Corpselight Moth

Large beast, unaligned

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 136 (16d10 + 48)
Speed 15 ft., climb 15 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
16 (+3)	19 (+4)	16 (+3)	2 (–4)	12 (+1)	8 (–1)

Skills Perception +4, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities radiant
Senses tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Downdraft. While the moth is flying, the area within 10 feet of it is difficult terrain.
• Glow. The moth casts light from its abdomen, shedding bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional 20 feet.
• Keen Smell. The moth has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
• Necrotic Dampening. Each friendly creature within 30 feet of the moth has resistance to necrotic damage.
• Spider Climb. The moth can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The corpselight moth makes two Proboscis attacks.
• Proboscis. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) radiant damage.
• Radiant Wind (Recharge 4–6). The corpselight moth flaps its wings, releasing magical wind in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 21 (6d6) radiant damage and is flung up 15 feet away from the moth in a direction following the cone and forced prone. If a thrown target strikes an object, such as a wall or floor, the target takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it was thrown. If the target is thrown into another creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage and be forced prone. If the saving throw is successful, the target takes half the radiant damage and isn’t flung away or forced prone.

ABOUT

The giant moth has pale fur and wings, its body luminescing as if with moonlight. Black and gray patterns decorate its wings and body, and the fur on its thorax forms the subtle outline of a skull.

Corpselight moths were bred over centuries by Mother Moth as favored pets and mounts for her subjects.

Mother’s Servants. Mother Moth adores her corpselight moths, and she attends to them daily, cleansing them of the necrotic energy that naturally accumulates within them. Mother Moth is the only one who knows the secrets of this process, ensuring no rivals are able steal her moths. Those who do often end up prey to the moths’ transformation (see the Midden Moth sidebar).

Glowing Corpses. Corpselight moths lay one egg at a time in a rotting corpse, which the grub uses for food. Never leaving its corpse home, the grub eventually cocoons within the rotting flesh. Soon thereafter, it begins to glow and emerges as an adult moth. The adult moth subsists on the nectar from various nightblooming flowers, feasting on blood or corpses again only if it transforms into a midden moth.

Variant

If the necrotic energy that accumulates in a corpselight moth isn’t removed, the moth eventually transforms into a midden moth. Where the corpselight moth is like moonlight, the midden moth is like a moonless night.

A midden moth uses the statistics here, except it has resistance to radiant damage and immunity to necrotic damage, and it deals necrotic damage instead of radiant damage. It has the following trait in place of the Glow trait:

• Gloom. A gloom extends from the midden moth’s abdomen. Bright light within 40 feet of the midden moth becomes dim light, and dim light in the area becomes darkness.