Hollow Knight Effigy
Armor Class 17 (bronze-plated stone)
Hit Points 52 (8d8+16)
Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws Str +5, Wis +3
Skills Athletics +5, Perception +3
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common
Challenge 3 (700 XP) Proficiency Bonus +2
Actions
Reactions
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"Stand aside. My lord's final victory is almost within reach." — the inscription beneath the effigy's empty reliquary
Lore & Description
Appearance
This funerary effigy resembles a broad-shouldered knight carved from gray-black marble and covered in tarnished bronze plates. Its face is a serene copy of a dead nobleman's likeness, but the features have been polished into an unnervingly perfected mask: the jaw sharper, the nose straighter, the smile more heroic. A cracked plumed helm crowns its head, and pale light burns behind the narrow eye slits. Its sword is a stone replica of a ceremonial blade, engraved with victories that history never recorded. Dust spills from the joints whenever it moves, and a hollow chime rings from inside its chest.
Behavior & Origins
The effigy was commissioned for Sir Odran Vale, a knight who died before completing his greatest quest. The sculptor, driven mad by the knight's vanity, created a version of Odran that was stronger, wiser, and entirely incapable of admitting defeat. It now guards the sealed Vale Mausoleum and insists that the Star of Mercy, a legendary jewel that never existed, rests within. In truth, the mausoleum is empty except for a stolen child-sized coffin hidden beneath the floor; the effigy wants intruders to recover the nonexistent star so it can present it to its absent master and finally be declared perfect.
Running Hollow Knight Effigy
Tactics
The effigy opens with Challenge of the Empty Throne against the most dangerous-looking intruder, then uses Tombward Bash to drive enemies away from the protected site. It focuses its Graveblade attacks on anyone who touches the reliquary or crosses the threshold, becoming more aggressive when bloodied. It fights to destruction unless someone presents convincing proof that the relic never existed, in which case it pauses to demand a new explanation before resuming its vigil.
DM Tips
- Telegraph the creature with immaculate bootprints in the dust, repeated sword marks around a sealed doorway, and an empty pedestal labeled with grandiose claims about the Star of Mercy.
- Roleplay the effigy as formal, proud, and deeply offended by casual language; it refers to itself as Sir Odran and corrects anyone who calls it a statue.
- If the party is weaker, remove No Passage and reduce the effigy's armor class to 16; for a stronger party, let Challenge of the Empty Throne frighten all creatures of the effigy's choice within 30 feet.
- The encounter can end without destruction if the characters expose the truth about the missing knight or offer the effigy a believable substitute for the nonexistent relic.
Loot
- Bronze Mausoleum Key — A heavy key shaped like a miniature sword. It opens the hidden lower chamber beneath the Vale Mausoleum, where records of Sir Odran's actual life have been sealed.
- The Empty Star Case — A velvet-lined reliquary containing only a faintly glowing indentation. The case bears a map to three places where people once claimed to have seen the Star of Mercy.
- Effigy's Stone Signet — A marble signet bearing the perfected face of Sir Odran. Once per day, it can be used to impress a creature who values nobility, though it crumbles if someone openly calls Odran a failure.
