Duppy

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 84 (13d8+26)
Speed fly 40 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	22 (+6)	14 (+2)	13 (+1)	15 (+2)	19 (+4)

Saving Throws Cha +7, Dex +9
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Skills Intimidation +10, Stealth +12
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Special Traits

• Innate Spellcasting. A duppy’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • 1/day each: faithful hound (+8 to hit), invisibility
• Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the duppy has disadvantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws.

Actions

• Strength Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 45 (7d12) necrotic damage. The target’s strength score is reduced by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest.

About

A duppy is the spirit of a cruel and brutal sailor who died by violence on land, away from his ship and crew, and thus was unable to receive a proper burial at sea.

Hounded in death. While its ghostly form is evidence enough of its twisted hatred, a duppy also possesses power over a pack of faithful, otherworldly hounds that share in their master’s malevolence. The appearance of a duppy is often preceded by the distant sound of unearthly howling.

Duppies typically seek out sailors and pirates when exacting their vengeance, inflicting great violence on those living creatures who remind them of what they lost. For this reason, duppies are most often found in seaside towns or nearby beaches, and settlements that rely on the ocean know to fear and hate these spectral beings.

Dead man’s chest. Some tales claim that duppies arise near the treasures they buried while they were still alive, and ambitious sailors who buy into these stories might attempt to capture a duppy. However, few creatures can muster powers strong enough to cage a duppy, whose hounds confound enemies and allow the ghostly monster to attack victims from all sides. Those who do manage to trick a duppy into a magical trap are wise to keep the horror confined until the daytime, when its otherworldly abilities are hindered and it can be more easily defeated.