The wraith, a fearsome apparition, is a creature of pure malevolence. Cloaked in shadow and driven by an insatiable hatred for the living, Wraiths are among the most dangerous undead one might encounter. These spirits, once mortal, now exist solely to spread death and despair.
Lore and Origin:
Wraiths are said to be the spirits of those who died consumed by intense hatred or unfinished business. Unlike typical ghosts, wraiths have lost all sense of their former selves, becoming entities of pure evil. Legends tell of powerful necromancers and cursed lands as common birthplaces for these wretched beings.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
Strengths:
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Incorporeal Nature: Wraiths can pass through walls and other solid objects, making them elusive foes.
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Life Drain: Their touch saps the life force of their victims, causing grievous harm and healing the wraith.
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Resistances: Wraiths are resistant to non-magical weapons, making them tough opponents for unprepared adventurers.
Weaknesses:
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Sunlight Sensitivity: Direct sunlight weakens a wraith, limiting its power.
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Radiant Damage: Spells and attacks that deal radiant damage are particularly effective against these creatures.
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Magical Weapons: Enchanted weapons can harm wraiths more effectively than mundane ones.
Tactics for Dungeon Masters:
Wraiths excel in environments steeped in darkness and despair. They are masterful at using their incorporeal abilities to unsettle and outmaneuver their enemies. In combat, wraiths focus on instilling fear and draining the life force from their foes, making them both psychologically and physically daunting adversaries.
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Incorporeal Ambush: Utilize the wraith's ability to pass through walls and floors to stage unexpected attacks. They can vanish through a wall and reappear behind the party, creating a sense of constant threat.
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Divide and Conquer: Wraiths will aim to separate party members, using narrow corridors and dark spaces to isolate and pick off the weaker adventurers. This tactic is especially effective in confined areas like crypts and ruins.
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Fear and Drain: A wraith’s primary attack, Life Drain, is both a powerful offensive tool and a defensive mechanism. Use this to weaken the party’s strongest members and sustain the wraith through prolonged encounters.
- Minions and Hazards: Pair wraiths with shadows or other lesser undead to create layered threats. These minions can harry the party and soften them up, while the wraith delivers devastating attacks. Use environmental hazards like collapsing floors and dark, winding tunnels to your advantage
By leveraging their ghostly abilities and strategic positioning, wraiths can create an atmosphere of dread and keep players on their toes throughout the encounter.
Average Player Level Recommendations
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Balanced Encounter: For a party of four adventurers, an encounter with a single wraith is appropriate around APL 5.
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Challenging Encounter: At APL 7, a wraith is a challenging but not overwhelming foe.
- Deadly Encounter: At APL 4 or lower, a single wraith can be deadly. Multiple wraiths or a wraith with undead minions could pose a deadly threat even at higher levels, around APL 6-8 depending on the number and composition of the wraiths and their allies.
Social Structure and Pack Information:
Wraiths are typically solitary, driven by their personal vendettas and hatred. However, in rare instances, they might be found serving a powerful necromancer or dark overlord. When in groups, they often dominate lesser undead, using them as pawns in their schemes.
Things to Remember
Wraiths are a harrowing addition to any campaign, providing a mix of fear and challenge. Utilize their strengths wisely, and they will become a memorable part of your adventurers' tales.
Strategies for Adventurers
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Light and Radiance: Use spells and items that produce sunlight or radiant damage to weaken and harm wraiths.
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Magical Arms: Ensure that at least one party member wields a magical weapon to bypass the wraith's resistances.
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Defensive Spells: Protect your life force with spells like Protection from Evil and Good and Dispel Evil and Good to mitigate the wraith's life drain.
Download Our Wraith Quest:
The Haunting of Goomshade Keep!
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The Haunting of Gloomshade Keep
Strange occurrences plague Gloomshade Keep, and villagers are disappearing. Will the party uncover the keep’s dark secrets and face the spectral menace lurking within?
A 1-Hour Mini-Adventure for 1st - 4th Level Characters
INTRODUCTION
In the shadowy depths of a forgotten crypt, a wraith hovers ominously. Its form is ethereal, a translucent figure shrouded in a tattered, dark cloak that seems to whisper and writhe with a life of its own. The wraith’s face is a haunting void, with hollow, glowing eyes that pierce through the darkness. Long, skeletal hands extend from its sleeves, each finger ending in sharp, claw-like tips that seem to suck the warmth from the air.
The wraith’s body appears to be made of swirling, dark mist, with faint, ghostly chains trailing from its wrists and ankles, clinking softly as it moves. Around its head, a faint halo of dim, blue light casts an eerie glow, giving it an otherworldly presence. The ground beneath it shows signs of decay and withering as if its very presence is a blight on the living world.
In the background, ancient, crumbling tombstones and twisted, dead trees can be seen, partially obscured by a thick, creeping fog. The entire scene is bathed in a pale, cold light, adding to the foreboding atmosphere.
ENCOUNTER OVERVIEW
The adventurers are tasked with investigating Gloomshade Keep, an ancient and abandoned fortress rumored to be haunted by evil spirits. Recently, locals have reported strange occurrences and disappearances near the keep. The party must enter the keep, uncover the disturbance's source, and end the spectral threat.
