Bramble Wraiths

From: Whisperwood Sanctum

Bramble Wraiths are the spirits of the forest, twisted by the chaos magic of the sanctum into feral protectors. These creatures appear as humanoid figures entwined with brambles and thorns, their bodies phasing in and out of the material plane. Bramble Wraiths are masters of the terrain, able to merge with the plant life of Whisperwood Sanctum to ambush or spy on adventurers. Their touch is as piercing as their gaze, capable of draining the life force from their victims to nourish the sanctum. Despite their fearsome nature, they are bound to the will of the chaos master, serving as both guardians and executioners.

Lore of Bramble Wraiths
Bramble Wraiths embody the darker aspect of nature’s cycle, where growth and decay coalesce into beings of formidable power. Born from the union of lost spirits and the chaotic energy that suffuses Whisperwood Sanctum, these entities serve as a grim reminder of the sanctum’s capacity for both creation and destruction. Initially spirits of nature, the chaos magic warped them into guardians of thorn and vine, binding their essence to the very flora they once nurtured.

As protectors of the sanctum’s secrets, Bramble Wraiths are deeply intertwined with the forest’s will, emerging from the underbrush or the gnarled limbs of ancient trees to confront those who dare to trespass. They are not merely creatures of aggression; they are the sanctum’s eyes, ears, and, when necessary, its hands. Their existence is a testament to the sanctum’s primal and untamed magic, a magic that does not distinguish between the hunter and the hunted but envelops all in the cycle of nature’s eternal dance.

Tier One Stats and Characteristics

• Tier Level: 1
• Size: Medium
• Skills: High proficiency in Stealth and Ambush tactics, utilizing their ability to blend with the forest to launch surprise attacks. Skilled in Nature, allowing them to manipulate the plant life around them to their advantage.
• Strategy: Bramble Wraiths employ hit-and-run tactics, using their mastery over the terrain to ambush adventurers, draining their life force before retreating back into the foliage. They use their environment not only as a weapon but as a shield, making direct confrontation challenging.
• Attacks:
  • Life Drain Touch: A melee attack that drains the life force of their victims, healing the Bramble Wraith and potentially weakening the target.
  • Thorn Volley: Can launch a barrage of thorns from their bodies at a distance, causing piercing damage and possibly slowing their targets due to injury.
• Vulnerabilities: Vulnerable to fire and magical attacks that can sever their connection to the sanctum’s chaotic energy. Also, being spirits, they are susceptible to spells and abilities that target ethereal or undead entities.
• Tags: Ethereal, Nature-bound, Guardian, Feral

Strategy for Adventurers
Confronting Bramble Wraiths requires preparation and adaptability. Adventurers should consider employing fire-based attacks to exploit the wraiths’ vulnerability and carrying magical weapons capable of affecting ethereal beings. Understanding the sanctum’s chaotic nature can also provide insights into disrupting the bond between the wraiths and their source of power.

Since Bramble Wraiths are adept at using the environment to their advantage, adventurers should be wary of their surroundings, watching for signs of ambush and avoiding areas where the wraiths’ presence is strongest. Magical protection against life-draining effects and the ability to quickly navigate or alter the terrain can turn the tide of such encounters.

Ultimately, dealing with Bramble Wraiths challenges adventurers to respect the sanctum’s power and tread carefully within its bounds, reminding them that the line between the natural world and the realm of magic is both delicate and dangerous.

Engagement in Battle
Bramble Wraiths engage in battle with a blend of subtlety and sudden violence, reflecting their nature as beings of both spirit and thorn. They are adept at using the environment of Whisperwood Sanctum to their advantage, often lying in wait among the dense underbrush or within the gnarled branches of ancient trees before launching their attacks. Their approach is rarely direct; instead, they prefer to ambush their prey, using their ability to phase in and out of the material plane to strike unexpectedly and retreat before a counterattack can be mounted.

In combat, Bramble Wraiths utilize their thorny limbs to inflict piercing damage, entangling their foes with vines and dragging them into the thicket, where they can more easily drain their life force. This life-draining touch not only harms their victims but also heals the Bramble Wraiths, making them particularly dangerous over prolonged engagements. They can also manipulate the surrounding plant life to create barriers, ensnare adventurers, or launch volleys of thorns from a distance.

Environment Found
Bramble Wraiths are found exclusively within environments where the veil between the natural world and the realm of chaotic magic is thin, such as Whisperwood Sanctum. These areas are characterized by dense vegetation, ancient trees, and a palpable sense of untamed magic. The sanctum, with its blend of natural beauty and chaotic energy, provides the perfect habitat for Bramble Wraiths, allowing them to merge with the flora and tap into the chaotic magic that fuels their existence.

Use of Their Remains
The remains of Bramble Wraiths, while rare due to their ethereal nature, are highly coveted for their magical properties.

• Brambles and Thorns: The brambles and thorns that make up a Bramble Wraith’s body can be used in the creation of potent protective amulets or to enchant weapons, granting them the ability to drain life or entangle foes upon striking.
• Essence: The ethereal essence of a Bramble Wraith, captured at the moment of its dissolution, can be used in powerful necromantic spells or to create items that bridge the gap between the material and spiritual realms.
• Ectoplasm: The spiritual residue left behind by a Bramble Wraith can be used in potions to enhance one’s connection to the natural world or provide protection against ethereal entities.

Utilizing the remains of a Bramble Wraith requires not only significant magical prowess but also a deep understanding of the balance between life, death, and the chaotic forces that animate these creatures. Such materials are often sought after by powerful necromancers, druids, and scholars of the arcane, who seek to harness the power of the sanctum’s guardians for their own ends.

When a Bramble Wraith is noticed, its presence engages the senses in a manner that blurs the line between the physical realm and the ethereal, evoking a complex tapestry of sensations and perceptions.

• Sight
  • Perception: The Bramble Wraith appears as a humanoid figure ensnared in brambles and thorns, its form flickering between the material and spiritual planes. Portions of its body shimmer with an ethereal glow, while others are densely covered in vegetation.
  • Description: Its haunting, glowing eyes pierce the shadowy forest, casting an eerie luminescence that highlights its sinister presence.
  • Positives: The ethereal beauty and otherworldly nature of the Bramble Wraith can be mesmerizing, captivating those who have an appreciation for the supernatural.
  • Negatives: The sight of a Bramble Wraith is unsettling, its flickering presence and sinister aura instilling fear and unease.
• Sound
  • Perception: The rustling of leaves and the cracking of brambles accompany the Bramble Wraith’s movements, intertwined with a low, mournful hum that seems to resonate from the creature itself.
  • Description: These sounds meld into a disquieting symphony, enhancing the creature’s connection to the forest and its chaotic magic.
  • Positives: The sounds can serve as a warning, allowing the observant to prepare for the Wraith’s approach.
  • Negatives: The eerie hum can unsettle and distract, overwhelming the senses and making concentration difficult.
• Touch
  • Perception: A chilling cold emanates from the Bramble Wraith, felt even before physical contact, as if its very presence draws warmth from the air.
  • Description: Touching the Bramble Wraith, or being touched by it, feels like grasping at shadows, with occasional sharp pains as if thorns pricked one’s skin.
  • Positives: The cold can heighten alertness, providing a tangible sense of the Wraith’s proximity.
  • Negatives: The sensation is unnerving, with the sharp, unexpected pains causing discomfort and fear.
• Smell
  • Perception: A damp, earthy scent lingers around the Bramble Wraith, mixed with the faint, decaying smell of vegetation.
  • Description: This olfactory blend evokes the dense, hidden depths of the forest, filled with secrets and decay.
  • Positives: For those attuned to nature, the scent can reinforce the connection to the forest and its cycles.
  • Negatives: The smell of decay is unsettling, hinting at the Wraith’s role in the cycle of death and rebirth.
• Taste
  • Perception: An acrid taste fills the mouth upon close proximity to the Bramble Wraith, reminiscent of rotting leaves and bitter sap.
  • Description: This taste seems to hang in the air, a pervasive reminder of the Wraith’s connection to the decaying aspects of the forest.
  • Positives: It serves as an acute indicator of the Wraith’s presence, offering a sensory cue to its nearby location.
  • Negatives: The taste is unpleasant and can induce a sense of revulsion or discomfort.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions
  • Perception: A palpable sense of dread accompanies the Bramble Wraith, an instinctual warning that taps into primal fears.
  • Description: This sensation is more than fear; it’s a deep, almost spiritual acknowledgment of the Wraith’s power and its connection to the darker aspects of nature.
  • Positives: This extrasensory warning can sharpen instincts and reflexes, preparing one for the encounter.
  • Negatives: The overwhelming dread can paralyze or cause panic, especially in those unaccustomed to dealing with supernatural entities.

Encountering a Bramble Wraith is an experience that challenges both the body and the spirit, reminding all of the sanctum’s dual nature as a place of beauty and danger, growth and decay.

The Thorned Shadows of Eldergrove

In the time of whispered legends and shadowed tales, there stood the ancient realm of Eldergrove, a forest veiled in the mists of eternity and cradled by the arms of the earth. Within its heart, where the trees stretched their limbs towards the heavens as if in prayer, dwelt the spirits known as Bramble Wraiths, born from the union of the forest’s sigh and the chaotic whispers of the unseen.

These spirits, cloaked in the guise of thorn and vine, roamed the twilight paths of Eldergrove, guardians of secrets that time itself had forgotten. Their forms, shifting between the grasp of the material and the embrace of the ethereal, were a testament to the forest’s eternal dance of life and death.

It was told that a wanderer, seeking the wisdom of the ancients, ventured into the heart of Eldergrove, drawn by tales of power and mystery. With steps light and heart bold, the wanderer sought audience with the Bramble Wraiths, to glean from them the secrets of the ages.

But the forest, with its thorned shadows, watched in silence, and from its depths emerged the Wraiths, their forms a whirl of bramble and mist. They spoke not in words but in whispers, the language of the leaves and the wind, a tongue not meant for mortal ears.

The wanderer, undaunted, reached out to the spirits, seeking to bridge the chasm between flesh and phantom. But the touch of the Wraiths was as the kiss of winter, and their secrets remained shrouded in the thorns that bound them.

From the encounter, the wanderer emerged not with the wisdom sought but with a heart ensnared in the realization that some truths are not meant to be held, that they are like the wind, felt but never grasped.

Moral of the Story: Thus goes the tale of the Thorned Shadows of Eldergrove, a reminder that the pursuit of knowledge is a path fraught with shadows and thorns. The Bramble Wraiths, with their silent vigil, teach us that not all mysteries are ours to unveil, and in the seeking, we may find ourselves entangled in truths far beyond our ken. For in the heart of the forest, where the ancient and the eternal intertwine, lies the wisdom that some secrets are guarded not to be kept from us, but to keep us from the peril of their embrace.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Bramble Wraith

• STR: 40
• CON: 60
• SIZ: 50
• DEX: 70
• INT: 50
• POW: 80
• HP: 22
• Move: 7
• Attacks:
  • Thorn Whip: 40%, damage 1D8 + entangle
  • Life Drain Touch: 35%, damage 1D6 and heal Wraith for the amount of damage dealt
• Armor: 3 points of natural armor (thick brambles)
• Skills: Stealth 60%, Spot Hidden 50%, Navigate 40%
• Special Abilities: Ethereal Movement (can move through objects, only harmed by magical weapons or spells), Nature’s Camouflage (+20% to Stealth in natural environments)
• Sanity Loss: 0/1D6 Sanity points to see a Bramble Wraith

Blades in the Dark

Bramble Wraith

• Type: Supernatural – Ghost
• Tier: II
• Attributes: Scale 1, Quality 2, Potency 3
• Special Abilities:
  • Ethereal Form: Immune to physical harm except by electroplasmic or ghostly weapons.
  • Life Drain: Can drain life force to heal itself or cause harm. Engaging requires attuning to the ghost field.
  • Thorned Entanglement: Can entangle a target, requiring a Tinker or Wreck roll to escape.
• Harm: 2 (Life Drain), 1 (Thorned Entanglement)

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Bramble Wraith

• Size: Medium
• Type: Undead
• Alignment: Neutral Evil
• AC: 15 (Natural Armor)
• HP: 45 (7d8 + 14)
• Speed: 30 ft.
• STR: 14 (+2), DEX: 16 (+3), CON: 14 (+2), INT: 12 (+1), WIS: 13 (+1), CHA: 15 (+2)
• Saving Throws: Wis +3, Cha +4
• Damage Resistances: Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks
• Damage Immunities: Poison, Necrotic
• Condition Immunities: Charmed, Exhaustion, Poisoned
• Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
• Languages: Understands the languages it knew in life but can’t speak
• Challenge: 3 (700 XP)
• Abilities:
  • Ethereal Step: Once on its turn, the Wraith can temporarily enter the Ethereal Plane, move up to its speed, and return to a space it can see.
  • Life Drain: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken.

Knave

Bramble Wraith

• HD: 5
• Armor: 15 (Ethereal form and natural armor)
• Attack Bonus: +5
• Damage: Life Drain Touch (1d8), Thorn Whip (1d6, plus entangle)
• Morale: 10
• Special:
  • Ethereal Movement: Can move through objects and walls.
  • Life Drain: Restores health equal to the damage dealt.
  • Nature’s Camouflage: +4 bonus to Defense when in natural surroundings.

Fate Core

Bramble Wraith

• High Concept: Ethereal Guardian Entwined with Nature’s Wrath
• Trouble: Bound to the Sanctum’s Chaotic Will
• Aspects: Master of the Forest’s Ambush, Flickers Between the Veil, Thorns That Drain Life
• Skills:
  • Great (+4): Stealth
  • Good (+3): Fight, Athletics
  • Fair (+2): Notice, Will
• Stunts:
  • Ethereal Phase: Once per scene, can become intangible to avoid an attack or pass through objects.
  • Life-Draining Thorns: Gains a +2 to Fight when successfully attacking from stealth, dealing extra stress that heals the Wraith.
• Stress: ❑❑❑❑
• Consequences: Mild (2), Moderate (4), Severe (6)

Numenera & Cypher System

Bramble Wraith

• Level: 4
• Health: 16
• Damage Inflicted: 4 points
• Armor: 2 (natural thorny armor)
• Movement: Short; can phase through objects as part of movement
• Special Abilities:
  • Life Drain: On a successful attack, the Wraith regains health equal to the damage dealt.
  • Ethereal Ambush: Can become invisible and intangible, making it difficult to hit until it attacks.
  • Entangling Thorns: Can create barriers or traps of thorns that inflict 2 points of damage and hinder movement (difficulty 4 to escape).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Bramble Wraith

• Creature Level: 4
• Type: Undead
• Size: Medium
• Alignment: NE
• AC: 20
• HP: 60
• Speed: 25 ft., fly 20 ft. (incorporeal)
• Ability Scores: STR +0, DEX +3, CON +2, INT +1, WIS +2, CHA +4
• Attacks:
  • Melee [one-action]: Thorny Grasp +11 (agile, finesse), Damage 2d6+3 piercing plus Life Drain
  • Life Drain [two-actions] (divine, necromancy): DC 22 Fortitude save or 2d6 negative damage and Wraith heals half the damage dealt
• Skills: Stealth +11, Deception +9, Nature +8
• Special Abilities:
  • Ethereal Phase: Can move through objects and is immune to non-magical physical attacks.
  • Entangling Thorns: Can create difficult terrain around it as a free action once per round.

Savage Worlds

Bramble Wraith

• Type: Wild Card (Undead)
• Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d6, Vigor d8
• Skills: Fighting d8, Stealth d10, Notice d6
• Pace: 6; Flight: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
• Special Abilities:
  • Incorporeal: Takes half damage from non-magical attacks; can move through objects.
  • Life Drain: Attacks with its thorns deal Str+d4 damage, and the Wraith regains half the damage dealt as health.
  • Entangle: Can use an action to entangle a target in thorns (opposed Strength roll to escape).
  • Weakness (Fire): Takes double damage from fire.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Bramble Wraith

• Type: Spirit (Nature)
• Force: 4
• Attributes: Body 4, Agility 5, Reaction 3, Strength 3, Willpower 5, Logic 2, Intuition 4, Charisma 4
• Skills: Athletics 4, Unarmed Combat 5, Stealth 6, Perception 4
• Powers:
  • Concealment: Can hide itself or one target from view.
  • Fear: Can instill an intense fear in targets.
  • Materialization: Can become corporeal to interact with the physical world.
  • Movement: Can increase or decrease the movement rate of a target.
  • Nature’s Strike: Uses thorny appendages to attack; Physical damage (STR+2P).
• Weaknesses: Vulnerable to fire and combat spells.

Starfinder

Bramble Wraith

• CR: 5
• Type: Plant
• Subtype: Incorporeal
• Size: Medium
• AC: EAC 17; KAC 19
• HP: 68
• Fort: +6; Ref: +6; Will: +4
• Speed: 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (perfect)
• Abilities:
  • Life Drain Touch: +10 melee (1d6+5 B plus Life Drain)
  • Thorny Entanglement: Can entangle a target within 30 ft., requiring a DC 15 Strength check to escape.
  • Incorporeal: Half damage from non-magical attacks; can move through objects.
• Special Abilities:
  • Phase Through: Can phase in and out of visibility, granting a 50% miss chance against non-magical attacks.
  • Weakness (Fire): Takes 1.5 times damage from fire-based attacks.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Bramble Wraith

• Characteristics: STR 6, DEX 8, END 7, INT 5, EDU 0, SOC 0
• Skills: Stealth 2, Recon 1, Melee (Unarmed) 2
• Traits:
  • Incorporeal: Immune to non-energy weapons; can move through solid objects.
  • Life Drain: Unarmed attacks restore its health by the amount of damage dealt.
• Attack Options: Life Drain Touch (1d6+1, plus target is weakened; a successful END check is required to resist effects).
• Armor: None (Incorporeal nature provides natural defense against physical attacks).
• Special: Vulnerable to energy weapons and psychic attacks.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Bramble Wraith

• M (Movement): 4
• WS (Weapon Skill): 33
• BS (Ballistic Skill): N/A
• S (Strength): 35
• T (Toughness): 30
• I (Initiative): 40
• Ag (Agility): 28
• Dex (Dexterity): 25
• Int (Intelligence): 32
• WP (Will Power): 38
• Fel (Fellowship): N/A
• Wounds: 14
• Traits: Ethereal, Fear 1, Regeneration, Terrifying, Incorporeal, Life Drain
• Special Rules:
  • Ethereal: Can only be harmed by magical weapons, spells, or other ethereal beings.
  • Life Drain: Melee attacks heal the Wraith for the amount of damage dealt.
  • Regeneration: Recovers a set number of Wounds at the start of its turn.
  • Terrifying: Must pass a Cool test to attack or target the Wraith.
  • Weakness (Fire): Fire-based attacks deal double damage.