A review on this homebrew undead please

[GM Chyro]

Hello.

For a home game, i'm attempting to convert a monster from a video game, Heroes of Might & Magic. It's supposed to be a CR 2 monster, loosely based on the Skeletal Champion stat block.

Stat block:

Creature statblock: Might & Magic wraith CR 2
NE Medium undead (skeletal humanoid)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60ft; Perception +6

Defense:
AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 12 (4 dex, 2 natural)
HP 20 (3 HD, 3d8+6)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +3; Channel resist +4
Undead traits
DR 5/Bludgeoning
Fast healing 2

Offense
Speed (fly) 60ft
2 claw +7 (1d4+2 + spell drain)

Str 14, Dex 18, Con -, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +2; CMB +4; CMD 18
Feats: Improved initiative, Weapon finesse, Weapon focus (Claw)
Skills: Fly +7, Intimidate +8, Perception +6, Stealth +9

Aura of syphoning (SU) DC 13:
During the wraith's turn, it can syphon magical energy away from foes within a 20 feet radius. The wraith drains a spell slot at random from the lowest available spell level, minimum of 1. If lowest are drained, the level of spell that is drained next, is the next lowest. (Ie, if level 1 spells are all depleted, draining is taken from level 2, and so on)

A successfull will save negates this effect.

Description:
Wraiths are flying skeletal foes, often wearing tattered rags or hooded robes, that have some semblance of intelligence. They are a spellcaster's bane, as their very presence can sap magical energy away.
As such, they favor attacking spell casters first.

Would this be about right for the CR, or would a tweak here or there be better?

Thanks in advance.

[Mudfoot]

Depends how you play it. It has 60' flight and fast healing, so it's very capable of hit and run, neutralising the casters in the process. And with initiative +8 it can plausibly get surprise, partial charge, win initiative , hit and run away 60' before the PCs get to act. With Int 9 it ought to be able to manage that, though perhaps nothing much more sophisticated.

Rather than attacking casters, it would be better attacking non-casters, as its aura will gradually neutralise the casters anyway. But undead have stupid compulsions, so maybe it won't.

Rather than Fast Healing, I'd give it regeneration from the spell drain. Maybe 2d6 hp per level. Gives it an incentive to stick around.

The claw attack is written as though it's an extra, automatic, no-save? drain on top of the aura. Not sure if you mean that. Given the weak DC13 save you might need it (a 2nd level wizard with about +4 will need to roll only 9; a cleric will need 6 or 7). Or if not no-save, have a higher DC on the claws.

Otherwise it looks OK.

[pad300]

There's a table for what stats a monster will typically have at a given CR.

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/monster-creation

Your critter is +2 AC, bang on for HP, +3 to hit over a "high attack value", damage is within the range given. It has a bunch of defensive abilities (flight, DR, fast healing) and some special offensive abilities. IMO, it's at least a CR 3 as written...

[Pizza Lord]

TL/DR:
Remove the fast healing, link a similar ability to spell drain and aura of syphoning.

Add +2 to the DC of aura of syphoning and note that it's a racial bonus.

Describe what the spell drain ability from the claw attack is and does.

More text:

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Like Mudfoot says, this would be well-suited to a hit and run creature. Fast Healing will let it fall back after an assault and be at full strength after 1 minute. That's probably a bit much for a CR 2, where most parties won't have flight or counter flight abilities (and their missile attacks will mostly be piercing (except for slings), which its DR will apply to.

I don't know what the spell drain ability of their claws does.

With Aura of Syphoning, it says the wraith can syphon magic energy away from foes. Most auras are continuous and would function autonomously, but the wording makes it sound like the wraith has to activate it (standard action?). If this isn't the case, should have wording that is more clear, like 'At the beginning of its turn, the lowest level spell within 20 feet ...'

Also like Mudfoot mentioned, fast healing could be removed and have a similar effect linked to spell drain and the aura of syphoning. Like, it gets fast healing equal to the spell level for a number of rounds equal to the caster level of the drained spell or just gets Fast Healing 2 for a number of rounds equal to caster level or spell level, or something.

The only real problem I have (except not knowing what spell drain is) is that in most cases, the Will save for aura of syphoning will be a spellcaster's highest save (granted, not every magical effect will be on a spellcaster). DC 13 would match the guidelines (10 + 1/2 HD + Cha mod), but you should at least make the DC 15, and note at the end of the aura of syphon entry that the DC is Charisma based and includes a +2 racial bonus. That's typical for giving creature's effects in most cases.

Other things to note about aura of syphoning, is that you specified 'foes', which is good. It means a wight couldn't just get a bunch of spells on itself to make sure it can syphon something (assuming syphoning gave it a benefit), but also remember that in a mixed group of enemies, any negative or debuff spells from the wight's allies might get removed from its foes (presumably the PCs). There's no chance of this working in reverse (for instance, removing a debuff or other spell cast by the PCs onto the wight or its allies), since it only effects spell effects on 'foes'. Just noting that, not saying it's a bad thing.
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[GM Chyro]

Mudfoot wrote:

The claw attack is written as though it's an extra, automatic, no-save? drain on top of the aura. Not sure if you mean that.

A bit of text that was forgotten to get deleted, it involved a 40% chance of the syphoning, no save, if a claw attack would hit. But leaving that in might have upped CR further.

The original source material creature automatically drained spell points at the start of its turn, and completely heal any injuries. Hence some form of HP recovery.

pad300 wrote:

Your critter is +2 AC, bang on for HP, +3 to hit over a "high attack value", damage is within the range given.

If for a CR 2, +7 is a little high on attack, weapon focus could drop, for say a skill focus in stealth or perception. Or something else i'd look into. Dex might be lowered to 16, but i'd like this creature to still remain a nuisance that isn't killed too quickly when they fight them.

And in some parts (the lands filled with undead), there will be multiple of them at some stage in the campaign.

Pizzalord wrote:

With Aura of Syphoning, it says the wraith can syphon magic energy away from foes. Most auras are continuous and would function autonomously, but the wording makes it sound like the wraith has to activate it (standard action?). If this isn't the case, should have wording that is more clear, like 'At the beginning of its turn, the lowest level spell within 20 feet ...'

Also like Mudfoot mentioned, fast healing could be removed and have a similar effect linked to spell drain and the aura of syphoning. Like, it gets fast healing equal to the spell level for a number of rounds equal to the caster level of the drained spell or just gets Fast Healing 2 for a number of rounds equal to caster level or spell level, or something.

It's indeed a passive aura.

Better wording (?):
[ At the start of the wraith's turn, its Aura of Syphoning pulls at the magical reserves of nearby spell (enemy) casters. All hostile spell casters must succeed at a DC 15 will save, or lose one available spell slot of the lowest level available to them, at random with a minimum of 1. Should the lowest be depleted, the ability drains from the next lowest spell level. Alternatively, if no enemy spell casters are within the aura at the start of the wraith's turn, getting near an enemy spell caster will also trigger the effect. ]

[Azothath]

there are some basic problems;
* naming: In DnD & PF a Wraith is incorporeal. This is more a skeleton variant especially with DR/bludgeoning. Maybe "Black Abmagic Skeleton".
* thematic: no way to sense or detect magic, like not being able to find or taste food.
* as described the Magic Drain is not as powerful as an Energy Drain (Univ Mon Rules).
* redundant: not bad but spell drain with hit AND a 20ft targetable aura that is immediate effect(as it can basically do it when not effective)? Auras aren't targetable so that would require something like a Metamagic Feat.
see Nightwing CR:14
Disenchanter CR:3
Skeletal Champion CR:2

I's say you're CR:4 as the 4 special abilities with corrections (adding a sense) are pushing you above the basic Skeletal Champion. The aura's save is quite easy. Tactically it could fly above the PCs at night using the aura to sponge up spell casting slots, ignore the arrows etc, and then fly off...

[GM Chyro]

Azothath wrote:

there are some basic problems;

* naming: In DnD & PF a Wraith is incorporeal. This is more a skeleton variant especially with DR/bludgeoning. Maybe "Black Abmagic Skeleton".

This takes place in a different setting, where a wraith is a flying skeleton (torso up only) that saps away magical energy. Naming is not an issue. A wight in the setting, for example, is a flying skeletal champion with claw attacks. No magic drain included.

Quote:

* Tactical

Yes, it 'could' fly above the PCs at night using the aura to sponge up spell casting slots, ignore the arrows etc, and then fly off...

That would depend on whether they'd have a master who does nightly tactics. But that's too cheesy to have them do on their own accord.

*thematic
Innate trait.

* as described the Magic Drain is not as powerful as an Energy Drain (Univ Mon Rules).

Well it's not a vampire that automatically puts on a negative level, it's a lower tier monster.

* redundant

I'd have to disagree about the need for a metamagic feat on its (SU) Aura. For example, take an anti-paladin's aura of cowardice. Aura of cowardice is a passive quality, that targets no specific creature, but constantly penalizes those within its range.

[Zepheri]

spell drain and the aura i see them to powerful for a CR 3
i suggest this eliminate the fast healing

put this:

spell drain: each time the wraith confirm a critical hit it will remove 1 spell slot from the target random from his spell per day (the gm choose what spell slot will be removed) and the wraith gain fast healing equal to the spell slot for a number of round equal to his cha mod. you cant remove spell high spell slot if the HD is lower to a sorceresss of his lvl (example if there is a mage 5 figthing a wraith, hecan only drain spell slot oof lvl 1 but cant drain lvl 2 or 3)

Aura of syphoning: all spell caster who are inside of the aura need to pass a will save or his spell caster lv is reduced by 2 and the wraith increment its attack, dmg and armor by 1, and gain 5 point of temporary HP per caster affected

[GM Chyro]

That's actually a neat one, Zepheri. :)

Thanks for the help.