Wraithlight (Dread Codex Monster)

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	Wraithlight
Size/Type:	Fine Undead (Incorporeal)
Hit Dice:	4d12 (26 hp)
Initiative:	+4
Speed:	Fly 50 ft. (perfect)
Armor Class:	25 (+8 size, +4 Dex, +3 deflection), touch 25, flat-footed 21
Base Attack/Grapple:	+2/—
Attack:	Incorporeal touch +14 melee (1d8 cold)
Full Attack:	Incorporeal touch +14 melee (1d8 cold)
Space/Reach:	1-0.5 ½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks:	Spell-like Abilities, Wisdom Damage
Special Qualities:	Darkvision 60 ft., Incorporeal Traits, Spell Resistance 15, Undead Traits
Saves:	Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +5
Abilities:	Str —, Dex 19, Con —, Int 13, Wis 12, Cha 16
Skills:	Bluff +8, Hide +23, Listen +9, Search +5, Sense Motive +7, Spellcraft +6, Spot +9
Feats:	Alertness, Lightning Reflexes
Environment:	Any
Organization:	Solitary or group (1-3)
Challenge Rating:	5
Treasure:	None
Alignment:	Usually neutral
Advancement:	5-6 HD (Fine); 7 HD (Diminutive)
Level Adjustment:	—

Spheres of floating light, no larger than a few inches in diameter, swoop silently in the air. Each emits a different color and pulses with random intensity.

Wraithlights are mischievous wandering spirits that despise all living creatures. They can be found within ruins, dungeons, and other abandoned places. Wraithlights prefer to be left alone and detest the presence of creatures other than their own kind. Very temperamental, they are as likely to ignore intruders as they are to attack. They easily grow impatient, however, and attempt to drive away or slay those who actively disturb them.

Theologians, historians, and hunters of the undead are unsure of wraithlights' true origins. Their actions suggest that they be earthbound spirits who refuse to pass into the afterlife, but some spellcasters claim that they are the ghosts of a strange and ancient race from another plane, tapped in a foreign world after theirs was destroyed and trying to continue their existence.

Whatever their real nature, wraithlights are best left alone by those who want to avoid conflict. Wraithlights do not speak, but can understand any language. In rare instances where a wraithlight attempts to communicate, it does so by "gesturing" through movement and by shifting colors.

Combat

When agitated, a wraithlight grows darker in color and zips back and forth erratically through the air. In battle, wraithlights prefer to toy with their opponents, using their spell-like abilities to sow confusion among foes and passing through opponents' bodies to harm them. if strongly angered, wraithlights dominate their enemies and have them fight unaffected allies. When in danger, wraithlights use mislead to escape. Wraithlights are vengeful, and do not easily forget creatures they have fought.

Spell-Like Abilities: 2/day — confusion (DC 17), dominate person (DC 18), hypnotic pattern (DC 15), mislead (DC 19). Caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Wisdom Damage (Su): Three times per day, by touching its opponent, a wraithlight can force the creature to see glimpses of horrors in the spirit realm instead of suffering cold damage. A living creature hit by a wraithlight's touch attack must succeed on a DC 15 Will save or suffer 1d4 points of Wisdom damage. The save DC is Charisma-based.

Treasure

None — Wraithlights know that treasure draws creatures so they want no part of it. a successfully dominated creature is made to throw the treasure of its defeated companions as well as its own off a precipice or into a swamp or pit—any place that other creatures will not immediately notice it.

In Your Campaign

If the origin theories of wraithlights given above are not enough, here's another one. These undead creatures are the losers in a battle between two ancient races. The gods punished both races for their insolence at destroying much of the lands during their war. The victors were changed into will-o'-wisps. The losing race, who had been subjected to massive necromantic energies from the victors, was changed into today's wraithlights. They see living creatures as their own lost opportunity at existence and, while they harbor no lust for death against them, this is not the same for their will-o'-wisp cousins. Those evil creatures are attacked on sight and woe to any creatures caught in the middle of such a blood feud.

Wraithlights make for engaging adventure material besides the role of adversary as well. An evil cleric, along with his allies, has entered an ancient city swarming with wraithlights to retrieve a powerful relic. The wraithlights are too numerous to fight and it seems the cleric is intimidating them somehow. The pursuing PCs must find a way through the city, and possibly seek help from the wraithlights (who know the city and its perils better than anyone).

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