studios (April 2009). Designed by Luke Scull. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate. Atari.
- Christopher Perkins, Adam Lee, Richard Whitters (September 1, 2015). Out of the Abyss. Edited by Jeremy Crawford. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 37–38. ISBN 978-0-7869-6581-6.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Scientific Name
Exnihilia, Inmortui, Exspiravit, irae, Wraith
Origin/Ancestry
Undead (Incorporeal Wraith)
Lifespan
Undead
Conservation Status
None. Most civilized nations outlaw such necromancy and request a "kill on sight" to all such undead.
Average Height
6'
Average Weight
Incorpreal
Geographic Distribution
Related Ethnicities
5E Statistics
Wraith
| Size | Medium |
| Type | Undead |
| Alignment | Neutral Evil |
| Challenge Rating | 5 |
General Information
| Movement | Flying |
| Vision | Darkvision |
| Homeland(s) | Prime Material Plane Shadowfell Negative Energy plane Formerly: The Plane of Shadow |
| Language(s) | Varies |
| Favored climate | Any | Favored terrain | Any |
Appearance
| Distinctions | Intangible, can spawn specters, immune to negative energy |
See Also: Wraith on Forgotten Realms Wiki