Will-o'-Wisp
Tiny Undead · · CR 2
- Undead
- Tiny
- Tier 1
As a tiny undead (chaotic evil), Will-o'-Wisp carries CR 2. Common in forest, swamp, and urban environments. Sourced from Monster Manual (5e 2014) and Monster Manual (5.5e 2024).
Stat Block
- Challenge Rating
- 2
- Type
- Undead
- Size
- Tiny
- Alignment
- —
- Speed
- —
- Habitats
- Forest, Swamp, Urban
- Sources
- Monster Manual (5e 2014), Monster Manual (5.5e 2024)
Ecology
Will-o'-wisps are not true ecological participants; they are undead remnants of beings who died lost or murdered in dark places. They feed on the life essence of dying creatures, drawn to swamps, battlefields, and graveyards where death is frequent. They cannot reproduce in any conventional sense; new wisps form when the conditions of their creation are repeated. Bog spirits, hags, and ghosts often share territory with wisps, creating layered hauntings.
Behaviour
Wisps lure travelers using the appearance of distant lanterns or candles, betting on hope to draw victims into hazards. Once isolated, they attack from invisible positions, healing on the deaths they cause. They cannot speak but sometimes mimic voices heard during their original deaths. A wisp that fails to lure prey may follow a party for nights, waiting for fatigue to reduce vigilance. They flee from radiant magic and dawn light reliably.
Origin
The most common origin tale describes wisps as travelers who died in bogs while following deceptive lights, becoming the very lights they had once chased. Some druids believe wisps are the souls of murderers condemned to relive their crimes by leading others to similar fates. Hag traditions claim wisps were deliberately created by ancient swamp-witches as eternal hunters. All accounts agree wisps are tied to deception and death in equal measure.
Related Monsters
Frequently Asked Questions about Will-o'-Wisp
- What is the challenge rating of Will-o'-Wisp?
- The CR on Will-o'-Wisp is 2. That CR works against tier-1 parties.
- What type of creature is Will-o'-Wisp?
- The bestiary type for Will-o'-Wisp is undead, tiny size.
- Where does Will-o'-Wisp live?
- Will-o'-Wisp is typically encountered in Forest, Swamp, Urban.