Lantern Goat

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 93 (17d8 + 17)
Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
13 (+1)	18 (+4)	13 (+1)	6 (-2)	14 (+2)	17 (+3)

Skills Perception +8, Stealth +7
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 18
Languages –
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Special Traits

• Charge. If the lantern goat moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a head butt attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
• Fear Light. As a bonus action, the lantern goat can emit an ugly yellow light from the lantern around its neck. Any creature that can see the light within 30 feet of the lantern goat must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw, unless the lantern goat is incapacitated. On a failed save, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful, the creature is immune to the lantern goat’s Fear Light for the next 24 hours.
• Life Sense. The lantern goat can innately sense all living creatures within 60 feet of it.

Actions

• Multiattack. The lantern goat makes three attacks: one with its head butt and two with its hooves.
• Head Butt. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
• Hooves. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4 + 4) slashing damage

Reactions

• Soul Capture. As a reaction, when a creature within 60 feet of the lantern goat that it can see dies, the lantern goat can draw the soul of that creature into the lantern around its neck unless the creature succeeds on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature’s soul is drawn into the lantern, where it will be digested over the next 1 hour by the lantern goat. Once the hour has elapsed, the creature dies and can only be returned to life by a resurrection, true resurrection, or wish spell. The lantern can only be removed from the lantern goat or be destroyed – thus releasing the trapped soul – if the lantern goat is slain.

About

This creature resembles a goat with tangled and patchy gray-and-white hair, and horns and hooves that appear to be made of stone. Its eyes are stark white. Around its neck hangs a dented and ugly iron lantern, glowing with a foul amber light.

Lantern goats are undead wanderers thought to be the coalescence of souls of people who died while lost in the wilderness. Just as normal goats sometimes drift from the shepherd’s care and fall prey to the dangers of the wild, so too do humans and demi-humans often meet with a dire end while trekking alone in the hills. Whether they die of exposure or become a predator’s meal, these lost travelers usually journey in spirit form to the afterlife. Some, however, if they perish too close to a lantern goat, find their souls drawn into the fell receptacle the creature wears around its neck.

The scarred and battered lantern that hangs from the goat’s neck serves to channel souls into the creature itself. As the goat moves through the hills, its lantern casts a sickening yellow glow that attracts the souls of the recently deceased. Lantern goats roam low mountains and foothills, damned to patrol the mortal realm in search of those who die alone.

How the lantern goat behaves in combat depends upon the number of adversaries it faces. Normally the goat preys on lone travelers, attacking them with its stony hooves and horns. If it encounters a group, the lantern goat emits a fear light from its lantern, intending to panic everyone in range and then pick them off individually.