Swarm of Phantom Veils

Large swarm of Tiny undead, unaligned

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 85 (19d10 – 19)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
11 (+0)	16 (+3)	9 (-1)	3 (-4)	10 (+0)	3 (-4)

Skills Athletics +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, necrotic, piercing, slashing
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2

SPECIAL TRAITS

• Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny spectral veil. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
• Undead Resilience. The swarm doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ACTIONS

• Multiattack. The swarm makes two Slap attacks. If both attacks hit a Huge or smaller creature, the creature is grappled (escape DC 14), and the swarm can use Ethereal Wrap.
• Slap. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target in the swarm’s space. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
• Ethereal Wrap. The swarm wraps itself around a Huge or smaller creature grappled by it. While the swarm is attached, the target is blinded and is unable to breathe. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw at the start of each of the swarm’s turns or take 10 (2d6 + 3) necrotic damage. If something moves the target, the swarm moves with it. The swarm can detach itself by spending 5 feet of its movement. A creature, including the target, can use its action to try to detach the swarm and force it to move into the nearest unoccupied space, doing so with a successful DC 13 Strength check. When the swarm is reduced to 0 hit points, it detaches from any creature it is attached to.

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.