Sleep leeches are tiny Aberrations that are attracted to populations of creatures that are often tired or exhausted. They can suddenly manifest in a town, village, or city and spread slumber sickness disease overnight. Creatures suffering from this disease feel more lethargic than normal, often sleeping for half the day or more and once asleep, are difficult to wake. During this deep slumber, sleep leeches will slowly drain the creature of blood. Particularly vulnerable people can die in the first night of the disease, only to be found the next morning as a desiccated corpse.
The Fall of Edresmond
Edresmond was a thriving city-state that had accumulated a great deal of wealth and prosperity. This prosperity was built on the backs of a large population of working class that were constantly pushed to their limits, leaving them fatigued.
One evening, the city’s working class was struck with slumber sickness, causing nearly all services in the city to grind to a halt. Within a week, a quarter of the population was dead. Those remaining tried to leave, but one by one they fell to the sickness and littered the roads to Edresmond with corpses and abandoned belongings. Since then, the city and its surrounding lands have been haunted by the restless dead.
Sleep Leech Swarm
Medium swarm of Tiny Aberrations, Unaligned
Armor Class 14
Hit Points 31 (7d8)
Speed 20 ft., climb 20 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 (+3) | 14 (+2) | 11 (+0) | 3 (-4) | 8 (-1) | 6 (-2) |
Skills Insight +1, Perception +1, Stealth +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing
Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, prone, restrained, stunned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages —
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +2
Spider Climb. The swarm can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature’s space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny leech. The swarm can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
Actions
Multiattack. The swarm makes a Swarm of Bites attack and uses Leech.
Swarm of Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 0 ft., one creature in the swarm’s space. Hit: 13 (3d6 + 3) piercing damage, or 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage if the swarm is at half of its hit points or fewer. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be diseased with slumber sickness. The diseased target must rest twice as long to gain the benefits of a short or long rest.
Additionally, the swarm attaches to the target, reducing its speed by 10 feet and moving with it when it moves. The target or a creature within 5 feet of the target can use its action to make a DC 13 Strength check, removing the swarm from the target on a success and causing them to drop to the ground in the target’s space.
Leech. The swarm drains the life of a creature its attached to. The target takes 3 (1d6) necrotic damage, or 2 (1d4) necrotic damage if the swarm is at half of its hit points or fewer. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Consitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Downloads
Further Reading
The cephaloid is another tiny aberration that might be found on ceilings and walls.
Have you thought about cooking some sleep leeches with the cauldron of dungeon cuisine?
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