Dread

Medium fiend (titanspawn), neutral evil

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
12 (+1)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	17 (+3)	12 (+1)	18 (+4)

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft., fly 90 ft
Saving Throws Constitution +6, Intelligence +8
Skills Deception +7, Insight +4, Intimidation +7, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Special Traits

• Induce Fear. As a bonus action, the dread can create utter hopelessness and wracking doubt in a target with whom it can make eye contact. The target must succeed at a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of the dread. Every 24 hours the target may attempt a new saving throw. The effect is instantly dispelled by the Aura of Hope ability created by the dread’s nemesis, the hope.
• Innate Spellcasting. The dread’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
  • At will: alter self, bane, blindness/deafness, charm person
  • 3/day each: fear, invisibility
  • 1/day each: contagion, greater invisibility

Actions

• Multiattack. The despair makes two claw attacks and one bite attack.
• Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage and the target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or become infected with Titan’s Pestilence (see opposite).
• Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) slashing damage.

Tactics

The dread are cowards. If threatened, they prefer flight over combat. They seek isolated targets, and will only attack if they are certain they will prevail. The dread most often attack from ambush, using their claws and infectious bites on hapless victims, then fleeing immediately, allowing their disease to do its work.

Description

The dread look like thin filthy humans with gray skin and bat-like wings. They have dark, sunken eyes and its malicious smile reveals long, blackened fangs. They smile when others shriek in fear.

Titan’s Pestilence The symptoms of this disease manifest 1d4 days after infection, in the form of open sores and oozing pus. Another creature coming into physical contact with a victim at this stage must succeed at its own DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become similarly infected. Once the disease incubates, the victims health begins to deteriorate, spiraling downward as death nears. Every 24 hours the victim must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature’s Constitution score is reduced by 1. The victim dies if this reduces its Constitution to zero. Titan’s Pestilence can be cured only through magic, such as lesser restoration or heal spells, or a Paladin‘s Lay on Hands ability.