Kukudhi

Preferring to lurk in the most haunted locales, the kukudhi savors tormenting the living. It will possess an object, such as a statue or structure, and lie in wait for victims, relying on its spiritfont abilities to destroy trespassers. A kukudhi appears like a ghastly specter with savage claws and a visage eternally twisted in torment.

Seeker of Misery. The kukudhi will seek out a location already haunted to make its domain, seizing control of each spiritfont within the area. If it hasn’t found a location, it may possess an innocuous object likely to be carried by a traveler so it can find a suitable lair. Failing this, it will possess a host and convert the surroundings into a haunting.

Haunting and poltergeist phenomena are already dangerous on their own, but a kukudhi’s presence amplifies the threat to deadly levels. It will employ the features of any spiritfont it controls to terrify any creature that enters its domain. It will employ its poltergeist powers, innate spellcasting, and its slam legendary action to trap and isolate targets. Once contained, it will use its abilities to torment and torture the creature before eventually tiring of it and killing it.

Entrenched Horror. Knowing it is nearly unstoppable while possessing a host and controlling a spiritfont, the kukudhi will try to hide its true nature. It will set traps using its abilities to contain its victims and defend itself. It fears exorcism and will murderously target those who threaten it so. Failing that it will attempt to shut them out of its domain.

Legendary Terror. There are rumors of especially powerful kukudhi that can usurp control of a creature it possesses. Such a fiend could easily turn friend into foe and sow chaos far and wide.

Kukudhi

Medium fiend (demon), chaotic evil

Armor Class 13
Hit Points 97 (15d8 + 30)
Speed 30 ft.

Saving Throws Int +7, Cha +8
Skills Stealth +6
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities poison, unsettled
Senses blindsight 400 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages telepathy 100 ft.
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)                              Proficiency Bonus +3

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Haunting Presence. While possessing a host, the kukudhi can create an Intensity 21 spiritfont with range of 100 feet by concentrating for 1 hour. The kukudhi can create up to 5 connected spiritfonts, with the first one acting as a spiritwell. Each spiritfont must be within 100 feet of another one.

Alternately, the kukudhi can take control of an existing spiritfont, including a spiritwell, by concentrating for 1 hour. The spiritfont must succeed on a DC 16 Intensity saving throw or become controlled. The kukudhi can control no more than 5 spiritfonts at once.

Innate Spellcasting. The kukudhi’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). It can also cast its spells while possessing a host. The kukudhi can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: bestow curse, compulsion, dancing lights
3/day: animate dead, darkness, dissonant whispers, invisibility
1/day: antipathy/sympathy, dream, modify memory, symbol

Lingering Death. Each creature killed by a kukudhi or a spiritfont it controls can’t be revived for 1 hour.

Spirit Rip. Once each turn, a creature hit by the kukudhi’s claw attack must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma save or take 16 (3d10) force damage and be unsettled for 1 minute.

Supernatural Resistance. The kukudhi has advantage on saving throws against spells, psionics, and other magical and psychic effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The kukudhi makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) necrotic damage. It can’t make a claw attack while it possesses a target.

Possess (psionic). The kukudhi’s possession save DC is 16 (Charisma based). It is a Controller that can possess an object within 5 feet of it. When the kukudhi possesses a target, its body assumes a spiritual form and is subsumed by its host.

Legendary Actions

While the kukudhi controls at least one spiritfont, it can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The kukudhi regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.

Spiritfont Action. The kukudhi uses an action from one of its controlled spiritfonts. Once it uses a spiritfont, it can’t use that spiritfont again until the start of its next turn.

Demonic Gust. The kukudhi summons a strong wind that extinguishes all exposed flames within 400 feet of its host. Shielded flames have a 50% chance to be extinguished.

Slam. The kukudhi shuts any door, shutter, chest, cabinet, or similar object within 400 feet of its host. The shut object can only be opened by a creature using its action and succeeding on a DC 24 Strength check. The kukudhi can release the shut object at will during its turn.