For the first monster we made while creating Rexfald, we wanted to make something really special that would be usable not just in a western setting, but also in other games too! For that, we dug into the roots of the Western genre and decided to go the route of old 1920s and 30s Western Bandits and create a spectral undead born from all those bandits your players slayed in the first session.

They are spirits born from avarice, seeking to rob and steal from beyond the grave. As undead, their obsession has become wealth, money, and valuable items. Some even have little collections of what they considered valuable in life!  These are low-CR undead (which is actually quite a rarity) and at only 1/4 CR you can comfortably place them into most combat encounters without causing too much lethality to propegate.

The star ability of these undead is their Pilfer ability. In a move I can only be baffled that was not done for the Poltergeist in 5e, we have given the Waylay the ability to possess – and thereby steal – items from adventurers. They can then wield these items against the players they took them from, causing chaos and mayhem as the Paladin is attacked with their own Flametongue Longsword!

These specters will make for great “puzzle fight” enemies, as they can add difficulty to any combat encounter of any CR. You may think yourself prepared for your fight with the Lich, but when your paladin loses his armor, the wizard has their spellbook purloined, and the ranger is deprived of their quiver, there’s not much that can be done until those items are returned!

Feel free to have these specters steal McGuffins, keys, important idols, and maps while outside of combat. Waylays themselves are not very intelligent, but under the direction of an intelligent undead lord they can wreak havoc on all they encounter.

If you like the Waylay, keep and eye out and join our mailing list! We have a lot more coming for you here soon!

Up next is our elemental cowboy, the Calamity Wrangler, so hop in the saddle for this new ranger of primordial power!

Art done by our fantastic illustrator Roberto Andreas!