spelljammer

This article is about the undead creature known as a wraith; for the spelljamming vessel of the same name, see here.

A wraith

A wraith

A Wraith is an incorporeal undead creature that can be encountered throughout the Known Spheres.[1][2]

Overview

A wraith is an evil undead spirit of a powerful humanoid that seeks only to kill and drain other humanoids of life energy.[2]

Description

A wraith resembles a black, vaguely humanoid-shaped cloud, with two upper limbs, a torso, and a head with two glowing red eyes. Although it has no true substance, it tends to assume a humanoid form out of convenience and sheer habit.[2]

Behavior

Wraiths exist only to perpetuate their evil, killing out of sheer hatred of the living, and absorbing the life force of as many people as possible. Wraiths cannot communicate, except through a speak with dead spell, and do not even seem to communicate with each other, except as master to slave. Any attempt to speak to a wraith is usually met with scorn, unless those making the attempt are very powerful, in which case the wraith will try to flee.[2]

Combat

The chilling touch of a wraith inflicts cold-based damage on all living creatures, even those immune to such attacks, as well as draining life energy from them. The cold damage can be healed normally, but the life can only be restored through magic.

Wraiths can only be harmed by silver or magical weapons with a +1 or greater enhancement bonus. While normal weapons merely pass through their bodies with no effect, silver weapons can cause some injury, whereas the devastating are magical weapons, which cause black vapor to actually boil away from their bodies. A wraith will slowly recuperate from its injuries if left alone for at least a week (7 days).

Like most undead, wraiths are unaffected by sleep, charm, hold, death and cold-based spells, and cannot be harmed by poison and paralysis effects. However, holy water can injure a wraith if they're splashed with it, and a raise dead spell can utterly annihilate a wraith if used effectively. Wraiths are also adversely affected by direct sunlight and will flee from its radiance. Sunlight cannot destroy a wraith, but does prevent them from attacking. Wraiths shun bright light sources in general, but will occasionally attack if the compulsion is too strong to ignore.

Wraiths prefer to prey on humanoids over any other creatures. However, animals will sense their presence within 30 feet and refuse to approach them, panicking if forced. A pack of wraiths will try to ambush their prey if possible, and will wait and position themselves for the most advantageous moment to attack. Wraiths are very intelligent and tend to focus on stragglers or the weaker members of a party when attacking. Any humanoid killed by a wraith becomes a lesser wraith under the control of the wraith that killed them. Once a victim has been transformed into a wraith, it is very difficult to restore them to life, often requiring a special quest.[2]

Society

A wraith is the undead spirit of a powerful, evil humanoid and as such can usually be found haunting places where such people may have died or have been buried, including abandoned asteroids and derelict vessels floating through space.[1] Wraiths are commonly encountered in packs, often consisting of lesser wraiths controlled by a master wraith. Wraiths can also be dominated by other powerful creatures (particularly other undead, priests or other spellcasters), and made to serve their will.[2]

Wraiths may be encountered drifting in space; vague essences without any real presence. However, if a spelljamming vessel passes close enough, packs of wraiths may be swept up in the ship's gravity plane, allowing them to attack the ship's crew and claim the vessel as their new lair. Because so much of their essence lies on the Negative energy plane, wraiths prefer not to travel into the phlogiston.[1]

Notable wraiths

Restoring a wraith to life

Restoring a person who has fallen to the touch of a wraith is extremely difficult, and there are few effective methods other than using a wish spell. However, in the likely event that a wish spell is unavailable, there is a lengthy and extremely difficult process available to those who are desperate enough.[5]

When a living creature is slain by a wrath, their remains must be taken to an extremely powerful priest of good alignment who is willing to act as a liaison between them and the priest’s deity. First, the priest must commune with their deity to determine if the victim can be recovered from their unholy state. If it is decided that the victim may be recovered, the priest must then cast atonement on the remains to remove the taint of undeath from it. Finally, the priest must cast resurrection on the remains. If everything is done properly, and if their spirit is strong enough, they will return to their body - completing the ritual.

Sometimes the person resurrected may be required to perform a small favor (i.e. a major quest) for the deity who granted their resurrection. Refusal may very well result in their death once more.[6]

Appendix

External Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Jeff Grubb, AD&D Adventures in Space, Lorebook of the Void, 1989, (TSR Inc.), Undead section, chapter 3 Spacefarers, page 63
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Tim Beach et al, Monstrous Manual, 1993, (TSR Inc.), Wraith entry, page 365
  3. ↑ J. Paul LaFountain, SJA3 Crystal Spheres, 1990, (TSR Inc.), Wraiths section, page 41
  4. ↑ Allen Varney, SJA1 Wildspace, 1990, (TSR Inc.), room 11: Dead Air section, page 42
  5. ↑ J. Paul LaFountain, SJA3 Crystal Spheres, 1990, (TSR Inc.), T'Laan's Legions in Darkspace section, page 41
  6. ↑ J. Paul LaFountain, SJA3 Crystal Spheres, 1990, (TSR Inc.), T'Laan's Legions in Darkspace section, pages 40-41