Nemhain

Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 275 (29d8+145)
Speed fly 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
10 (+0)	28 (+9)	20 (+5)	23 (+6)	25 (+7)	29 (+9)

Saves Cha +15, Dex +15, Wis +12
Skills Deception +15, Perception +13, Persuasion +15, Stealth +15
Damage Resistances acid, fire; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 23
Languages Common; telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 19 (22,000 XP)

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Bound Spirits. The nemhain is surrounded by whirling spirits that are bound to her. Any creature that ends its turn adjacent to the nemhain must succeed a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10) necrotic damage as the spirits reach out to grasp anyone close by. Dealing radiant damage to the nemhain causes the spirits to disappear until the end of the nemhain’s next turn.
• Innate Spellcasting: The nemhain’s spell casting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 23). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
  • 3/day each: harm, telekinesis
  • 1/day each: antilife shell, wall of force
• Rejuvenation. All nemhains are tied to a ritual object at the time of their creation. The object is typically a large statue, pillar, or monolith. Until this object is destroyed, a destroyed nemhain rejuvenates at this ritual object 2 (1d4) days with all its hit points.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The nemhain makes two withering touch attacks.
• Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, 5 ft. reach, one target. Hit: 36 (5d10 + 9) necrotic damage. A creature damaged in this way is cursed and must succeed a DC 19 Charisma saving throw or take 22 (4d10) necrotic damage at the end of its next turn. A creature can only suffer one such curse at a time.
• Recall. The nemhain can return to its ritual object as per the teleport spell.
• Reprisal (3/Day). The nemhain can make a withering touch attack against all creatures within 30 feet that damaged it in the past hour.

ABOUT

A nemhain is formed when a soul deliberately assumes undead status as a means of protecting a person, object, place, or ideal. Often, a devoted priest or ally volunteers herself and her (often unwitting) kin for transformation into a nemhain in order to continue protecting her home even beyond her death. The blasphemous rituals used to create nemhains are often believed to have been lost.

While most nemhain aspirants are evil to begin with—such individuals are often members of cults worshiping deities of lost or forbidden secrets— occasionally a goodly creature considers protecting a site worthy of a corrupted, tortured existence. Such an act, however well intentioned, is destined to damn her for all eternity.