Buy me a coffeeHanged Man
“Wrongly executed and hellbent on revenge, the Hanged Man returns from the gallows with a cursed noose—and he’s looking for a neck to fit it.”
“There are some deaths the soul cannot rest from—and some ropes that never loosen.”
The Hanged Man is a grotesque, shambling corpse dressed in shredded, dirt-caked rags, its skin pallid and stretched tight over broken bones. Its head is wrapped in a rotting burlap sack, stained with dried blood and tightened with a knotted noose that bites deep into the bloated neck. Despite the lack of visible eyes, it moves with uncanny precision, as if drawn by rage rather than sight. The noose, impossibly long, trails behind it like a leash waiting for a throat.
Behavior
The Hanged Man is driven by a relentless, near-mindless thirst for vengeance. It stalks its prey silently, fixating on individuals it deems complicit in injustice—whether real or imagined. It does not speak, but low, rasping gasps escape its throat as if choking on air that no longer fills its lungs. Once it has marked a target, it pursues with grim tenacity, often toying with them before the kill. It favors ambush, psychological torment, and strangulation over brute-force assaults.
Habitat
Though it can roam anywhere the living walk, the Hanged Man is most often found in abandoned gallows, ruined towns, or near trees long used for hangings. It lingers in places of execution or injustice, especially where the truth was buried with the corpse. The air around such places often feels heavy, and birds avoid roosting there.
Modus Operandi
The Hanged Man strikes from above or the shadows, using its cursed noose to ensnare the neck of its target before dragging them upward or reeling them in. It weakens victims with necrotic curses delivered through its rotting touch, then tightens the noose each round until breath and hope are extinguished. Survivors often awaken from unconsciousness with rope burns on their necks and fractured memories of being judged.
Motivation
Born from wrongful death and public betrayal, the Hanged Man is the embodiment of miscarried justice. It has no allegiance to any mortal cause, only the relentless desire to punish those it believes failed it—judges, jailors, bystanders, or anyone wearing a badge of order. The Hanged Man is not bound by facts; its vengeance is emotional, reactive, and deeply personal. In rare cases, it can be laid to rest by uncovering the truth of its execution and giving it proper justice… but more often, it must be destroyed.
Hanged Man 5e
Hanged Man, Pathfindeer
Hanged Man 3.5
Hanged Man
Medium Undead, Chaotic Evil
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3
“He didn’t die from the rope. He died when we turned our backs.”
Armor Class 17 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points 110 (13d8 + 52)
Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 (+5) | 10 (+0) | — | 6 (–2) | 14 (+2) | 16 (+3) |
Saving Throws Wisdom +5, Charisma +6
Skills Stealth +6, Perception +5
Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses Blindsight 60 ft. (blind beyond this radius), Passive Perception 15
Languages Understands Common but cannot speak
Traits
Undead Nature
The Hanged Man does not require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Cursed Touch
When the Hanged Man hits with a melee weapon attack, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or suffer a random magical curse for 1 minute. The curse ends early if remove curse or similar magic is used.
Roll 1d4 for the curse effect:
- The target has a –4 penalty to attack rolls.
- The target has a –4 penalty to ability checks and saving throws.
- The target cannot regain hit points.
- The target has disadvantage on Wisdom checks and saving throws.
Grudge-Bound
When damaged by a creature or when a creature resembles a figure from the Hanged Man’s unjust past (DM’s discretion), it becomes fixated. It has advantage on attack rolls against that creature and will pursue it relentlessly.
Strangled Fate
If the Hanged Man kills a creature using its noose, it regains 20 hit points. Each creature within 10 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of its next turn.
Hangman’s Resilience
After applying damage resistances, any remaining melee damage the Hanged Man takes is halved (rounded down).
Innate Spellcasting (Cursed Spirit)
The Hanged Man’s innate spellcasting is Charisma-based (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will: Thaumaturgy, Minor Illusion, Chill Touch
- 3/day each: Bestow Curse, Cause Fear, Command
- 1/day each: Phantasmal Killer, Silence
Actions
Multiattack
The Hanged Man makes two slam attacks, or one slam and one noose attack.
Slam
Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus the effects of Cursed Touch.
Noose
Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 15 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (1d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus Cursed Touch. On a hit, the target is grappled (escape DC 15).
While a creature is grappled by the noose:
- The Hanged Man can use a bonus action to tighten the rope, dealing 7 (1d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage.
- The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or begin suffocating.
- The Hanged Man can reel the target 5 feet closer as a bonus action.
Suffocating Pull (Recharge 5–6)
The Hanged Man violently yanks any creature grappled by its noose. Each such creature must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be hoisted 10 feet into the air or against a surface and begin suffocating. A creature suspended this way cannot move unless it escapes the grapple.
Legendary Actions
The Hanged Man can take 2 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.
- Silent Step. The Hanged Man moves up to 15 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
- Tighten the Rope. The Hanged Man deals noose damage to a grappled creature.
- Grudge Resurge (Costs 2 Actions). The Hanged Man switches its grudge to a new creature it can see, regains 10 hit points, and gains advantage on its next attack roll against that creature.
Tactics and Behavior
- Ambush Predator: Strikes from rooftops, trees, or darkness, using Silence or Noose to open combat.
- Psychological Warfare: Uses illusions and eerie sounds to create fear and isolation before attacking.
- Single-Target Focus: Fixates on a target via Grudge-Bound, curses them, and strangles them to death.
- Control Over Chaos: Breaks party formation, disables healers, and instills fear through slow, methodical violence.
Lore Hook
“He was innocent. That’s what the priest said after we buried him. But the townsfolk needed a scapegoat… and now the noose is back for us.”
Hanged Man
This shambling corpse is dressed in ruined rags, it’s face is covered in a burlap bag held by a tightly bound noose.
Originally Posted by Sleepwalker13666 of the Wizards Community forums.
Sometimes justice makes a mistake, public outcry can create desperation and confusion. Sometimes the best of intentions bring tragedy. The hanged man is the animated corpse of one who was unjustly brought to death at the gallows. The hanged man rises to seek revenge on those who let him die.
| Hanged Man | |
| Medium Size undead | |
| Hit Dice | 8d8 (55 hp) |
| Initiative | +4 |
| Speed | 30 ft |
| AC | (10 +10 Natural) 20, Touch: 10, Flat-Footed: 20 |
| Attacks | 2 Slams +11 1d6+10+Curse, Slam +2 melee, Noose +4 (resolved as a ranged touch attack) 1d4+7+Curse |
| Damage | 2 Slams +11 1d6+10+Curse, Slam +2 melee, Noose +4 (resolved as a ranged touch attack) 1d4+7+Curse |
| Face/Reach | 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft |
| Special Attacks | Ability Damage, Ability Drain, Critical Hits, Energy Drain, Mind-Affecting, Non-Lethal Damage, Poison, Sleep, Paralysis, Stunning, Disease, Death Effects, Necromancy |
| Special Qualities | undead Traits, Resistance to Blows, Blindsight 60ft (Listen +6, Spot +6 ) DR 5/- |
| Saves | Fort +4 Ref +2 Will +8 |
| Abilities | Strength 24 Dexterity 10 Constitution – Intelligence 6 Wisdom 14 Charisma 14 |
| Skills | Spot +6, Listen +6, Move Silent +7, Hide +7 |
| Feats | Power Attack, Improved Initiative, Toughness |
| Climate/Terrain | Any land |
| Organization | Solitary |
| Challenge Rating | 7 |
| Treasure | None |
| Alignment | Chaotic Evil |
| Advancement | 5-8 HD (Medium-Size) 9-16 HD (Medium Size) |
Cursed Touch: Any time the hanged man hits with it’s slam attack the character must make a will save DC 15 (13+ Charisma Mod) or suffers the effects of a bestow curse spell. ( -4 attack roles, saves, ability checks, and skill checks).
Resistance to Blows: The hanged man is incredible resistant to melee damage. After damage reduction is resolved any melee damage dealt to hanged man is reduced by half.
Noose: A hanged man can attempt to strangle the life from it’s foes, first it must make a successful attack with it’s noose, this is resolved as a ranged touch attack with a range of 15 feet, the noose deals 1d4+Strength mod in damage and transfers the hanged mans cursed touch. After making a successful noose attack the hanged man makes an opposed grapple check, if the hanged man wins the grapple check he deals automatically deals 1d6+ Strength mod damage to his foe every round, at the start of his turn.
A foe trapped in the noose can attempt an opposed grapple check as a full round action on his turn to escape. While in the noose the character is subject to suffocation (see drowning rules in the DMG). Hanged Men usually attempt to use this attack from above, but are fully capable of performing it on level ground, simply by not letting loose any slack. A character can not move out of the ropes range while in the noose, a hanged man can real in 5 feet of rope as a standard action forcing a foe closer to him. Each round trapped by the noose the character must also make a save vs. the hanged mans cursed touch.