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.
The Dullahan is a monster with 6 racial levels of Fey, 5 levels of fallen paladin and 5 levels of blackguard, and possesses all associated class features.
Headless (Ex): A Dullahan's head has been removed from its body. As such, it entertains certain benefits, options and disadvantages for not having a head on its body, as follows:
- The Dullahan's head is normally fastened to its hip while riding, and provides a cone of vision going forward. The Dullahan uses its blindsense to deal with threats coming from other directions. The Dullahan can hold its own head in its offhand to look around, as well as use a number of special abilities involving its head (see The Dullahan's Head).
- As a consequence of having no head, a Dullahan has 50% fortification against critical hits. However, since the Dullahan and its head are still alive, they share the same health pool. As such, successfully targeting a Dullahan's head scores an automatic critical threat. A Dullahan's head uses the Dullahan's AC + 10. When mounted, a Dullahan can use its Mounted Combat feat in order to negate a hit to its head as well, provided it is not currently holding it in its hand.
- Due to having no head attached to its body, the Dullahan is immune to the Vorpal weapon enhancement.
Lay on Hands (Su): A Dullahan can Lay on Hands like a blackguard to heal itself or its mount. Its daily allotment of healing is a total of 80 hit points that may be freely spread across any number of uses.
Smite Good (Su): Four times a day, a Dullahan may smite good like a blackguard with 16 effective class levels.
The Dullahan's Head
The Head of a Dullahan contains a considerable amount of power. In the event that a Dullahan is separated from its head, it will always retain a supernatural awareness of its own head's location, and be able to look through its own eyes regardless of distance. As the Dullahan and its head are still alive, they are linked and share the Dullahan's hit points. Should the head be destroyed, the Dullahan will perish as well.
When held in the off-hand, a Dullahan's head grants its owner several options in combat, as follows:
Dread Gaze (Su): The Dullahan holds its head aloft and its ghastly eyes glow with a vicious light that paralyzes all that look upon it. This functions as a gaze attack with a range of 30 feet that inflicts 1d6 points of dread and the effect of the hold monster spell (DC 23) to all affected creatures. The dread effect does not allow a saving throw.
This ability requires a full-round action. After using it, the Dullahan must wait 2d6 rounds before it can be used again.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—hideous laughter (DC 17), spider climb; 3/day—crushing despair (DC 19), dimension door, shout (DC 19); 1/day— circle of death, waves of exhaustion. Caster level 13th. Save DCs are Charisma-based.
The following abilities are always active on a Dullahan's person, as the spells (caster level 13th):
detect good, see invisibility.
The following abilities will be used automatically against any creature that damages the Dullahan's head directly in combat, as the spells (caster level 13th):
bestow curse (-4 to attacks, saves, ability and skill checks) (DC 18).
A Dullahan's spell-like abilities are all activated using its head. As such, it can cast them while riding.
Items
The Dullahan wields the following special items into combat.
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.
The Dullahan's Mount
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 + |
