Wichtlin

Wichtlin were a form of undead that could sometimes rise from slain elves, half-elves, or their animal companions. Besides their eyeballs and skeletal hands, humanoid wichtlin usually appeared fully invisible.

Description
Under normal circumstances, only a humanoid wichtlin's eyeballs and skeletal hands were visible. When viewed under the effects of spells such as see invisibility or true seeing, the remainder of their body appeared as a blackened skeleton scantily covered in rotten flesh. Their full forms also became visible upon their slaying of a victim.

Animal companion wichtlin had a similar spectral appearance, though they retained visible animalistic features, such as antlers, claws, or fangs.

The visible parts of both types of wichtlin emitted a green glow.

Abilities
Whenever a wichtlin slayed an elf, the corpse gradually developed a glow and rose as another wichtlin after seven days, unless the victim was revived in some way.

Combat
Wichtlin typically did not use weapons, opting instead to use their bare hands. Upon touch, the left hand was able to inflict paralysis, and the right could poison. Those wichtlin that were spellcasters in life retained a limited amount of the magical power they had in life.

Habitats
Wichtlin were more well-known on Krynn than on Toril. On this world, due to an ancient curse, any evil elf that met a violent end had a small chance to return as one of these creatures. Wichtlin of a Kagonesti background, a type of Krynnish elf comparable to Toril's wood elves, were often found mounted on elk stag companions.

Wichtlin also appeared in the Domains of Dread.

Notable Wichtlin
A serial-killing creature that haunted the alley known as the Prowl in Waterdeep's Sea Ward was thought by Elminster to be a wichtlin.

In death, the elven hero Reluraun haunted his tomb in a form that Volothamp Geddarm identified as a wichtlin, though Elminster believed the resemblance to be superficial.

Appearances

 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards