Spectre

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 12 Hit Points 45 (10d8) Speed Fly 50 ft. (hover)

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
1 (-5)	14 (+2)	11 (+0)	10 (+0)	10 (+0)	12 (+1)

Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison
Condition Immunities Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Restrained

Senses Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 10
Languages The languages it knew in life
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Incorporeal Movement. The spectre can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the spectre has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Life Drain. The spectre targets one creature it can see within 5 feet of it that has 0 hit points and is still alive. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw against this magic or die. If the target dies, the spectre regains 10 (3d6) hit points.

Etherealness. The spectre enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal and vice versa, yet it can’t affect or be affected by anything on the other plane.

Actions Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 21 (4d8 + 1) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

This translucent, ghostly figure fades into view from the damp mist, its face distorted by wrath into a hideous mask.

Spectres are evil undead that hate sunlight and living things. Most are the remnants of murdered or evil humans, their anger preventing them from entering the afterlife. Like ghosts, they haunt the places of their deaths, and seek to draw others into the lonely abyss of undeath.

A spectre looks much as it did in life and can be easily recognized by those who knew the individual or have seen the individual’s face in paintings or drawings. They retain a strong sense of identity, and even ancient, insane spectres generally remain coherent. Evil historians and necromancers often try to ally with spectres for the knowledge they held in life and retain in undeath.

Spectre CR 7

XP 3,200
LE Medium undead (incorporeal)
Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +17
Aura unnatural aura (30 ft.)

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 12 (+2 deflection, +3 Dex)
hp 52 (8d8+16)
Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +9
Defensive Abilities incorporeal, channel resistance +2
Weaknesses resurrection vulnerability, sunlight powerlessness

OFFENSE

Speed fly 80 ft. (perfect)
Melee incorporeal touch +10 (1d8 plus energy drain)
Special Attacks create spawn, energy drain (2 levels, DC 16)

STATISTICS

Str —, Dex 16, Con —, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 15
Base Atk +6; CMB +6; CMD 21
Feats Blind-Fight, Improved Initiative, Skill Focus (Perception), Weapon Focus
Skills Fly +11, Intimidate +13, Knowledge (history) +10, Knowledge (religion) +13, Perception +17, Stealth +14, Survival +11
Languages Common

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Create Spawn (Su)

Any humanoids slain by a spectre become spectres themselves in 1d4 rounds. Spawn so created are less powerful than typical spectres, and suffer a –2 penalty on all d20 rolls and checks, receive –2 hp per HD, and only drain one level on a touch. Spawn are under the command of the spectre that created them and remain enslaved until its death, at which point they lose their spawn penalties and become full-fledged and free-willed spectres. They do not possess any of the abilities they had in life.

Resurrection Vulnerability (Su)

A raise dead or similar spell cast on a spectre destroys it (Will negates). Using the spell in this way does not require a material component.

Sunlight Powerlessness (Ex)

Spectres are powerless in natural sunlight (not merely a daylight spell) and flee from it. One caught in sunlight cannot attack and is staggered.

Unnatural Aura (Su)

Animals, whether wild or domesticated, can sense the unnatural presence of a spectre at a distance of 30 feet. They do not willingly approach nearer than that and panic if forced to do so unless a master succeeds at a DC 25 Handle Animal, Ride, or wild empathy check. A panicked animal remains so as long as it is within 30 feet of the spectre.

ECOLOGY

Environment any
Organization solitary, pair, gang (3–6), or swarm (7–12)
Treasure none

Variants

Corpulent Spectre (+1 CR): Ancient spectres that are able to satisfy their all-consuming rage by engaging in perpetual, gluttonous feasts upon the living undergo a startling transformation, growing in size and strength as their incorporeal bulk oozes and writhes around them in miasmal folds, appearing as an obese, ghostly humanoid. A corpulent spectre gains the advanced creature simple template, and while it doesn’t gain the bonus to natural armor that template normally grants, its Large size grants it greater reach. Although its size category doesn’t change, its reach with its melee attacks increases by 5 feet.