Dearg-Due

Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)

Hit Points 165 (22d8 + 66)

Speed 40 ft., climb 20 ft.

STR 18 (+4) · DEX 18 (+4) · CON 16 (+3) · INT 12 (+1) · WIS 14 (+2) · CHA 18 (+4)

Saving Throws Dex +7, Con +6, Wis +5, Cha +7

Skills Deception +7, Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +7, Stealth +7

Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

Damage Immunities poison

Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, poisoned

Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15

Languages Common, Sylvan, Elvish

Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Traits

Regeneration. Daeg-Dú regains 15 hit points at the start of her turn if she has at least 1 hit point and isn’t in sunlight or under the effects of a bless (PHP, p. 219/247) or daylight spell (PHP, p. 230/260). If she starts her turn in sunlight, she instead takes 15 radiant damage.

Mist and Moonlight. While outside beneath a night sky or in light obscured by fog, Daeg-Dú has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks and can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Hypnotic Eyes. A creature that starts its turn within 30 feet of Daeg-Dú and can see her eyes must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the start of the creature’s next turn. While charmed in this way, the creature has disadvantage on Wisdom saving throws against Daeg-Dú’s abilities. A creature that succeeds on the save is immune to Daeg-Dú’s Hypnotic Eyes for 24 hours.

Spider Climb. Daeg-Dú can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions

Multiattack. Daeg-Dú makes two Claw attacks and one Blood Kiss, in any order.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (1d10 + 4 slashing plus 1d6 necrotic) damage.

Blood Kiss. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature that is grappled by Daeg-Dú, charmed by her, or willing. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 7) necrotic damage, and Daeg-Dú regains hit points equal to the necrotic damage dealt. The target’s hit-point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit-point maximum to 0.

Luring Wail (Recharge 5–6). Daeg-Dú releases a mournful cry. Each creature of her choice within 60 feet that can hear her must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to use all its movement on its next turn to move as close to Daeg-Dú as possible by the safest route. A creature charmed by Hypnotic Eyes has disadvantage on this save.

Bonus Actions

Mist Step (2/Day). Daeg-Dú magically teleports, along with any equipment she is wearing or carrying, up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.

Reactions

Swift Retreat. When Daeg-Dú takes radiant damage, she can move up to half her speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

Lore

A beautiful woman-vampire who seduces men and kisses them, drawing out their blood through her mouth.

Dearg-Due—belongs to the class of Irish vampiric revenants: the re-animated dead who walk in their physical bodies without any sign of decay. Phonetically, the creature’s name grows out of the adjective dearg, “red, bloody.” In oral lore the second part, due, is linked either to the word “thirst” or to the root diúlaí, “one who sucks,” so the literal sense hovers between “red thirst” and “red blood-drinker.” Irish storytellers (bards) used other names as well: Deamhain Fhola, “blood demon,” and Marbh Bheo, “the living dead.” These beings are exceedingly ancient, known to people long before the coming of Christianity.

In appearance Dearg-Due looks like a young woman whose skin is whiter than snow—a Celtic signal that she belongs to the Otherworld or the realm of the dead. Ruby-red lips stand out starkly against that pallor, and the contrast of white and red birthed her nickname, “the Red Lady.” Her hair is said to be long golden strands, and her eyes can cast a faint glow that hypnotizes a victim and drains the will to resist. When hunger stirs, her features warp into something more predatory, though the classic elongated fangs are mentioned only now and then. It must be said straight off: the revenant’s body shows no rot as long as it receives blood on a regular schedule. Four feedings a year are enough to keep the organism working; Dearg-Due then maintains her integrity, flexibility, and—odd as it sounds—her beauty. Most often she appears in a long gown: in some versions it is a wedding dress of red-and-gold hues, in others a burial shroud.

From Vampire Bestiary 5E, p. 42 · Fern Flower Press