Dark Father

This towering humanoid is shrouded in a heavy cloak darker than night. Color drains from the world as it silently approaches.

Large undead, lawful neutral

Armor Class 18 (natural armor)
Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 18)
Speed 40 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 8 (-1)

Skills Stealth +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)

Special Traits

  • Death Waits. The dark father has disadvantage on melee attack rolls against any creature that has all of its hp.
  • Incorporeal Movement. The dark father 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.

About

An embodiment of the finality of death, a dark father comes for those soon to die. These vultures of the living are attracted to those lingering on the steps to the afterlife and watch over them to hasten their deaths.

Funereal Origins. Dark fathers frequent graveyards and sepulchers. A dark father may take up a dormant position among the dead, only making itself known when death knocks at a nearby creature’s door. Shadows are sometimes drawn to the presence of a dark father.

Scales of Death. Unlike more bloodthirsty undead, a dark father gives up pursuit if its target receives healing or curative effects that stave off the threat of death. However, it may linger if others are in danger of dying soon. A dark father has no quarrel with healthy creatures and avoids them. However, if attacked while waiting for a dying creature to expire, it will defend itself and even slay the attacker, if necessary.

A Shade Apart. A dark father may be found among other powerful undead since creatures are more likely to face their mortality when confronting such foes. Just as often, a lone dark father may roam far and wide, finding itself in hospitals, battlefields, and among the houses of the poor and diseased.

Undead Nature. A dark father doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Creature Codex. © 2018 Open Design LLC; Authors Wolfgang Baur, Dan Dillon, Richard Green, James Haeck, Chris Harris, Jeremy Hochhalter, James Introcaso, Chris Lockey, Shawn Merwin, and Jon Sawatsky.