ᚲᚨᛚᛞᚱ ᛋᚹᛖᛁᚾᚾ
A sibling, perhaps, or cousin to the fae known as the Radiant Boy. The Cauld Lad appears to the people of the Four Kingdoms as a dreadful figure out of Northumbrian folklore: the ghost of a boy who was locked outside his house one winter’s night by an unforgiving father, froze to death, and came back to haunt the living as the “Cauld Lad.” The Cauld Lad has in recent decades been sighted in palaces, churches, and the larger houses of the Four Kingdoms, and every time he is seen, something terrible happens to person who sees him and to that person’s entire family.
The Cauld Lad is a powerful fae with a vicious sense of humor who derives endless amusement from tormenting and killing families of mortals. The Lad does so on orders of the Winter King but enjoys his work so much he’d do it even if he weren’t ordered to.
The Cauld Lad always appears as a young boy whose flesh has turned blue as it froze but whose mischievous grin does not reflect that. He usually appears during colder weather
Small fae, cruel and evil
Armor Class 17 (size, natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (13d6+39)
Speed 30 ft
Str 10 (+0) Dex 14 (+2) Con 16 (+3)
Int 16 (+3) Wis 16 (+3) Cha 18 (+4)
Skills Deception +7, Perception +6, Stealth +5
Senses darkvision 120 ft, passive Perception 16
Condition Immunities bleeding, blinded, charmed, deafened, dreamy, exhausted, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, restrained, stunned, unconscious, woozy
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical; cold, disease, poison
Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magic iron weapons; fire
Languages Old English, Fae, telepathy 60 ft
Reaction to great fear and a desire to flee
Challenge 8 (3,900 XP)
Fae Vulnerabilities. The Cauld Lad rolls with disadvantage for all actions taken while they hear the sound of church bells ringing or while touching silver.
Frozen Aura. The Cauld Lad emits an aura of intense cold for 30 feet in every direction. The ground inside the aura becomes frozen and difficult terrain for other creatures. Any creature who starts their turn in the aura or enters the aura during their turn must succeed on a DC 14 CON saving throw or take 11 (3d6) cold damage.
Incorporeal Form. The Cauld Lad can turn incorporeal as an action. While incorporeal he cannot be touched by nonmagical material, and he can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. If he ends his turn inside an object he takes 6 (1d10) force damage.
Innate Spellcasting. The Cauld Lad’s spellcasting ability is CHA (spell save DC 15, spell attack bonus +7). The Cauld Lad can innately cast the following spells:
- At-will: shooting pains, thaumaturgy, witchlight
- 3/day: freeze weapon, silence, suggestion
- 1/day: confusion, frighten, frozen ground
Iron Anathema. The Cauld Lad rolls with disadvantage on all actions taken while touching iron.
The Cauld Lad rolls with disadvantage on saving throws involving iron and on any spell they cast against someone wearing iron armor or wearing an iron holy symbol.
When the Cauld Lad takes damage from an iron or steel weapon they gain the distracted condition (from the pain) until the end of their next turn.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The Cauld Lad can make two chilling touch attacks each turn.
Chilling Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +5 to attack, reach 5 ft, 1 target. Hit: 18 (4d8) cold and necrotic damage.
MOTIVES
The Cauld Lad ostensibly obeys the orders of the Winter King, but what the Cauld Lad really does is exactly what he wants, which is to viciously play with humans, torment them, then kill them. If for whatever reason the Winter King wants the Cauld Lad to spare someone for use later, the Cauld Lad ignores the Winter King’s desires and kills the person in question.
ALLIES
The Cauld Lad usually works alone.