Murfala's Grasping Judgment | Fantasy Hazard Generated by CharGen

The hazard

A divine snare that lashes from an ancient ruin's shadow, seizes the first creature to disturb its ward, and squeezes at the creature's body and soul. Its grip is painful but survivable, though repeated failures leave the victim feeling hollow and cold.

Magical
Shadow
Divine

Stealth: The hazard is motionless and appears to be an ordinary patch of shadow. Its trigger tile can be spotted with a Wisdom (Perception) check.
Trigger: A creature steps on the engraved trigger tile or touches the black stone altar within 5 feet of it. The tentacle attacks that creature immediately.
Disable: A creature adjacent to the anchor stone can use an action to disable the hazard with holy water or a successful Intelligence (Religion) check. On a failed check, the creature takes the hazard's squeeze damage if the tentacle is active. Destroying the anchor stone also disables it.
Initiative: The hazard acts on initiative count 20. It makes its initial attack when triggered, then follows its routine while active.
Routine: On initiative count 20, if the tentacle has a creature grappled, it uses Soul Squeeze. It continues squeezing the same target until the target escapes, the hazard is disabled, or 3 rounds have passed. After 3 rounds, the tentacle releases the target and withdraws.
Reset: After 1 minute, the tentacle withdraws and the hazard resets. It can trigger once per round.

Damage

Immunities

Poison damage, Psychic damage, The poisoned condition, The charmed condition

Resistances

Cold damage
Fire damage
Lightning damage
Thunder damage
Bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks

Weaknesses

Radiant damage, Consecrated ground

Effects

2

Grasping Shadow
DC 13
When triggered, the tentacle makes one melee attack against the creature that activated the tile: to hit, reach 10 feet, one target. On a hit, the target takes bludgeoning damage and is grappled and restrained (escape ). On a miss, the tentacle remains active but has not grappled a target.
Soul Squeeze
DC 13
At the start of each turn while a creature is grappled by the tentacle, it must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it takes necrotic damage, and its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. On a success, it takes half as much damage and its hit point maximum is not reduced. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest or receives a remove curse spell. The reduction cannot lower the target's hit point maximum below 1.

Special rules

Shadow Grip.The tentacle can grapple only one creature at a time. While grappled, a creature is restrained by the hazard. The tentacle has no effect on creatures without a shadow, at the DM's discretion.

Judgment Broken by Light.Radiant damage is especially disruptive to the shadow. If the tentacle takes at least 5 radiant damage in a single turn, it releases any creature it is holding and cannot use Soul Squeeze until the next round.

Spotting it

Discovery

A character examining the floor can identify the trigger tile with a successful Wisdom (Perception) check.

Perception

Wisdom (Perception) to notice the trigger tile or the faint pulse in the nearby shadows.

Stop it

Signs of dangerDust on the trigger tile forms a handprint pattern facing inward. · Nearby candle flames bend toward the darkest corner, even when there is no breeze. · Old skeletons lie with their fingers curled around their own throats.

Countermeasures

DC 13A creature that spots the trigger tile can step around it or cross it with a successful Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
DC 13A creature within 5 feet can use an action to make a Intelligence (Religion) check to recite a prayer of warding. On a success, the tentacle cannot trigger again for 1 minute.
The tentacle is vulnerable to radiant damage. Dealing at least 5 radiant damage to it in one turn forces it to release its victim.
DC 13A creature can use its action to make a Strength (Athletics) check, escaping the grapple on a success.
DC 13Destroying the anchor stone, AC 13 and 10 hit points, disables the hazard. A creature can instead use an action to consecrate it with holy water or a Intelligence (Religion) check.

In short

Avoid the marked floor tile, disrupt the shadow with radiant damage, or escape its grasp and destroy or consecrate the anchor stone.

Its story

What it looks like

A stain of darkness stretches across the floor like spilled ink.

Why it is here

To punish intruders and claim a portion of their souls as an offering to Murfala.

Who made it

Murfala the Grasping Shadow

Lore

Murfala, a grasping shadow revered by a forgotten sect, judged trespassers by taking a piece of their souls.

Where it is found

Ruins

Variants

In a flooded ruin, the tentacle emerges from a reflection instead of from the floor. It can reach creatures reflected in the water, but bright light on the water reveals its position.

A stricter version targets the creature carrying a stolen relic, even if another creature activates the tile.

A weakened version can be placated for 1 minute by leaving a drop of blood on the altar and speaking Murfala's name.

Plot hooks

A local priest asks the party to retrieve a relic from the ruins, but warns that the old congregation's judgment snare may still be active.

A survivor of the ruins has lost a fragment of their vitality and insists they hear Murfala whispering from every shadow.

The anchor stone bears the same mark as a symbol appearing on fresh, unexplained deaths nearby.

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