Wight
Medium Undead · · CR 3
- Undead
- Medium
- Tier 1
Wight at CR 3 is logged as a medium undead; alignment neutral evil. Habitat: desert, swamp, underground, urban, and ruins. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 3
- Type
- Undead
- Size
- Medium
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Desert, Swamp, Underground, Urban, Ruins
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024), Flee, Mortals!
Ecology
Wights are undead created from mortals who died with strong attachments to power, vengeance, or unfinished battles. They lair in barrows, ancient battlefields, and cursed graveyards. They do not feed but persist on negative energy. They reproduce by killing mortals via life-drain; victims rise as zombies under their command days later. They share territory with other undead, often commanding skeleton or zombie troops. They persist for centuries unless destroyed. They despise sunlight, retreating to barrows during day.
Behaviour
Wights are cunning, vengeful, and disciplined. They retain memories of mortal lives, often pursuing grudges across generations. They communicate in ancient dialects of their living era. They take pride in martial skills, often armed with weapons from their burial. They command zombie servants with grim authority. They despise the living, viewing breathing as theft of their own lost vitality. They retreat to barrows during day, emerging at twilight. They are not mindless but driven by hatred.
Origin
Wights arise spontaneously from mortals who died with too much unfinished anger or ambition. Necromancers can also create them deliberately via ritual. Some wights are blessed by death-deities, gaining specific commands. Others are cursed by violation of burial rites. Their barrows are constructed in ancient times to bind them, but seals weaken over centuries. The first wights are attributed to fallen warlords whose hatred outlived their flesh. Their life-drain is a manifestation of envy made manifest.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Wight
- What is the challenge rating of Wight?
- Wight is rated CR 3. The rating works against tier-1 parties.
- What type of creature is Wight?
- Wight is classified as a undead in D&D 5e, medium size.
- Where does Wight live?
- The bestiary places Wight in Desert, Swamp, Underground, Urban, Ruins.