Welcome back for the 13th #dungeon23-inspired monster! This week’s theme is “time,” and appropriate to unlucky number 13, I’ve got this year’s first undead offering for you. This wraith doesn’t steal life energy, instead chomping away at temporal energy.
I hope you enjoy the temporal wraith, and I’ll see you again next week!
This ghostly humanoid figure has a purple glow and moves in a jerky manner, as if randomly stopping and starting.
Temporal Wraith CR 10
XP 9,600
CE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +19
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 20, flat-footed 13 (+4 deflection, +7 Dex, –1 penalty)
hp 119 (14d8+56)
Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +13
Defensive Abilities dampen momentum, incorporeal; Immune temporal magic, undead traits
Weaknesses torpor
OFFENSE
Speed fly 20 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal touch +17 (4d8 negative energy plus temporal drain)
Special Attacks create spawn
STATISTICS
Str —, Dex 25, Con —, Int12, Wis 15, Cha 19
Base Atk +10; CMB +16; CMD 30
Feats Blind-Fight, Flyby Attack, Iron Will, Lunge, Skill Focus (Knowledge [arcana], Spellcraft), Weapon Focus (incorporeal touch)
Skills Fly +32, Knowledge (arcana) +24, Perception +19, Spellcraft +24, Stealth +24
Languages Common
SQ absorb temporal spell
ECOLOGY
Environment any land
Organization solitary
Treasure none
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Absorb Temporal Spell (Su) If a temporal wraith identifies a temporal spell (haste, slow, temporal stasis, etc.), it can use an immediate action to make a check (1d20 + the wraith’s Hit Dice) against the spell (DC = 11 + the spell’s caster level). If successful, the spell is countered, and the wraith gains temporary hit points equal to the twice the spell level and gains the benefit of haste for 1 minute.
Create Spawn (Su) A humanoid slain by a temporal wraith while affected by its temporal drain becomes a temporal wraith in 1d4 rounds. These spawn are less powerful than typical wraiths, and suffer a –2 penalty on all d20 rolls and checks, receive –2 hp per HD, and dealing 2d8 points of negative energy damage with their incorporeal touch.
Dampen Momentum (Su) As a standard action, a fully hasted temporal wraith can return to its default state and create a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the wraith that reduces momentum for the time remaining on the hasted effect. Creatures in this area move at half their speed, melee attacks have a –2 penalty, ranged attacks have a –4 penalty, and weapon damage is treated as if the weapon were two sizes smaller. If the wraith breaks its torpor again, this effect ends at the end of the wraith’s next turn.
Temporal Drain (Su) Creatures hit by a temporal wraith’s incorporeal touch attack must succeed on a DC 21 Fortitude save or lose their temporal energy. A creature that fails its saving throw becomes staggered for 1d4+1 rounds, while a staggered creature that fails its save is paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, becoming staggered for the remaining duration on a success. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Additionally, when a creature fails its saving throw, the temporal wraith’s torpor is negated for 1d4 rounds, as if the wraith received a haste spell. If the creature was staggered when it failed its save, the wraith gains the full benefits of haste for 1 minute. These durations stack.
Torpor (Su) In its default state, a temporal wraith is treated as if affected by the slow spell.
When a temporal wraith has negated its torpor, its statistics are AC 21, touch 21, flat-footed 14; Ref +11; Speed fly 40 ft. (perfect); Melee incorporeal touch +18 (4d8 negative energy plus temporal drain); CMB +17; CMD 31. The wraith also becomes more corporeal. It takes half damage from nonmagical attack forms, and it takes 75% damage from a spell or magic weapon from a corporeal source. Corporeal spells and effects that do not cause damage have a 75% chance of affecting the wraith.
When a temporal wraith is hasted its statistics are AC22, touch 22, flat-footed 14; Ref +12; Speed fly 70 ft. (perfect); Melee incorporeal touch +18 (4d8 negative energy plus temporal drain); CMB+18; CMD 32. It also retains its partial corporeality as above.
Temporal wraiths are time-lost souls who died while shunted away from their base timeline or negatively affected by time-based spells, such as slow. These hateful creatures become mired in the flow of time and must constantly absorb temporal energy from living creatures to return to the normal flow. They have no concern for the creatures they slow down and eventually stop, often creating new temporal wraiths as they unmoor their victims from time.
Undead hunters knowledgeable about these foul wraiths keep their distance from the wraiths and take advantage of the undead creatures’ relative torpor. Once a temporal wraith begins to siphon time from its prey, it becomes incredibly dangerous.
TEMPORAL WRAITH CREATURE 10
CE Medium Incorporeal Undead Wraith
Perception +19; darkvision, lifesense 60 feet
Languages Common
Skills Acrobatics +17, Arcana +19, Stealth +22
Str –2, Dex +7, Con +0, Int +1, Wis +3, Cha +5
Lifesense (arcane, divination) Temporal wraiths sense the vital essence of living and undead creatures within the list range.
AC 30; Fort +14, Ref +19, Will +22
HP 152, negative healing; Immunities death effects, disease, paralyzed, poison, precision, temporal effects, unconscious; Resistances all 10 (except force, ghost touch, or positive; double resistance vs non-magical
Absorb Temporal Spell (abjuration, arcane) [reaction] Trigger A creature casts a temporal spell. Requirements The temporal wraith identifies the spell. Effect The wraith attempts to counteract the triggering spell. If successful, the wraith breaks its Torpor and gains the quickened condition for 1 minute. It can use the extra action each round only for Strike and Stride actions.
Torpor The temporal wraith is slowed 1 until it breaks its torpor. If it breaks its torpor, its resistance is reduced to 5, and it no longer has double resistance to non-magical damage.
Speed fly 40 feet
Melee [one-action] spectral hand +23 (finesse), Damage 2d10+10 negative plus Drain Temporaility
Dampen Momentum (arcane, transmutation) [two-actions] Requirements The temporal wraith has the quickened condition. Effect The wraith resumes its Torpor, and it creates a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on itself for a duration equal to the amount of time remaining for its quickened condition. Creatures in this area take a –10-foot status penalty to all Speeds. Weapon attacks and damage against creatures in the area take a –2 status penalty. If the wraith breaks its Torpor again, the effect ends at the end of its next turn.
Drain Temporality (arcane, transmutation) A creature struck by the temporal wraith’s spectral hand Strike must succeed at a DC 29 Fortitude saving throw or become slowed 1 for 1 minute (slowed 2 on a critical failure). Further damage dealt by the wraith increases the slowed value by 1 on a failed save (2 on a critical failure). If the slowed value increases to 3 or more, the target is paralyzed for 1 minute. A paralyzed creature can attempt a new save at the end of each of its turns, becoming slowed 2 on a success (slowed 1 on a critical success) for the remaining duration.
If the temporal wraith slows a creature with this effect, it breaks its Torpor for 1d4 rounds. If the wraith paralyzes a creature with this effect, it breaks its Torpor and gains the quickened condition for 1 minute. It can use the extra action each round only for Strike and Stride actions.
Wraith Spawn (arcane, necromancy) A living humanoid slain by a temporal wraith rises as a temporal wraith spawn after 1d4 rounds. This wraith spawn is under the command of the temporal wraith that killed it, it doesn’t have Drain Temporality or Wraith Spawn and becomes clumsy 2 for as long as it is a wraith spawn. If the creator of the wraith spawn dies, the wraith spawn becomes a full-fledged, autonomous temporal wraith; it regains its free will, gains Drain Temporality and Wraith Spawn, and is no longer clumsy.
Temporal Wraith
Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil
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Armor Class 15
Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)
Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)
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STR 6 (–2), DEX 25 (+7), CON 16 (+3), INT 12 (+1), WIS 15 (+2), CHA 19 (+4)
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Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +6, Cha +8
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +4
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Incorporeal Movement. The temporal wraith 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.
Torpor. The temporal wraith starts combat as if affected by the slow spell, and its current statistics reflect this effect. If the wraith breaks its torpor, its AC increases to 17, its flying speed increases to 40 ft., its Dexterity saving throw improves to +7, it can use both actions and bonus actions on its turn, and it can use reactions.
Undead Nature. The temporal wraith doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
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Actions
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Time-Draining Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be affected by the slow spell for 1 minute, which also breaks the wraith’s torpor for 2 (1d4) rounds. If the creature is already slowed and it fails its Constitution saving throw, it is instead paralyzed for 1 minute, and the wraith gains the benefits of the haste spell for 1 minute. An affected creature can make another Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a successful save, the effect ends for a slowed creature, or is reduced to a slow effect for a paralyzed creature.
Create Wraith. The temporal wraith targets a Humanoid within 10 feet of it that has been dead for no longer than 1 minute and died while affected by its Time-Draining Touch. The target’s spirit rises as an ordinary wraith in the space of its corpse or in the nearest unoccupied space. The wraith is under the temporal wraith’s control. The temporal wraith can have no more than seven wraiths under its control at one time.
Dampen Momentum. If the temporal wraith is fully hasted, it can return to its torpor and create a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on it for the remainder of the duration it was hasted. Creatures in the area move at half their speed, weapon attacks have disadvantage, and weapon damage is reduced by 2 (1d4). If the wraith breaks its torpor again, this effect ends at the end of the wraith’s next turn.
Mythopoeic Rambling 