Coal Wraith: A Wild West boss monster

[gloryblaze]

Coal wraiths are the vengeful spirits of miners who died in mine accidents or were claimed by the black lung, returned to haunt their former workplaces and the foremen and executives who sent them to their deaths. A coal wraith devours coal, leaving the mine it haunts barren and unprofitable. The wraith also grows as it consumes more and more coal, some eventually growing even larger than the mine they were created in.

Coal Wraith
Medium undead, typically chaotic evil

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Armor Class 13
Hit Points 178 (21d8+84)
Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover)

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Strength	Dexterity	Constitution	Intelligence	Wisdom	Charisma
20 (+5)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)	8 (-1)	16 (+3)	19 (+4)

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Saving Throws Constitution +8
Skills Perception +7, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't silvered
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 17
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 11

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Choking Presence. When a creature other than an Undead or Construct starts its turn within 30 feet of the wraith, it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a successful save, the creature is immune to this ability for the next 24 hours. On a failed save, the creature begins choking on coal dust and can’t speak or breathe until the end of its next turn.

Harmed by Strong Wind. The wraith takes 20 force damage and its Choking Presence doesn't function until the end of its next turn if the wraith ends its turn in a strong wind.

Incorporeal Movement. The wraith 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.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the wraith fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.

Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the wraith has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Actions

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Multiattack. The wraith makes three attacks with its Life Drain.

Life Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to-hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.

A creature killed by this attack (either by the attack's damage or by having its maximum hit points reduced to 0) crumbles into a pile of coal dust, along with all nonmagical equipment it is wearing or carrying.

Choking Cloud (Recharge 5-6). The wraith exhales a suffocating cloud of dust that fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 60 feet of it. The sphere spreads around corners, and it lasts for 10 minutes or until it is dispersed by a strong wind. Its area is heavily obscured. When a creature enters the cloud for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 40 (9d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Additionally, a creature that fails its saving throw begins choking on coal dust and can’t speak or breathe until the end of its next turn.

Legendary Actions

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Attack. The wraith makes one attack with its Life Drain.

Move. The wraith moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Consume (Costs 2 Actions). The wraith consumes a pile of coal dust left behind by a creature killed by its Life Drain attack. It must be within 5 feet of the dust to do so. When it does so, it gains the following benefits:

• The wraith's size category increases by 1 (to a maximum of Gargantuan).
• The wraith regains 21 hit points.
• The damage of the wraith's Life Drain attack increases by 1d8.

[Potato_Priest]

I like this. The flavor is super on-point!

There are two ways I could see optionally developing it further:

1. Some sort of concealment ability- clouds of coal dust also block line of sight (but not for the wraith).

2. Wind vulnerability (replacing sunlight sensitivity or as an extra): make it take x force damage per turn if it's exposed to a strong wind, possibly other side effects like not being able to move except in the direction the wind is blowing or automatically failing saving throws against wind effects.

Also, maybe clouds of coal dust should explode if exposed to fire damage. If you go that route you might make the wraith not vulnerable to fire damage anymore to compensate the players for incinerating themselves.

[gloryblaze]

I like this. The flavor is super on-point!

There are two ways I could see optionally developing it further:

1. Some sort of concealment ability- clouds of coal dust also block line of sight (but not for the wraith).

2. Wind vulnerability (replacing sunlight sensitivity or as an extra): make it take x force damage per turn if it's exposed to a strong wind, possibly other side effects like not being able to move except in the direction the wind is blowing or automatically failing saving throws against wind effects.

Also, maybe clouds of coal dust should explode if exposed to fire damage. If you go that route you might make the wraith not vulnerable to fire damage anymore to compensate the players for incinerating themselves.

Those are great ideas! Maybe I'll have the breath weapon leave behind a lingering cloud of dust that can be dispersed by a strong wind to incentivize them to try wind effects, then give the wraith a wind version of the vampire's running water weakness.

Edit: made those changes!