UNSPEAKABLE HORRORS Untold, half-formed evils lurk amid the Mists, the yet-to-be-realized imaginings of the Dark Powers and the remnants of ruined domains. While such nightmares typically manifest as nothing more than impressions, whispers, or vaporous visions amid the fog, mysterious eddies in the Mists sometimes gather such evils, forcing them into unique, misshapen bodies untethered from the laws of reason or reality. Such unspeakable horrors might continue to haunt the misty netherworld between the Domains of Dread, or they might slink forth into other realms to slake unnameable hungers. CUSTOMIZING A HORROR An unspeakable horror has one of four body compositions, determined by rolling on the Body Composition table. You can roll on the Limbs to customize it further, while results from the Hex Blast table replace that action in the stat block. If the results of multiple tables conflict, chose your preferred result. The results of these tables are meant to be broad, so feel free to describe the details of an unspeakable horror's form and the interplay between its parts however you desire. The more discordant and unexpected a horror's parts, the more unsettling it might be. MIST HORRORS Some who wander into the Land of the Mists seek to stay hidden in the haze. They might even wish to dwell amid the endless fog, finding it preferable to horrors elsewhere. But the Mists drifting between the Domains of Dread are far from safe-or empty. Mist horrors are bodiless spirits of dread, entities given form by the fears of those they encounter. Mist horrors use the unspeakable horror stat block with the Malleable Mass body option, which makes them appear to be composed of living mist. Further details of a mist horror's appearance are drawn from the fears of those within 100 feet of it. This might cause a mist horror to take on a form that combines multiple fears when it encounters a group, like a wolf with snakes for eyes or a drowned giant that resembles an estranged parent. Mist horrors can't persist for long outside the Mists: after ld4 rounds outside the Mists, they lose cohesion and collapse back into harmless vapor. 250 CHAPTER 5 I MONSTERS OF RAVENLOFT BO DY CO M POSITI ON d4 Body Aberrant Armor. The horror's body is armored in petrified wood, alien crystal, rusted mechanisms, sculpted stone, or an exoskeleton. 2 Loathsome Limbs. The horror's body boasts spiderl ike legs, many-jointed appendages, or thrashing tentacles. 3 Malleable Mass. The h orror's body is composed of a clot of boneless Aesh, shadowy tendrils, or mist. 4 Oozing Organs. The h orror's body boasts exposed entrails, bloated parasites, or a gelati nous shroud, perhaps because it is inside out. UNSPEAKABLE HORROR Huge Monstrosity Armor Class 15 (natural armor), 17 (Aberrant Armor only) Hit Points 95 (lOdlO + 40) Speed 40 ft. STR 21 (+5) DEX 13 (+l) CON 19 (+4) Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +5 Skills Perception +5 INT 3 (-4) WIS 14 (+2) Condition Immunities petrified (Aberrant Armor only) Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages - CHA 17 (+3) Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 Formed by the Mists. When created, the horror's body composition takes one of four forms: Aberrant Armor, Loathsome Limbs, Malleable Mass, or Oozing Organs. This form determines certain traits in this stat block. Amorphous (Malleable Mass Only). The horror can move through any open ing at least l inch wide without sq ueezing. Bile Body (Oozing Organs Only). Any creature that touches the horror or hits it with a melee attack takes 5 (ldlO) acid damage. Relentless Stride (Loathsome Limbs Only). The horror can move through the space of another creature. The first time on a turn that the horror enters a creature's space during this move, the creature must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. ACTI ONS Multiattack. The horror makes two Limbs attacks. Limbs. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3dl0 + 5) bludgeoning damage. Hex Blast (Recharge 5-6). The horror expels necrotic energy in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving th row, taking 45 (7dl2) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
HEX BLAST d4 Hex Beguiling Hex (Recharge 5-6). The horror expels a wave of mi nd-altering magic. Each creature within 30 feet of the horror must make a DC 15 Wisdom savi ng th row, taking 33 (6dl 0) psychic damage and being incapacitated u ntil the end of the creature's next turn on a failed save, or taking half as much damage on a successful one. 2 Bile Hex (Recharge 5-6). The horror expels acidic bile in a 60-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be covered in bile. A creature covered in bile takes 31 (7d8) acid damage at the start of each of its turns until it or another creature uses its action to scrape or wash off the bile that covers it. 3 4 Petrifying Hex (Recharge 5-6). The horror expels petrifying gas in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution savi ng throw or take 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and be restrained as it begi ns to turn to stone. A restrained creature must repeat the saving throw at the end of its next turn. On a success, the effeet ends on the target. On a failure, the target is petrified u ntil freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. Reality-Stealing Hex (Recharge 5-6). The horror expels a wave of perception-distorting energy. Each creature with in 30 feet of the horror must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving th row. On a failed save, the target takes 22 (5d8) psychic damage and is deafened u ntil the end of its next turn. If the saving throw fails by 5 or more, the target is also bli nded u ntil the end of its next turn. LIMBS d4 Attack 2 3 4 Bone Blade. The horror's limb ends in a blade made of bone, which deals slashing damage instead of bludgeoning damage. In addition, it scores a critical hit on a roll ofl9 or 20 and rolls the damage dice of a crit three times, instead of twice. Corrosive Pseudopod. The horror's limb attack deals an extra 9 (2d8) acid damage. Grasping Tentacle. The horror's limb is a grasping tentacle. When the horror hits a creature with this limb, the creature is also grappled (escape DC 1 6). The limb can have only one creature grappled at a time. Poisonous Limb. The horror's limb deals piercing damage instead of bludgeoning damage. In addition, when the horror hits a creature with this limb, the creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) poison damage and be poisoned until the end of its next turn. CHAPTER 5 I MONSTERS OF RAVENLOFT 2$1
VAMPIRIC MIND FLAYER When the mind flayers of Bluetspur (see chapter 3) could find no cure for their overlord's affliction, their degenerating elder brain turned to radical methods to stave off dementia and death. The results were vampiric mind flayers, feral atrocities spawned from mind flayer tadpoles infected with vampirism. These specialized but flawed terrors serve a single purpose: to drain the cerebral fluids from sapient minds. After doing so, they return to the Elder Brain of Bluetspur, which liquefies them into its pool and releases their stolen essences amid a hormone brine. This grotesque balm stalls the elder brain's degeneration but is far from a cure. Vampiric mind flayers are physically and mentally unstable beings. Ghoulish creatures, they let nothing stand between them and their existential imperatives. Although they possess the telepathic abilities of mind flayers, their brains aren't equipped to employ them. Instead, they bombard nearby creatures with a mental static of visceral visions. While these ravenous creatures are horrifying to behold, they unsettle none more than other mind flayers, which consider them abominations. < VAMPIRIC MIND FLAYER Medium Undead Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 85 (10d8 + 40) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR 18 (+4) DEX 18 (+4) CON 18 (+4) I NT 5 (-3) WIS 15 (+2) Saving Throws Dex +7, I nt +O, Wis +5, Cha +7 Skills Perception +5, Stealth +7 Damage Resistances necrotic, psychic CHA 18 (+4) Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened Senses darkvision 1 20 ft., passive Perception 15 Languages telepathy 1 20 ft. but can only project emotions Challenge 5 (1 ,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 Spider Climb. The mind flayer can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceil ings, without needing to make an ability check. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunl ight, the mind flayer has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Unusual Nature. The mind flayer doesn't require air, food, or sleep. 2$2 C HAPTER 5 I MONSTERS O.F RAVENLOFT ACTI ONS Multiattack. The mind flayer makes two Claw attacks or one Claw attack and one Tentacles attack. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (ld8 + 4) slashing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (ld6 + 4) piercing damage, and if the target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 1 5). Drink Sapience. The mind flayer targets one creature it is grappling. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving th row or take 14 (4d6) psychic damage and gain 1 level of exhaustion. The mind flayer regains a number of hit points equal to the psychic damage dealt. A creature reduced to 0 hit points by the psychic damage dies. BONUS ACTIONS Disrupt Psyche (Recharge 5-6). The mind flayer magically emits psionic energy in a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on itself. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Intell igence saving th row or be incapacitated for 1 minute. The incapacitated creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
WERERAVEN Wereravens are secretive, cautious lycanthropes that seek to blend into society and subtly oppose evil. As avowed foes of malevolent beings, wereravens are stalked by wicked forces. Knowing this, wereravens rarely reveal their hybrid forms. Nevertheless, folktales tell of eerie, raven-winged figures who appear prior to disasters and share mysterious prophecies. Such stories are true, in a way, as where wereravens tread, evil pursues. Wereraven employ light weapons to avoid spreading their curse to those who would abuse it. WERERAVEN LYCANTHROPY The lycanthropes entry in the Monster Manual has rules for characters afflicted with different forms of lycanthropy. The following text applies to wereraven characters specifically. A character cursed with wereraven lycanthropy gains a Dexterity of 15 if their score isn't already higher. Attack and damage rolls for the wereraven's beak are based on whichever is higher of the character's Strength and Dexterity. The peck of a wereraven deals 1 piercing damage in raven form (no ability modifier applies to this damage), or ld4 piercing damage in hybrid form (the character's ability modifier applies to this damage). This attack carries the curse of wereraven lycanthropy. WERERAVEN Medium Humanoid (Human, Shapechanger) Armor Class 12 Hit Points 31 (7d8) Speed 30 ft. in humanoid form; 10 ft .. fly SO ft. in raven form; 30 ft., fly SO ft. in hybrid form STR 10 (+O) DEX lS (+2) CON 11 (+O) Skills Insight +4, Perception +6 Senses passive Perception 16 I NT 13 (+1) WIS lS (+2) Languages Common (can't speak in raven form) CHA 14 (+2) Challenge 2 (4SO XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Mimicry. The wereraven can mimic simple sounds it has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal chattering. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Insight) check. Regeneration. The wereraven regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the wereraven takes damage from a si lvered weapon or a spell, this trait doesn't fu nction at the start of the wereraven's next turn. The wereraven dies only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate. ACTIONS $-· I Multiattack (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). The wereraven makes two weapon attacks, one of which can be with its hand crossbow. Beak (Raven or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach S ft., one target. Hit: l piercing damage in raven form, or 4 (1 d4 + 2) piercing damage in hybrid form. If the target is a humanoid, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with wereraven lycanth ropy. Shortsword (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach S ft .. one target. Hit: S (ld6 + 2) piercing damage. Hand Crossbow (Humanoid or Hybrid Form Only). Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 30/120 ft .. one target. Hit: S (ld6 + 2) piercing damage. Change Shape. The wereraven polymorphs into a ravenhumanoid hybrid or into a Tiny raven, or back into its humanoid form. Its statistics, other than its size and speed, are the same in each form. Any equipment it is wearing or carrying isn't transformed. It reverts to its humanoid form ifit dies. CHAPTER 5 I MONSTERS OF R AVENLOFT 253
ZOMBIES Among the undead, a lone zombie ranks far from the most menacing. The horror of the shambling dead lies not in their individual menace, though, but their numbers, their persistence, and their disregard for their own well-being. A throng of zombies will douse a forest fire with their own ashes or march into a dragon's maw until the monster chokes. In the course of their relentless marches, zombies might suffer all manner of trauma, potentially reducing .... .. . 0:::::: SWARM OF ZOMBIE LIMBS Medium Swarm of Tiny Undead Armor Class 10 Hit Points 22 (5d8) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft. STR 14 (+2) DEX 10 (+O) CON 10 (+O) INT 3 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Damage Immunities poison CHA 5 (-3) Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned Senses bli ndsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 9 Languages - Challenge 1 (200 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large 2 54 CHAPTER 5 I MONSTERS OF RAVENLOFT them to masses of crawling limbs (see the swarm of zombie limbs stat block), infecting them with terrible diseases (see the zombie plague spreader stat block), or crushing an entire horde into a single, rotting titan (see the zombie clot stat block). Sbi:tf' r WC.2£ i f: :e c .. t•Ai6> enough for a Tiny limb. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points. Unusual Nature. The swarm doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. ACTI ONS Multiattack. The swarm makes one Undead Mass attack and one Grasping Limbs attack. Undead Mass. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm's space. Hit: 5 (ld6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (ld4 + 2) bludgeoning damage if the swarm has half ..., of its hit points or fewer. Grasping Limbs. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm's space. Hit: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, and the creature must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be restrained. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, taking 7 (2d6) necrotic damage on a failed save. The creature is freed if it succeeds on this saving throw, the swarm moves out of the creature's space, or the swarm dies.
ZOMBIE APOCALYPSES Among the types of horror adventures detailed in chapter 2, tales of uncontrolled zombie outbreaks orbit the dark fantasy and disaster horror genres. The horror of these adventures focuses not on the terror of a single zombie, but of countless individual threats overwhelming society. When creating your own undead calamities, consider the plots presented on the Zombie Apocalypses table. ZOMBIE CLOT Huge Undead Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 104 (lldl2 + 33) Speed 40 ft. STR 20 (+5) DEX 10 (+O) CON 16 (+3) Saving Throws Con +6 Damage Immunities poison INT 3 (-4) WIS 8 (-1) CHA 10 (+O) Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, stunned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3 Deathly Stench. Any creature that starts its turn with in 10 feet of the zombie must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or take 9 (2d8) poison damage and be poisoned until the start of the creature's next turn. ZO M B IE APOCALYPSES d4 Zombie Plot A twisted wish causes those affected by healing magic and potions of healing to rise as zombies. 2 Overwhelming magic reanimates zombies again and again as swarms of zombie limbs. 3 The githyan ki unleash zombie plague spreaders to scour mind flayers from a world. 4 The seals containing an u nderground zombie horde fail, releasing ancient zombie clots. s SS- ); �t -'$4 I Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution savi ng th row with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to l hit point instead. Unusual Nature. The zombie doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep. ACTI ONS Multiattack. The zombie makes two Slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage. Flesh Entomb (Recharge 5-6). The zombie flings a detached clump of corpses at a creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Strength savi ng throw or take 16 (3dl0) bl udgeon ing damage, and ifthe target is a Large or smaller creature, it becomes entombed in dead flesh. A creature entombed in the dead flesh is restrained, has total cover against attacks and other effects outside the dead flesh, and takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns. The creature can be freed if the dead flesh is destroyed. The dead flesh is a Large object with AC 10, 25 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. : _ :::: ::z: :: . :: s :: :::::::-:: �·: ::�::: : : ::: ::: :: : :�: ZOMBIE PLAGUE SPREADER Medium Undead Armor Class l 0 Hit Points 78 (12d8 + 24) Speed 30 ft. STR 16 (+3) DEX 10 (+O) CON 15 (+2) Damage Resistances necrotic Damage Immunities poison INT 3 (-4) WIS 5 (-3) Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 7 CHA 5 (-3) Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 4 (l,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2 Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the plague spreader to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving th row with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the plague spreader drops to l hit point instead. a::::: Unusual Nature. The plague spreader doesn't req uire air, food, drink, or sleep. Viral Aura. Any creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the plague spreader must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a fai led save, the creature is poisoned and can't regain hit points until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this plague spreader's Viral Aura for 24 hours. ACTIONS Multiattack. The plague spreader makes two Slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (ld6 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 9 (2d8) ne· erotic damage. Virulent Miasma (1/Day). The plague spreader releases toxic gas in a 30-foot-radius sphere centered on itself. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A Humanoid reduced to 0 hit points by this damage dies and rises as a zombie (see its stat block in the Monster Manual) l min ute later. The zombie acts immediately after the plague spreader in the in itiative count. G£;;-....I C HAPTER 5 I MONSTERS OF RAVENLOFT 255
APPENDIX: SPIRIT BOARD Employed by the spiritualists known as the Keepers of the Feather (see chapter 3), spirit boards are the focal points of seances and attempts to contact worlds beyond. Spirit board users rely on the collective will of those who assemble around the board 256 APPENDIX I SPIRIT BOARD and join hands upon its planchette to commune with mysterious forces. This spirit board's matching planchette and details on how to employ it appear in chapter 4. Photocopy both the spirit board and planchette then apply them to wood or cardboard to create a mysterious prop for use in your horror adventures. LU (/) ::i __J <( z 0 (/) Cl'.:'. LU a.. Cl'.:'. 0 LL. LU lJ g: (/) I f- >a.. 0 u 2 0 I a.. 0 f0 UJ fz <( Ck'. lJ (/) z 0 � Cl'.:'. '"" a..
©2021WIZARDS VANRICHTEN’SGUIDETORAVENLOFT:SPIRITBOARDANDPLANCHETTE Thisspiritboardandplanchettecanserveaspropsinyouratmosphericadventures. Printoutboth,thenapplyeachtoarigidbacking.Oncetheplayersassemblearoundthe boardandeachplaceahandupontheplanchette,waitforthespirits(ortheDM)to maketheirmessagesknownbyguidingtheplanchettetolettersormysterioussymbols. SpiritboardsandplanchettesaredetailedfurtherinVanRichten’sGuidetoRavenloft.