Lantern-Wraith Origin

Sorcerous Origin — Keeper of the Crooked Flame

Born of the Crooked Flame

Some sorcerers inherit their magic from dragons, celestial bloodlines, or exposure to extraordinary forces. Others emerge from something far stranger: a flame that should never have existed.

Lantern-Wraith Sorcerers are exceptionally rare beings whose souls have become intertwined with the Crooked Flame, an ancient supernatural fire nourished by nightmares, restless spirits, living shadows, and the emotional essence of fear.

Their origins are seldom understood. Some awaken inside enchanted jack-o'-lanterns beneath impossible moons. Others are born during supernatural eclipses, emerge from forgotten nightmares, or survive encounters with ancient lanterns containing imprisoned spirits. A few simply appear one night, possessing no memories of their creation.

Whatever their beginnings, the Crooked Flame burns within them, granting an instinctive understanding of fear, illusion, spectral fire, and the boundary between the living world and the realm of nightmares.

The Art of Nightmare Gardening

Unlike ordinary illusionists or necromancers, Lantern-Wraith Sorcerers perceive nightmares as living seeds of magical possibility.

Through a supernatural practice known as Nightmare Gardening, they cultivate fragments of dreams and fears into temporary creatures called Frightlings. These peculiar manifestations range from mischievous shadow imps and skeletal animals to crawling pumpkin horrors, whispering dolls, and miniature spectral beasts.

As their abilities mature, Lantern-Wraiths learn to nurture increasingly sophisticated nightmares, transforming fleeting terrors into guardians, scouts, distractions, and supernatural companions.

The Crooked Flame

The signature magic of this origin manifests as unnatural fire in shades of violet, pumpkin-orange, and ghostly green.

Unlike mundane flames, the Crooked Flame can illuminate invisible or supernatural phenomena, disturb spectral entities, and burn with magical energy that transcends ordinary combustion.

Lantern-Wraiths channel this power through enchanted lanterns, carved pumpkins, candles, and other vessels. Their flames respond to emotion, sometimes growing brighter with excitement or twisting into unsettling shapes when danger approaches.

Bottled Screams and Living Shadows

Fear is more than an emotion to a Lantern-Wraith. It is a source of supernatural energy.

Experienced practitioners learn to harvest fragments of magical terror, preserving them as Bottled Screams that can empower their spells and nightmare creations.

Their shadows also develop an unusual independence. These living silhouettes may stretch beyond their owners, manipulate nearby objects, restrain enemies, or defend their masters against danger.

With sufficient mastery, Lantern-Wraiths can travel between shadows, briefly vanishing from one patch of darkness and emerging from another.

The Wraith Within

As the Crooked Flame strengthens, the sorcerer's physical form begins to reflect its supernatural nature.

Their eyes may glow like burning lanterns, their hair may drift in nonexistent winds, and strange markings may illuminate across their skin. Their shadows might move without permission, while their voices occasionally echo with ghostly whispers.

Eventually, powerful Lantern-Wraiths learn to manifest a spectral transformation known as Wraith Form, becoming partially incorporeal as supernatural flames dance across their bodies.

At the height of their abilities, they may command entire gardens of nightmares and wield the Crooked Flame as an extraordinary force of supernatural creation and destruction.

Fear Without Cruelty

Although their magic is undeniably frightening, Lantern-Wraith Sorcerers are not inherently evil.

Some become terrifying hunters who exploit the weaknesses of their enemies. Others act as guardians, using nightmares to frighten away threats and protect the innocent.

Many believe that fear serves a greater purpose: teaching courage, inspiring imagination, revealing hidden truths, and transforming terror into wonder.

For these sorcerers, the greatest nightmare is not always the most horrifying creature.

Sometimes, it is the one that teaches someone they have nothing left to fear.

"A scream is only the beginning. What matters is what grows from it."

Level 3: Crooked Flame

Crooked Flame

3rd-Level Lantern-Wraith Origin Feature

The ancient Crooked Flame awakens within your soul, manifesting as supernatural fire that flickers between pumpkin-orange, spectral violet, and ghostly green. This flame responds to your emotions, illuminates supernatural phenomena, and burns with an energy that transcends ordinary combustion.

Crooked Flame Cantrip. You learn the Produce Flame cantrip. It counts as a Sorcerer cantrip for you and doesn't count against your number of Sorcerer cantrips known.

Spectral Combustion. Whenever you cast Produce Flame, you can choose whether its damage is Fire or Necrotic.

Additionally, once on each of your turns when you deal Fire or Necrotic damage with a Sorcerer spell, you can change that damage to the other type.

Lantern's Revelation. While holding your manifested flame, Invisible creatures and objects within its Bright Light are outlined by faint spectral embers. You know their locations, although they retain the benefits of the Invisible condition against you.

Keeper's Lantern. You can channel your Crooked Flame through a lantern, candle, carved jack-o'-lantern, or similar vessel. Such a vessel can serve as a Spellcasting Focus for your Sorcerer spells while you hold it.

The flame's appearance is purely cosmetic unless otherwise specified by this feature. Its colors, movement, and supernatural characteristics reflect your individual connection to the Crooked Flame.

Level 3: Nightmare Gardening

Nightmare Gardening
3rd-Level Lantern-Wraith Origin Feature

You possess the supernatural ability to cultivate fragments of fear into living nightmares. Through your connection to the Crooked Flame, you nurture these manifestations into tiny, mischievous creatures known as Frightlings, each reflecting a different aspect of Halloween's unsettling magic.

Cultivate Frightling. As a Magic action, you summon one Frightling in an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet. The creature uses the Frightling companion stat block and takes its turn immediately after yours.

Each Frightling can move and use its Reaction independently. Unless commanded using a Bonus Action, it takes the Dodge action. You can command all your active Frightlings using a single Bonus Action, directing each to move and take an available action.

Each Frightling remains for 1 hour, until reduced to 0 Hit Points, or until dismissed as a Bonus Action. Summoning another Frightling does not dismiss an existing one unless you exceed your maximum number of active Frightlings.

Growing Nightmare Garden. Your capacity to cultivate Frightlings increases as your sorcerous abilities develop:

• 3rd Level: One Frightling.

• 6th Level: Two Frightlings.

• 10th Level: Three Frightlings.

• 14th Level: Four Frightlings.

• 18th Level: Five Frightlings.

These numbers represent the maximum Frightlings you can maintain simultaneously, not the number you summon with a single action. If you summon another while at your maximum, one existing Frightling of your choice immediately disappears.

Sorcerous Cultivation. You can summon one Frightling without expending Sorcery Points, regaining this free use after finishing a Long Rest. Additional summonings cost 2 Sorcery Points each. Every Frightling must be summoned individually.

Shared Nightmare Instinct. Your Frightlings share your Initiative and take their turns immediately after yours, in an order you choose. Although each can move and use its Reaction independently, only one of your Frightlings can use Frightful Flicker per round, regardless of how many you maintain.

Lantern-Wraith Spells

Lantern-Wraith Spells

Your connection to the Crooked Flame grants you an affinity for eerie enchantments, spectral manifestations, and the magic of living nightmares.

When you reach a Sorcerer level specified in the Lantern-Wraith Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

These spells count as Sorcerer spells for you, and they don't count against the number of Sorcerer spells you can prepare. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them.

Bottled Screams

Bottled Screams

Starting at 6th level, you can capture supernatural terror within spectral bottles formed from your Crooked Flame.

Collecting Screams. When a creature you can see within 60 feet fails a saving throw against a spell you cast that inflicts the Frightened condition, you can use your Reaction to capture its terror, creating one Bottled Scream. You can hold a maximum number of Bottled Screams equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one). You can capture only one scream per turn and cannot collect terror from creatures immune to the Frightened condition.

Releasing a Scream. As a Bonus Action, you can expend one Bottled Scream and choose a creature you can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Sorcerer spell save DC or have Disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. The bottle is expended regardless of the result.

Growing Terror. At 10th level, a creature that fails its saving throw against your released scream also takes 2d6 Psychic damage. This damage increases to 3d6 at 14th level and 4d6 at 18th level.

At 14th level, a creature that fails its saving throw also becomes Frightened of you until the end of its next turn.

At 18th level, when you release a Bottled Scream, you can expend two stored bottles instead of one to target two creatures you can see within 60 feet. Each target makes its own saving throw and suffers the effects independently.

Stored Terror. Unexpended Bottled Screams vanish when you finish a Long Rest. Your spectral bottles require no physical containers.

Living Shadow

Living Shadow

Starting at 6th level, your shadow awakens as a semi-independent manifestation of your Crooked Flame. It remains magically bound to you but can stretch, move, and interact with the world independently of ordinary light.

Shadow Extension. As a Bonus Action, you can extend your shadow along surfaces to a point within 60 feet of you. It can pass through openings as narrow as 1 inch without squeezing but cannot pass through solid objects. Your shadow must remain within its maximum range; if it exceeds that distance, it immediately returns to you. You can recall it without using an action.

Shadow Manipulation. While extended, your shadow can manipulate an unattended object weighing no more than 10 pounds, open an unlocked door, retrieve an item, or perform another simple physical task. You direct it using a Bonus Action. It cannot attack, activate magic items, or perform tasks requiring intricate manipulation.

Eyes in the Darkness. As an Action, you can perceive through your shadow's position until the start of your next turn. While doing so, you are Blinded to your own surroundings. Your shadow uses your senses and cannot perceive through magical darkness unless you possess an ability that allows you to do so.

Shadow's Embrace. While you are in Dim Light or Darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to merge your shadow with your surroundings, gaining Advantage on the next Dexterity (Stealth) check you make before the end of your next turn.

Deepening Shadow — 10th Level. Your shadow's maximum extension increases to 90 feet, and it can manipulate unattended objects weighing up to 20 pounds.

Nightfall's Reach — 14th Level. Your shadow's maximum extension increases to 120 feet, and it can manipulate unattended objects weighing up to 30 pounds. When you activate Shadow's Embrace, you instead gain Advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks for 1 minute, provided you remain in Dim Light or Darkness. This effect ends early if you become Incapacitated.

Sovereign Shadow — 18th Level. Your shadow's maximum extension increases to 180 feet, and it can manipulate unattended objects weighing up to 50 pounds. You can now activate Eyes in the Darkness as a Bonus Action instead of an Action.

Your Living Shadow is a magical extension of yourself, not a separate creature. It has no Hit Points, cannot take damage independently, and cannot take actions or reactions except as described by this feature.

Wraith Form

Wraith Form

Starting at 14th level, you can temporarily surrender your physical form to the Crooked Flame, becoming a spectral manifestation of living nightmare.

Spectral Transformation. As a Bonus Action, you assume your Wraith Form for 1 minute. The transformation ends early if you become Incapacitated or dismiss it as a Bonus Action. While transformed, your body becomes translucent, your eyes glow with spectral fire, and your shadow trails behind you like living smoke.

While Wraith Form is active, you gain the following benefits:

Spectral Flight. You gain a Fly Speed of 30 feet and can hover.

Wraith Resilience. You have Resistance to Necrotic and Psychic damage.

Incorporeal Movement. You can move through other creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain. You take 1d10 Force damage if you end your turn inside an object, and you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space.

Terrifying Presence. When you activate Wraith Form, creatures of your choice within 10 feet of you that can see you must make a Wisdom saving throw against your Sorcerer spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature has the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn. A creature that succeeds is unaffected.

Greater Wraith Form — 18th Level. Your spectral transformation becomes more powerful. Your Fly Speed increases to 60 feet, and your Terrifying Presence affects creatures of your choice within 20 feet. In addition, you gain Resistance to Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage while Wraith Form is active.

Uses. You can activate Wraith Form once without expending Sorcery Points, regaining that use when you finish a Long Rest. You can activate it additional times by expending 5 Sorcery Points for each additional use.

Shadow Walking

Shadow Walking

Starting at 14th level, you can slip into the darkness between worlds, allowing the Crooked Flame to carry you from one shadow to another.

Shadow Step. While you are in Dim Light or Darkness, you can use a Bonus Action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in Dim Light or Darkness. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.

After teleporting, you have Advantage on the next melee attack roll you make before the end of your turn.

Between the Shadows. Your teleportation passes through a supernatural shadow realm rather than ordinary space. You can cross gaps, obstacles, and barriers, provided you can see your destination and it is within range. You cannot teleport into an occupied space or a location protected against teleportation.

Sovereign Passage — 18th Level. Your Shadow Step range increases to 120 feet. In addition, when you teleport, you can bring one willing creature of your choice within 5 feet of you. That creature must be Large or smaller, and it appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of your destination. Both your starting location and destination must be in Dim Light or Darkness.

Uses. You can use Shadow Step a number of times equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of one), regaining all expended uses when you finish a Long Rest. Once you've expended those uses, you can use Shadow Step again by spending 2 Sorcery Points per additional teleportation.

Sovereign of the Crooked Flame

Sovereign of the Crooked Flame

At 18th level, your bond with the Crooked Flame reaches its pinnacle. You become a sovereign of living nightmares, wielding spectral fire and commanding the creatures cultivated within your Nightmare Garden.

Nightmare Sovereignty. Your Frightlings become extensions of your will. Whenever you use a Bonus Action to command your Frightlings, you can command any number of Frightlings you currently maintain with that same Bonus Action. In addition, their Nightmare Scratch attacks deal an extra 1d6 Psychic damage.

Sovereign's Inferno. As a Magic action, you unleash a torrent of crooked spectral flame in a 30-foot Cone originating from you. Each creature of your choice in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Sorcerer spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 8d8 Necrotic damage and has the Frightened condition until the end of your next turn. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage and isn't Frightened.

You can use Sovereign's Inferno once without expending Sorcery Points, regaining that use when you finish a Long Rest. You can use it additional times by expending 6 Sorcery Points per use.

Undying Crooked Flame. When you are reduced to 0 Hit Points but not killed outright, you can use your Reaction to drop to 1 Hit Point instead. When you do, spectral flames erupt around you, and each hostile creature within 10 feet must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your Sorcerer spell save DC or have the Frightened condition until the end of its next turn.

Once you use Undying Crooked Flame, you cannot use it again until you finish a Long Rest.

Eternal Nightmare. While your Wraith Form is active, you gain Immunity to the Frightened condition, and your Crooked Flame manifests as a crown of flickering spectral fire. Your appearance becomes unmistakably supernatural, but this transformation does not otherwise alter the rules of Wraith Form.