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Will-o'-wisp

Will-o'-wisp
Tiny Undead, Typically Chaotic Evil
Armor Class19
Hit Points22(9d4)
Speedfly 50 ft (hover)
STR
1(-5)
DEX
28(+9)
CON
10(+0)
INT
13(+1)
WIS
18(+4)
CHA
11(+0)
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks, acid, cold, fire, necrotic, thunder
Damage Immunitieslightning, poison
Condition Immunitiesexhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious
SensesDarkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 14
LanguagesThe languages it knew in life
Challenge2( 450 XP) Proficiency Bonus+2

Consume Life. As a bonus action, the will-o'-wisp can target 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 will-o'-wisp regains 10 (3d6) hit points.

Ephemeral. The will-o'-wisp can't wear or carry anything.

Incorporeal Movement. The will-o'-wisp 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.

Variable Illumination. The will-o'-wisp sheds bright light in a 5 to 20-foot radius and dim light for an additional number of feet equal to the chosen radius. The will-o'-wisp can alter the radius as a bonus action.

Actions

Shock. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) lightning damage.

Invisibility. The will-o'-wisp and its light magically become invisible until it attacks or uses its Consume Life, or until its concentration ends (as if concentrating on a spell).

Export

Will-o'-wisps were malicious creatures that appeared as torches or lanterns seen floating through swamps.

Description

The will-o'-wisp appeared to be nothing more than a hazy ball of light, colored white, blue, violet, green, or yellow, glowing as brightly as a flaming torch. As such, it was easy to mistake one for a lantern, torch, or dancing lights. Especially within the foggy marshes they tended to inhabit. They tended to take on a blue, violet, or pale green hue whenever they were engaged in combat.

In fact, their faintly glowing bodies were just transparent balls of spongy matter, measuring 1 foot (30 centimeters) wide and weighing around 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms). Although they had no vocal organs, will-o'-wisps could vibrate to emit a ghostly sound, with which they could speak.

Boggarts were believed to be immature forms of will-o'-wisps. Unlike their mature counterparts, boggarts could take on a shape of small humanoids and lure their prey and a shape of a smaller but brighter wisp. Another major thing that differentiated will-o'-wisps and boggarts was that the immature forms needed to devour flesh and the life force of their prey.

Abilities

These creatures could alter the brightness or dimness of their bodies' glow. This ability was used to confuse their prey. A will-o'-wisp could even extinguish its glow, becoming for all intents and purposes invisible to all except creatures who see invisible objects. They typically did the latter whenever they were surprised or frightened.

Will-o'-wisps had total spell resistance, making them immune to most spells, apart from magic missile, maze and protection from evil.

A will-o'-wisp could discharge electricity, inflicting small electric shocks on attackers.

Personality

These creatures displayed exceptional levels of intelligence. They reveled in luring travelers away from safe paths, bewildering them.

Combat

A will-o'-wisp would avoid combat if at all possible, but would attack with electric shocks if pressed.

Society

Will-o'-wisps were typically found singly, in pairs, or in "strings" of three or four orbs.

Diet

These creatures subsisted upon the powerful emotions that are associated with fear, panic, and death. They would often seek to lure creatures away from safe paths, into perilous situations so they could feast upon their desperate emotions.

Homelands

Will-o'-wisps were typically found in deserted, dangerous places where ones movement could get inhibited. Such as bogs, fens, swamps, as well as swampy dungeons and dungeons full of quicksand or pit-traps.

On Toril they were known to be inhabit the Vast Swamp, where they were often sighted from the Way of the Manticore. As well as its counterpart in the Plane of Shadow, the Shadow Swamp.

They also harassed travelers in the Glaun Bog of Tasseldale.

Relationships

Some will-o'-wisps served the dark Chultan demigod Eshowdow, and their appearance was seen by his followers as a sign of his favor.

This article uses material from the “Will-o'-wisp” article on the Forgotten Realms wiki at Fandom and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.