Wishwell Warden
Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points 85 (10d10+30)
Speed 20 ft. swim 30 ft.
Saving Throws Wis +5, Cha +6
Skills Insight +5, Perception +5, Persuasion +6
Damage Resistances cold; fire
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
Languages Common, Sylvan
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Bonus Actions
Reactions
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You asked for a life without sorrow. You did not ask to keep your heart.
Lore & Description
Appearance
The Wishwell Warden rises from a circular stone well like a column of midnight water. Its broad shoulders are built from moss-dark masonry, its arms are rope-thick streams threaded with silver coins, and its head is a smooth, faceless disk of black water. Pale blue lights drift beneath its surface like stars seen through a deep pool. A cracked iron crank protrudes from its back, turning whenever it speaks, while old wishes are carved in hundreds of languages along its rim-brick body.
Behavior & Origins
Wishwell Wardens are fey custodians born where desperate promises, spilled tears, and old magic gather around a source of water. They do not twist every wish maliciously; they interpret spoken desires according to their exact meaning and demand a commensurate service from the wisher. The Warden currently known as Vellum-in-the-Deep guards the abandoned village of Bellweather, where three generations of wishers sleep beneath the well in crystal-lined chambers. Vellum wants the villagers freed, but it cannot release them until someone brings it the unbroken bell that once hung in the village square.
Running Wishwell Warden
Tactics
The Warden begins by announcing a fair term and offering surrender or negotiation before combat. It uses Ripple-Step to stay near reflective surfaces, opens with Drowning Reflection against the most dangerous attacker, and uses Wellstone Lash against creatures that approach. When bloodied, it uses Collect the Wisher on any bound creature to divide the battlefield and force a choice between rescue and pursuit. It fights to the death only if its well or its bound wishers are threatened; otherwise, it accepts a clearly spoken surrender.
DM Tips
- Telegraph the danger with coins, wedding rings, and name-etched trinkets visible beneath the water, along with distant voices politely reciting old bargains.
- Play the Warden as formal and literal rather than cruel; give it time to state terms, answer questions, and explain exactly what each wish will cost.
- For a weaker party, remove the psychic damage from Terms Must Be Spoken and reduce the save DCs to 12; for a stronger party, let Collect the Wisher affect two bound creatures at once.
- A clever party can resolve the encounter without combat by honoring the Warden's terms, recovering the broken bell, or persuading it that a wisher's service has already been fulfilled.
Loot
- Coin of the Unspent Wish — A silver coin bearing a blank face. Once, it can be dropped into a pool while its holder states a modest request, causing the request to be answered in a literal but harmless way.
- The Bellweather Ledger — A waterproof book listing every bargain made at the well, including the true names of several missing villagers and the exact services still owed.
- Crank of Returning Water — The Warden's silver-threaded crank can be fitted to a mundane well or cistern, causing it to produce clean water and whisper truthful answers to one question each dawn for seven days.
