The Shadow-Brim Horror

A fey thing bound to a cursed hat. It has no speed of its own, but it goes wherever the hat goes — and it dies the moment the hat comes off.

The Shadow-Brim Horror does not hunt. It waits in the brim of a hat, and when someone puts that hat on it unfolds behind their shoulders and begins to whisper. It has no speed of its own — not one foot — and it cannot willingly move more than 10 feet from the hat it is tethered to. That makes it a puzzle rather than a chase. The party can walk away whenever they like, and the moment the hat is pulled off a living head or destroyed, the horror dissipates. Reaching that point is the hard part, because the wearer rarely wants to take it off. CR 1 fey. AC 12, 45 hit points, resistant to bludgeoning, piercing and slashing, and vulnerable to radiant — one cleric changes this fight completely. Two Lash attacks a round, plus a Vengeful Screech that forces every creature within 15 feet to make a DC 11 Wisdom save or take 2d6 psychic damage. Best used on someone the party cares about: a hireling who found a very nice hat, a noble who will not be told what to wear, or the player who could not leave a shiny thing alone.