Phantom Stalker

Medium undead, as its creator’s alignment

Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
19 (+4) 10 (+0) 17 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 14 (+2)

Saving Throws Str +7
Skills Athletics +7, Perception +4, Stealth +3
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages understands the languages of its creator but can’t speak
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3

SPECIAL TRAITS

  • Object of Obsession. The phantom stalker was created during a ritual involving another creature’s trinket. The owner of the trinket used in the rite is the phantom stalker’s obsession.
  • Stalking. The phantom stalker knows the direction of its obsession as long as it is on the same plane.
  • Turn Immunity. The phantom stalker is immune to effects that turn Undead.
  • Undead Resilience. The phantom stalker doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
  • Unholy Juggernaut. If the phantom stalker is reduced to 0 hit points, it rises 1d4 + 1 hours later with half its hit points restored unless its body is sprinkled with holy water.

ACTIONS

  • Multiattack. The phantom stalker makes two Hatchet attacks.
  • Hatchet. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) necrotic damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage if the target is the phantom stalker’s obsession.

BONUS ACTIONS

  • Ghastly Appearance. The phantom stalker removes the veil from its face. Each creature within 30 feet of the phantom stalker that isn’t Construct or Undead and that can see it must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature becomes frightened of the phantom stalker until the start of the phantom stalker’s next turn. A creature has its movement speed reduced to 0 while frightened. The phantom stalker’s obsession makes the saving throw with disadvantage.
  • Push Aside. The phantom stalker attempts to push aside a creature that is between it and its obsession. The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 10 feet away and knocked prone.

TACTICS

A phantom stalker does not exist independent of its obsession. As such, these undead creatures are not common to any particular environment but can be encountered almost anywhere in the multiverse. Only a freshly created phantom stalker may be found in its creator’s lair. However, if its obsession is on another plane, the phantom stalker returns to its master, who may teleport it to continue its pursuit.

A phantom stalker perceives everything other than its obsession as obstacles. For this reason, it prefers to attack its target one-on-one. If unable to do so, it pushes other creatures aside as it tries to get to the target. If the target is likely to run away by using the Dash or Disengage actions, a phantom stalker attempts to Grapple it.

ABOUT

Seemingly an unstoppable force, a phantom stalker pursues its target obsessively, even across the multiverse itself.

Indifferent to all dangers and void of any needs, a phantom stalker hunts its obsession with a relentless passion. No obstacle can delay it for long because its undeath is magically and inextricably linked to the soul of its prey.

Deathly Connection. When necromancers or liches hold a grudge against a living being, these powerful spellcasters are often too busy to hunt down the targets of their animosity themselves. Instead, they perform a dark ritual. Using a trinket that belongs to their enemy, they infuse a corpse with burning obsession to destroy the target. After the rite is concluded, a phantom stalker arises and silently sets out to find and destroy its obsession. Once a phantom stalker fulfills its duty, its body crumbles to ashes within minutes since its continued existence was tied to its obsession. Likewise, if the obsession dies by any other means so too does the phantom stalker meet its end.

Face of Death. When a phantom stalker is created, it bears the face of its obsession. However, this face is disfigured and hidden beneath a ghastly veil. When a phantom stalker attacks its obsession, it discards its veil so that its victim may gaze upon its grotesque visage. The experience of seeing one’s own face distorted by death and decay often proves to be too horrible a burden for many people.

Phantom Veils. The discarded veils show a semblance of undeath as well. Once the obsession is killed, the torn-off guise returns to its creator’s lair, where it joins other veils in a freakish flock. The veils’ creator can send a swarm of them to fetch a fresh corpse to be used in the creation of a new phantom stalker.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

Affinity Torus Copyright 2022 Dias Ex Machina Author Chris Dias

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