Medium Undead (Shapechanger), Neutral Evil
Armor Class 16 (18 with animated shield)
Hit Points 105 (14d8 + 42)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
14 (+2)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
16 (+3)
INT
12 (+1)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
18 (+4)
Saving Throws DEX +6, WIS +3, CHA +7
Skills Deception +8, Insight +6, Perception +6, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 16
Languages the languages it knew in life
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +3
Traits

Bride of Strahd. While Strahd can take Lair Actions, Anastrasya can benefit from them. If Strahd chooses his first Lair action, Anastrasya can pass through solid walls, doors, ceilings, and floors as if they weren't there. She only has this ability so long as Strahd allows her to have it.

Shapechanger. If the vampire isn't in sunlight or running water, it can use its action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or a Medium cloud of mist, or back into its true form.

While in bat form, the vampire can't speak, its walking speed is 5 feet, and it has a flying speed of 30 feet. Its statistics, other than its size and speed, are unchanged. Anything it is wearing transforms with it, but nothing it is carrying does. It reverts to its true form if it dies.

While in mist form, the vampire can't take any actions, speak, or manipulate objects. It is weightless, has a flying speed of 20 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the mist can do so without squeezing, and it can’t pass through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical damage, except the damage it takes from sunlight.

Legendary Resistance (1/Day). If Anastrasya fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.

Animated Weapons. Anastrasya telekinetically wields a longsword that gains the properties of a [Tooltip Not Found] that acts on her initiative. While wielded in this way by Anastrasya and within 50 feet of her, the sword has a Strength of 16 and acannot be targeted or damaged by attacks or spells, as though it were a held item. While  wielding it, Anastrasya can use her bonus action to allow it to perform two Longsword attacks against a target she can see.

Anastrasya also telekinetically wields a shield that acts as if it were an [Tooltip Not Found] shield while under her control.

Misty Escape. When it drops to 0 hit points outside its resting place, the vampire transforms into a cloud of mist (as in the Shapechanger trait) instead of falling unconscious, provided that it isn't in sunlight or running water. If it can't transform, it is destroyed.

While it has 0 hit points in mist form, it can't revert to its vampire form, and it must reach its resting place within 2 hours or be destroyed. Once in its resting place, it reverts to its vampire form. It is then paralyzed until it regains at least 1 hit point. After spending 1 hour in its resting place with 0 hit points, it regains 1 hit point.

Regeneration. Anastrasya regains 15 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or running water. If the vampire takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the vampire's next turn.

Spider Climb. Anastrasya can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Vampire Weaknesses. The vampire has the following flaws:

Forbiddance. Anastrasya  can't enter a residence without an invitation from one of the occupants.

Harmed by Running Water. Anastrasya  takes 20 acid damage if it ends its turn in running water.

Stake to the Heart. Anastrasya is destroyed if a piercing weapon made of wood is driven into its heart while it is incapacitatedin its resting place.

Sunlight Hypersensitivity. Anastrasya  takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight. While in sunlight, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.

Actions

Multiattack. (Vampire Form Only). Anastrasya makes two attacks, only one of which can be a bite attack.

Claws (Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, Anastrasya can grapple the target (escape DC 18).

Bite. (Bat or Vampire Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature, or a creature that is grappled by Anastrasya , incapacitated, or restrained. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire 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. A humanoid slain in this way and then buried in the ground rises the following night as a vampire spawn under the vampire's control.

Charm. Anastrasya targets one humanoid it can see within 30 feet of it. If the target can see the vampire, the target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or be charmed by the vampire. The charmed target regards the vampire as a trusted friend to be heeded and protected. Although the target isn't under the vampire's control, it takes the vampire's requests or actions in the most favorable way it can, and it is a willing target for the vampire's bite attack.

Each time the vampire or the vampire's companions do anything harmful to the target, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Otherwise, the effect lasts 24 hours or until the vampire is destroyed, is on a different plane of existence than the target, or takes a bonus action to end the effect.

Children of the Night (1/day). Anastrasya magically calls 2d4 swarms of bats or swarms of rats, provided that the sun isn't up. The called creatures arrive in 1d4 rounds, acting as allies of Anastrasya and obeying her spoken commands. The beasts remain for 1 hour, until Anastrasya dies, or until she dismisses them as a bonus action.

Description

Anastrasya was a noblewoman of Vallaki that hosted parties in honor of Strahd. She was ruthless with any that she thought was traitorous to the Lord of Barovia, even though she had never seen him and knew of his terrible reputation. She was a woman of extraordinary beauty and had no doubt that if she could only meet the count, he would deem her worthy as a bride, not realizing he was truly a vampire.

At one of her grand parties, she met a beautiful black skinned woman named Ludmilla, who claimed to be an agent of the count. She informed Anastrasya that the count wanted to dine with her at Castle Ravenloft, an invitation she hastily accepted.

Once at the castle, Ludmilla gave Anastrasya a tour, gaining some pleasure in the prospect that the beautiful noblewoman would be terrified by the sights of Castle Ravenloft. Much to her surprise, Anastrasya was enamored with the macabre and evil displays of Strahd’s power.

Strahd took to her immediately, and even though it meant his waning interest in Ludmilla faded even faster, he appreciated his elder bride’s foresight to find him such a beautiful new consort.

Anastrasya is the most powerful at the vampiric arts, wielding the ability to charm others and summon swarms of bats or rats despite being technically a vampire spawn.

Monster Tags: Shapechanger

Habitat: Urban

Etherios

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