Anguisher

Medium aberration, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 65 (10d8 + 20)
Speed 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (–1)	14 (+2)	15 (+2)	8 (–1)	10 (+0)	17 (+3)

Skills Insight +2, Perception +2, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands all languages but can’t speak, telepathy 60 ft.
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Amorphous. The anguisher can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.
• Continued Suffering. A creature that has an Intelligence score of 4 or higher and dies from an anguisher’s attacks spawns a new anguisher in 3 days. Any effect that prevents the body from becoming undead also prevents the emergence of the new anguisher.
• Frightening Advantage. The anguisher has advantage on attack rolls against creatures that are frightened. Against such targets, the anguisher scores a critical hit on a roll of 18 to 20.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The anguisher uses anguish twice.
• Anguish. Melee or Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) psychic damage, and the target is frightened of the anguisher and must use its reaction to move its speed away by the safest possible route. Movement used during this reaction can’t be used during the target’s turn.
• Harrow (Recharge 6). Each creature of the anguisher’s choice within 60 feet and aware of the anguisher must make a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 17 (5d6) psychic damage and becomes frightened for 1 minute. If the save succeeds, the creature takes half the damage and isn’t frightened. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the condition on itself on a success.
• Invisibility. The anguisher magically turns invisible until it attacks or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).

ABOUT

Aberrant Torment. Mental suffering can last far longer than physical damage. Psychic energy from those who die in extreme anguish might open a portal, allowing consciousness from beyond the veil to meld with psychic residue.

Old Wounds. The touch or aura of an anguisher calls old wounds and tormentors to mind. The creature uses invisibility and stealth to lurk around potential victims, slowly draining them of life through this recalled suffering.

• DC 10 Intelligence (History): Anguishers are semisolid horrors from beyond reality.
• DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana): An anguisher shares many traits and immunities with semicorporeal undead, such as shadows. If an anguisher slays a sapient creature, a new anguisher emerges into the world near the corpse 3 days later.
• DC 15 Intelligence (Religion): Effects that prevent a corpse from becoming undead can also prevent it from bearing a new anguisher.