Dullahan (3.5e Monster)
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Long ago, ancient and forgotten pagan Gods controlled the fate of many souls. When such a fated soul was destined to shed its fleshly body, a rider set out from the Unseelie court to claim it in the name of its masters. It was therefore said that wherever the rider dismounted and called out a name, a life would be taken.
The Dullahan, referred to as gan ceann (without a head) in the Seelie tongue, is a fearsome fey that is oft mistakenly considered an undead by many misinformed scholars of the occult. They are warriors garbed in weathered armor and old cloaks, riding fearsome black horses whose eyes glow a fiendish crimson. A Dullahan is what results when a higher feykin is ritualistically beheaded with a golden hatchet for a treasonous offense and kept living through occult rituals, forever bound to harvest specific souls for the nameless Gods that they serve.
A Dullahan is a fearsome warrior and a legendary rider, capable of outpacing all but the greatest mortal cavalrists. Wielding a whip fashioned from a human spine to spur its horse and terrorize its foes in one hand, and a dread sword in the other, it gleefully slaughters all who stand in the way of its divine duty. While riding, the Dullahan carries its own severed head at the hip, which can be borne aloft in order to unleash dreadful magic. Most dangerous however is the Dullahan's ability to speak a name and instantly take the life of its owner.
Combat
Dullahan are expert mounted combatants who ride into battle and never dismount, until such times as they find their target. As such, they will only dismount when they are about to find their target. They generally use their poisonous swords to erode their enemies' mind and will, then strike fear into their weakened hearts with their dread whips. If the situation calls for it, they will also employ their blackguard spells or the dark magic imbued within their own severed heads.
Dullahan's Sword: The main weapon of the Dullahan, forged within the cold fires of the Unseelie Court, is a +1 bastard sword. The Dullahan automatically has Exotic Weapon Proficiency with the Dullahan's sword, and can wield it in one hand without penalties. Living creatures damaged by the blade must immediately make a DC 22 Fortitude save or become poisoned by the Dullahan's poison; initial damage is 1d8 Wis, secondary damage is [SRD:Unconscious|unconsciousness]] for 1d3 hours. The saving throw is Constitution-based.
Spine Whip: The secondary – and perhaps more well-known – weapon of the Dullahan, the spine whip is a flexible weapon fashioned from a long and sharply serrated spinal column that can extend in strange ways. It uses the stats of a +1 keen whip, except that it deals lethal damage, is not stopped by natural armor or armor, does not provoke attacks of opportunity while the wielder is mounted, and has a native threat range of 18-20, which is doubled by the keen quality. The spine whip inflicts 1 point of dread on a successful hit, and 1d4 points of dread on a critical hit.
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Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters
Alignment | Usually neutral evil + and Always evil (any) + |
Author | Sulacu + |
Challenge Rating | 13 + and 7 + |
Environment | Any + and — + |
Identifier | 3.5e Monster + |
Level Adjustment | — + |
Rating | Undiscussed + |
Size | Medium + and Large + |
Title | Dullahan + |
Type | Fey + and Magical Beast + |