publish: true
aliases:

  • Haunted Effects
    created: 2026-03-09T12:15:34.377-04:00
    modified: 2026-03-09T12:15:34.378-04:00
    published: 2026-03-09T12:15:34.378-04:00
    tags:
  • ttrpg-cli/compendium/src/5e/tce
    cssclasses:
  • json5e-note
    obsidianUIMode: preview

Haunted Effects

Source: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything p. 154

Haunted Effects

dice: d100Effect
01–05A violent thunderstorm begins, centered over the region. It doesn’t end until the party leaves the region.
06–10A random building in the region gains the benefits of the guards and wards spell (save DC 13) for the next 24 hours.
11–15A mundane part of one random character’s surroundings—perhaps a tree bole or a taxidermied animal head—animates for 1 minute and whispers a warning or threatens to reveal one of the character’s secrets.
16–20All bright light weakens to dim light for 24 hours. Sources that provide dim light, such as candles, do not shed any light.
21–25The temperature in the region drops by 10 degrees Fahrenheit every hour for the next 1d6 hours, after which the temperature returns to normal. If cold enough, ice crystals form in sinister patterns.
26–30One random creature’s shadow acts independently for the next 24 hours. The shadow acts out of sync with its owner, perhaps dramatically choking or trying to murder another shadow.
31–35After the next sunset, the sun doesn’t rise again for 36 hours. During this time, the sky over the region might hold a crimson moon, be obscured by roiling fog, or display blinking, alien stars.
36–40During the next night, one random sleeping creature vanishes and reappears approximately a foot beneath where they were sleeping—typically buried in undisturbed dirt or in a space beneath floorboards. The creature or someone else can free it with a successful DC 13 Strength (Athletics) check.
41–45One random creature in the region is targeted by the levitate spell (save DC 15) for 1 minute.
46–50A nonviolent but unsettling ghost—perhaps a pet, an accident-prone child, or a dismembered big toe—appears and follows one random creature for 24 hours before vanishing. The ghost vanishes if reduced to 0 hit points.
51–55One player character’s appearance changes for the next 24 hours to reflect the region’s haunted history. For example, they might manifest the distinctive facial scar associated with a notorious tyrant who died in the region.
56–60For the next 24 hours, any humanoid killed in the region rapidly decomposes and rises as a skeleton 1d10 minutes after dying.
61–65Over the next 24 hours, whenever any creature is wounded, its blood (or similar fluid) spreads to form a short message or grisly tableau.
66–70A spirit inhabits one character’s simple or martial weapon, making it a sentient magic item until the character leaves the region. Randomly generate the item’s properties as described in the ""Sentient Magic Items"" section of the “Dungeon Master’s Guide”.
71–75A spectral force manifests to one character in the region, allowing them to ask one question and receive a short answer as through the augury spell. The force manifests as a planchette moving on a talking board, writing on foggy glass, or insects swarming to create messages.
76–80During the next night, one sleeping character in the region receives a vision as if the target of the dream spell. The dream is brief and unsettling, revealing some element of the environment’s history and putting the character in the place of someone who suffered a grim fate there.
81–85A coffin or small enclosed space in the region—perhaps an antique box, stone cairn, or tree stump sealed with rocks—radiates palpable malice. The first time a creature opens it, roll a die. If you roll an even number, the creature receives a terrible vision and is frightened of all creatures for the next 24 hours. If you roll an odd number, an avatar of death appears and attacks as though summoned by the Skull card from a deck of many things.
86–90Over the next 24 hours, whenever any creature in the region regains hit points from a spell, the healing magic leaves scars. This might be accompanied by a purging of black bile or a spectral force tearing free from the creature. These scars can be removed only by greater restoration or wish.
91–95For 24 hours, a luminous wisp of vapor floats above a corpse or grave in the region. If the wisp is put in a container, a creature holding the receptacle can cast the resurrection spell once, requiring no components and causing the wisp to vanish. Any creature returned to life in this way experiences strange dreams.
96–00A mysterious mist rises from the shadows. This dense fog heavily obscures everything in a 50-foot-radius sphere around one random creature in the region. Any creature that starts its turn in the mist must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain 1 level of exhaustion. This exhaustion can’t be removed while the creature is in the mist. Additionally, creatures notice unsettling sights through the fog, such as ominous ruins or soundless silhouettes fleeing pursuit. The mists can’t be dispersed by any wind, but clear after 1 minute.
^haunted-effects