Fear Smith (Fiarsídhe)

Apart from their taloned hands and blank face, fear smiths appear elven. While its mouth is closed, a fear smith’s face is featureless save for rows of deep wrinkles. Opening the large mouth in the center of its face reveals long needlelike teeth surrounding a single massive eye.

Known as a fiarsídhe among themselves, fear smiths are servants of the Court of the Shadow Fey and similar dark fey courts of such as those of Queen Mab and the Snow Queen.

Icy-Cold Eyes. Fear smiths often serve as torturers or are dispatched to demoralize the court’s enemies. Their stare stops enemies cold, making it easy for heavily-armed warriors to trap and finish a foe.

Devour Fear. As their nickname suggests, fear smiths feed off strong emotions, and their favorite meal is terror. The fey prefer prolonging the death of victims, and, when free to indulge, a fear smith stalks its victim for days before attacking, hinting at its presence to build dread.

Hoods and Masks. Fear smiths favor fine clothing and high fashion, donning hooded cloaks or masks when discretion is required. Eerily well-mannered and respectful, fear smiths enjoy feigning civility and playing the part of nobility, speaking genteelly but with a thick, unidentifiable accent from within a cowl.

Fear Smith

Medium fey, chaotic neutral
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 123 (19d8 + 38)
Speed 40 ft., climb 15 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
11 (+0) 17 (+3) 14 (+2) 11 (+0) 15 (+2) 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Wis +6
Skills Intimidate +6, Stealth +7
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from weapons that aren’t made of cold iron
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened
Senses blindsight 30 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages Common, Elvish, Sylvan
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)

Distortion Gaze. Those who meet the gaze of the fear smith experience the world seeming to twist at unnatural angles beneath their feet. When a creature that can see the fear smith’s eye starts its turn within 30 feet of the fear smith, the creature must make a successful DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become disoriented. While disoriented, the creature falls prone each time it tries to move or take the Dash or Disengage action. To recover from disorientation, a creature must start its turn outside the fear smith’s gaze and make a successful DC 16 Wisdom saving throw.

To use this ability, the fear smith can’t be incapacitated and must see the affected creature. A creature that isn’t surprised can avert its eyes at the start of its turn to avoid the effect. In that case, no saving throw is necessary but the creature treats the fear smith as invisible until the start of the creature’s next turn. If during its turn the creature chooses to look at the fear smith, it must immediately make the saving throw.

Hidden Eye. The fear smith has advantage on saving throws against the blinded condition.

Innate Spellcasting. The fear smith’s innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16). The fear smith can innately cast the following spells, requiring no verbal or material components:
At will: detect thoughts, fear
2/day each: charm person, command, confusion

Magic Resistance. The fear smith has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Actions

Multiattack. The fear smith makes three claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., 1 creature. Hit: 16 (2d12 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is disoriented by Distortion Gaze, this attack does an additional 13 (3d8) psychic damage and heals the fear smith by an equal amount.

Heartstopping Stare. The fear smith terrifies a creature within 30 feet with a look. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be stunned for 1 round and take 13 (3d8) psychic damage and heal the fear smith by an equal amount.

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