Crimson Residue. When the blood-touched corpse takes slashing or piercing damage, all creatures within 5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the end of their next turn.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the blood-touched corpse to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the blood-touched corpse drops to 1 hit point instead.
Undead Telepathy. The Blood-Touched Corpse can magically command any undead within 120 feet of it, using a limited telepathy.
Divine Awareness. The Blood-Touched Corpse knows if it hears a lie.
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) bludgeoning damage.
Blood Drain. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature that isn't an undead or a construct. Hit: 3 (1d4 + 1) piercing damage plus 2 (1d4) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the blood-touched corpse regains hit points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Aggressive. As a bonus action, the Blood-Touched Corpse can move up to its movement towards an enemy it can see.
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Legendary Action Name (Costs # Actions). Enter the description for your legendary action.
Mythic Action Name. Enter the description for how mythic actions work for your monster here.
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Description
Blood-touched corpses represent a disturbing fusion of vampiric corruption and forest blight, creating entities that embody the worst aspects of both threats. Unlike the ethereal nature of shadow wraiths, these creatures maintain a grotesque physical form that serves as a testament to the unholy alliance between Keres's blood magic and Morvrath's corruption.
Their flesh appears waxy and pale, with a sickly translucent quality that allows the dark network of veins beneath to be clearly visible. These veins have turned completely black and seem to pulse with a rhythm that doesn't match any natural heartbeat. The blood within has transformed into a thick, tar-like substance that occasionally seeps through the skin at joints and wounds, leaving dark stains on everything they touch.
Most disturbing are the fungal growths that emerge from their bodies—not the clean geometric patterns of pure forest corruption, but twisted, blood-fed fungi that sprout in unnatural colors: deep crimson, purple-black, and sickly yellow. These growths cluster around major joints, wounds, and orifices, creating a horrific patchwork of organic and supernatural corruption.
The Crimson Residue:
Perhaps the most immediately dangerous aspect of blood-touched corpses is the constant seepage of corrupted blood from their bodies. This isn't ordinary blood, but a viscous, alchemically-altered fluid that combines the infectious properties of vampiric essence with the transformative corruption of the forest.
The substance appears as a dark red liquid with an oily, iridescent sheen that shifts between crimson and black depending on the angle of view. It never quite dries, maintaining a wet, sticky consistency that clings to surfaces and clothing. When exposed to air, it releases faint wisps of vapor that carry the characteristic whispers associated with forest corruption.
This residue serves as both weapon and infection vector—contact with open wounds can begin the corruption process, while prolonged exposure through breathing the vapours causes the poisoning effects that make fighting these creatures particularly hazardous in confined spaces.
Hybrid Corruption:
Blood-touched corpses exhibit characteristics of both major corruption sources. From the vampiric influence, they retain an unnatural hunger and predatory instincts, along with enhanced physical resilience and the ability to drain life force. From the forest corruption, they gain the fungal growths, whispered communications, and the ability to spread their taint to others.
Their movements combine the mechanical precision of vampire thralls with the unsettling organic fluidity of forest-corrupted creatures. They walk with jerky, puppet-like motions interrupted by moments of unnaturally smooth gliding, as if controlled by multiple competing influences that occasionally synchronize.
Sensory Alterations:
The eyes of blood-touched corpses have undergone a dual transformation. The irises have turned a deep, wine-dark red shot through with black veins, while the pupils have enlarged significantly and taken on an irregular, almost crystalline structure. These altered eyes seem to track movement with predatory precision while simultaneously appearing to look through or beyond their immediate surroundings.
When they speak—which they do rarely and only in response to specific stimuli—their voices carry both the hollow echo of undeath and the layered whispers of forest corruption. The sound emerges as if multiple voices are speaking through the same throat, creating an unsettling harmony of corruption.
Environmental Interaction:
Blood-touched corpses leave clear signs of their passage. Their corrupted blood stains everything they touch, creating permanent dark marks that resist conventional cleaning. The fungal growths on their bodies release spores that cause nearby vegetation to wither and darken, while their presence makes the air feel thick and oppressive.
Unlike purely supernatural entities, these creatures interact physically with their environment in disturbing ways. They might leave bloody handprints on walls, track corrupted footprints through clean areas, or cause metal objects to tarnish and wood to darken through mere contact.
Behavioral Patterns:
Blood-touched corpses exhibit a disturbing combination of vampiric hunger and forest-entity compulsions. They're drawn to living blood but also seek to spread corruption through their toxic residue. This dual nature often manifests in conflicted behavior—they might drain a victim's blood while simultaneously infecting them with forest corruption, creating new threats even as they satisfy their immediate hunger.
They show particular attraction to areas where both types of corruption have already taken hold, as if seeking to reunify the separate influences that created them. This makes them natural guardians for locations where cult activity and forest corruption intersect—exactly the kind of discoveries that would prove most dangerous to investigating heroes.
The presence of blood-touched corpses serves as clear evidence that Keres's cult has been experimenting with forest corruption, providing a tangible link between the two major threats while presenting a uniquely dangerous opponent that embodies the worst aspects of both corrupting influences.
Lair and Lair Actions
Enter a description of your monster's lair here.
Lair Actions
On initiative count # (losing initiative ties), the [monster name] takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the [monster name] can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:
- Enter a description for a lair action.
- Enter a description for a lair action.
Regional Effects
The region containing a legendary [monster name]’s lair is [enter the effect description], which creates one or more of the following effects:
- Enter a regional effect description.
- Enter a regional effect description.
If the [monster name] dies, these effects fade over the course of #d# days.
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