“Risen from the grave with vengeance in its heart and unfinished business in its claws, the Revenant will stop at nothing—even death—until justice is served.”
The Revenant appears as a decayed, corpse-like figure draped in the remnants of burial garb or battlefield armor. Its eyes glow with cold, unnatural light—often red, green, or ghostly blue—reflecting the fire of unresolved purpose. Though its flesh is rotting, it moves with eerie precision and unnatural strength. Scars or wounds from its original death are often visible, some still bleeding spectral ichor.
Behavior: Revenants are single-minded and relentless. They do not rest, sleep, or speak unless compelled, and are immune to distractions, pain, or fear. While capable of strategic thinking, a Revenant rarely engages in anything outside its mission. It will stalk its target for days, weeks, or even centuries, enduring damage that would fell lesser undead, sustained solely by sheer will.
Habitat: Most Revenants rise in places thick with death, trauma, or betrayal: warfields, plague-ridden towns, ruined manors, or desecrated tombs. They prefer shadowed, silent places that mirror their own restless torment. One will linger near its grave or the site of its demise when not actively pursuing its target.
Modus Operandi: Once awakened, a Revenant seeks out the person or entity responsible for its death or betrayal. It prefers to hunt in silence, stalking its prey through dreams, whispers, or signs before striking with swift, brutal force. In combat, it uses unnatural resilience, necrotic energy, and spectral abilities—such as walking through walls, summoning cold winds, or paralyzing fear—to incapacitate anyone in its way.
If its body is destroyed before its vengeance is fulfilled, the Revenant’s spirit will regenerate in 24 hours, reforming near its original grave or a place of emotional resonance.
Motivation: Revenants are created not by dark rituals, but by powerful emotional injustice—a soul so wronged in life that even death cannot bring peace. Their singular goal is to right the wrong or destroy the one who wronged them. Once their mission is fulfilled, they crumble to dust, finally released from their torment… unless the curse revives them once more.
Understands all languages it knew in life (does not speak)
Traits
Relentless Purpose
It knows the exact distance and direction to the creature responsible for its death, regardless of distance or planar boundaries. This creature is its vengeance target.
Unyielding Vengeance
If the revenant is reduced to 0 hit points before fulfilling its purpose, its body crumbles to ash. After 24 hours, it reforms within 1 mile of its grave or the last known location of its target (DM’s discretion). Only a wish or divine intervention spell can prevent this resurrection.
Vengeful Focus (1/Day)
As a bonus action, the it enters a state of singular fury for 1 minute. During this time:
It has advantage on attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws against its vengeance target.
It gains resistance to all damage from non-target sources.
It is immune to being charmed, frightened, or incapacitated.
Actions
Multiattack
The it makes two weapon attacks, choosing from Vengeful Strike or a thematic weapon.
Vengeful Strike(Unarmed)
Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target Hit: 13 (2d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.
Weapon Options(Choose One to Match Revenant’s Backstory)
Vengeful Blade (Longsword). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target Hit: 11 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) necrotic. If the target is the revenant’s vengeance target, it must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Executioner’s Axe (Greataxe). Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target Hit: 16 (2d12 + 3) slashing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic. If the target is at or below half its hit point maximum, it must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of its next turn.
Ghostpiercer (Spectral Bow). Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target Hit: 8 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage plus 5 (1d10) necrotic. If the target is the revenant’s vengeance target, it must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll.
Soulbind Touch(Recharge 5–6)
The revenant reaches into a creature’s soul. One creature within 5 feet must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or be affected for 1 minute:
The target is frightened, must use its movement to flee the revenant, and cannot willingly move closer.
The target has disadvantage on all attack rolls against creatures other than the revenant.
The creature may repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
Bonus Actions
Grave Step
The revenant teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. If it ends this teleport within 5 feet of its vengeance target, its next melee attack has advantage.
Reactions
Unholy Tenacity(1/Day)
When the revenant is reduced to 0 hit points, it can make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a success, it drops to 1 hit point instead.
Tactics
The revenant is a relentless, strategic hunter. It:
Stalks its target silently, attacking when they are isolated or weakened.
Uses Grave Step to outmaneuver or pursue.
Focuses entirely on its vengeance target, ignoring others unless obstructed.
Uses Soulbind Touch to disrupt key enemies and break formations.
Retreats to regenerate if overwhelmed, returning stronger and more determined.
This shambling corpse is twisted and mutilated. Fingers of sharpened bone reach out with malevolent intent.
Revenant CR 6
XP 2,400 LE Medium undead Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., sense murderer; Perception +13
DEFENSE
AC 19, touch 13, flat-footed 16 (+3 Dex, +6 natural) hp 76 (9d8+36) Fort +7, Ref +6, Will +7 DR 5/slashing; Immune cold, undead traits; SR 17 Weaknesses self-loathing
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +14 (1d8+7 plus grab) Special Attacks baleful shriek, constrict (1d6+7)
STATISTICS
Str 24, Dex 17, Con —, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 19 Base Atk +6; CMB +13 (+17 grapple); CMD 26 Feats Cleave, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Step Up, Weapon Focus (claw) Skills Intimidate +16, Perception +13 Languages Common SQ reason to hate
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Baleful Shriek (Su)
Once every 1d4 rounds, a revenant can shriek as a standard action. All creatures within a 60-foot spread must make a DC 18 Will save or cower in fear for 1d4 rounds. This is a mind-affecting fear effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Reason to Hate (Su)
It’s existence is fueled by its hatred for its murderer. As long as the murderer exists, the revenant exists. If the murderer dies, the revenant is immediately slain. A murderer who becomes undead does not trigger a revenant’s destruction. When a revenant encounters its murderer, it gains the benefits of a haste spell (CL 20th) that lasts as long as its murderer remains in sight. Against its murderer, the revenant also gains a +4 profane bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, grapple checks, and saving throws.
Self-Loathing (Ex)
When confronted with its reflection or any object that was important to it in life, a revenant must make a DC 20 Will save to avoid becoming overwhelmed with self-pity. This condition renders the revenant helpless, and lasts until the revenant is attacked or sees its murderer. If a revenant resists becoming overwhelmed, the revenant becomes obsessed with the source that triggered the saving throw and does everything it can to destroy it, reacting to the trigger as if the trigger were its murderer and gaining bonuses from its reason to hate ability.
Sense Murderer (Su)
It knows the direction but not the distance to its murderer—this sense can be blocked by any effect that blocks scrying. Against its murderer, a revenant has true seeing and discern lies in effect at all times (CL 20th); these abilities cannot be dispelled.
ECOLOGY
Environment any land Organization solitary Treasure standard
Fueled by hatred and a need for vengeance, a revenant rises from the grave to hunt and kill its murderer. Devoid of any compassion, emotion, or logic, a revenant has but one purpose, and cannot rest until it has found vengeance.
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