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monster

The Echo of Kel'Thuz

The Echo of Kel'Thuz
Stat Block
CR 15
Reveal Stat Block
Armor Class
16
Hit Points
180
Speed
0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
str
1
dex
16
con
18
int
20
wis
18
cha
20
str
1
-5
dex
16
+3
con
18
+4
int
20
+5
wis
18
+4
cha
20
+5

Senses truesight 60 ft., passive Perception 18

Languages All (understands)

Traits

Incorporeal Movement.The Echo 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.
Aura of Despair.Each creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the Echo must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute.

Actions

Soul-Reaping Scythe.Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) cold damage plus 18 (4d8) necrotic damage. The target's hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken.
Chilling Grasp.The Echo targets one frightened creature within 30 feet. The target is pulled 15 feet toward the Echo and its speed is reduced to 0 until the start of its next turn.

The Echo of Kel'Thuz

Ecology

The Echo of Kel'Thuz is not a true undead creature, but a psychic projection—a localized, concentrated manifestation of the Whispering Lich's immense will. It roams the Dead-Zone of the Mana Wastes, acting as Kel'Thuz's eyes, ears, and primary enforcer. It is formed from ambient necrotic energy and the shredded memories of those who died to the Whispering Sickness. It leaves no physical footprints, only a trail of frost and a lingering sense of profound despair.

Appearance

The Echo appears as a towering, spectral figure, roughly twelve feet tall, draped in tattered, shadow-woven robes that billow in an unfelt wind. Its face is a void, hidden beneath a cowl, save for two piercing, icy blue pinpricks of light. It carries a massive, spectral scythe that hums with a sickening, low-frequency vibration. The air around it is visibly distorted by cold and necrotic pressure.

Lair Actions (The Dead-Zone)

When encountered within the highly warped reality of the Dead-Zone, the Echo can leverage the environment on initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties):

  • Gravity Inversion: The Echo selects a 30-foot radius area. Gravity reverses in that area until the next initiative count 20. Creatures must make a Dexterity save or "fall" upward, taking damage when they hit the ceiling or reach the top of the anomaly.
  • Whisper Storm: A torrent of maddening whispers fills the area. All non-undead creatures must make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become deafened and suffer disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks for 1 round.
  • Aether-Flare: The Echo detonates a pocket of unstable magic. A 20-foot sphere explodes in blinding light. Creatures inside must make a DC 16 Constitution save or be blinded and take 3d10 radiant damage.

Combat Mechanics

  • Incorporeal Nature: The Echo resists bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from non-magical weapons. It can move through solid objects and creatures, dealing 1d10 cold damage to any creature it passes through.
  • Soul-Reaping Scythe: Its primary attack is a sweeping strike with its spectral scythe. A creature hit takes heavy necrotic damage and must succeed on a Constitution save or have their hit point maximum reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken.
  • The Chilling Grasp: As a bonus action, the Echo can target a frightened creature within 30 feet, instantly pulling them 15 feet closer and reducing their speed to 0 for a turn.
  • Aura of Despair: Any creature that starts its turn within 15 feet of the Echo must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute.

Loot

Upon defeat, the Echo dissipates, but leaves behind a Crystallized Whisper—a rare magical component that can be used to forge psychic-resistant armor or craft a Wand of Fear. Additionally, it may drop a Fragment of the Phylactery, a crucial plot item needed to track the true location of Kel'Thuz within the Necropolis.