Medium Humanoid (Any Race), Any Alignment
Armor Class 12 (15 with mage armor)
Hit Points 50 (10d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
10 (+0)
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
10 (+0)
INT
20 (+5)
WIS
15 (+2)
CHA
15 (+2)
Saving Throws INT +10, WIS +7
Skills Arcana +13, History +13
Damage Vulnerabilities Radiant
Damage Resistances Acid, Fire, Lightning, Thunder; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks, Damage from Spells; Nonmagical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing (from Stoneskin)
Damage Immunities Cold, Necrotic, Poison
Senses Darkvision 60 ft, Passive Perception 11
Languages Any languages it knew in life
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +5
Traits

Magic Resistance. The archmage has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Ethereal Sight. The ghost can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa.

Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Spellcasting. The archmage is an 18th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The archmage can cast disguise self and invisibility at will and has the following wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand, prestidigitation, shocking grasp

1st level (4 slots): detect magic, identify, mage armor*, magic missile

2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, mirror image, misty step

3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, lightning bolt

4th level (3 slots): banishment, fire shield, stoneskin*

5th level (3 slots): cone of cold, scrying, wall of force

6th level (1 slot): globe of invulnerability

7th level (1 slot): teleport

8th level (1 slot): mind blank*

9th level (1 slot): time stop

*The archmage casts these spells on itself before combat.

Actions

 

Withering Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack:  +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage and (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage.

Etherealness. The ghost enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane. Can only be used three times per long rest.

Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of the ghost that can see it must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 × 10 years. A frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to this ghost's Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed with a greater restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring.

 

Description

Archmages are powerful (and usually quite old) spellcasters dedicated to the study of the arcane arts. Benevolent ones counsel kings and queens, while evil ones rule as tyrants and pursue lichdom. Those who are neither good nor evil sequester themselves in remote towers to practice their magic without interruption. An archmage typically has one or more apprentice mages, and an archmage's abode has numerous magical wards and guardians to discourage interlopers.

Monster Tags: NPCundead

Habitat: Urban

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