Wretch (5e Creature)

Wretch

Tiny fiend, unaligned Armor Class 9 (natural armor) Hit Points 1 (1d4 - 2) Speed 5 ft., burrow 5 ft., climb 5 ft. STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 4 (-3) 7 (-2) 7 (-2) 2 (-4) 10 (+0) 2 (-4) Saving Throws Int -2, Cha -2 Skills Perception +2, Stealth +0, Survival +2 Proficiency Bonus +2 Damage Vulnerabilities radiant Damage Resistances fire, psychic Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned, prone Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages — Challenge 0 (10 XP) Sin Sense. The wretch automatically knows the direction of the nearest creature within 50 feet of itself that is not of lawful good alignment and not a fiend, undead, or construct. Pupate. When the wretch is in a safe space and has consumed even part of a soul's corruptness, it sticks itself to a solid surface and hardens its body, becoming a tiny cocoon with 5 hit points and an AC of 16. Depending on the number of times it shifted a creature's alignment while burrowed into that creature's soul, it remains in this state for a certain length of time and transforms into a different creature when it emerges, decided using the Wretch Adult Form table. ACTIONS Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 0 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. If the target is a creature that is not a fiend, undead, or construct, the target must make a DC 13 Charisma saving throw. If the creature is under the effects of a protection from evil and good spell or other magic or is of lawful good alignment, they make the save with advantage. If the creature is incapacitated, they automatically fail. On a failed save, the wretch burrows into the creature's soul. While inside a creature's soul, the wretch has total cover from all attacks except attacks which only deal psychic or radiant damage. Each subsequent turn that the wretch remains inside a creature's soul, it consumes a portion of the soul that is corrupt, dealing 3 (1d6) psychic damage, which ignores resistance and immunity to psychic damage, and the creature loses either a portion of its memories it has of intentionally committing evil or selfish acts, or a personality trait that would lead to committing those acts. Every other time the wretch deals this damage, the creature's alignment shifts by one stage towards good, or by one stage towards lawful (DM's choice). If the wretch takes damage, or consumes enough of a creature's corruptness to turn it lawful good, it leaves the creature's body on its next turn, exiting into an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the creature and, if alive, seeks a dark, safe place to hide and use its Pupate feature.

The wretch, also known as a soul maggot, is the weakest of all known fiends, fitting for its name and stature. Resembling a red maggot roughly as long and thick as a human's thumb, a dozen or so tiny red spikes on its back and four round red eyes are the most intimidating features of this puniest of fiends. However, one should not underestimate it, for as much as it lacks in combat power, it makes up for in potential. A wretch's sole motivation is to consume the rotten parts of a soul, just like real maggots eat the rotting parts of corpses, and in doing so, the wretch leaves only pure souls in its wake, but this is entirely unintentional, as a wretch only seeks to fill its stomach in preparation for its metamorphosis. Some underworld groups will punish traitors or even innocents by having a wretch burrow into the victim, inflicting great pain for a prolonged period, then killing their victim and the wretch, though some cults will allow the wretch to pupate to adulthood, especially if the cult is already planning to leave the area. Demonologists and cultists alike have been known to gather wretches and criminals to create armies of metamorphosed wretches, relying on the kind treatment of the wretches prior to metamorphosing to instill loyalty in the resulting fiendish hordes.

Wretch Adult Form

Times alignment shifted	Time spent as pupa	Pupal features	Adult form
1	1 month	Cocoon swells to the size of a mastiff over the course of the first two weeks.	Cacophoroach
2	3 months	Cocoon swells to the size of a wolf over the course of the first month, and hums throughout the last two.	Malacada
3	6 months	Cocoon swells to the size of a bear over the course of the first two months, adopts a large spiralling pattern during the next two, and emits quiet whispers that sound like Infernal throughout the last two.	Styxopendra
4	1 year	Cocoon swells to the size of a human over the course of the first three months, sprouts red vein-like roots into solid surfaces around it to anchor it, and emits a slow, ominous heartbeat throughout the last nine. Swarms of insects may gather around the cocoon, and attack creatures that approach the cocoon intending to harm it.	Beelzebabe

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