TEXT:  
   
   
   
  THE VRYKOLAKAS 
  A Creepy CR 5 Undead 
  by Theron Seckington 
   
  page border by Kate Halvorsen 
  
   
   
  THE VRYKOLAKAS 
   
  My research for various campaigns over the 
  years has turned up lots of resources for 
  monsters I’ll never use. One that stuck with my 
  was the vrykolakas, which (sort of) translates to 
  “werewolf” from the Greek – but their actions 
  show much more in common with what we think 
  of in the modern day as vampires. 
  Much of Bram Stoker’s undead Count 
  Dracula can be seen in the behavior of the 
  vrykolakas. According to legends, the creature 
  drank blood, appearing fresher and larger with 
  each new victim, but unlike Dracula the 
  vrykolakas can swell to inhuman proportions if 
  not stopped. Additionally, this bloodsucker 
  needed to be invited in to a home to invade it – 
  though it treated merely answering the door as 
  an invitation; peasants could avoid a vrykolakas 
  by simply not answering a knock at the door 
  after sundown. 
  The vrykolakas had several powers that sets 
  it apart from vampires in “vanilla” D&D lore. 
  First, it is a carrier of plagues, like many Slavic 
  revenants. Also, the vrykolakas sometimes 
  brings poltergeist-like activity to the villages it 
  preys on. 
  I have endeavored to bring these things into 
  the stat block at right. Hopefully, this creature 
  will challenge your party, both in combat and 
  outside as they work against their assumptions 
  of what a vampire does. 
   
  Additional Complications 
  Unless properly disposed of, a vrykolakas 
  may return. A simple stake through the heart is 
  seldom sufficient. Rather, a vrykolakas must be 
  tracked to its lair, the body must be destroyed 
  through cremation or torn to part, and then silver 
  or iron stakes must pin the remains to the earth. 
  An exorcism just to be on the safe side isn’t 
  totally unwarranted either! 
   
  Character Levels 
   
  For an additional challenge, the vrykolakas 
  may have memories of who it was in life. Some 
  suggestions for how to incorporate character 
  levels follow. In general, two character levels 
  are sufficient to drastically change the timbre of 
  the coming conflict. 
  Barbarian: A Barbarian vrykolakas is more 
  feral and dangerous than its regular brethren. It 
  delights in leaping into combat and rending as 
  many foes as possible to cause terror.  
  Bard: With bard levels, the creature is content 
  to choose a single target, research them for days 
  from stealth, then drag them back to its lair. It 
  may use Bardic Inspiration on itself only for 
  attacking its chosen target. 
  Clerics and Paladins: Both versions of this 
  vrykolakas typically wear ragged armor. Its 
  Channel Divinity works on the living, rather 
  than the undead. 
  Druids: A druid vrykolakas loses any animal 
  companion it may have had, but uses its Wild 
  Shape and spells such as entangle to improve its 
  ambush abilities. 
  Fighter: Vrykolakas fighters are heavily 
  armored and often wield weapons that give it 
  advantages in battle, such as nets and polearms, 
  though rarely ranged weapons. It typically uses 
  its Action Surge early to ensure it grapples a 
  target. 
  Monk: A vrykolakas’ natural weapons are only 
  further augmented by a monk’s talents. Their 
  lairs tend to be old places of study, rather than 
  where they died. 
  Ranger: Change their favored terrain to 
  wherever terrain they now live in. A former 
  ranger vrykolakas will place physical traps and 
  choose its battlegrounds very, very carefully. 
  Rogue: Cunning Action makes a Rogue 
  vrykolakas a dangerous “hit and run” combatant. 
  Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards: The 
  vrykolakas will choose spells which enhance or 
  complement its natural abilities, such as sleep or 
  charm person. 
   
   
  NEW FANG ON THE BLOCK 
  
   
   
   
   
  Vrykolakas 
  Medium undead; CR: 5 
  AC: 14, Speed: 30 ft, 30 climb HP: 105 
  (10d12+40) 
  Statistics: STR 17 (+3), DEX 14 (+2), CON 
  19 (+4), INT 9 (-1), WIS 13 (+1), CHA 12 
  (+1) 
  Skills: Athletics +7, Stealth +6, Survival +5 
  Saves: STR +7, CON +8, CHA +5 
  Damage Immunities: Poison 
  Condition Immunities: Poisoned, Charmed 
  Blindsight: 30 feet 
  Embrace: The vrykolakas deals maximum 
  damage to a creature it has grappled. 
  Human Shield: While it grapples a creature, 
  the vrykolakas gains +2 AC. Additionally, 
  creatures it grapples automatically fail saves 
  against area-effect damage, such as against 
  burning hands or a fireball spell. 
  Quick: The creature receives Advantage on 
  Initiative rolls.  
  Spells: The vrykolakas can cast the 
  following spells as spell-like effects without 
  the need for components. Saves are against 
  the creature’s Charisma, DC 15.  
  1/day, each: fog cloud, stinking cloud, gust 
  of wind 
  Spider Climb: The vrykolakas can climb on 
  walls or ceilings as if under the effect of the 
  spider climb spell. 
  ACTIONS 
  Multiattack: The vrykolakas makes one 
  claw attack and a bite attack, or two claw 
  attacks. 
  Bite: Melee weapon attack, +6 to hit, reach 5 
  ft, one target. Hit: 12 (2d8+3) piercing 
  damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic damage. A 
  creature killed by this attack rises again as a 
  vrykolakas the next night unless it is a holy 
  day. 
  Claw: Melee weapon attack, +7 to hit, reach 
  5 ft, one target. Hit: 7 (2d4+3) slashing 
  damage. If both attacks hit, the target is 
  grappled. 
  The Lair 
  A vrykolakas builds a lair close to its 
  hunting grounds, near where it was 
  originally buried. While in its lair, the 
  creature is much more powerful. 
  The land around the vrykolakas’ lair 
  becomes increasingly isolated as chance 
  accidents, natural disasters, and rockfalls 
  block access in or out of the village it hunts 
  in. Over several months, a pall of sickness, 
  old superstitions, and despair descends on 
  the unsuspecting population, further 
  preventing them from leaving. 
   
  It’s not all bad news for the adventurers: 
  as mentioned above, the vrykolakas can be 
  destroyed while in its lair as long as proper 
  procedures are followed. 
  Additional Spells: The vrykolakas can cast 
  telekinesis and wind wall 1/day in its lair, 
  which is usually uses to block exits and 
  force a close combat, where it holds most of 
  the cards.  
  Engorge: The first time a vrykolakas bites a 
  creature in its lair, its size becomes Large, it 
  gains 39 (6d12) temporary hit points, and its 
  damage dice increase one step, changing its 
  Bite attack to 14 (2d10+3) piercing and 5 
  (1d10) necrotic damage and its claw attack 
  to 10 (2d6+3) slashing damage. 
   
  Lair Actions 
  Wind Control: Each round with a 20 
  initiative, the vrykolakas may cast any of its 
  available spells or lair spells. 
  Perturbed Spirit: Each round with a 10 
  initiative, the creature can cause a telekinetic 
  storm (below) anywhere it can see within 60 
  feet.  
  Telekinetic Storm: Ranged spell attack, +4 
  to hit, range 60 feet, all targets in 5 foot 
  radius. Hit: 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage. 
  
   
   
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