Petermännchen

Small undead, Lawful Neutral

Armor Class 17 (natural armor)

Hit Points 165 (30d6 + 60)

Speed 40 ft., Fly 40 ft. (hover)

STR 10 (+0) · DEX 20 (+5) · CON 14 (+2) · INT 16 (+3) · WIS 18 (+4) · CHA 16 (+3)

Saving Throws Dex +9, Int +7, Wis +8

Skills History +7, Insight +8, Perception +8, Stealth +9

Gear Cursed Ancient Longsword, Heavy Ring of Magic Keys

Senses Darkvision 120 ft., Truesight 30 ft., passive Perception 18

Languages Common, Dwarvish, Undercommon

Challenge 11 (7,200 XP)

Traits

Incorporeal Movement. Petermännchen can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. He takes 5 (1d10) Force damage if he ends his turn inside an object.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Petermännchen fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

Lair Actions. On Initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Petermännchen can take a Lair Action to cause one of the following effects; he can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:

Castle Lockdown: Petermännchen's magic keys rattle remotely. All doors, windows, and gates within 120 feet magically slam shut and lock. They are immune to all damage and cannot be opened by any means until Initiative count 20 on the next round.

Phantom Punches: Invisible forces severely slap up to three creatures Petermännchen can see within the lair. Magic Attack: +9 to hit. Hit: 14 (3d8) Force damage, and the target is automatically pushed 10 feet in a direction of Petermännchen's choice.

Actions

Multiattack. Petermännchen makes three attacks, choosing any combination of his Cursed Sword, Ghostly Slap, or Lantern Flare. He can replace one of these attacks with Spellcasting.

Cursed Sword. Melee Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) Slashing damage plus 9 (2d8) Necrotic damage.

Ghostly Slap. Melee Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) Psychic damage, and the target is automatically knocked Prone.

Lantern Flare. Magic Attack: +9 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d8 + 5) Radiant damage. If the target is a creature, it is automatically Blinded until the start of Petermännchen's next turn.

Spellcasting. Petermännchen casts one of the following spells, requiring no spell components and using Wisdom as the spellcasting ability (Spell Save DC 16):

At Will: Arcane Lock (PHB, p. 242), Knock (PHB, p. 290), Minor Illusion (PHB, p. 298)

2/Day each: Confusion (PHB, p. 253), Hold Person (PHB, p. 286), Scrying (PHB, p. 313)

Bonus Actions

Bestow Favor (Recharge 5-6). Petermännchen drops a magical silver coin near a creature he can see within 30 feet. The target regains 22 (4d10) hit points and is cured of the Blinded, Deafened, or Poisoned conditions. (He uses this exclusively on allies or honorable individuals).

Lore

A little ghostly guardian with a lantern and a sword.

In Germany, the **historic Schwerin Castle is home to a resident guardian spirit**. His name is Petermännchen—literally “Little Peter.” Long ago the word Männchen (or the older form Mönken) was used for any small gnome or house sprite, and “Peter” was a catch-all name for a stranger. So his full name really just means “an unknown little fellow” or “an unknown little house spirit.” The very same nickname was once given to a nasty, sharp-toothed sea fish and to old silver coins—tiny, yet highly prized.

Where did this spirit come from? Three legends try to explain it. The most popular says Petermännchen was a prince of the Slavic Obotrites who murdered a priest. With his dying breath the priest cursed him, shrinking him into a deformed dwarf. Now he must wander the castle until someone with a pure heart scrubs every speck of rust and blood from his ancient sword. A second tale claims Peter is an old pagan god who refused to leave after people tore down his temple. A third insists he was once a real dwarf servant in the ducal court, and the stories sprang up after he died.

From Grimm Legends Bestiary 5E, p. 54 · Fern Flower Press