Wraith (Dungeons and Dragons)

Publication history

The wraith was one of the earliest creatures introduced in the D&D game.

Dungeons & Dragons (1974-1976)

The wraith was one of the first monsters introduced in the earliest edition of the game, in the Dungeons & Dragons "white box" set (1974), where they were described as high-class wights with more mobility.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)

The wraith appears in the first edition Monster Manual (1977), where it is described as an undead, similar to a wight, with a chilling touch that drains life energy.

The soul beckoner, a creature similar to the wraith, is introduced in the module Dark Clouds Gather (1985).

Dungeons & Dragons (1977-1999)

This edition of the D&D game included its own version of the wraith, in the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set (1977), and Expert Set (1981 & 1983). The wraith was also later featured in the Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1991), the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia (1991), and the Classic Dungeons & Dragons Game set (1994).

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)

The wraith appears first in the Monstrous Compendium Volume One (1989), and is reprinted in the Monstrous Manual (1993).

The soul beckoner wraith appears in Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Appendix (1990).

The desert wraith appeared in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting supplement Old Empires (1990).

The Athasian wraith for the Dark Sun campaign setting appears in Dark Sun Monstrous Compendium Appendix II (1995).

The wraith undead dragon appears in Dragon #234 (October 1996).

Dungeons & Dragons 3.0 edition (2000-2002)

The wraith appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2000).

The wraith template appeared in Dragon #300 (October 2002), and included the merfolk wraith as a sample creature.

Savage Species (2003) reprinted the wraith template, including the kobold wraith as a sample creature.

Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition (2003-2007)

The wraith appears in the revised Monster Manual for this edition (2003), and included the dread wraith.

The evolved wraith appears in Libris Mortis: The Book of Undead (2004).

City of Splendors: Waterdeep (2005), for the Forgotten Realms setting, featured the sea wraith. Anauroch: The Empire of the Shade (2007) featured the orb wraith.

The incarnum wraith appeared in Magic of Incarnum (2005).

The acidwraith appeared in Dragon #131 (February 2006).

Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (2008-2014)

The wraith appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2008).

Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (2014)

The wraith appears in the Monster Manual for this edition (2014).

Description

A wraith is an incorporeal creature born of evil and darkness, despising light and all living things. A wraith drains the constitution from living creatures, turning them into new wraiths upon death. A wraith is powerless in natural sunlight and will flee from it.

A wraith is always lawful evil. A wraith appears as a sinister, spectral figure robed in darkness. It has no visual features or appendages, except for its glowing red eyes.

D&D Miniatures

The wraith was included in the D&D Miniatures: Harbinger set #53 (2003).