The Withered Harbinger
Large Undead, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class: 17 (Natural Armor)
Hit Points: 210 (30d10 + 60)
Speed: 30 ft.
Challenge Rating: 11 (7,200 XP)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 20 | 25 |
Saving Throws: Strength +7, Constitution +6, Wisdom +9, Charisma +11
Skills: Intimidation +11, Arcana +8, Insight +9, Deception +11
Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant
Damage Resistances: Necrotic, Psychic
Damage Immunities: Poison, any effect that requires a saving throw against being poisoned
Condition Immunities: Charmed, Deafened, Frightened, Paralyzed, Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 120 ft., Blindsight 60 ft. (Blind Beyond This Radius), Passive Perception 15
Languages: Common, Infernal, understands Celestial but cannot speak it.
Spellcasting
Spellcasting. The Withered Harbinger is a 9th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19, +12 to hit with spell attacks). The Withered Harbinger has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): *Chill Touch*, *Minor Illusion*, *Thaumaturgy*
1st level (4 slots): *Inflict Wounds*, *Dissonant Whispers*, *Shield of Faith*
2nd level (3 slots): *Hold Person*, *Darkness*, *Blindness/Deafness*
3rd level (3 slots): *Fear*, *Vampiric Touch*, *Shadow Blade*
4th level (3 slots): *Phantasmal Killer*, *Greater Invisibility*
5th level (2 slots): *Cloudkill*, *Dominate Person*
6th level (1 slot): *Circle of Death*
*Special Notes:* The Withered Harbinger often casts *Darkness* to obscure the battlefield, utilizing its own abilities to navigate through it with advantage. It can also employ *Fear* and *Phantasmal Killer* to maximize psychological torment against opponents, synergizing effectively with its Dread Aura and Spectral Touch attacks.
Actions & Abilities
Multiattack: The Withered Harbinger can make three attacks: either three Spectral Touch attacks or one Spectral Touch attack and cast a spell.
Spectral Touch: – Melee Spell Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
– Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be afflicted with the **Chronic Despair** condition.
Chronic Despair: – Affected target suffers disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks for 1 minute.
– The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Dread Aura (Recharge 5–6): The Withered Harbinger emanates a wave of despair in a 30-foot radius.
– Each creature in the area must make a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw.
– **On a failed save**: Takes 36 (8d8) psychic damage and becomes frightened for 1 minute.
– A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Dark Sphere (Recharge 4-6): The Harbinger conjures a sphere of dark energy that engulfs a 60-foot radius centered on a point within 120 feet.
– Each creature in that area must make a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw.
– **On a failed save**: Takes 45 (10d8) necrotic damage, or half as much on a successful save.
– The area becomes heavily obscured until the end of the Harbinger’s next turn.
Dark Whispers: – The Harbinger targets one creature it can see within 60 feet.
– The target must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or take 14 (4d6) psychic damage.
– Additionally, the target has disadvantage on its next saving throw.
Corrupt Minions (Legendary Action): – The Harbinger summons three Shadow Servants in unoccupied spaces within 30 feet of it.
– Shadow Servants have 35 HP each and can inflict light damage (use base statistics of Shadows, but with light-based abilities).
Banish Hope (Legendary Action): – The Harbinger heals for 1d10 HP whenever a creature fails a saving throw against one of its spells or effects.
Spectral Rend (Legendary Action): – The Harbinger can use its action to make one Spectral Touch attack against a creature within reach as a reaction to being attacked.
Shadowed Refuge (Recharge 6): – The Withered Harbinger encases itself in shadows, gaining 20 temporary hit points and becoming invisible until the start of its next turn or until it attacks or casts a spell.
Haunting Visage (Recharge 4-6): – Each enemy creature of the Harbinger’s choice within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or take 27 (6d8) psychic damage and be frightened until the end of its next turn.
Wisdom Drain (Recharge 5-6): – The Harbinger targets a creature within 60 feet. If the target fails a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw, it takes 27 (6d8) psychic damage, and the Harbinger regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Appearance
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Size and Shape: The Withered Harbinger is a towering and skeletal figure, standing at an imposing 8 feet tall. Its emaciated frame is elongated and frail, resembling a once-mighty warrior now reduced to an unsettling specter of despair.
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Coloration: The creature’s skin is a ghastly ashen gray, mottled with patches of dark, corrupting flesh that appear to ooze a sickly green fog. The remnants of sacred vestments cling desperately to its frail form, frayed and devoid of color, further accentuating its malevolent presentation.
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Texture and Surface Features: The surface of the Harbinger’s skin is pallid and rough, reminiscent of decaying bark, interspersed with patches of slick, necrotic ooze that seem to pulse with dark energy. The tattered rags that drape over its shoulders and limbs appear to cling like cobwebs, giving a ghostly aura that flutters eerily with any movement.
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Facial Features: The Harbinger’s face is haunting, a macabre blend of anguish and wrath. Deep-set, sunken eyes glow with a sickly green luminescence, emitting a ghostly light that reflects the despair it spreads. Its mouth is wide and filled with jagged, bone-like teeth that seem more suited for rending hope than flesh, creating a grimace of torment and fear.
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Limbs and Appendages: The creature’s arms are thin and disproportionate, extending from its body like elongated shadows, with fingers ending in sharp, claw-like nails that resemble the talons of a bird of prey. Each movement of its skeletal hands conveys a sense of menace, ready to inflict grievous harm. The legs are equally elongated and twisted, giving it an unsettling gait that is both slow and deliberate yet capable of sudden, jarring motions.
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Special Features: Glimmering patterns swirl upon the surface of its skin, resembling the ancient sigils of long-forgotten rites; however, these symbols have warped into grotesque forms representing despair and corruption. A dark, almost smoke-like mane flows from its head, cascading down like a spectral veil, merging with the ominous aura surrounding it.
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Posture and Movement: The Withered Harbinger stands upright, though its posture is slightly hunched, as if bearing the weight of its own malice. It moves with a slow, deliberate grace, a gliding motion that exudes a disquieting air, as though it is not fully bound to the earthly realm. Each step reverberates with an echo of dread, unsettling those who witness its advance.
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Additional Notable Traits: An inky darkness trails behind the Harbinger, swallowing the light around it and giving the illusion it is enshrouded in shadow. This spectral mist seems to coalesce into twisted forms that resemble anguished faces, capturing the essence of those lost to despair. Its staff, topped with a charred remnant of its former holy symbol, flickers with dark energy, and pulses rhythmically, further enhancing its presence as a conduit of dread.
Tactical Information
Tactical Information: The Withered Harbinger in Combat and Narrative
Combat Behavior:
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Engagement Strategy:
- The Withered Harbinger prefers to remain at a distance, using its spells to weaken and instill fear in its opponents while utilizing its high CHA and INT to manipulate the battlefield.
- It will initiate combat with Dread Aura to maximize psychological effects and cause immediate chaos among the party, ideally focusing on characters with low Wisdom scores.
- The Harbinger engages frontline fighters using Spectral Touch when they come within range, prioritizing those who seem most confident or threatening.
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Maintaining Minions:
- Whenever possible, the Harbinger utilizes its Corrupt Minions legendary action to summon Shadow Servants, creating disruptions that the party must deal with while keeping the primary focus on itself.
- The Harbinger coordinates attacks with its minions, particularly targeting injured or frightened opponents to close in on isolated characters.
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Retreating Tactically:
- The Harbinger will not hesitate to strategically retreat and hide in the Dark Sphere created by its Dark Sphere ability, where it can regain access to advantageous positioning and obscure its movements.
- If pressed, it will prioritize fleeing if it’s near its HP threshold, relying on Banish Hope to regain health while also channeling despair in its wake.
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Psychological Warfare:
- During combat, the Harbinger will taunt opponents with whispers, adding descriptors of their failures, which can be role-played to demoralize players.
- The Harbinger may also target characters with significant backstory connections, weaponizing its spells and actions against the players’ personal timelines, using its Dark Whisper to disorient them.
Narrative Interactions:
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Pre-Combat:
- As players approach, descriptions emphasize a chilling wind and the feeling of dread thickening the air. Colors seem muted while the ambiance turns somber.
- Players may encounter corrupted land or unfortunate souls ensnared by the Harbinger’s influence, setting the tone for the confrontation with visions of despair and betrayal.
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Dialogue:
- The Withered Harbinger may attempt to dissuade adventurers from combat through lingering verbal confrontations, promising power or pretending to offer salvation, reflecting its past as Daelion.
- It can exploit personal weaknesses of each character based on prior interactions, sowing doubt and confusion. “Do you truly believe they would fight for you, or will you be among the lost, like I was?”
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Misdirection:
- It may create illusions of allies in peril within the realm of its Dark Sphere, separating characters and compelling split decisions where some may choose to rescue false figures, falling into the trap.
- To enhance the sense of hopelessness, the Harbinger may manifest past choices of the players as apparitions, highlighting their regrets and amplifying their inner fears during the engagement.
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Post-Combat:
- Upon defeat, the Withered Harbinger collapses into a pile of ash, whispering truths about betrayal, loss, and the burden of hope — leaving lingering doubts even after victory.
- The atmospheric tension persists after its defeat; the area remains somber, urging characters to reflect on their choices and future paths. This encourages conversations around trust, betrayal, and the meaning of hope.
Conclusion:
The Withered Harbinger’s combat and narrative strategies blend psychological manipulation with powerful magic, creating an atmosphere of dread and suspense. The final confrontation is not merely about defeating a foe but overcoming the deeper implications of despair and betrayal, challenging players to confront their characters’ fears both in battle and during interactions.
