Fantasy Monster: Gallows-Wight

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Gallows-Wight

A tattered figure in white undershirt and lose pants, with a long frayed end of a rope hanging from the noose tightened on the neck.

CR 5; XP 1,600
CE Medium Undead

Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11

Defense
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 59 (7d8+28)
Fort +5; Ref +6; Will +6

DR 5/magic and silver; Immune undead traits

Offense
Speed fly 30 ft. (perfect)

Melee hanging rope +9 (1d4+4 plus pull or grab) and 2 slams +9 (1d4+4)

Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft. (15 ft. with hanging rope)

Special Attacks grab, hanging rope, pull (10 ft., hanging rope), slow choke

Statistics
Str 18, Dex 18, Con —, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 17
Base Atk +5; CMB +9 (+13 grapple); CMD 23

Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Toughness

Skills Fly +22, Intimidate +13, Perception +11, Stealth +14

Languages Common (doesn't speak)

Ecology
Environment urban, ruins
Organization solitary, pair, or gallows-of-wights (3–12)
Treasure standard

Special Abilities

Hanging Rope (Su) The rope on which gallows-wight was hanged repairs and regrows when damaged, animated by the creature's spite and malice. When a gallows-wight hits with the rope attack it can either attempt a free pull or grapple attempt on the target. The gallows-wight suffers no penalties for not using hands. Additionally, a flying gallows-wight can maintain grapple or pin the target that is hanging on the full length of the rope (15 ft.) instead of being adjacent to the wight, and move up to its full flying speed when doing so, or twice its flying speed if it took a full-round action to maintain the grapple. The rope can be attacked and damaged with weapon attacks and targeted abilities, with the same AC and saving throws as the wight and 15 hit points, suffering half damage from piercing weapons and no damage from bludgeoning and sonic attacks, freeing the currently grappled or pinned victim when reduced to 0 hit points, though the severed rope regrows almost immediately.

Slow Choke (Ex) When a gallows-wight successfully maintains the pin and flies around with a creature pinned by the hanging rope, the victim suffers 2d6 points of damage at the end of the gallows-wight turn and can't speak for 1d4 rounds.

Gallows-wights arise when a particularly willful individual dies by hanging, often when the execution is unjust, but also because of extreme spite, curse, or lingering necromantic energies. Many gallows-wights spring to action almost immediately, sometimes disrupting continued executions of their companions, and attacking the hangman, the judges, and the witnesses. Others come to unlife later, after being left hanging, or during the night after their burial, if it happened on the same day. Those late bloomers are usually more sneaky and cunning than the wrathful ones, taking their time to stalk those who are responsible for their death—both the act, and the decision.