Mage Nothic
A baleful eye peers out from the darkness, its gleam hinting at a weird intelligence and unnerving malevolence. Most times, a nothic is content to watch, weighing and assessing the creatures it encounters. When driven to violence, it uses its horrific gaze to rot the flesh from its enemies' bones.
Cursed Arcanists. Rather than gaining the godlike supremacy they crave, some wizards who devote their lives to unearthing arcane secrets are reduced to creeping, tormented monsters by a dark curse left behind by Vecna, a powerfullich who, in some worlds, has transcended his undead existence to become a god of secrets. Nothics retain no awareness of their former selves, skulking amid the shadows and haunting places rich in magical knowledge, drawn by memories and impulses they can't quite understand.
Dark Oracles. Nothics possess a strange magical insight that allows them to extract knowledge from other creatures. This grants them unique understanding of secret and forbidden lore, which they share for a price. A nothic covets magic items, greedily accepting such gifts from creatures that seek out its knowledge.
Lurkers in Magical Places. Nothics are notorious for infiltrating a rcane academies and other places rich in magical learning. They are driven by the vague knowledge that there exists a method to reverse their condition. This isn't a clear sense of purpose, but rather an obsessive tug at the end of the mind. Some nothics are clever enough to realize that this is merely part of the strange lesson for their folly, a false hope to drive them to seek out more arcane secrets.
Mage Nothic
Medium aberration, neutral evil
- Armor Class 16 (natural armor & agility)
- Hit Points 90 (7d20+20)
- Speed 40ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 16 (+3) 15 (+2) 12 (+1) 6 (-2)
- Skills: Arcana +5, Insight +4, Perception +2, Stealth +5
- Senses: Truesight 120 ft, Passive Perception 12
- Languages: /
- Challenge: 5 (1,800 XP)
- Keen Sight. The nothic has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
- Innate Spellcasting. The mage nothic's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 15, +6 to hit). The nothic can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
- At will: Chill Touch, Comprehend Languages, Mage Hand, Minor Illusion
- 3/day: Crown of Madness, Scorching Ray
- 1/day: Counterspell, Modify Memory, Vampiric Touch
Actions
Multiattack. The nothic makes two claw attacks.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 12 (3d6 + 3) slashing damage.
Rotting Gaze. The nothic targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw against this magic or take 16 (4d8) necrotic damage.
Weird Insight. The nothic targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must contest its Charisma (Deception) check against the nothic's Wisdom (Insight) check. If the nothic wins, it magically learns one factor secret about the target. The target automatically wins if it is immune to being charmed.
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