Masquerade
Most of us who've played DnD for a while can understand the appeal of having many faces to choose from. Metaphorically speaking, at least. The literal version of such a thing sounds rather... unsettling.
So, why not inflict it on your players? Nothing like a good face-stealing to keep the silly bastards on their toes. Let us know how it goes if you do! We'd love to hear about all the identities your version of our latest monster steals from your helpless NPCs and hapless players.
That's all for now. Steal some players' faces on us, yeah? We'll see you again soon.
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Masquerade
Though the Feywild can be wondrous, it is oftentimes perilous to those unfamiliar with its ways. This simple fact is embodied in the Feywild’s inhabitants, and the masquerades are no exception. These faceless beings are born of lesser archfey who covet power. Embodiments of the inherent jealousy of their creators, masquerades are envious by nature. They hide their true faces and stalk the shadows, watching others from hidden places and taking a twisted interest in their lives.
Though these illusionists generally stick to the shadows, they are surprisingly lithe and strong in physical combat. Deadly in more than just tricks, their hands are tipped with claws that inflict their psychological unrest upon their unfortunate victim.
Jealous Stalkers
Masquerades live a tortured existence of excessive desire. They cannot help but to watch others from afar, wishing they themselves could have what others might.
A masquerade tends to become obsessed with a particular person. When this happens, the masquerade will observe its obsession for many weeks, painfully enduring the deep desire that it cultivates in its empty heart. This desire eventually culminates in a horrific event, wherein a masquerade springs upon its obsession when they are most vulnerable and subsumes its identity. The masquerade magically steals its victims face, which it carries like a mask, and indulges itself in living out its victim’s life. This lasts for a time, until the masquerade eventually grows tired of its stolen identity and forms a new obsession.
Distinguished Taste
Like all fey, masquerades are drawn to the beautiful. Their victims include young maidens and strapping bachelors, or otherwise distinguished individuals. Fickle at heart, a masquerade eventually gets bored with a taken identity and begins seeking out new prey. When it finds the subject of a new obsession, it abandons the mask of its previous victim to an ever-growing collection.
Masquerades live in dens adorned with the faces of their past victims. These dens are oftentimes made in distinct natural formations or among culturally impactful areas, giving the masquerade an appropriately distinguished gallery for their collection of trophies.
Ruthless Tormentors
Masquerades often do not kill their victims, preferring instead to imprison or otherwise hide them away after they have taken their face. They view this as retribution for the selfish act of hoarding beauty to one’s self. The victim of a masquerade, unable to see, smell, speak, or hear, may very well be kept in the same house that the masquerade has infiltrated, suffering in darkness and isolation as the masquerade, unbeknownst to the victim, continues its life.
The victim, prevented from dying of natural causes by the masquerade’s magic, instead slowly withers alongside the masquerade’s interest in its identity. If an adventurer comes across a living victim of the masquerade, they can rest assured that the masquerade still stalks the area. If a faceless corpse is ever unearthed from the floorboards of an old manor, however, the masquerade has long-since lost interest.
Masquerade
Medium fey, chaotic evil
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 77 (114d8 + 14)
Speed 30 ft.
STR 10 (+0)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 13 (+1)
INT 16 (+3)
WIS 13 (+1)
CHA 19 (+4)
Skills Deception +10, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Condition Immunities frightened
Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Languages Common, Sylvan, any languages known by the faces it has captured
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Illusory Appearance. The masquerade covers itself and anything it is wearing or carrying with a magical Illusion that makes it look like a creature whose face it has stolen. It can also perfectly mimic the creature’s voice and inflections. The masquerade must wear the mask it has created of the creature’s face in order to do so. The effect ends if the masquerade takes off the mask or dies.
The changes wrought by this effect fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, the masquerade could appear to have no claws, but someone touching its hand might feel the claws. Otherwise, a creature must take an action to visually inspect the illusion and succeed on a DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check to discern that the masquerade is disguised.
Innate Spellcasting. The masquerade's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: dancing lights, message, silent image
3/day each: mirror image, misty step, pass without trace, silence
1/day each: fear, hold person, major image, nondetection
Actions
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or take 22 (4d10) psychic damage and be stunned for 1 minute. A creature that succeeds the saving throw takes half as much psychic damage and is not stunned. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Facesteal. The Masquerade initiates a Charisma contest with an incapacitated Small or Medium creature that has a face within 5 feet of it. If it wins the contest, the masquerade magically steals the creature’s face, creating a mask with its visage.
A creature without a face is blinded, deafened, and can’t speak. If the mask of a creature’s face is returned to it, the creature’s face is magically restored.