Revenant
A revenant forms from the soul of a mortal who met a cruel and undeserving fate. It claws its way back into the world to seek revenge against the one who wronged it. The revenant reclaims its mortal body and superficially resembles a zombie. However, instead of lifeless eyes, a revenant's eyes burn with resolve and flare in the presence of its adversary. If the revenant's original body was destroyed or is otherwise unavailable, the spirit of the revenant enters another humanoid corpse. Regardless of the body the revenant uses as a vessel, its adversary always recognizes the revenant for what it truly is.
Hunger for Revenge
A revenant has only one year to exact revenge. When its adversary dies, or if the revenant fails to kill its adversary before its time runs out, it crumbles to dust and its soul fades into the afterlife. If its foe is too powerful for the revenant to destroy on its own, it seeks worthy allies to help it fulfill its quest.
Divine Justice
No magic can hide a creature pursued by a revenant, which always knows the direction and distance between it and the target of its vengeance. In cases where the revenant seeks revenge against more than one adversary, it pursues them one at a time, starting with the creature that dealt it the killing blow. If the revenant's body is destroyed, its soul flies forth to seek out a new corpse in which to resume its hunt.
Undead Nature
A revenant doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Statblock
Monster Manual (5e)
Revenant CR: 5
STR
18 +4
DEX
14 +2
CON
18 +4
INT
13 +1
WIS
16 +3
CHA
18 +4
Regeneration. The revenant regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn. If the revenant takes fire or radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the revenant's next turn. The revenant's body is destroyed only if it starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't regenerate.
Rejuvenation. When the revenant's body is destroyed, its soul lingers. After 24 hours, the soul inhabits and animates another humanoid corpse on the same plane of existence and regains all its hit points. While the soul is bodiless, a wish spell can be used to force the soul to go to the afterlife and not return.
Turn Immunity. The revenant is immune to effects that turn undead.
Vengeful Tracker. The revenant knows the distance to and direction of any creature against which it seeks revenge, even if the creature and the revenant are on different planes of existence. If the creature being tracked by the revenant dies, the revenant knows. The revenant is immune to effects that turn undead.
Actions
Multiattack. The revenant makes two fist attacks.
Fist. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage. If the target is a creature against which the revenant has sworn vengeance, the target takes an extra 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage. Instead of dealing damage, the revenant can grapple the target (escape DC 14) provided the target is Large or smaller.
Vengeful Glare. The revenant targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it and against which it has sworn vengeance. The target must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the target is paralyzed until the revenant deals damage to it, or until the end of the revenant's next turn. When the paralysis ends, the target is frightened of the revenant for 1 minute. The frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if it can see the revenant, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success.
Suggested Environments
Any climate, any terrain
Dread Domains
Barovia. The Order or the Silver Dragon was a group of knights that attempted to halt Strahd von Zarovich's tyranny. They failed & their leader now only desires the pettiest of revenge against the vampire.
Kalakeri. The civil war that continues to tear this domain apart breeds cycles of revenge that have lasted for generations. This realm's darklord, Ramya Vasavadan, is in fact a revenant that seeks to destroy her treacherous sibilings & their supporters at any cost.
Mordent. It is highly common for family feuds & petty rivalries to fuel a variety of grudges. Revenants are relatively common as a way to seek vengence from beyond the grave.
Other domains that prominently feature revenants include Darkon, Sanguinia, the Shadow Rift, Sithicus, Souragne, & Valachan. Any domain where there is sufficient injustice or spite to fuel a desire for revenge can breed a revenant.
Dark Powers
Relentless Archer (VII). Revenants seek out those responsible for their deaths, & have an uncanny knack for tracking their target. Any being knowing that they are being pursued is sure to be horrified.
Variant
Revenants with Spells & Weapons
Revenants that were spellcasters before they died might retain some or all of their spellcasting capabilities. Similarly, revenants that wore armor and wielded weapons in life might continue to do so.
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