The Boogeyman - The Lurker in the Dark

Hey everyone,

We've traveled the world for our spooky season "Boogeymen" series, from the jungles of Colombia with La Patasola to the ancient forests of Russia with Baba Yaga. Now, it's time to come home and face the monster that started it all for many of us.

This creature has no single name, no defined shape, and no complex backstory. It is the original, primal terror of childhood. It's the shape you see in the dark corner of your room, the sound you hear from under your bed, and the thing you know is waiting for you in the closet. Today, we stat up the Boogeyman.

The Boogeyman

Medium Aberration, Neutral Evil

Armor Class 15 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 75 (10d8 + 30) Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Skills Stealth +10, Intimidation +7, Perception +6 Damage Resistances Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks Condition Immunities Frightened Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Passive Perception 16 Languages Understands all languages, but speaks only in terrifying whispers that seem to come from everywhere at once. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) Proficiency Bonus +3

Amorphous. The Boogeyman can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing.

Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the Boogeyman can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Fear Eater. The Boogeyman is empowered by the terror it inflicts. As a bonus action, it can target one creature it can see within 30 feet that is frightened. The target takes 7 (2d6) psychic damage, and the Boogeyman regains hit points equal to the damage dealt.

Personal Nightmare. The Boogeyman's form is vague and indistinct, a mass of shifting shadows. To any creature that sees it, it vaguely resembles that creature's worst primal fear (e.g., spiders, snakes, a shadowy figure).

Actions

Multiattack. The Boogeyman makes two Shadow Claw attacks.

Shadow Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 4) slashing damage plus 4 (1d8) psychic damage.

Frightful Gaze. The Boogeyman targets one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Boogeyman's Frightful Gaze for the next 24 hours.

Description

The Boogeyman is an entity from the Ethereal Plane that feeds on primal fear. It is drawn to the terror of children, but it will just as easily feed on the anxieties of adults. It has no true form, appearing only as a mass of shifting shadows, vaguely shaped by the mind of the person viewing it.

The Lurker in the Dark. This creature is the reason for the half-open closet door, the fear of the dark space under the bed, and the paranoia of the cellar. It does not attack its victims directly at first. It lurks, it waits, and it watches. It makes small sounds (a creak, a scrape, a whisper) to build the terror in its victim. Once the creature is paralyzed by fear, the Boogeyman strikes, feeding on their panic before dragging them away into the darkness from whence it came.

This is the perfect monster for a psychological horror adventure. The party might be hired to investigate a series of disappearances in a town, only to find that the culprit isn't a person, but the physical manifestation of the town's collective fear.

As always, Michael Garcia a.k.a. TheCrazyGM