Emotion Eater
Tiny • Undead • Good
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 22 (9d4)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Initiative +3 (13)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-5) | 16 (+3) | 11 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) |
Saving Throws Dex +5, Wis +4
Skills Stealth +5
Damage Vulnerabilties psychic
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Common but can't speak
CR 1 (200 XP; PB +2)
Emotion Leech. While a Humanoid is affected by the emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession, it is immune to being charmed and frightened and has advantage on saving throws against mind-altering or emotion-affecting spells and effects like the command, hideous laughter, phantasmal force spells, and similar. Further, once per hour, the emotion can target the possessed creature by the one following effects:
- The possessed creature starts raving like a madman and has disadvantage on Charisma checks.
- The possessed creature starts raging like a lunatic and attacks targets at random. It can still distinguish between friend and foe.
- The possessed creature is overcome with an irresistible urge to laugh or cry. While doing so, the target has a speed of 0 and disadvantage on attack rolls. Further, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. As an action, the target can make a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw to end the effect.
- The possessed creature falls into a confused state, having a hard time remembering things, and it gains disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception), Intelligence (Investigation), and Initiative checks.
Ephemeral. The emotion eater can’t wear or carry anything.
Incorporeal Movement. The emotion eater can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Familiar. The emotion eater can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the emotion eater senses as long as they are within 100 feet of each other. At any time and for any reason, the emotion eater can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.
ACTIONS
Heighten Emotion. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature within 30 feet that the emotion eater can see. Failure: 10 (3d6) psychic damage and the target becomes charmed or frightened (the emotion eater’s choice).
Sycophantic Possession. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 12, one Humanoid within 5 feet that the emotion eater can see. Failure: The target is possessed and the emotion eater disappears into its body. The emotion eater can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that specifically target Undead. Whenever the possessed creature takes psychic damage, the emotion eater takes an equal amount. The possession lasts until the body or the emotion eater drops to 0 hit points or the emotion eater leaves as a bonus action. When the possession ends, the emotion eater appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target, and the target is immune to this emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession for 24 hours. Success: The target is immune to this emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession for 24 hours.
Emotion Eater
Tiny • Undead • Good
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 10 (4d4)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Initiative +1 (11)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-5) | 13 (+1) | 10 (+0) | 8 (-1) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) |
Saving Throws Dex +3
Skills Stealth +3
Damage Vulnerabilties psychic
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages understands Common but can't speak
CR 1/4 (XP 50; PB +2)
Emotion Leech. While a Humanoid is affected by the emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession, it is immune to being charmed and frightened and has advantage on saving throws against mind-altering or emotion-affecting spells and effects like the command, hideous laughter, phantasmal force spells, and similar. Further, once per hour, the emotion can target the possessed creature by the one following effects:
- The possessed creature starts raving like a madman and has disadvantage on Charisma checks.
- The possessed creature starts raging like a lunatic and attacks targets at random. It can still distinguish between friend and foe.
- The possessed creature is overcome with an irresistible urge to laugh or cry. While doing so, the target has a speed of 0 and disadvantage on attack rolls. Further, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. As an action, the target can make a DC 12 Wisdom saving throw to end the effect.
- The possessed creature falls into a confused state, having a hard time remembering things, and it gains disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception), Intelligence (Investigation), and Initiative checks.
Ephemeral. The emotion eater can’t wear or carry anything.
Incorporeal Movement. The emotion eater can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Familiar. The emotion eater can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the emotion eater senses as long as they are within 100 feet of each other. At any time and for any reason, the emotion eater can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.
ACTIONS
Heighten Emotion. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 12, one creature within 30 feet that the emotion eater can see. Failure: 5 (2d4) psychic damage and the target becomes charmed or frightened (the emotion eater’s choice).
Sycophantic Possession. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 12, one Humanoid within 5 feet that the emotion eater can see. Failure: The target is possessed and the emotion eater disappears into its body. The emotion eater can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that specifically target Undead. Whenever the possessed creature takes psychic damage, the emotion eater takes an equal amount. The possession lasts until the body or the emotion eater drops to 0 hit points or the emotion eater leaves as a bonus action. When the possession ends, the emotion eater appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target, and the target is immune to this emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession for 24 hours. Success: The target is immune to this emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession for 24 hours.
Emotion Eater
Tiny • Undead • Good
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 45 (10d4 + 20)
Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Initiative +4 (14)
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (-5) | 18 (+4) | 14 (+2) | 8 (-1) | 16 (+3) | 8 (-1) |
Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +5
Skills Stealth +6
Damage Vulnerabilties psychic
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages understands Common but can't speak
CR 3 (XP 700; PB +2)
Emotion Leech. While a Humanoid is affected by the emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession, it is immune to being charmed and frightened and has advantage on saving throws against mind-altering or emotion-affecting spells and effects like the command, hideous laughter, phantasmal force spells, and similar. Further, once per hour, the emotion can target the possessed creature by the one following effects:
- The possessed creature starts raving like a madman and has disadvantage on Charisma checks.
- The possessed creature starts raging like a lunatic and attacks targets at random. It can still distinguish between friend and foe.
- The possessed creature is overcome with an irresistible urge to laugh or cry. While doing so, the target has a speed of 0 and disadvantage on attack rolls. Further, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. As an action, the target can make a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw to end the effect.
- The possessed creature falls into a confused state, having a hard time remembering things, and it gains disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception), Intelligence (Investigation), and Initiative checks.
Ephemeral. The emotion eater can’t wear or carry anything.
Incorporeal Movement. The emotion eater can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
Familiar. The emotion eater can serve another creature as a familiar, forming a magic, telepathic bond with that willing companion. While the two are bonded, the companion can sense what the emotion eater senses as long as they are within 100 feet of each other. At any time and for any reason, the emotion eater can end its service as a familiar, ending the telepathic bond.
ACTIONS
Heighten Emotion. Wisdom Saving Throw: DC 13, one creature within 30 feet that the emotion eater can see. Failure: 22 (4d10) psychic damage and the target becomes charmed or frightened (the emotion eater’s choice).
Sycophantic Possession. Charisma Saving Throw: DC 13, one Humanoid within 5 feet that the emotion eater can see. Failure: The target is possessed and the emotion eater disappears into its body. The emotion eater can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that specifically target Undead. Whenever the possessed creature takes psychic damage, the emotion eater takes an equal amount. The possession lasts until the body or the emotion eater drops to 0 hit points or the emotion eater leaves as a bonus action. When the possession ends, the emotion eater appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the target, and the target is immune to this emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession for 24 hours. Success: The target is immune to this emotion eater’s Sycophantic Possession for 24 hours.
QUICK REFERENCE
Habitat
- Haunted mansion or abandoned buildings in a town
- Places of constant unrest or after a rebellion
- Slums, prisons, and other places where it can feed on strong emotions in crowds
Behavior
- Friendly, calm attitude with a mix of careful curiosity
- Prefers to consume negative emotion unless angered or mistreated
- Drawn to individuals experiencing intense emotions—joy, rage, grief, or fear
- Often serves more powerful creatures as a familiar or spy
Information (Intelligence Check)
- DC 8 History: Known as a psychic-feeding undead spirit
- DC 12 Insight: Knows it possesses humanoids to feed on their emotions, more symbiont than parasite
- DC 16 Arcana: Psychic damage inflicted on the possessed host harms the emotion eater inside them too
Combat
- Uses Heighten Emotion to inflict psychic damage and impose fear or charm from a safe distance
- Exploits Incorporeal Movement for guerrilla tactics if required
- Uses Sycophantic Possession to escape being killed or to help the target cope with their emotions
Loot Ideas
- Fading fragments of memory from hosts it once possessed, telling incomplete stories of strong emotional distress
- Crystallized psychic energy used for enchantments or as a consumable to end (or inflict) the charmed or frightened condition
USING MONSTER VARIANTS
Monster variants allow the GM to adjust encounters to better match the party’s strength, narrative needs, or world-building logic. A weaker variant may represent a juvenile, wounded, or lesser specimen, while a stronger variant can serve as a leader, champion, ancient creature, or apex predator.
Variants can be used to fine-tune difficulty without changing the core identity of the monster, making them ideal for scaling encounters, reinforcing hierarchy within a faction, or creating memorable boss-style enemies. You can even use the same stat block but different variants in the same encounter if you want.
Design Note. Each monster is primarily balanced around its normal version. Weaker and stronger variants are derived adjustments and may not always preserve every tactical nuance or “feel” of the original creature. GMs are encouraged to review variants carefully and adjust abilities or tactics as needed to best suit their table.