Shrouded Soldier 5 (15)

Planar Bestiary

As spirit-animated suits of armor, shrouded soldiers don't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

A shrouded soldier (short for "wraith-shrouded soldier") is a suit of magically animated armor further enhanced due to the undead wraith that haunts it.

A shrouded soldier is a union of undeath and animation that is beyond most mortal magics. Thus, they are quite rare. However, those who pledge themselves to demon lords or undead kings of the Lower Planes may receive a special gift by planar courier: a shrouded soldier. This gift usually follows their new owner's instructions precisely. Unbeknownst to their owner, they might also allow their fiendish maker to spy on what the soldier's new owner is up to.

Motive: Serve (and spy on) owner

Environment: Worlds of the Material Plane, usually serving nobles, cult leaders, and others pledged to serving demons or powerful undead

Health: 15

Damage Inflicted: Moderate wound (5 points)

Armor: 3

Movement: Short; short when flying

Modifications: Perception as level 7; resists blinding, stunning, and mental influence as level 8

Combat: A shrouded soldier attacks twice with their broadsword. Hits inflict a moderate wound (4 points) and on a failed Might defense task, the target takes an additional 3 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) from necrotic energy.

A soldier that is within immediate range of a humanoid corpse that died within the last minute can use an action to raise the corpse's spirit as a specter under the soldier's control. A soldier can control up to three specters at once.

The shrouded soldier violently expels their undead occupant if they are reduced to 0 health. Each creature within immediate range takes 5 points of Speed damage (ignores Armor) from necrotic energy as a wraith departs the defunct armor. The wraith acts on the shrouded soldier's initiative and retains the shrouded soldier's original goal or purpose. If any specters served the soldier, they now serve the wraith.

While exposed to sunlight, the shrouded soldier (or armor-denuded wraith) is hindered when making attacks or attempting perception tasks.

A shrouded soldier is immune to necrotic and poison attacks.

Interaction: A being of few words, the shrouded soldier does as they're asked by whoever commands them. However, they also secretly spy, noting any failure of their owner to act as a demon lord or undead king would prefer.

Use: The sage that teaches children in the town square has always been a bit petty and mean. Earlier in the week, they were beaten and robbed by older kids. This week, the sage is accompanied by a frightening new bodyguard clad in metal armor.

Loot: A destroyed shrouded soldier leaves behind heavy armor and sometimes a magic broadsword (medium weapon) that still retains a necrotic resonance, inflicting 1 additional point of Speed damage (ignores Armor) on a hit (depletion: —).

Specter (undead): level 2; Armor 1; ghostly touch inflicts a minor wound (3 points) (ignores Armor); flies a short distance each round; as their action can become fully intangible (making them unable to affect or be affected by anything except weapons and attacks that affect undead or phased creatures) or semi-intangible (their normal state)

Wraith (undead): level 4; immune to nonmagical attacks; incorporeal touch inflicts a moderate wound (4 points) (ignores Armor) and moves target one step down the damage track on a failed Might defense task; can pass through physical objects and barriers; flies a short distance each round

GM Intrusion: The shrouded soldier is immune to a few magical effects as chosen by their demonic or undead creator. The effect a character just tried is one the soldier is immune to.