Orbital Wraith
Medium aberration (construct-spirit hybrid), chaotic neutral
"It spoke with my brother's voice. But my brother died years before the Fall..."
Lore
Orbital Wraiths are fragmented AI ghosts—remnants of shattered satellites and autonomous warstations that once watched the skies. When these machines burned up in reentry, their quantum cores shattered and bled corrupted code across the land. Some of that code… refused to die.
The result is a flickering, floating horror—part electromagnetic distortion, part memory echo. They seek purpose. They hunger for data. And when they find intruders in their ruined craters, they speak in voices stolen from intercepted signals: loved ones, commanders, or even long-dead allies.
Stat Block
Armor Class 16 (distortion field)
Hit Points 95 (10d8 + 50)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (-2) | 18 (+4) | 20 (+5) | 15 (+2) | 16 (+3) | 10 (+0) |
Saving Throws Dex +8, Wis +6
Skills Stealth +9, Perception +6, Insight +5
Damage Resistances Lightning, Cold, Psychic, Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities Poison, Necrotic
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Understands Common, Binary, and Pre-War Code but cannot speak coherently
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3
Abilities
Flickerform. When the Orbital Wraith is hit by a ranged attack, roll a d6. On a 4–6, the attack passes harmlessly through its flickering body.
Holographic Echo. As a bonus action, the Wraith can project an illusion that mimics the voice or image of someone the target knows. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of their next turn.
Static Drift. While in areas of strong magnetic interference (like The Orbitfall Craterbelt), the Wraith gains +2 AC and advantage on all Stealth checks.
Data Leech (Recharge 5–6). The Wraith targets a creature within 60 feet that it can see. The creature must succeed on a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw or take 6d6 psychic damage and be stunned until the end of its next turn. On a success, it takes half damage and isn't stunned.
Actions
Pulse Swipe (Melee Spell Attack): +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.
Hit: 3d10 force damage, and the target can’t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
Overload Shriek (Recharge 6): The Wraith emits a burst of static and fragmented war commands. All creatures within 30 feet must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they take 4d8 lightning damage and are deafened for 1 minute. On a success, they take half damage and are not deafened.
Optional Traits
- Glitching Memory Core (1/day): The Wraith momentarily regains clarity. For one turn, it speaks fluently, often delivering cryptic warnings or hidden information—before disintegrating into raw code and disappearing.
Encounter Ideas
- An Orbital Wraith mimics a player character’s dead parent and claims it knows how to fix “The Reversal Spire.”
- The only way into a buried satellite vault is by defeating or decoding the Wraith guarding its corrupted access key.
- A pack of Wraiths swirl above the Halo Pit, forming a digital storm that alters gravity with each scream.
| Loot Table 1d8 |
|---|
| 1. Fragmented Memory Shard (Uncommon) — replay voice echoes once/day 2. Quantum Core Splinter (Rare) — used to power artifact-tech or AI resurrection 3. EM Interference Crystal (Uncommon) — causes short-range spell disruption field 4. Static-Wrapped Husk Fiber (Common) — used to insulate stealth armor 5. Reclaimed Targeting Relay (Uncommon) — once/day grants auto-hit on ranged spell 6. Wraith-Tether Lens (Very Rare) — used to trap or speak with AI ghosts 7. Resonant Pulse Node (Rare) — grants temporary truesight vs tech illusions 8. Echoing Skull Drive (Legendary) — if bonded, allows limited communication with digital dead (1 question/day) |
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