A paradoxical horror, the body of this undead creature consists of formless gloom left with a vague impression of squirming limbs while crackling lanterns dangle from a plethora of tendrils sprouting from its top. Within the lanterns, tortured witch-lights burn, tormented faces surfacing within the glow.

Unforgiving Light. When the Fiend of the Moors, claimed his territory, he only faced one serious contender for control, an ancient hydra. The two creatures fought for weeks. The accursed ranger couldn’t stunt the growth of the hydra’s head, while the hydra couldn’t stop the vile revenant from rising again. Seeking an end to this stalemate, the Fiend assailed the reptile with a horde of undead beasts. Eventually, the hydra’s lifeforce was overcome by the enervating energies. The corrupted elf came to another obstacle; raising the hydra into his service. Eventually he found a way to bind it being to five will-o-wisps, and command the spectral terror which resulted, thought the lantern shade only vaguely resembles the hydra from which it birthed.

Lantern Shade

Huge undead, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor)

Hit Points 142 (15d12 + 45))

Speed 30ft

Swim 30ft

Str 20 Dex 10 Con 17 Int 2 Wis 10 Cha 7

Skills Perception +6

Damage Resistances necrotic

Damage Immunities cold, lightning, poison

Condition Immunities exhaustion, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained

Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16

Languages -

Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)

Incorporeal.

The lantern shade can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It loses one head if it ends its turn inside an object and is considered to have taken radiant damage for the purposes of growing new heads.

Multiple Heads.

The lantern shade has five heads. While it has more than one head, the lantern shade has advantage on saving throws against being blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, stunned, and knocked unconscious.

Whenever the lantern shade takes 25 or more damage in a single turn, one of its heads dies. If all its heads die, the lantern dies.

At the end of its turn, it grows two heads for each of its heads that died since its last turn, unless it has taken radiant damage since its last turn. The lantern shade regains 10 hit points for each head regrown in this way.

Profane Illumination.

As long as the lantern shade has at least two heads, it sheds bright light in a radius of 30ft and dim light up to 60ft. Invisible creatures and objects are revealed within this light, and creatures in the ethereal plane create a dim halo in the material plane.

All other undead creatures within the bright light gain Advantage on saving throw against being turned.

Reactive Heads.

For each head the lantern shade has beyond one, it gets an extra reaction that can be used only for opportunity attacks.

Actions

Multiattack.

The lantern shade makes as many slam attacks as it has heads.

Slam.

Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d6 + 5) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) lightning damage.