Woods Haunt

Tiny fey (titanspawn), neutral evil

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
4 (-3)	25 (+7)	12 (+1)	12 (+1)	17 (+3)	11 (+0)

Armor Class 17
Hit Points 14 (4d4 + 4)
Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
Skills Stealth +9
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Sylvan, Titan Speech
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Special Traits

• Perfect Invisibility. The woods haunt is invisible and casting spells or making attacks does not cause it to become visible.
• Innate Spellcasting. The woods haunt’s spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components.
  • At will: detect magic, druidcraft, silent image, speak with animals, thaumaturgy
  • 1/day each: dancing lights, sleep
• Magic Resistance. The woods haunt has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

• Dagger. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage.

Tactics

The woods haunt does not engage in combat directly. It uses its supernatural powers of illusion to trick the unwary to their deaths instead.

Description

Most spirits of the forest are benign creatures, content to observe and sometimes assist travelers in times of need. Yet certain deep forests across the land are ancient and twisted and bear no love for any human or elf. Such a forest is often the home of a woods haunt, a spiteful spirit that delights in leading traveling parties to their doom.

Tricksters of the Forest. A woods haunt is rarely seen, preferring to remain at a distance and use its magic to alter their perceptions. Ranger lore describes these spirits by the effects that they have on their surroundings, turning a knot of a tree into a cruel, leering face or a swirl leaves becoming the shape of a tall, gaunt man. These strange effects are the only means to detect a woods haunt’s presence without magic and many wanderers are unaware of their peril until it is too late.

A Price to Pay. The woods haunt uses its powers of illusion to lure forest travelers into many dangerous situations: tricking them into walking in circles for days on end, deceiving them as to the strength and depth of a river, or leading them straight to the lair of a fearsome predator, to name just a few possibilities.