Nightshade

Nightshades are unusual undead creatures created from intense emotions, often from animals which have died horrible deaths. It possesses plants in a location and animates them to capture the living and drain their blood. When in its true spirit form, it is an amorphous blob of ectoplasm filled with gaping jaws.

Nocturnal Predator. So long as the sun shines on the nightshade’s possessed plants, it sleeps. Once the sun has set the nightshade awakens and attacks any living creature in its presence. It sends vines and undergrowth to restrain the movement of targets so its branches and tendrils can tear its foes apart to bathe the ground in blood.

Nightshade

Large undead (spirit), neutral evil

Armor Class 16
Hit Points 176 (32d10)
Speed 0 ft., fly 20 ft. (hover)

Saving Throws Con +4, Wis +5, Cha +7
Damage Vulnerabilities fire
Damage Resistances cold, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities acid, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unsettled
Senses blindsight 120 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages —
Challenge 15 (13,000 XP)                              Proficiency Bonus +4

Haunting Presence. While possessing a host, the nightshade can create an Intensity 16 spiritfont with range of 50 feet by concentrating for 1 hour. The nightshade can create up to 6 connected spiritfonts, with the first one acting as a spiritwell. Each spiritfont must be within 50 feet of another one. The nightshade can use its Innate Spellcasting feature while it possesses a host.

Innate Spellcasting. The nightshade’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). The nightshade can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components:

At will: create or destroy water, druidcraft, fog cloud, ray of sickness, thorn whip
3/day: arms of hadar, blight, darkness, entangle, grasping vine, spike growth, wall of thorns
1/day: awaken (plants only), plant growth

Plant Dependency. If all of the nightshade’s spiritfonts are destroyed, it is driven from its host and can’t use its possession action for 24 hours.

Putrefy. Within the range of nightshade’s spiritwell, all food rots and all water becomes befouled. A living creature which consumes putrefied food and water must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned for 24 hours and gains no benefit from consuming the food or water.

Restore Essence. At the start of each of its turns while it possesses a plant, the nightshade regains 10 hit points.

Sunlight Vulnerability. The nightshade takes 20 radiant damage when it starts its turn in sunlight and must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or become stunned until the start of its next turn.

Actions

Multiattack. While controlling plants, the nightshade can make four attacks using its branch rake, limb strike, root trip, or vine grasp actions, provided the controlled plants are physically capable. A single plant can only be used to attack once in a turn.

Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage. The nightshade can’t use this attack while it possesses.

Branch Rake. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) slashing damage.

Root Trip. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and the target is knocked prone if it is a creature.

Vine Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d4 + 3) poison damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 15) if it is a creature or 10 (2d6 + 3) bludgeoning damage if the target is already grappled by the vine.

Limb Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (3d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage.

Possess. The nightshade’s possession save DC is 15 (Charisma based). It is a Puppeteer that can possess one or more plants simultaneously within 50 feet of it. It possesses each plant within the range of a spiritfont it controls. When the nightshade possesses a target, its body assumes a spiritual form and is subsumed by its host.