Incorporeal Movement. The Cursed Stalker 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.
Obsession. One creature that the Cursed Stalker can see within 60 feet of it must succeed on a DC17 Wisdom saving throw or become the obsession of the Cursed Stalker. Any illusions cast by the Cursed Stalker can target the obsession, becoming visible and more realistic to only them. Checks and saves made by the obsession to overcome such illusions are made at disadvantage. The Cursed Stalker can only have one obsession at a time. The target is immune to this Cursed Stalker's Obsession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the obsession ends.
Selective Visibility. The Cursed Stalker is always invisible unless its hunting. When the Cursed Stalker marks a creature as its obsession, it becomes visible to only the targeted creature.
Spellcasting. The Cursed Stalker casts one of the following spells, using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (DC 17) and requiring no material components:
At will: Minor Illusion, Major Image, Phantasmal Force
3/day: Silence, Hallucinatory Terrain
1/day: Phantasmal Killer
Multiattack. The Cursed Stalker can use its Horrifying Visage. It then makes one Bite attack and one Rend attack.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (3d10 + 5) cold damage, and the target’s speed is halved until the start of the Cursed Stalker’s next turn
Rend. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) necrotic damage.
Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60 feet of the Cursed Stalker that can see it must succeed on a DC 17 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, 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 Cursed Stalker's Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours.
Possession (Recharge 6). One creature that the Cursed Stalker can see within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 17 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the Cursed Stalker; the Cursed Stalker then disappears, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. The Cursed Stalker now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of awareness. The Cursed Stalker can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.
The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the Cursed Stalker ends it as a bonus action, or the Cursed Stalker is turned or forced out by an effect like the Dispel Evil and Good spell. When the possession ends, the Cursed Stalker reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body. The target is immune to this Cursed Stalker's Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
Description
The Cursed Stalker is a spawn of unknown dark magic. Constructs of Tahrmorra are duty-bound creatures, pleased to serve the populace or their masters. However, a construct left forgotten and uncommanded can slowly lose sanity. The worst of the constructs then perform a weeklong ritual that ends in their own destruction, but the creation of the Cursed Stalker. Once a Cursed Stalker is created, it has been found that they can slowly reproduce, but no one alive knows how.
Lair and Lair Actions
Lair Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Cursed Stalker takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Cursed Stalker can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- The Cursed Stalker can make or move an illusory clone of a creature within 60 feet of itself. This clone is meant to mimic the exact behaviors of the creature, in hopes of leading another target away from the safety of it's allies. A successful DC 17 Intelligence (Investigation) check reveals which one is the illusion. The clone only vanishes when it has been discovered, and this lair action is repeatable.
- The Cursed Stalker can create a 20-foot radius sphere of magical darkness withing 60 feet of itself. This darkness lasts until the next time the Cursed Stalker uses a Lair Action.
Regional Effects
The region containing a Cursed Stalker’s lair is often filled with various constructs, temples and dark magic, which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Constructs within 1 mile of the Cursed Stalker slowly grow rampant, and make all rampant saves at disadvantage.
- The temple the Cursed Stalker inhabits becomes its own personal prison and trap. Any attempts to move downwards or backtrack inside a temple end with the creature finding themself in a looping path until they move forwards or upwards. However the Cursed Stalker is not affected by this, and can still hunt creatures that make this folly.
If the Cursed Stalker dies, these effects fade over the course of 2d4 days.
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