Banshade Servitor
Medium Fey, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 85 (10d8 + 40)
Speed: 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)
Challenge Rating: 5 (1,800 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 20 |
Saving Throws: Dexterity +8, Wisdom +7, Charisma +9
Skills: Deception +9, Performance +9, Perception +7, Stealth +8
Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant Damage
Damage Resistances: Psychic Damage, Necrotic Damage
Damage Immunities: Poison Damage
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Ethereal Sight, passive Perception 17
Languages: Common, Sylvan
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. The Banshade Servitors are 5th-level spellcasters. Their spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The Banshade Servitors have the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): Minor Illusion, Vicious Mockery
1st level (3 slots): Charm Person, Disguise Self, Faerie Fire
2nd level (2 slots): Mirror Image, Hold Person
3rd level (1 slot): Fear
The Banshade Servitors often cast *Charm Person* at the beginning of combat to disrupt the unity of the party. They rely heavily on their ability to manipulate emotions and perceptions, sowing confusion and disarray among their foes.
Actions & Abilities
Multiattack: The Banshade Servitor makes two melee attacks with its Shadow Blade or uses one melee attack and casts Charm Person.
Shadow Blade: Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 2d8 + 3 psychic damage. On a critical hit, the target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become Confused until the end of their next turn. While Confused, the target cannot take reactions and rolls a d6 at the start of each of its turns to determine its behavior: 1-2: Attacks a random creature within reach; 3-4: Does nothing; 5-6: Moves in a random direction.
Charm Person (At Will): The Banshade Servitor targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the Banshade Servitor for 1 hour. While charmed in this way, the target regards the Banshade Servitor as a trusted friend. This charm effect does not require concentration, and if a creature is harmed by the Banshade Servitor or its allies, the charm effect ends.
Twilight Veil (Recharge 4-6): As an action, the Banshade Servitor engulfs a 20-foot radius area in shimmering twilight magic. Each creature in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or suffer disadvantage on Wisdom checks and attack rolls for 1 minute. Creatures that succeed must reroll attacks when targeted by a Banshade Servitor until the end of their next turn. The area remains obscured (as the Fog Cloud spell) for this duration.
Starlit Lure (Recharge 5-6): The Banshade Servitor flares with enchanting light. All creatures within a 30-foot radius must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be drawn toward the Banshade Servitor, moving them up to half their movement speed towards it as if compelled by a powerful force. Creatures that can see the Banshade Servitor and fail the save cannot willingly move further than 15 feet away from it until the end of their next turn.
Shadow Slip: When targeted by a melee attack, the Banshade Servitor can use its reaction to shift into shadow, imposing disadvantage on the attack roll as it momentarily vanishes and reappears within 10 feet of its original location.
Shadow Step (Costs 1 Action): The Banshade Servitor moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. This action can be used to reposition in or out of combat or to escape from threats.
Distracting Illusion (Costs 2 Actions): The Banshade Servitor creates a ghostly projection of itself up to 30 feet away, diverting attention. All creatures within a 10-foot radius of the illusion must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or roll with disadvantage on their next attack roll.
Appearance
Beneath the twilight sky of Mirashaar, the Banshade Servitor emerges as a striking silhouette, its medium-sized frame standing elegantly at 6 to 7 feet tall. With a slender, elongated body, it exudes an ethereal grace, each contour melding shadows and light. Gliding with a fluid motion, the Servitor creates a mesmerizing dance in the twilight, where sleek obsidian skin melds into shimmering silver, reflecting hues of purple, blue, and soft green—an enigma that shifts with every subtle movement.
Its skin possesses a velvety smoothness, slightly translucent, as if woven from starlight and shadow. When the Banshade Servitor moves, the ghostly texture allows its shape to flicker, appearing both solid and insubstantial, creating an illusion that captivates the observer. Wisps of delicate light trail behind it, enhancing the creature’s magical presence and imbuing the space around it with an enchanting ambiance.
The face of the Banshade Servitor is hauntingly beautiful, characterized by sharp cheekbones and elegant features that lure from the shadows. Its luminescent eyes, large and expressive, glow with shifting colors, from a warm ember to an icy blue, evoking both allure and an unsettling chill. The mouth, slightly elongated and lined with glimmering, delicate teeth, can convey both charm and a hidden threat.
Its limbs are long and slender, tapering into gracefully pointed fingers that are adept at wielding shadowy blades. These limbs move with an almost prehensile agility, allowing the Servitor to glide seamlessly across surfaces. Instead of traditional legs, it hovers above the ground, its feet dissolving into swirling shades, further enhancing its otherworldly essence.
Movement is both enchanting and deceptive; the Banshade Servitor maintains a poised posture, often transitioning into dance-like poses that express fluidity and intent. In combat, its motions become swift and ghostly, flickering in and out of view as if defying reality. This captivating movement embodies a blend of elegance and danger, an ever-present reminder of its capabilities.
What sets the Banshade Servitor apart are its extraordinary special features: a bioluminescent pattern pulses across its skin, creating a visual heartbeat that matches the rhythm of ambient magic. A shimmering veil of twilight magic encircles it, augmenting its charm and creating illusions that make its true location difficult to discern. Wisps trailing from its limbs produce faint musical notes, a haunting melody that enchants the unwary, drawing them deeper into its magical web.
Surrounding this creature is the sweet scent of night-blooming flowers and damp earth, evoking a nostalgic familiarity in the air. The Banshade Servitors of Mirashaar are not just beings of beauty; they embody the delicate balance of allure and menace, captivating those who dare to gaze upon them against a backdrop of pure white, revealing their ethereal splendor.
Tactical Information
Behavioral and Tactical Analysis of the Banshade Servitors of Mirashaar
Behavior in Day-to-Day Life
In the enigmatic twilight realm of Mirashaar, the Banshade Servitors exist as ethereal custodians of beauty and deceit. Comprised of tormented souls bound to the fading echoes of a fey celebration, these spectral beings endlessly roam the floating platform, their essence intertwined with the twilight magic of the landscape.
Motivations and Social Interactions
The core motivation of the Banshade Servitors is the momentary delight of manipulating the emotions of others, drawing in the unwary and enamoring them with enchanting displays. They find purpose in serving the whims of their master, the archfey Mirashaar, but they also relish the power they wield over the fragile psyches of intruders and guests. In their interactions with one another, they perform an elaborate dance of mirth and sorrow, seemingly playful yet retaining an undercurrent of menace. Their conversations, often laced with riddles and haunting melodies, reveal a yearning for freedom, tinged with the anguish of their eternal servitude.
Hunting and Feeding Habits
Though the Banshade Servitors do not consume nutrients in the conventional sense, they draw energy from the emotions of those they ensnare. When they enchant visitors with charm spells or intoxicating performances, they siphon off emotional vitality, which reinforce their magical abilities and maintain the shimmering veils of twilight that surround them. Their “feeding” consists of weaving enchanting tales that make sorrow dance with joy, lulling visitors into states of deep emotional vulnerability that they then manipulate for their own sustenance.
General Temperament
The Banshade Servitors embody a contradictory nature: they exude charm and lightness while harboring darkness and treachery. They exist in an eternal dichotomy of beauty and horror, their laughter echoing through the twilight world, tinged with sorrow. When unprovoked, they tend to be capricious, playfully floating about their domain, enticing passersby with playful illusions and mischief.
Combat Behavior
When engaging in combat, the Banshade Servitors reveal their tactical sophistication and a predilection for psychological manipulation.
Initiating Combat
The Servitors typically initiate combat when they sense intruders that pose a threat to the delicate balance of Mirashaar. They prefer to approach stealthily, drifting through the shadows, assessing their targets before launching a surprise attack. Often, they provoke fear or curiosity with haunting choral murmurs, creating a misleading façade of danger that entices players closer.
Preferred Tactics
The Banshade Servitors thrive in flanking maneuvers. With their ability to glide seamlessly across the slick obsidian surfaces, they are hard to track. They quickly divide their targets, casting Charm Person to turn allies against each other. In battles, they favor using their Shadow Blade, darting in and out of combat, aiming for the weaker or distracted members of a party.
When twilight magic envelops the battlefield with Twilight Veil, they take on the initiative to enhance their advantages, deliberately sowing confusion. If overwhelmed, they might target spellcasters first, as these threats can disrupt their tactical advantages.
In situations where they are outnumbered or facing strong foes, the Banshade might resort to trickery, retreating momentarily into the shadows to break line of sight, hiding to regain advantage before striking once more. The Servitors are not fond of direct confrontation unless they hold a strategic advantage, often opting to dance in and out of combat, embodying deception until the opportune moment arises to overwhelm.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Their strengths lie in agility and chaos creation; the ability to charm causes discord among parties. However, should their charms falter and their presence be discovered too swiftly, they are vulnerable when directly confronted by multiple foes. They currently lack resilience against counter-charm spells or effects that might nullify their manipulation tactics.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions
Outside of combat, the Banshade Servitors exhibit their capricious nature through interaction. They communicate through melodic voices drenched in allure, dripping with bittersweet charm. They might greet adventurers with engaging riddles or intriguing tales veiled with double meanings.
Responses to Threats
When faced with perceived threats, the Banshade Servitors may respond initially with seductive allure, beckoning adventurers to join them in a dance or feast, tantalizing them with the promise of pleasures beyond mortal comprehension. Should diplomacy fail, or if their charm is ineffective, they quickly flip their demeanor, revealing glimpses of sorrowful wrath beneath their facade, ready to manipulate their environment to keep foes at bay.
Attempts at Diplomacy or Bribery
Bribery or overtures of goodwill may amuse them, and with the right offer—or captivating performance—they might be swayed to guide adventurers safely through their domain instead of engaging in combat. However, trust is transient with the Banshade Servitors, and motivations can shift as easily as twilight.
Deceptive Negotiation and Flight
Considered highly intelligent, a Banshade Servitor may weave elaborate fabrications to mask euphoric entrapments. Should adventurers corner them or draw too close to a decisive confrontation, they’ll promptly take advantage of their surroundings to weave spells and retreat into the shadows, playfully bidding farewell while sowing impending dread amongst the party.
In the world of Mirashaar, every interaction with the Banshade Servitors unfolds as an intricate ballet of enchanting wonder and perilous danger, encapsulating the essence of allure and mistrust intertwined seamlessly within their fate.
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