Laughter of Lost Souls
Medium Undead, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class: 15 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 110 (13d8 + 52)
Speed: 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
Challenge Rating: 7 (2,900 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 20 |
Saving Throws: Dexterity +6, Wisdom +6, Charisma +8
Skills: Deception +8, Persuasion +8, Stealth +6, Perception +6, Performance +8
Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant
Damage Resistances: Psychic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Damage Immunities: Poison, Necrotic
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 16
Languages: Understands Common and Celestial but cannot speak
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. The Laughter of Lost Souls is a 7th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The Laughter of Lost Souls has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): *Minor Illusion*, *Vicious Mockery*
1st level (4 slots): *Disguise Self*, *Tasha’s Hideous Laughter*
2nd level (3 slots): *Mirror Image*, *Hold Person*
3rd level (3 slots): *Fear*, *Major Image*
4th level (2 slots): *Phantasmal Killer*, *Greater Invisibility*
**Notes:** The Laughter of Lost Souls often uses *Minor Illusion* to create distractions or conceal its approach just before engaging in combat. It may prepare *Greater Invisibility* to gain an upper hand, making it difficult for enemies to target it while it attacks from the shadows. If there are a group of adventurers, it enjoys using *Tasha’s Hideous Laughter* to incapacitate a player, leaving them vulnerable to its manipulations.
Actions & Abilities
Spectral Claws: *Melee Weapon Attack:* +8 to hit, reach 15 ft., one target.
*Hit:* 2d10 + 4 slashing damage and the target must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target is frightened until the end of its next turn as the laughter of lost souls resonates painfully in their mind.
Laughter Echo (Recharge 5-6): The Laughter releases an infectious wave of euphoric laughter in a 30-foot radius.
Each creature of its choice must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, creatures become incapacitated with laughter for one round. On a successful save, creatures take 2d6 psychic damage from the unsettling experience and are shaken, imposing disadvantage on their next attack roll.
Spectral Games: The Laughter conjures illusory carnival games within a 60-foot radius. Each creature in the area must make a DC 16 Charisma saving throw. On a failure, the creature is subjected to vivid hallucinations that impose disadvantage on all attack rolls and checks until the end of their next turn. On a success, the creature feels uneasy but suffers no effects.
Mirthful Manipulations (1 Day): The Laughter summons illusory manifestations of broken carnival attractions (AC 12; HP 10), which act as barriers or distractions for one round. Creatures engaging with these illusions must make a DC 16 Intelligence saving throw or be disoriented, reducing their movement speed by half until the end of their turn.
Nightmare of Revelry (1 Day): When reduced to 50% hit points, the Laughter sends out a spectral wave. All creatures in a 60-foot cone must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for one minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.
Move Through Shadows: The Laughter can phase through the wooden boards of the pier, teleporting up to 30 feet to a position it can see. This ability can be used to avoid an attack or reposition strategically in combat.
Misdirection: When targeted by a ranged attack, the Laughter can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll by producing a burst of confounding laughter that distracts the attacker.
Echoing Laughter: The Laughter can use one legendary action to make a **Spectral Claws** attack.
Frightening Illusion: The Laughter can expend two legendary actions to create an illusory duplicate of itself, causing one creature within 30 feet to make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of their next turn.
Appearance
In a haunting landscape, the Laughter of Lost Souls emerges, its medium-sized form oscillating like an enchanting mirage. Standing about six feet tall, it boasts an eerie silhouette that rises and flows in captivating waves. The creature’s overall build melds an ethereal grace with a disconcerting presence, as it appears taller and more expansive than it truly is.
The coloration of the Laughter is striking: its translucent body shimmers between ghostly shades of pale blue and sickly green, reminiscent of glowing sea foam caught in the moonlight. Its once-vibrant jester-like garments, now weathered and tattered, drape across its form in faded, multicolored patches that whisper of long-lost mirth, enhancing its somber yet whimsical aura.
Texture plays a significant role in its spectral design. The skin glimmers with a serene iridescence, akin to the gentle ripples on a tranquil surface of water. Portions of the creature’s form seem to fray and dissolve, creating a mesmerizing interplay of solidity and ether, emphasizing its luminal nature. This surreal texture invites observers to question where reality ends and illusion begins.
The face of the Laughter encapsulates both whimsy and terror, featuring a wide, chilling grin that stretches unnaturally across as if mocking the very essence of joy. Its hollow eye sockets glow faintly with the phosphorescent gleam of distant stars, imbuing it with an otherworldly gaze that is both entrancing and unsettling. The sharp, jagged teeth within its grinning maw seem to glitter ominously, illuminating the darkness with bursts of ethereal light whenever it erupts into laughter.
Long, spindly arms extend from its shoulders, tapering into claw-like fingers that evoke the essence of marionette strings. These delicate appendages are in a perpetual state of movement, artfully manipulating the shadows around it and the illusory games it conjures from the mists. Its slender legs echo the elegance of a dancer, allowing it to glide effortlessly, making each motion an enchanting experience.
Movement is fluid and sinuous as the Laughter hunches slightly forward, embodying a playful yet predatory demeanor. At a moment’s notice, it can burst forth with startling speed, creating a disorienting effect that confounds its foes, as if weaving a mystical trick upon their senses.
Special features enhance its captivating presence — luminous markings flicker and pulse across its body like shimmering patterns of cascading carnival lights. These bioluminescent designs thrum in time with its laughter, adding to the alluring yet unsettling atmosphere it radiates. trailing faint motes of sparkling light that linger in the air, reminiscent of confetti from a ghostly celebration.
Surrounded by a spectral mist, the Laughter of Lost Souls emanates an eerie glow that affords it a ghostly outline. The mist resonates with echoes of both joy and sorrow, leaving an unsettling air of disorientation in its wake. The creature’s very existence bends light, defying reality and blurring the lines for those fortunate or unfortunate enough to witness its haunting dance.
The Laughter of Lost Souls stands as both a mesmerizing entity and an eerie reminder of what was once joyful, existing now in a captivating blend of illusion, fear, and spectral charm, forever leaving its mark upon the world it haunts.
Tactical Information
Laughter of Lost Souls: Behavior and Combat Tactics
Behavior in Day-to-Day Life
In the shadowy recesses of the cursed boardwalk that was once the Crescent Carnival, the Laughter of Lost Souls drifts among the remnants of joy, feasting on the lingering echoes of happiness twisted into torment. Its existence is driven by a deep-seated desire to reclaim lost joy, though it lacks the understanding that true laughter can never be born from pain. Day-to-day, it manifests as an ethereal presence, flitting through the remnants of rusted rides and faded prizes, whispering reminders of the joy once felt to anyone who dares approach.
The creature is drawn to those who wander the boardwalk, especially guests who exhibit a spirit of curiosity or mirth. As it lurks among the shadows, it conjures illusory games and attractions that lure its targets closer, attempting to ensnare them in its spectral grasp. Typically, it thrives in isolation, seeking no companionship except that derived from the understanding of previously joyful souls trapped within its being. It views the living as bitter reflections of its former revelers, and it delights in leading them to confront their own destinies.
Though the Laughter is not inherently malevolent, its nature compels it to trap others in its haunting narrative, leaving them confused and fearful. When feeding on their emotions—specifically laughter and joy—its laughter echoes eerily, a bittersweet sound that pairs eeriness with fleeting nostalgia.
Combat Behavior
When threatened or when it senses a group of adventurers on the boardwalk, the Laughter of Lost Souls takes on a more monstrous persona. Combat begins for it not with an overt attack but with a chilling ambush; it blends its spectral form with the nearby shadows, waiting for an opportune moment. With anticipation, it watches the adventurers as they traverse the warped terrain, chuckling softly at their confusion.
In battle, its strategy revolves around manipulation and deceit. Once engaged, it uses Laughter Echo to incapacitate multiple foes at once, exploiting the confusion it creates as adventurers succumb to infectious laughter. If it senses that its opponents have understood its trickery and are rallying for a counterattack, it employs Spectral Games, conjuring illusory attractions to disrupt their focus and sow discord among their ranks.
When under duress, particularly if it is taking heavy damage, the Laughter will shift tactics. Manifesting its Nightmare of Revelry ability when reduced to half its hit points, the creature seeks to turn the tide of battle by inducing fear in the eyes of its adversaries, hoping to capitalize on the chaos it creates. Should those adversaries grow powerful and persistent, it might utilize its natural ability to phase through the uneven wooden planks, using the warped terrain of the boardwalk to teleport out of immediate danger and re-emerge elsewhere, still keeping its eerie mirage-like aura present in the environment.
If outnumbered and finding its position too perilous, it will resort to clever deceptions, crafting mirages to confuse and mislead as it distances itself from the encounter. This combat style fosters an illusion of fragility, drawing group attention away from its true strength.
Roleplay/Narrative Interactions
During non-combat encounters, the Laughter of Lost Souls acts as both a jesting trickster and a woeful specter. It may initially present a facade of amusement and joy, tempting adventurers closer with echoes of laughter and mirthful antics that invoke curiosity. Should the adventurers approach with caution, it might playfully offer riddles or questions tied to their own fears, all under the guise of engaging them in a fun game.
However, its personality is laced with underlying melancholy and a desperate yearning for connection. If confronted with threats, the Laughter exhibits a curious duality—sometimes retreating into a state of playful taunts, attempting to draw intruders into its plight through psychological games and illusions, while also behaving defensively, evading aggression with mischievous laughter.
Diplomacy with the Laughter requires careful negotiation. It is not inherently hostile, and cunning adventurers might tap into the creature’s lost sense of joy, attempting to recall memories of happier times. In response, the Laughter could reveal snippets of its tragic backstory, a few scattered echoes of joyous memories that were snatched away, perhaps even hinting at the possibility of releasing its trapped souls if its own mourning can be resolved.
Should negotiations fail or if the Laughter feels cornered, it may resort to deception or threats, using illusions to disorient would-be assailants, and ultimately, if the situation becomes dire, it might flee into the shadows—dying to fight another day amid the warped boards, waiting for new souls to wander into its domain.
