Detect Life. The Ben Side can magically sense the presence of creatures up to 5 miles away that aren’t undead or constructs. She knows the general direction they’re in but not their exact locations.
Incorporeal Movement. The Ben Side can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. She takes 5 (1d10) force damage if she ends her turn inside an object.
Multiattack. The Ben Side makes 2 attacks using her life drain ability. Alternatively, she can use its Dreadful Visage and then use either Life Drain or Kiss of Death.
Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6 + 4) necrotic damage.The target must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Horrifying Visage (Recharge 5-6). Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of the Ben Side that can see her must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the Ben Side is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a target’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to the banshee’s Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours.
Kiss of Death. Melee Spell Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one charmed, frightened, or incapacitated male humanoid creature. Hit: The target must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw. On failed save, the target’s hit points is reduced to 0. On a success, the creature takes 18 (4d6 + 4) necrotic damage and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Wail (1/Day). The Ben Side releases a mournful wail, provided that she isn’t in sunlight. This wail has no effect on constructs and undead. All other creatures within 30 feet of her that can hear her must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, a creature drops to 0 hit points. On a success, a creature takes 18 (4d6 + 4) psychic damage.
Ethereal shades. When the Ben Side takes damage, she an use her reaction to diffuse her incorporeal form into silky shades and move up to her speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Description
This my take on a more powerful banshee, and based on the idea of the old Irish Bean Sí or Ben Síde, thus the open alignment. It's stats are based on the regular Banshee from the Monster Manual and some ideas from the Greater Banshee of Dragonix' Monster Manual Extended (available on DMsGuild)
Since I consider Banshees to be, more often than not, encountered alone, I added the reaction to make her more mobile. It might be worth looking into adding Lair Actions (as the Irish Ben Side are often bound to their families mansions), or adding Legendary Actions if you wanna buff her up to be more of a major boss fight.
This monster is not yet playtested and I advise you to use her with care, the numbers I came up with are rather deadly, especially life drain and kiss of death, due to their nature of rapidly reducing maximum hitpoints. The balancing Idea around the Kiss of Death is basically an automatic "failed save" on a life drain, with the possibility of a Wail effect, just upping the ante here for having failed the Horrifying Visage save. Thus, I added a recharge to Horrifying Visage, as it will most likely always be used in a combo with Kiss of Death.
I also note that I have no copyright on the used artwork, not at all, it was a simple google search. If you ever want to take this and commercially publish it in any way (feel free), you will have to replace the art work.
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