Dullahan

Medium Fey (Unseelie), Chaotic Evil
Challenge: 12 (8,400 XP) Proficiency Bonus: +4 Initiative: +4

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Armor Class 18 (Unseelie plate)

Hit Points 187 (22d8 + 88)

Speed 40 ft. (mounted: 80 ft.)

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

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Saving Throws

• Dex +8, Con +9, Wis +8, Cha +9

Skills

• Perception +8, Intimidation +9, Arcana +6, Stealth +8

Damage Resistances

• Cold, Necrotic, Nonmagical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing

Damage Immunities

• Psychic, Poison

Condition Immunities

• Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned

Senses

• Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 18

Languages

• Common, Sylvan, Infernal

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Innate Spellcasting (Fey)

The Dullahan’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

• At-will: Thaumaturgy, Detect Magic, Mage Hand
• 3/day: Fear, Misty Step, Phantasmal Killer
• 1/day: Power Word Kill (only usable after calling the victim’s name with Death Omen)

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Fey Traits

• Headless Rider. The Dullahan cannot be blinded, deafened, or affected by spells that rely on vision or hearing. Its severed head (which glows faintly and whispers) acts as a magical focus and can see independently.
• Unstoppable Advance. The Dullahan ignores difficult terrain, cannot be magically restrained, and automatically succeeds on checks to break barriers or open doors unless magically warded.
• Fear of Gold. If touched by gold, the Dullahan must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or be banished to the Ethereal Plane until the end of its next turn. A creature may use an action to present or strike with gold (coin, weapon, pin, etc.).

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Actions

Multiattack.

The Dullahan makes two attacks with its Spine Whip and may use Death Omen once per round.

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Spine Whip (Melee Weapon Attack)

+9 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) slashing + 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

• On a hit, the target must succeed a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed until the end of their next turn as the whip drains their life essence.

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Death Omen (Recharge 5–6)

The Dullahan raises its severed head high and speaks a mortal’s true name. One creature within 120 feet that the Dullahan can see must make a DC 17 Charisma saving throw.

• On a failure: the creature becomes Frightened and cannot regain hit points for 1 minute.
• If the target is below 50 hit points, it instead must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or drop to 0 hit points.
• A creature that succeeds is immune to this ability for 24 hours.

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Throw Cursed Blood (1/Day)

The Dullahan hurls a basin of spectral blood in a 15-ft. cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw.

• On a failure: the target is Blinded and Cursed (disadvantage on saves against fear) for 1 minute.
• A creature may repeat the save at the end of each of its turns. On a success, the effects end.

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Mount: Headless Nightmare (Optional Mount – CR 5)

If the Dullahan is mounted on a Headless Nightmare (treat as a Nightmare with no head, gains +2 AC and immunity to radiant damage), it gains Trample and can move through difficult terrain without penalty.

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Bonus Actions

Spectral Ride (Recharge 4–6)

The Dullahan and its mount teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space they can see. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks and leaves behind a trail of spectral fire.

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Legendary Resistance (2/Day)

If the Dullahan fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

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Tactics & Combat Strategy

• Opening Move: Begins with Fear or Phantasmal Killer to isolate enemies, often teleporting into the fray with Spectral Ride.
• Execution Role: Uses Death Omen to target wounded enemies or key support casters. Combos this with Spine Whip to paralyze for a finisher.
• Mobility Master: Never stays in one place long; the Dullahan rides circles around the battlefield, using reach, teleportation, and fear effects to split the party and pick them off.
• Counterplay: Foes can exploit its golden weakness to temporarily banish or repel it—if they know this lore.

Epic Monsters: Headless Horseman (5E)

A common motif in European folklore that didn’t really get its footing until The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I’m talking of course about the Headless Horseman!

Epic Monsters: Headless Horseman (5E) | EN World | Dungeons & Dragons | Tabletop Roleplaying Games

In the American tale it’s a Hessian soldier (German mercenary) that loses his head when a cannonball decapitates him and buried without it, he rises to find it.

Conversely the Dullahan in Ireland is an Unseelie fairy that knows precisely where its head is–tucked under one arm–and wields a spine-whip in one hand. In Scotland he’s got no head again but neither does the horse. In England it gets a little creeper with Gawain and the Green Knight; after being beheaded, the Green Knight picks up his own head and declares he’ll be back to challenge Gawain again in a year’s time. Germans like to give him a horn and sometimes fire-licking bloodhounds, but the Indians have the coolest version: jhinjhārs, heroes that are too stubborn to die and instead fight to protect innocents from unjust or wrongful deaths.

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Headless Horseman
Medium undead, chaotic neutral

Armor Class 16 (natural)
Hit Points 68 (8d8+32)
Speed 30 ft.

STR​	DEX​	CON​	INT​	WIS​	CHA​
18 (+4)​	16 (+3)​	19 (+4)​	14 (+2)​	15 (+2)​	17 (+3)​

Skills Animal Handling +5, Athletics +7, Intimidation +6, Perception +5, Survival +5
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t silvered
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, exhaustion, petrified, poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)

Incorporeal Movement. The Headless Horseman can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. He takes 5 (1d10) force damage if he ends his turn inside an object. The Headless Horseman can use his bonus action to share his Incorporeal Movement trait with a creature he is touching until the start of his next turn.

Innate Spellcasting. The Headless Horseman’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: detect magic, phantom steed
3/day: gust of wind, misty step
1/day: blight

Magic Resistance. The Headless Horseman has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Regeneration. The Headless Horseman regains 5 hit points at the start of his turn. If the Headless Horseman takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the start of his next turn.

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The Headless Horseman uses its Frightful Presence and attacks once, or he attacks twice: once with his chilling blade and once with his spinal whip.

Chilling Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) magical slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) cold damage.

Spinal Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6+5) magical bludgeoning damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage.

Death’s Calling. The Headless Horseman can use an action to place a death’s calling on a creature he can see within 60 feet. The target makes a DC 14 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, for 1 minute the target can’t use reactions and on its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. A target can use its action to repeat the saving throw, ending this effect on itself with a success. In addition, until the target takes a long rest all weapon attacks against it score a critical hit on a roll of 19–20 and it automatically fails death saves.

Frightful Presence. Each creature of the Headless Horseman’s choice that is within 100 feet of him and aware of him must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the 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, the creature is immune to the Headless Horseman’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

“Unearth the Legend of the Terrifying Headless Horseman!”

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The Dullahan is a fearsome figure from Irish mythology, often portrayed as a headless horseman who roams the countryside by night. The name comes from the Irish Gaelic dúlachán, meaning “dark man.”

Clad in black and riding a powerful steed—often headless as well—the Dullahan carries his severed head under one arm. This head is said to glow with a strange, ghostly light, its face twisted into a grotesque grin that stretches from ear to ear. Its eyes are enormous, constantly shifting and scanning the landscape, said to see vast distances even in pitch darkness. As if that weren’t terrifying enough, he wields a whip fashioned from a human spine, striking out at anyone who dares to obstruct his path.

The Dullahan is a harbinger of death. According to legend, when he stops riding and calls out a person’s name, that individual dies instantly. No wall, door, or gate can keep him out—locks spring open on their own as he approaches. For those unfortunate enough to witness his ride, the consequences can be grim: the Dullahan is said to throw a basin of blood at onlookers as a chilling warning. Yet even this spectral figure has a weakness—he fears gold. A single gold pin is enough to repel him.

Though terrifying, the Dullahan is also linked to the Otherworld and is sometimes said to serve the fairy queen, riding out to collect the souls of the dead on her behalf. His appearances are especially associated with Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival that marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest.

Also known by other names such as Durahan or Gan Ceann (“without a head”), the Dullahan is classified as an unseelie faerie—one of the darker, more malevolent spirits of the fae. His decaying head is said to have the color and texture of moldy cheese, and his grinning mouth only adds to the horror of his presence. To see him is to brush against death itself.

Originally posted by The Vorpal Tribble of the Wizards Community forums.

On this Thread

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Dullahan
Medium fey (Extraplanar)
Hit Dice	11d6+33 (71 hp)
Initiative	+2
Speed	40 ft. (8 squares)
Armor Class	17 (+2 Dexterity, +5 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 15
Base Attack/Grapple	+5/+6
Attack	Whip +8 melee (1d4 plus 1 Constitution damage)
Full Attack	Whip +8 melee (1d4 plus 1 Constitution damage)
Space/Reach	5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks	Evil eye, headless, spell-like abilities, water into blood
Special Qualities	Damage reduction 10/gold or silver, dark of night, Darkvision 120 ft., death watch, know no barriers, immunity to fear, Low-Light Vision
Saves	Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +8
Abilities	Strength 13, Dexterity 14, Constitution 17, Intelligence 15, Wisdom 12, Charisma 19
Skills	Bluff +18, Climb +15, Intimidate +18, Listen +15, Move Silently +16, Ride +16, Search +16, Spot +15
Feats	Ability Focus (headless), Blind-Fight, Intimidating Strike, Weapon Finesse(B), Weapon Focus (Whip)
Environment	Unseelie Court
Organization	Solitary
Challenge Rating	7
Treasure	Standard
Alignment	Neutral Evil
Advancement	By character class
Level Adjustment	–

This being appears at first as a man dressed in an exquisite suit and cloak all in black. There is no head upon its shoulders however, but is instead tucked beneath one arm. The head glows with a faint, unwholesome light of decaying matter and indeed its skin is the color and texture of stale dough or moldy cheese. An enormous, idiotic grin literally spreads from one pointed ear to the other. The eyes are enormous and noctural, though the pupils are tiny and dart about like crazed flies.

A dullahan is a bringer of death, a relentless being of cruelty who preys upon humanoids without pity and with a vicious amusement. They are the assassins of the Unseelie Court, going hither and thither, riding or running all night in Search of one who has in some way insulted or even merely annoyed the court or a member. Just as often they kill only for the sake of killing, playing horrible, deadly games that may last for hours, but fortunately cannot last past daybreak.

They are most often found riding a horse which he has cut the head off and granted a temporary life. Blind and mute, it is wholey enslaved to its rider’s whims to guide it. He rides the horse until it dies or the sun rises, whereupon the steed is finally granted death.

They weigh the same as a standard human, though tend to be a head shorter than average.

Combat

A dullahan on an assassination mission usually kills the creature straight out if possible with it’s finger of death, with only minimal play beforehand. Those it persues for sport can last all night, bleeding and frightening the creature until before dawn it is often quickly dispatched. Those that are particularly amusing however are allowed to live so that it can ‘play’ with them in the future.

A dullahan’s weapon appears to be made from a human spine. It acts as a +1 wounding Whip that deals lethal damage and can deal damage even to those with armor.

Dark of Night (Su):

A dullahan fades away uponm exposure to the mortal’s sun, instantly returning to the Unseelie Court. It may transport back to the Material Plane anytime during the night and cannot transport again until the next night. If kept from transporting, such as by an anti-magic field, the sunlight renders it blind for as long as it is exposed and for 1d4 minutes after.

Deathwatch (Su):

A dullahan continuously senses how close a creature is to death as the Deathwatch spell. This ability extends out in a thousand foot cone.

Evil Eye (Su):

If it wishes, anyone who meets a dullahan’s gaze within 60 feet must succeed on a DC 19 fortitude save or go blind in one eye. They take a -4 penalty to Appraise, Craft, Search, and Spot checks and those flanking them gain a +4 bonus instead of the normal +2. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Headless (Su):

A dullahan is immune to decapitation such as from a vorpal weapon. The head cannot be focused for a sunder attempt while held, and anyone who touches it, such as snatching away the head with a disarm attempt, must succeed on a DC 21 will save or be struck instantly dead. Those who survive initial contact are immune to the deathly repercussions for as long as they hold it. If it is set down and then touched again they must make another save. This is a death affect. The save DC is Charisma-based.

If the head is destroyed the dullahan is not killed, but it can only hear and see and use its death watch ability wherever the head is located. The head has 10 hit points and a hardness of 5.

The dullahan must always have one hand free to hold its head. When a dullahan fades back at sun up the head fades as well and reunites with the body.

Unless a dullahan’s head is destroyed after the main body is killed the creature rises back to life the next night.

Know No Barriers (Su):

All non-magical doors and locks a dullahan wishes to pass through unlock and open automatically whenever he approaches within 20 feet. Magical doors and locks are also affected and effects such as Arcane Lock are dispelled if the caster level is less than the dullahan’s HD.

Spell-like Abilities: Caster level 12th. Save DC’s are Charisma-based.

• 1/day – Finger of Death (DC 22)
• 3/day – Bestow Curse (DC 18)

Water Into Blood (Ex):

As a standard action a dullahan can convert 1 cubic foot, or eight gallons, of water into blood.

Headless Steed

A dullahan’s steed has no Intelligence score and is blind and deaf. For as long as the dullahan is in contact with it it can continue to run without taking damage, though still takes damage from being spurred to greater speeds, and moves as if sighted by his guiding. It can take no actions and has no initiative except for what the dullahan commands it to do.

The steed must be first killed by the dullahan and its head removed. If the dullahan beheads and mounts the creature within one minute it returns to a temporary life at full hit points.