Level Up (A5E) A Leveled-Up Bestiary: Volume Two

Upcoming undead templates besides the lich: wraith, bodak, and ghoul/ghast. And then this one:

The huecuva (or heucuva, if you prefer) is an undead created when a person who had levels in certain classes (cleric, druid, paladin, monk) failed in their vows. In LU, you could conceivably include warlocks in that list, and remove adept from that list, as only a handful of adept archetypes are connected to the idea of a monastery and vows.

Just to open up the possibilities a bit, I’d say that if someone, regardless of class, worships a god with a specific alignment but gains the diametrically opposed alignment, should be considered to have broken their vow. And depending on how you view the Destiny part of chargen, you can say that a person who deliberately works against their Destiny has also broken their vow.

Interestingly, the 2e entry on huecuvas gives them the ability to polymorph into a “nonthreatening” form—although a creature that relies on infravision sees their skeletal appearance, which means that this isn’t a shapechange so much as an illusion. They had this ability despite only being semi-intelligent (Int 2-4) and an inability to speak. In 1e, they weren’t limited to nonthreatening forms.

The name huecuva seems to be one of the variant names of the wekufe, a class of shapeshifting evil spirit from Mapuche mythology. The only obvious connection between the two is that they both spread disease (which is specifically a “cardiovascular-renal” disease in 1e). The wekufe have a lot more powers than their D&D descendants. They allow sorcerers to use them in order to cause illness and death, can possess people, and can control the spirits of the recently, but are in turn controlled by more powerful ancient spirits—who only let wekufes harm a person if that person has broken one of the ancient spirit’s rules. I imagine that’s where the idea that heucuvas are created out of clerics who break their vows came from.

It's quite likely that a huecuva you make is going to have a lot of nasty spells—but since their mental stats are so low, they're not going to use them all that effectively.

Huecuva (Template)
Source: Fiend Folio; Designers: Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matt Sernett, Chris Thomasson, James Wyatt

Huecuvas are the undead remains of a person who had taken, and then broken, holy vows. They have become corrupted caricatures of their lives. Where once they healed, they now spread disease; where they sought to destroy evil and uphold their gods or honor their vows, they now seek to kill the living and those associated with their former faith, and to bring ruin to the world.

Skeletal in appearance, they can be distinguished by the ritual robes and holy symbols most of them still wear. Although these symbols are usually little more than rags and dented metal, they are important to the huecuva. They have little memory of their former lives and can’t speak, but they do remember how important their religion was to them.

Huecuvas often lair in empty temples, shrines, or other holy places. Those who find other places to stay often decorate them to look like a temple.

Legends and Lore
With an Arcana check, the characters can learn the following:

DC 10. Huecuvas are skeletal undead; in life, they had broken a vow they made to a higher power. As undead, they can’t speak and have almost no memories from their life.

DC 15. These undead retain a twisted version of the spellcasting they knew in life. Now, they can only cast harmful and corrupted spells.

DC 20. The huecuva’s claw-like phalanges spread a disease called huecuva blight which causes life-threatening levels of fatigue and is not easily removed.

Signs
1-2. A defaced shrine
3. Random and jumbled-up verses from a holy text scrawled on the wall
4. A dead cleric; their holy symbol has been destroyed

Behavior
1. Praying at a damaged alter
2. On a mock pilgrimage
3. Attacks on sight
4. Disguised as a living person and attempting to lure the party to a dangerous location

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“Huecuva” is a template that can placed on any humanoid that has at least one level in one of the following classes: cleric, druid, herald, or warlock, or on any other humanoid that has at least one level in a class or archetype that requires a vow.

Type. The huecuva is undead. It loses any other tags.

Attributes. The huecuva’s Strength and spellcasting trait (unless it was Intelligence) increases by 2. Its Intelligence becomes 4 (-3). If its spellcasting attribute was Intelligence, it becomes Charisma instead.

Skills. The huecuva loses all skills other than Religion.

Resistances. The huecuva is resistant to damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons.

Immunities. The huecuva is immune to poison and the poisoned condition.

Languages. The huecuva understands the languages it knew in life but can’t speak.

Innate Spellcasting (3/day). The huecuva can cast disguise self without the need for material components. Its spellcasting attribute is the same as the one used with its Spellcasting trait.

Profane Armor. The heucuva’s natural armor class includes its spellcasting ability modifier.

Action: Claw. The huecuva gains a claw attack that does damage depending on the base creature’s size. A creature that is hit by the huecuva’s slam attack must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the huecuva’s PB + the huecuva’s Constitution modifier) or contract a disease: huecuva blight.

Small: 3 (1d6) slashing damage
Medium: 4 (1d8) slashing damage
Large: 7 (2d6) slashing damage.

Altered Damage. If the huecuva has a weapon or spell attack that inflicts radiant damage, it now inflicts necrotic damage.

Altered Trait: Spellcasting. The huecuva loses the ability to cast spells from the divine, good, healing, nature, and radiant domains. However, it gains the ability to cast spells from the affliction, evil, necrotic, and undead domains, even if those the spell is not in its spell list.

Turn Resistance. The huecuva has advantage on saving throws against being turned.

Disease: Huecuva Blight
Every 24 hours, a creature suffering from huecuva blight must make a new saving throw using the original save DC or take 1 level of fatigue. This level can only be removed by magic, but the diseased creature can’t remove it themself, and another creature who attempts to cast a restorative spell on the creature must first make a spellcasting ability check against the huecuva's spell save DC in order for the spell to take effect.

If the diseased creature succeeds on three saving throws, the disease ends. These successes don’t need to be cumulative.

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The following uses a high priest as the base creature

Cursed Priest
Medium undead; Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
AC 18 (full plate)
HP 82 (11d8+33; bloodied 41)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 16 (+3) DEX 10 (+0) CON 16 (+3)
INT 4 (-3) WIS 21 (+5) CHA 16 (+3)

Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Int +, Wis +7, Cha +6
Skills Religion +4 (+1d8)
Damage Resistances damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons.
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can’t speak

Altered Damage. If the cursed priest has a weapon or spell attack that inflicts radiant damage, it now inflicts necrotic damage.

Innate Spellcasting (3/day). The cursed priest can cast disguise self without the need for material components. Its spellcasting attribute is Wisdom.

Magic Resistance. The cursed priest has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Profane Armor. The cursed priest’s natural armor class includes its spellcasting ability modifier.

Spellcasting. The cursed priest is an 11th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): light, chill touch, void maw
1st-level (4 slots): bane, inflict wounds, skeletal hands
2nd-level (3 slots): hold person, zone of truth
3rd-level (3 slots): animate dead, spirit guardians
4th-level (3 slots): consume vigor, enervating light, polymorph
5th-level (2 slots): antilife shell, dementing touch, hold monster
6th-level (1 slots): wall of flesh

Actions
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the cursed priest can expend a spell slot to deal 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, plus an extra 3 (1d6) necrotic damage for each level of the spell slot expended above 1st.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) slashing damage. A creature that is hit by the huecuva’s slam attack must make a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or contract a huecuva blight.

Antilife Shell (5t-Level; V, S, Concentration). An oily, rainbow barrier appears in a 10-foot sphere around the cursed priest for 1 hour. Creatures other than undead and constructs cannot pass or reach through its surface. The spell ends if the cursed priest moves so that a Tiny or larger living creature is forced to pass through the barrier.

Bane (1st-Level; V, S, M). Three creatures within 30 feet make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or, for 1 minute, must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from attack rolls and saving throws.

Chill Touch (Cantrip; V, S). Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 120 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d8) necrotic damage, and the target can’t regain hit points until the start of the cursed priest’s next turn. If the target is undead. It makes attack rolls against the cursed priest with disadvantage until the end of the cursed priest’s next turn.

Consume Vigor (4th-Level; V, S). One creature other than a construct or undead that within 60 feet must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 27 (6d8) necrotic damage. If this damage reduces the creature to 0 hit points, it is killed and the cursed priest loses one level of fatigue or strife.

Dementing Touch (5th-Level; S, Concentration). The cursed priest touches a creature within 5 feet of it and forces it to make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it takes 1 level of strife.

Enervating Light (4th-Level; V, S; Concentration). A mote of sickly light appears at a point within 30 feet. It emits bright light in a 20-foot radius and dim light for another 20 feet. Non-undead creatures that start their turn in the bright light or enter it for the first time on a turn must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or take 1 level of fatigue. On a success, the creature is immune to the light until it leaves the area. If a creature takes fatigue, all undead in the area of bright light gain 2d8 temporary hit points, or 1d8 temporary hit points if in the area of dim light.

Hold Person (2nd-Level; V, S, M, Concentration). One humanoid the cursed priest can see within 60 feet makes a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is paralyzed for 1 minute. The target repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Hold Person (5nd-Level; V, S, Concentration). One creature the cursed priest can see within 60 feet makes a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is paralyzed for 1 minute. The target repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

Inflict Wounds (1st-Level; V, S). Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (3d10) necrotic damage.

Polymorph (4th-Level; V, S, M; Concentration). One creature within 60 feet that has at least 1 hit point and is not a shapechanger is transformed into a beast with a CR equal to or less than it’s own for 1 hour. The creature’s game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the chosen beast and can’t speak, cast spells, or take actions that its new form can’t perform. Its gear melds into its new form. If the target drops to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to its true form.

Skeletal Hands (1st-Level; S, M). Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature that is within 5 feet of a vertical surface. Hit: 4 (1d8) necrotic damage, and the creature is restrained for 1 minute. The restrained creature can use a bonus action to make a DC 16 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.

Spirit Guardians (3rd-Level; V, S, Concentration). Spirits surround the cursed priest in a 10-foot radius for 10 minutes. The cursed priest can choose creatures it can see to be unaffected by the spell. Other creatures treat the area as difficult terrain, and when a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) necrotic damage on a failed save or half damage on a success.

Void Maw (Cantrip; V, S). Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to hit, range 60 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a corpse or Tiny or smaller nonmagical object, it disintegrates into nothing. If the spell kills a creature (and it has failed its final death saving throw), it disintegrates.

Wall of Flesh (6th-Level; V, M, M; Concentration). A wall of fleshy bodies, limbs, tentacles, and mouths appears. It is 6 inches thick and is made out of a contiguous group of ten 10-foot squares and can be arranged in any shape. It the wall enters a creature’s space when it appears, the creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, it must move up to its Speed to escape. On a failure, it is swallowed. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn within 10 feet of the wall, it must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 5d8 bludgeoning damage and become grappled (escape DC 16). If it is already grappled at the start of its turn and fails its saving throw, it is swallowed by the wall. A swallowed creature takes 22 (5d8) bludgeoning damage and is blinded, deafened, and restrained.

And now for the most powerfullest undead of them all: the lich. Historically, there’ve been a lot of different type of liches. Back in 2e and 3e, you had archliches (non-evil liches), bardic liches, defiler liches, elemental liches, both drow and drider liches, illithiliches/alhoons, inheritor liches (that’s a Red Steel thing), psionic liches, Suel liches, master liches (a Spelljammer thing), baneliches, baelnorn (good elven liches), and probably more. Yeah. Some of those are even from 3e, despite the presence of the lich template.

Hey, I just realized that Level Up gave them force lightning. Cute.

For the sake of future proofing, while I specifically said that you have to have the Spellcasting or Pact Magic trait in order to become a lich, feel free to also allow creatures who are casters but their casting is called something else—like the Wielder’s Magic Wielding trait—to become a lich.

I’m including two other related templates (this is gonna be a looong post). The first is the servitor lich. This is an adaptation of Ravenloft’s vassalich. It’s basically a low-level caster turned into a baby lich by a more powerful lich master. The idea is that if you’re so desperate for knowledge and power that you’re willing to work for a lich, you’re probably also very interested in becoming a lich yourself—and you probably are also impatient enough to want to transform into one as fast as you can, rather than waiting until you’re powerful enough to create your own soul vessel. Instead, you can just sign on the dotted line and gain lichdom right away! This is the carrot. The stick is, not only are they under the lich’s control, but in the original template, the vassalich’s level is halved and they could only gain XP if the master lich gave it to them, like they were spending XP on making a magic item. But if they could gain enough XP to reach 11th level, they could make their own soul vessel and become a free lich. Let’s face it, though—how many liches are going to be happy letting their servitor gain that level of power?

The other template is what I’m calling the ceremonial lich. This is the term I came up with for powerful creatures who are not casters with class levels, but instead become undead through rituals—like the dragon lich. The template here is slightly different than the dragon lich template, but that’s OK.

Hmm. The lich’s rejuvenation trait says its new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel. What happens if you bury the jar in 20 feet of concrete?

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Lich (Template)
Source: Monster Manual I. Designers: Monte Cook, Jonathan Tween, Skip Williams

“Lich” is a template that can be added to any aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant that has the Spellcasting trait or Pact Magic trait and can cast spells of 6th-level or higher, and whose spellcasting attribute is 18 or higher.

Type. The lich is legendary undead.

Armor Class. The lich’s natural armor increases by 5.

Attributes. The lich’s Constitution increases by 2 and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores increase by 4 each (maximum of 30). Recalculate its hit points.

Resistances. The lich is resistant to cold and lightning damage.

Immunities. The lich is immune to necrotic and poison damage and damage from nonmagical weapons, and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.

Senses. The lich gains truesight to 120 feet.

Alignment. Many, but not all liches have the Evil alignment and radiate an aura of evil.

Action: Arc Lightning. The lich targets up to 3 creatures within 60 feet. Each target makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, the target takes 21 (6d6) lightning damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 28 (8d6) lightning damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

Bonus Action: Eldritch Aura. The lich surrounds itself with a magical, rune-covered, glowing, translucent aura in a 10-foot radius. The aura moves with the lich and casts dim light inside its area. The aura disappears at the beginning of the lich’s next turn.

• Death Aura. The aura casts purple light. Each living creature that ends its turn inside the aura takes 17 (5d6) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 24 (7d6) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

• Shield Aura. The aura casts orange light. It has 20 hit points if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 35 hit points if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

• Spell Shield Aura. The aura casts blue light. Any spell cast with a 5th-level or lower spell slot from outside the aura can’t affect anything inside the aura. Using a spell to target something inside the aura or include the aura’s space in an area has no effect on anything inside.

Legendary Actions. The lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Cast Spell. The lich casts a cantrip or a 1st-level spell. The lich can use 2 legendary actions to cast a 2nd-level spell or 3 legendary actions to cast a 3rd-level spell.

• Paralyzing Touch (Costs 2 Actions). The lich uses Paralyzing Touch.

• Arc Lightning (Costs 3 Actions). The lich uses Arc Lightning.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). The lich’s body or vestments are warded with three protective runes. When the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When this happens, one of the runes disappears.

Action: Paralyzing Touch. The lich makes a melee spell attack at a creature within its reach. On a hit, the target takes 7 (2d6) cold damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 14 (4d6) cold damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.

Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all of its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.

Reaction: Sabotage Spell. When a creature within 60 feet casts a spell that targets the lich, the lich attempts to interrupt it. The lich makes an Intelligence check against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the spell fails, and the caster takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.

Tongueless Utterance. Unless a spell has only a vocal component, the lich can cast a spell without providing a vocal component.

Turn Resistance. The lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. The lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

*

Servitor Lich
Source: Ravenloft Gazetteer vol III. Designers: John W. Mangrum, Ryan Naylor, Chris Nichols, Andrew Wyatt

Servitor liches are low-powered casters who are transformed via ritual, by a lich—usually their patron—into a type of undead that is very similar to a normal lich, but far weaker and subservient to its creator. They lack a soul vessel of their own, instead sharing their creator’s jar.

Physically, they are indistinguishable from true liches, although they usually wear less ornate clothing and wield fewer magic items—and, of course, their magic is far less powerful.

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“Servitor Lich” is a template that can be added to any aberration, beast, dragon, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant with the Spellcasting or Pact Magic trait, the ability to cast 2nd-level or higher spells, and whose spellcasting attribute is 14 or higher.

Type. The servitor lich is undead.

Armor Class. The servitor lich’s natural armor increases by 2.

Attributes. The servitor lich’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma each increase by 2.

Resistances. The servitor lich is resistant to cold and lightning damage.

Immunities. The servitor lich is immune to necrotic and poison damage and damage from nonmagical weapons, and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.

Senses. The servitor lich gains truesight to 120 feet.

Bound. The servitor lich is charmed by its creator; this ignores the servitor lich’s normal immunity to the charmed condition. It remains charmed until it can create its own soul vessel.

While charmed, the servitor lich must obey its creator’s commands to the best of its ability. It time it receives an order, it may attempt to ignore or circumvent it by making a Charisma ability check against the creator’s Charisma.

Action: Paralyzing Touch. The servitor lich makes a melee spell attack at a creature within its reach. The target takes 2 (1d4) cold damage if the servitor lich can cast 1st- or 2nd-level spells, 3 (1d6) cold damage if it can cast 3rd- or 4th-level spells, or 7 (2d6) cold damage if the lich can cast 5th-level spells, and the target must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.

Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed servitor lich gains a new body in 1d10+10 days, regaining all of its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.

Turn Resistance. The servitor lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. The servitor lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

*

Ceremonial Liches
Normally becoming a lich requires extensive magical knowledge, but some creatures who are powerful but not magically trained, have discovered rituals that allow them to become something very similar to a lich. In some cases, the would-be lich engages in the ritual; in other cases, powerful creatures develop cult-like followings, and these cultists are the one to perform the ritual—often on the recently-died corpse of the object of their worship. The most famous of this type of undead are the dragon liches.

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“Ceremonial Lich” is a template that can be placed on any aberration, beast, dragon, fey, giant, monstrosity, ooze, or plant of CR 11 or higher, as Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores of 10 and higher, and either has the Innate Spellcasting trait or is a Legendary or Elite monster.

Type. The ceremonial lich’s type is undead (original type).

Armor Class. The ceremonial lich’s natural armor increases by 2.

Attributes. The ceremonial lich’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma each increase by 2.

Resistances. The lich is resistant to cold and lightning damage and to damage from nonmagical weapons

Immunities. The ceremonial lich is immune to necrotic and poison damage and to the charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, and poisoned conditions.

Altered Attacks. If the ceremonial lich had an attack that dealt acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder damage, half of that damage is the original damage type and half is necrotic damage. If the original damage type was radiant, it becomes entirely necrotic.

Innate Spellcasting. The ceremonial lich can cast animate dead three times per day, requiring no material components, using Charisma as its spellcasting attribute. If the base creature’s CR was 17 or higher, it can also cast create undead three times per day, requiring no material components.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the ceremonial lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, it loses its Undead Telepathy trait until the end of its next turn. Until the end of its next turn, undead creatures under its control are incapacitated.

If the ceremonial lich already has Legendary Resistance, it does not gain additional uses of it, but any negative effects that may occur when its used are changed to the loss of Undead Telepathy as described above.

Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed ceremonial lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.

Turn Resistance. The ceremonial lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. A ceremonial lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

Undead Telepathy. The ceremonial lich can communicate telepathically with undead creatures within 120 feet.

*

Variant: Salient Powers
Like most of the major baddies in Ravenloft, these guys got some powers (and a bunch more in RealmsHelp.com), which are tied to its Intelligence (or other spellcasting attribute). Thus, these aren’t quite like the salient abilities other undead have, which are tied to their inherent willpower or the circumstances of their death or their bloodlines; instead, these can be considered to be weird tricks they picked up on their quest for undeath (“Clerics hate this one weird trick!”). Take its spellcasting attribute modifier and subtract 3 to find out how many powers the lich should have. I wouldn’t give servitor or ceremonial liches more than one, if that.

As always, you can switch out existing powers, like the arc lightning or paralyzing touch, for one of these powers.

Legendary Action: Animating Touch (Costs 3 Actions). The lich touches a pile of bones or corpse and animates it as a skeleton or zombie. The lich does not automatically have control over the undead it creates in this manner, but the undead will not attempt to harm the lich unless the lich attacks it.

Action: Bone Control. The lich can shape one or more inanimate bones in a 5-foot square that are not part of a living creature, as per the stone shape spell. It can affect undead skeletons with this power.

The lich can also cause bone splinters to swirl in the air and form a wall 10 feet high and 5 feet thick and up to 20 feet long. The wall provides three-quarters cover and its area is difficult terrain. When a creature starts its turn within the wall’s area or enters the wall’s area for the first time on a turn, it must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) or take 22 (4d10) slashing damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.

Action: Coldfire. The lich targets up to 2 creatures within 100 feet. Each target makes a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting attribute modifier). On a failure, the target takes 11 (2d10) cold damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 22 (4d10) lightning damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Arc Lightning Legendary Action.

Action: Chilling Wind (Recharge 5-6). The lich exhales freezing air in a 50-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a Dexterity saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) or take 11 (2d10) cold damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 22 (4d10) cold damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

Legendary Action: Doom Gaze (Gaze; Costs 3 Actions). One creature within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). A creature that is frightened rolls with disadvantage. On a failed saving throw, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature is immune to this lich’s Doom Gaze for 24 hours.

A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.

Action: Dream Haunting (1/Day). The lich can cast dream once each night on an unconscious creature whose exact location is known to it, as long as they are on the same plane. The lich must always choose to create a nightmare when casting dream in this fashion.

A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.

Legendary Action: Grasp of Death (Only When Bloodied; Costs 3 Actions). The lich’s injuries cause the death within to leak out. It makes a melee spell attack against one creature within reach. On a hit, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a failed saving throw, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature takes 18 (4d8) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 27 (6d8) necrotic damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.

At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Paralyzing Touch Legendary Action.

Action: Grasp of Enfeeblement. The lich touches a creature within its reach and forces it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the servitor lich’s PB + the servitor lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a failure, it takes 1 level of fatigue. This level is removed after a short or long rest.

At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Paralyzing Touch Legendary Action.

Reaction: Magical Mimicry (Recharge 5-6). When the lich sees a spellcaster who has the same class as it cast a spell, and the lich is high enough in level to cast that spell, the lich can use its reaction to make a spellcasting ability check against the spellcaster’s spell save DC. On a success, it is capable of mimicking the spell. It can then use its next action to cast the same spell without expending a spell slot. If it doesn’t cast the spell with its next action, the spell is lost.

Painwrack (Gaze). The lich targets a creature within 60 feet and forces it to make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a failure, it takes 21 (6d6) force damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 28 (8d6) force damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Arc Lightning Legendary Action.

Poison Aura. The lich is so malevolent that food and drink (and Supply) that is within 5 feet of it becomes poisoned. A creature that consumes this poison must make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) or take 10 (3d6) poison damage if the lich can cast 6th- or 7th-level spells, or 17 (5d6) poison damage if the lich can cast 8th- or 9th-level spells.

A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.

Action: Proxy Travel (3/Day). The lich teleports to the location of undead it controls, regardless of distance, as long as both the lich and the undead are on the same plane. The undead is instantly destroyed.

Regeneration. The lich draws upon its soul vessel to bolster its life force. As long as its soul vessel is intact, then the lich regains 10 hit points at the beginning of each of its turns as long as it has at least 1 hit point. If the lich takes radiant damage, this trait doesn’t function on its next turn.

Action: Skull Scry (Recharge Short or Long Rest). The lich can cast scrying without expending a spell slot. The spell does not produce an invisible sensor, nor does the target roll a saving throw. Instead, the lich sees and hears through any inanimate, unattached skull that is in the area. The lich is automatically aware of the existence of any such skills in the area that it has previously seen or touched. However, the spell’s range is reduced to a 100-mile radius.

Action: Touch of Despair. The lich makes a melee spell attack at a creature within its reach. On a hit, the creature is affected by the placid condition for one minute. The creature may make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the servitor lich’s PB + the servitor lich’s spellcasting ability modifier) at the end of each of its turns and each time it takes damage, ending the effect on itself on a success.

At the Narrator’s discretion, using this ability replaces the Paralyzing Touch Legendary Action.

Undead Mastery. When the lich casts animate dead or create undead, it animates or creates twice as many dead as normal, and its control over the undead lasts for 1 week instead of 24 hours. Additionally, the lich knows the location of each undead it creates is controlling within 1 mile of it, can issue telepathic commands to the undead (no action required by it), and does not need to be able to see or hear the undead in order to issue the command.

Voice of Maleficence. The lich must speak to a creature for 10 full minutes for this ability to work. At the end of the 10 minutes, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + the lich’s PB + the servitor lich’s spellcasting ability modifier). On a success, it is immune to this lich’s Voice of Maleficence for 24 hours. On a failure, the creature falls into a hypnotic trance and is incapacitated for 1 hour or until it takes damage, the lich loses concentration (as if concentrating on a spell), the lich stops talking for 1 full minute, or the lich uses an action to end the effect. Each round, the lich may ask the creature one question, and the target must answer the question truthfully.

Vortex of Evil (1/day). The lich sends out a call to all creatures with the Evil alignment that are within 10 miles of the lich. The call creates feelings of greed and ambition and urges them to travel to the lich’s location, but does not compel them to travel.

At the Narrator’s discretion, creatures who do not have the Evil alignment but are particularly cruel, sadistic, greedy, or otherwise nasty, or who are worshipers or servitors of a god or other entity with the Evil alignment, or who have a Destiny such as Death or Slayer, may also hear the call.

A lich with this ability always has the Evil alignment.

The boi is here!

On a side note, a base lich (i.e. the actual creature and not any of the templates) would have 2 salient powers.

The following lich uses a shadow elf high priest as the base creature

Shadow Elf Priest-Lich
Medium legendary undead; Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
AC 15 (natural armor; 18 with full plate)
HP 93 (11d8+44; bloodied 46)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 14 (+2) DEX 10 (+0) CON 18 (+4)
INT 16 (+3) WIS 22 (+6) CHA 20 (+5)

Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 13
Saving Throws Int +6, Wis +9, Cha +8
Skills Medicine +9, Insight +9, Persuasion +8, Religion +6 (+1d8)
Damage Resistances cold, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft. passive Perception 14
Languages Abyssal, Common, Undercommon

Evil. The priest-lich radiates an aura of evil.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). The priest-lich’s body or vestments are warded with three protective runes. When the lich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When this happens, one of the runes disappears.

Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed priest-lich gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all of its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.

Shadow Magic. The priest-lich can innately cast dancing lights as a cantrip and darkness and faerie fire once each per long rest with no material components, using Wisdom as their spellcasting ability.

Spellcasting. The priest-lich is an 11th level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following cleric spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): guidance, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
1st-level (4 slots): animal friendship, ceremony, detect poison and disease
2nd-level (3 slots): augury, lesser restoration, web
3rd-level (3 slots): bestow curse, remove curse
4th-level (3 slots): divination, freedom of movement, wall of fire
5th-level (2 slots): greater restoration, insect plague, raise dead
6th-level (1 slots): word of recall

Tongueless Utterance. Unless a spell has only a vocal component, the priest-lich can cast a spell without providing a vocal component.

Turn Resistance. The priest-lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. The priest-lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

Actions
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the priest-lich can expend a spell slot to deal 7 (2d6) necrotic damage, plus an extra 3 (1d6) necrotic damage for each level of the spell slot expended above 1st.

Arc Lightning. The priest-lich targets up to 3 creatures within 60 feet. Each target must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 14 (4d6) lightning damage.

Grasp of Enfeeblement. The priest-lich touches a creature within its reach and forces it to make a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it takes 1 level of fatigue. This level is removed after the creature completes a short or long rest.

Chilling Wind (Recharge 5-6). The priest-lich exhales freezing air in a 50-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 11 (2d10) cold. In addition, on a failure, the creature becomes slowed until the end of its next turn. Any exposed liquid in the area freezes.

Web (2nd-Level; V, S, M, Concentration). Thick, sticky webs fill a 20-foot cube within 60 feet, lightly obscuring it and making it difficult terrain. The webs must either be anchored between two solid masses (such as walls) or layered 5 feet deep over a flat surface. Each creature that starts its turn in the webs or that enters them during its turn makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, it is restrained. A creature can escape by making a DC 15 Strength check. Any 5-foot cube of webs exposed to fire burns away in 1 round, dealing 5 (2d4) fire damage to any creature that starts its turn in the fire. The webs remain for 1 hour.

Guardian of Faith (4th-Level; V). A Large, indistinct spectral guardian appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet and remains for 8 hours. Creatures of the priest’s choice that move to a space within 10 feet of the guardian for the first time on a turn make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 20 radiant or necrotic damage (high priest’s choice) on a failed save or half damage on a success. The spell ends when the guardian has dealt 60 total damage.

Insect Plague (5th-Level; V, S, M, Concentration). A 20-foot-radius sphere of biting and stinging insects appears centered on a point the priest can see within 300 feet and remains for 10 minutes. The cloud spreads around corners, and the area is lightly obscured and difficult terrain. Each creature in the area when the cloud appears, and each creature that enters it for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there, makes a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 22 (4d10) piercing damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. The priest is immune to this damage.

Vortex of Evil (1/day). The priest-lich sends out a call to all creatures with the Evil alignment that are within 10 miles of the lich. The call creates feelings of greed and ambition and urges them to travel to the priest-lich’s location, but does not compel them to travel.

At the Narrator’s discretion, creatures who do not have the Evil alignment but are particularly cruel, sadistic, greedy, or otherwise nasty, or who are worshipers or servitors of a god or other entity with the Evil alignment may also hear the call.

Bonus Actions
Eldritch Aura. The priest-lich surrounds itself with a magical, rune-covered, glowing, translucent aura in a 10-foot radius. The aura moves with the lich and casts dim light inside its area. The aura disappears at the beginning of the priest-lich’s next turn.

• Death Aura. The aura casts purple light. Each living creature that ends its turn inside the aura takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage depending, and the lich regains 3 hit points.

• Shield Aura. The aura casts orange light. It has15 hit points. Whenever the lich would take damage, the aura takes the damage instead, and the aura visibly weakens. If the damage reduces the aura to 0 hit points, the aura disappears, and the lich takes any excess damage.

• Spell Shield Aura. The aura casts blue light. Any spell cast with a 5th-level or lower spell slot from outside the aura can’t affect anything inside the aura. Using a spell to target something inside the aura or include the aura’s space in an area has no effect on anything inside.

Reactions
Sabotage Spell. When a creature within 60 feet casts a spell that targets the priest-lich, the priest-lich attempts to interrupt it. The priest-lich makes an Intelligence check against a DC of 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the spell fails, and the caster takes 10 (3d6) necrotic damage.

Legendary Actions
The priest-lich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. It regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

• Cast Spell. The priest-lich casts a cantrip or a 1st-level spell. The lich can use 2 legendary actions to cast a 2nd-level spell or 3 legendary actions to cast a 3rd-level spell.

• Grasp of Enfeeblement (Costs 2 Actions). The priest-lich uses Paralyzing Touch.

• Arc Lightning (Costs 3 Actions). The priest-lich uses Arc Lightning.

• Doom Gaze (Gaze; Costs 3 Actions). One creature within 30 feet must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw. A creature that is frightened rolls with disadvantage. On a failed saving throw, the creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, the creature is immune to this lich’s Doom Gaze for 24 hours.

--

The following servitor lich uses an apprentice as the base creature:

Apprentice Lich
Medium humanoid; Challenge 1/2 (XP)
AC 12 (natural armor)
HP 11 (2d8+2; bloodied 5)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 10 (+0) DEX 10 (+0) CON 12 (+1)
INT 16 (+3) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 12 (+1)

Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 10
Skills Arcana +5 (+1d4), History +5
Damage Resistances cold, lightning
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; damage from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common

Bound. The apprentice lich is charmed by its creator; this ignores the servitor lich’s normal immunity to the charmed condition. It remains charmed until it can create its own soul vessel.

While charmed, the apprentice lich must obey its creator’s commands to the best of its ability. It time it receives an order, it may attempt to ignore or circumvent it by making a Charisma ability check against the creator’s Charisma.

Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed apprentice lich gains a new body in 1d10+10 days, regaining all of its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.

Spellcasting. The apprentice lich is a 2nd level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). It has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, prestidigitation
1st-level (3 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield

Turn Resistance. The apprentice lich has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. The apprentice lich doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

Actions
Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage.

Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2 (1d4) cold damage, and the target must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it is paralyzed until the end of its next turn.

Fire Bolt (Cantrip; V, S). Ranged Spell Attack: +5 to hit, range 120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) fire damage.

Magic Missile (1st-Level; V, S). Three glowing arrows fly from the mage simultaneously, unerringly hitting up to 3 creatures within 120 feet. Each arrow deals 3 (1d4+1) force damage.

Reactions
Shield (1st-Level; V, S). When the apprentice lich is hit by an attack or targeted by magic missile, it gains a +5 bonus to AC (including against the triggering attack) and immunity to magic missile. These benefits last until the start of their next turn.

--

The following ceremonial lich uses a medusa queen as the base creature:

Lich-Queen of the Medusae
Medium undead (monstrosity); Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)
AC 16 (natural armor)
HP 153 (18d10+54; bloodied 76)
Speed 30 ft.

STR 12 (+1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 16 (+3)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 12 (+1)

Proficiency +3; Maneuver DC 15
Skills Deception +6, Insight +6, Perception +6, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances cold, lightning; damage from nonmagical weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages Common

Innate Spellcasting (3/day). The lich-queen can cast animate dead without the need for material components, using Charisma as its spellcasting attribute

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). When the lich-queen fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. When it does, it loses its Undead Telepathy trait until the end of its next turn. Until the end of its next turn, undead creatures under its control are incapacitated.

Petrifying Gaze. When a creature starts its turn within 60 feet of the lich-queen and can see the lich-queen’s eyes, it can choose to shut its eyes until the beginning of its next turn unless it is surprised or incapacitated. Otherwise, the lich-queen uses its petrifying gaze on the creature. If the lich-queen sees its own reflection and doesn’t shut its eyes, it is subject to its own gaze.

A creature subject to the lich-queen’s petrifying gaze makes a DC 14 Constitution saving throw. If it rolls a natural 1 on the save, it is petrified instantly. If it otherwise fails the save, it is restrained as it begins to be petrified. The creature repeats the saving throw at the end of its turn, ending the effect on itself on a success and becoming petrified on a failure. The petrification can be removed with greater restoration or similar powerful magic.

Rejuvenation. If it has a soul vessel, a destroyed lich-queen gains a new body in 1d10 days, regaining all its hit points. The new body forms within 10 feet of the soul vessel.

Turn Resistance. The lich-queen has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.

Undead Nature. A lich-queen doesn’t require air, sustenance, or sleep.

Undead Telepathy. The lich-queen can communicate telepathically with undead creatures within 120 feet.

Actions
Multiattack. The lich-queen makes any combination of two attacks with its snake hair and longbow.

Snake Hair. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage, plus an additional 3 (1d6) piercing damage if the target is a creature that is surprised or that can’t see the lich-queen.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8+4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage.

Bone Control. The lich-queen can shape one or more inanimate bones in a 5-foot square that are not part of a living creature, as per the stone shape spell. It can affect undead skeletons with this power.

The lich-queen can also cause bone splinters to swirl in the air and form a wall 10 feet high and 5 feet thick and up to 20 feet long. The wall provides three-quarters cover and its area is difficult terrain. When a creature starts its turn within the wall’s area or enters the wall’s area for the first time on a turn, it must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving or take 22 (4d10) slashing damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one.

Legendary Actions
The lich-queen queen has one legendary action it can take at the end of another creature's turn, choosing from the options below. The lich-queen queen regains the spent legendary action at the start of its turn.

Hide. The lich-queen moves up to half its Speed and hides.

Snake Hair. The lich-queen uses Snake Hair.

Frenzy of Snakes (1/Day, When Bloodied). The lich-queen uses Snake Hair on each creature within 5 feet.

Imperious Command. A creature with averted or covered eyes within 60 feet that can hear the lich-queen makes a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it looks at the lich-queen, making itself the target of Petrifying Gaze if it and the lich-queen can see each other. On a success, the creature is immune to Imperious Command for 24 hours. This is a charm effect.

DarkRainbowFiend said:

On a side note, a base lich (i.e. the actual creature and not any of the templates) would have 2 salient powers.

Click to expand...

Yep!

That's what I like about these powers--even without going through the entire template process, it's easy to customize a creature.

Back to Dragon Magazine. Here’s the last of the four undead templates from issue #300: the wraith.

The wraith is one of those creatures that, IMO, really only exist because Basic D&D needed monsters for every PC level, and Gygax et al apparently didn’t think of just upping the power level of existing monsters, like saying you add another Hit Die or two for each level of the dungeon you're on. Unfortunately, this means that every D&D monster book since then, and a lot of monster books for other systems, is now saddled with an excessive number of monsters that they don’t really need.

(I realize that I am not helping by creating even more monsters in this thread )

Anyway, the wraith. An evil incorporeal undead.

Wraith (Template)
The Risen Dead, Dragon Magazine #300
Creature by Wizards of the Coast R&D

“Wraith” is a template that can be added on any beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, or plant. It regains all of the statistics of the base creature except as noted below.

Type. The wight’s type changes to undead. It loses any other tags it had.

Speed. The wraith’s walking speed is reduced to 0 and it loses any climb or burrowing speeds it may have had. It gains a fly speed of 60 feet, unless it already had a faster fly speed, and can hover.

Attributes. The wight’s Strength becomes 8 (-1) unless it was already lower. Its Dexterity and Charisma increase by 2 (maximum of 30).

Resistances. The wraith is resistant to acid, cold, lightning, and thunder damage and damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons.

Immunities. The wraith is immune to necrotic and poison damage, and to the charmed, fatigue, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, and unconscious conditions.

Senses. If the wraith didn’t have darkvision, it gains darkvision to 120 feet. If it had darkvision, it’s darkvision’s range increases by 60 feet.

Aura of Fear. A creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of a wraith must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, it is immune to any wraith’s Aura of Fear for 24 hours.

Action: Create Specter. The wraith touches a humanoid corpse it killed less than 1 day ago. The creature’s spirit rises as a specter under the wraith’s control.

Evil. The wraith radiates an Evil aura.

Incorporeal. The wraith can move through creatures and objects. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. If it takes radiant damage, it loses this trait until the end of its next turn.

Action: Life Drain. The wraith targets a creature within 5 feet, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the target takes necrotic damage depending on the base creature’s CR:

CR 4 or lower: 7 (2d6) necrotic damage
CR 5 – 16: 14 (4d6) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 21 (6d6) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 28 (8d6) necrotic damage

If the creature is frightened or surprised, it takes an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage on top of the listed amount. The creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. It dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.

Light Sensitivity. While in sunlight or bright light cast by a fire, the wraith has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.

Undead Nature. A wraith doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Wraith Lord
I don’t even need to go to Tom Moldvay’s article for a greater wraith because the Menagerie provides a wraith lord.

This template can be placed on any creature that has the wight template and is CR 10 or higher. It regains all of the statistics of the base wight except as noted below.

Attributes: The wraith lord’s Strength becomes 14 (+2), and its Dexterity, Constitution, and Charisma increase by 4 (maximum of 30). Recalculate its hit points.

Senses. The wraith lord gains truesight to 120 feet.

Aura of Fear. The wraith lord’s Aura of Fear increases to 30 feet.

Action: Multiattack. The wraith lord uses Paralyzing Terror and Life Drain twice. If corporeal, it also makes a melee weapon attack.

Action: Altered Life Drain. The wraith targets a creature within 5 feet, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Constitution modifier). On a failure, the target takes necrotic damage depending on the base creature’s CR:

CR 10 – 16: 17 (5d6) necrotic damage
CR 17 – 22: 24 (7d6) necrotic damage
CR 23 or higher: 31 (9d6) necrotic damage

If the creature is frightened or surprised, it takes an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage on top of the listed amount. The creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. It dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.

Action: Altered Melee Weapon Attack. The wraith lord’s melee weapon attack is enhanced with a poison created by the wraith lord’s own evil. A creature that is hit by the weapon takes an additional 17 (5d6) poison damage and must make a Constitution saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Constitution modifier) or be poisoned for 24 hours. While poisoned in this way, the target can’t regain hit points. If a creature dies while poisoned in this way, its spirit rises as a wraith under the wraith lord’s control 1 minute after its death.

Action: Paralyzing Terror. The wraith lord targets a frightened creature within 60 feet, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Charisma modifier). On a failure, the target is paralyzed for 1 minute. It repeats the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Action: Corporeal Form (1/Day). The wraith lord takes on a material form. In material form, it loses its incorporeal trait, its fly speed, and its immunity to the grappled, prone, and restrained conditions. The wraith instantly reverts to its incorporeal form if it is bloodied, and it can do so voluntarily at any time as an action.

Variant: Salient Powers
As I mentioned, there was no Van Richten’s Guide to Phantoms or whatever they would call a book for incorporeal undead. However, I think I’ll steal a few of the other powers from the Guide to Ghosts. Obviously, you can use any of these abilities with actual ghosts as well. Plus, you can use the saliant powers I listed for wights, if they seem appropriate.

Aura of Despair. The wraith radiates an aura of apathy and melancholy. A creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of the wraith must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Charisma modifier) or be rattled and (at the Narrator’s discretion), is affected by the placid condition for 1 minute. The creature may make a new saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, it is immune to this wraith’s Aura of Despair for 24 hours.

Bonus Action: Command Undead. The wraith can use a bonus action to command an undead creature which can hear it whose CR is lower than its. Undead with an Intelligence score of 7 or higher may (and all undead PCs, regardless of Intelligence) may make a Wisdom saving throw to resist throw to resist (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Charisma modifier). On a success, the undead is immune to that wraith’s Command Undead for 24 hours.

Action: Dominating Stare (Gaze). The wraith magically targets a creature within 30 feet. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Charisma modifier) or be charmed by the wraith for 1 hour. The wraith has a telepathic link with the charmed creature as long as they are on the same plane and can issue commands through the link, which the target must do its best to obey. The wraith can have up to three charmed targets at a time.

Action: Entrancing Appearance (Gaze). The wraith taps into the inherent fascination the living have with death. It magically targets a creature within 30 feet. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw (save DC = 8 + the wraith’s PB + the wraith’s Charisma modifier) or be charmed for 1 minute. While charmed, the creature is incapacitated and its Speed is 0.

--

The following uses a snake lamia as the base creature

Desert Phantom
Large undead; Challenge 4 (XP)
AC 12
HP 85 (10d10+30; bloodied 42)
Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

STR 8 (-1) DEX 18 (+4) CON 16 (+3)
INT 14 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 20 (+5)

Proficiency +2; Maneuver DC 13
Skills Deception +6, Perception +5, Stealth +5
Damage Resistances acid, cold, lightning, thunder; damage from nonmagical, non-silvered weapons
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, fatigue, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
Senses darkvision 1200 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Abyssal, Common

Aura of Fear. A creature that starts its turn within 10 feet of the desert phantom must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature is frightened until the start of its next turn. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, it is immune to any desert phantom’s Aura of Fear for 24 hours.

Chaotic Evil. The desert phantom radiates a Chaotic and Evil aura.

Incorporeal. The desert phantom can move through creatures and objects. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object. If it takes radiant damage, it loses this trait until the end of its next turn.

Innate Spellcasting. The desert phantom’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components.
At will: charm person , disguise self (humanoid form), major image , misty step
1/day each: geas , hallucinatory terrain , hypnotic pattern , scrying

Light Sensitivity. While in sunlight or bright light cast by a fire, the desert phantom has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Perception checks that rely on sight.

Undead Nature. A desert phantom doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Actions
Dizzying Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is magically charmed for 1 hour or until it takes damage. While charmed in this way, it has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws and ability checks.

Constrict. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 13). Until this grapple ends, the desert phantom can’t constrict a different target.

Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage, and the target makes a DC 13 Constitution saving throw . On a failure, the target takes 10 (3d6) poison damage and is poisoned for 1 hour.

Create Specter. The desert phantom touches a humanoid corpse it killed less than 1 day ago. The creature’s spirit rises as a specter under the desert phantom’s control.

Entrancing Appearance (Gaze). The desert phantom taps into the inherent fascination the living have with death. It magically targets a creature within 30 feet. That creature must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute. While charmed, the creature is incapacitated and its Speed is 0.

Hypnotic Pattern (3rd-Level; S, Concentration). A swirling pattern of light appears at a point within 120 feet. Each creature within 10 feet of the pattern that can see it makes a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw . On a failure, the creature is charmed for 1 minute. While charmed, the creature is incapacitated and its Speed is 0. The effect ends on a creature if it takes damage or if another creature uses an action to shake it out of its daze.

Life Drain. The desert phantom targets a creature within 5 feet, forcing it to make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the target takes 2 (7d6) necrotic damage. If the creature is frightened or surprised, it takes an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage on top of the listed amount. The creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. It dies if its hit point maximum is reduced to 0.

Bonus Actions
Misty Step (2nd-Level; V). The desert phantom teleports to an unoccupied space it can see within 30 feet. The desert phantom can’t cast this spell and a 1st-level or higher spell on the same turn.

Faolyn said:

The wraith is one of those creatures that, IMO, really only exist because Basic D&D needed monsters for every PC level, and Gygax et al apparently didn’t think of just upping the power level of existing monsters, like saying you add another Hit Die or two for each level of the dungeon you're on.

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i actually hate this sort of thing in RPGs, since IMO it really does make progression feel meaningless. it's one thing if, as you level up, you mainly fight monsters that are at your level. it's an entirely different thing if, as you level up, you just fight the same monsters you've always fought, except with more health/damage for some reason. so i'm kinda glad gygax et al didn't do that.

W'rkncacnter said:

i actually hate this sort of thing in RPGs, since IMO it really does make progression feel meaningless. it's one thing if, as you level up, you mainly fight monsters that are at your level. it's an entirely different thing if, as you level up, you just fight the same monsters you've always fought, except with more health/damage for some reason. so i'm kinda glad gygax et al didn't do that.

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Me too. Nature doesn't really bother with conservation of detail, so I don't see why gaming should. That's a narrative thing.

Micah Sweet said:

Me too. Nature doesn't really bother with conservation of detail, so I don't see why gaming should. That's a narrative thing.

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i mean, i consider it a narrative problem as well. why are these great heroes struggling with a regular zombie like first timers? if anything, it's overwhelmingly (video) gamey.