This looks so cool. 

So it is no longer stated that the effects of Life Drain are cured by a Long Rest, as it was in the 2014 rules. This means the players need a Greater Restoration spell.

Am I reading this right?

Quote from CptHexagon >>

So it is no longer stated that the effects of Life Drain are cured by a Long Rest, as it was in the 2014 rules. This means the players need a Greater Restoration spell.

Am I reading this right?

No the rules of a Long Rest now apply that in general from the Rules Glossary, When you long rest:

Regain All HP. You regain all lost Hit Points and all spent Hit Point Dice. If your Hit Point maximum was reduced, it returns to normal.

Ability Scores Restored. If any of your ability scores were reduced, they return to normal.

so the way it works now is that if theres an exception to the rule it will state it there, but since it doesn't it behaves normally

Thanks, must have missed that.

i am failing at seeing how exactly the wights are still always evil when half of the table's motivations actually seem like something a neutral or even good player character would do

Quote from Mordaic >>

i am failing at seeing how exactly the wights are still always evil when half of the table's motivations actually seem like something a neutral or even good player character would do

 i'd argue the vast majority of these are Evil outright or at best Neutral, although it may depend on ones interpretation of the vague alignment system, and also keep in mind regardless of what it's motivation for rising from the dead was, they all explicitly also driven by the hunger for life

Challenge anyone who passes near its grave on a certain cursed night?   You might argue Neutral but i'd argue given the nature of the wight's attacks any fight it engages in will be to the death, and as a result this is just killing people for funsises, Evil

Conquer the land it believes it should rule?   The emphasis on 'it believes' implies this is both not an rightful heir situation, and there is also an emphasis on the selfish "i, specifically, must rule", rather than the more good-aligned "this place needs better leadership and i am willing to step up if nobody else does"

"Continue the crimes it was executed for" and "follow the foul master it served in life" are both explicitly Evil coded

Honor an oath left unfullfilled? Lawful neutral at best. You are honoring the oath specifically for the sake of honoring the oath

Obey the cult or deity that gave it unlife? Good and neutral deities tend to let the dead rest rather than raise the dead to serve their whims. Even spore druids and the like would probably object to creating an undead creature with a built in hunger to consume the spark of life from living beings since it breaks the cycle of life and death and such.

Prove it was the greatest warrior to ever live? Neutral, a good character might have this as a side goal but this is the sole reason why the wight came alive, it's an obsession and also the means of proving this probably involves more murder for funsies which probably makes you more Evil than anything.

Seek it's stolen heart or other treasure? Came alive to fulfill a selfish desire, at best neutral

You might be evil if you believe that

1, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all things a not evil person can believe or want

I ran plenty of Wights under the 2014 rules, and let me just say these changes are diabolical. It feels so much more like a CR 3 (if not more) now.

The health boosts more than offsets losing the BPS resistance from the old version, since boosting HP affects all damage types. The extra necrotic on a weapon attack is really nice with only a +4 to hit. But what I really like is the Con save for Life Drain. Now it has a way of avoiding AC, even if that does still require a save most adventurers have, it gives this stinky boy options. And the art upgrade? Wow.

Great improvements. I much preferred running this guy earlier tonight compared to the original.