Publication:Dread Codex/Monsters/Dreadwraith

''Materializing before you is the translucent form of a young soldier. Wide eyes that burn with a golden flame highlight the warrior's otherwise pale face. The armor and weapons that adorn this creature appear rusted and useless. The only functioning piece of equipment is a lantern throwing eerie green light.''

The spirits of soldiers who flee from their post in fear return after death as dreadwraiths. These undead are mere shadows of their former selves, inflicting the fear that once held them in thrall (and haunted them all through life) on others. Each dreadwraith carries a lantern to aid in attracting others to it to be frightened. Some sages believe that the lantern is a manifestation of the dreadwraith's secret desire to find its own courage. These undead do not speak except for long sorrowful moans.

Combat
Dreadwraiths prefer to play with their prey, but when combat is inevitable or when their victim has been tortured to his limit, they fight to kill.

 (Ex): The dreadwraith's very presence inspires great fear. If the dreadwraith is unseen, those affected may not understand why they feel intensely frightened. When clearly visible, the sight of a dreadwraith with its eerie lantern is enough to freeze the bravest heart. Those within a 60-foot radius of the dreadwraith that see it must succeed at a Will save (DC 19) or be affected as though by fear as cast by a 12th-level sorcerer. The save DC is Charisma-based.

 (Su): The dreadwraith relies upon the unnatural fire within its lantern to destroy and kill. Three times per day, the dreadwraith can summon a cone-shaped burst of hideous roaring green fire from the front of the lantern. Composed not only of flame but also of cruel shards of pain and shame that are cousins to fear, the lantern's blazing fire inflicts 5d10 points of damage and set ablaze flammable items within the 30-foot cone. A successful Reflex save (DC 20) means that the target takes only half damage. The save DC is Dexterity-based.

The power of confidence and purity of heart that the truly fearless possess is enough to severely unravel the dreadwraith's already tenuous physical existence. This vulnerability does not apply to creatures incapable of fear in the first place (such as constructs).

Treasure
None &mdash; As an incorporeal undead, the dreadwraith wishes only to inflict fear on others. Acquiring treasure is not part of that mission.

In Your Campaign
A reclusive order of monks is called on whenever a dreadwraith appears too close to civilization. The monks of the Valiant Hand worship a deity of justice and bravery and are able to take advantage of the dreadwraith's vulnerability to fearlessness.

The order uses the appearance of this undead to test initiates by sending them against it. If the PCs accept a mission to destroy a dreadwraith, they may soon find a Valiant Hand hopeful at their side.

While sowing general fear is the mainstay of the dreadwraith, the undead may go after a single creature in particular if it identifies that person as somehow related to (or a member of) the same military unit the dreadwraith belonged to while living. The dreadwraith reserves a special hatred and loathing for that group from which sprung the root of its journey to an undead monster. This is a quality the dreadwraith can sense and even a PC who is the son of a military parent might find himself on the receiving end of an attack and not have any reason why he is singled out.