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Will-o'-Wisp

Will-o'-Wisp
  • Size: Tiny
  • Type: Undead
  • Alignment: Chaotic Evil
  • AC: 19
  • Initiative: +9 (19)
  • HP: 27 (11d4)
  • Speed: 5 ft, Fly 50 ft. (hover)
ATTRVALMODSAVE
STR1-5-5
DEX28+9+9
CON10+0+0
INT13+1+1
WIS14+2+2
CHA11+0+0
  • Skills: None listed
  • Resistances: Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Fire, Necrotic, Piercing, Slashing
  • Immunities: Lightning, Poison; Exhaustion, Grappled, Paralyzed, Petrified, Poisoned, Prone, Restrained, Unconscious
  • Senses: Darkvision 120 ft.; Passive Perception 12
  • Languages: Common plus one other language
  • CR: 2 (XP 450; PB +2)

Traits​

Ephemeral. The wisp can't wear or carry anything.

Illumination. The wisp sheds Bright Light in a 20-foot radius and Dim Light for an additional 20 feet.

Incorporeal Movement. The 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.

Actions​

Shock. Melee Attack Roll: +4, reach 5 ft. Hit: 11 (2d8 + 2) Lightning damage.

Bonus Actions​

Consume Life. Constitution Saving Throw: DC 10, one living creature the wisp can see within 5 feet that has 0 Hit Points. Failure: The target dies, and the wisp regains 10 (3d6) Hit Points.

Vanish. The wisp and its light have the Invisible condition until the wisp's Concentration ends on this effect, which ends early immediately after the wisp makes an attack roll or uses Consume Life.

Lore & Background​

Will-o'-wisps are malevolent spirits that manifest as dancing lights in swamps, marshlands, and other desolate areas where they can lure travelers to their doom. These incorporeal beings feed on the fear and despair of living creatures, particularly enjoying the terror experienced by lost travelers who realize they have been deceived. Created from the souls of those who died while hopelessly lost, will-o'-wisps retain a twisted intelligence that delights in causing others to suffer similar fates.

These cunning spirits possess intimate knowledge of their territorial domains, knowing every treacherous path, hidden quicksand pit, and dangerous creature that inhabits their realm. They use this knowledge to guide victims toward increasingly perilous situations while maintaining the illusion of leading them to safety. Their ethereal nature allows them to phase in and out of the material plane, making them extremely difficult to catch or destroy.

Combat Tactics​

Will-o'-wisps prefer psychological warfare over direct confrontation, using their shocking touch sparingly while relying primarily on environmental hazards and misdirection to defeat enemies. They employ hit-and-run tactics, striking briefly before retreating to the ethereal plane where most attacks cannot reach them. Their primary strategy involves leading opponents into dangerous terrain where natural hazards do most of the work.

In combat, will-o'-wisps use their mobility and incorporeal nature to avoid retaliation while positioning themselves for shocking touch attacks against isolated or weakened targets. They coordinate their movements to confuse enemies about their true numbers and locations. When seriously threatened, they retreat to the ethereal plane and wait for better opportunities to strike.

Encounter Ideas​

1. The False Guide A will-o'-wisp poses as a helpful light source, leading travelers deeper into dangerous swampland while gradually revealing its malevolent nature. The party must realize the deception while finding their way out of increasingly treacherous terrain.

2. The Cursed Beacon A lighthouse or signal fire is actually a will-o'-wisp that has been luring ships to wreck on hidden reefs or rocks. The party investigates the mysterious disappearances while dealing with both the spirit and the hazards it has created.

3. The Lost Souls' Gathering Multiple will-o'-wisps coordinate their efforts to trap a large group of travelers in an supernatural maze of misdirection and fear. The party must break the spirits' collective illusion while protecting innocent victims from psychological and physical harm.

4. The Territorial Defense A will-o'-wisp guards an ancient secret or treasure hidden in its swampland domain, using its knowledge of local hazards to prevent intruders from reaching their goal while feeding on their growing desperation and fear.

Environmental Effects​

  • Misleading Paths: The will-o'-wisp's presence causes normal navigation methods to fail, leading travelers in circles
  • Phantom Lights: False illumination appears throughout the creature's territory, creating confusing visual cues
  • Despair Aura: Areas where will-o'-wisps hunt become psychologically oppressive, affecting morale and decision-making
  • Ethereal Disturbance: The boundary between material and ethereal planes becomes unstable in the spirit's domain

Treasure​

  • Spirit Essence (300-1200 gp): Concentrated fear and despair that can be used in creating magical items or enchantments
  • Phantom Light (500-2000 gp): Captured will-o'-wisp illumination that can provide permanent magical lighting
  • Lost Travelers' Goods (varies): Equipment and belongings from the spirit's various victims over the years
  • Ethereal Crystals (200-800 gp): Crystallized planar energy that forms where will-o'-wisps frequently phase between planes
  • Fear Fragments (100-500 gp): Solidified terror that can be used as components in fear-based magic or psychological manipulation

Plot Hooks​

1. The Rescue Mission Important travelers have gone missing in will-o'-wisp territory, requiring the party to venture into dangerous terrain while avoiding the spirit's deceptions and finding survivors before they succumb to the environment.

2. The Ancient Pact A will-o'-wisp was bound by ancient magic to guard a specific location or artifact, but the binding is weakening. The party must either renew the compact, destroy the spirit, or relocate what it protects.

3. The Spreading Curse Will-o'-wisps begin appearing in new areas as more travelers die while lost, creating an expanding zone of supernatural danger that threatens to isolate communities from each other.

4. The Communication Attempt A will-o'-wisp tries to communicate a warning about a greater threat in its territory, but its malevolent nature makes it difficult to distinguish genuine information from attempts at deception and manipulation.