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Lead Designer/Producer: Jonoman3000 References: Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dragon Magazine #372 (Shadar-kai) Cover Illustrator: Felipe Escobar Bravo Interior Illustrators: Chad W. Green (pg. 3), Will O’Brien (pg. 4), ArenaNet (pg. 5, 18, 35), Jason Juta (pg. 6), John Stanko (pg. 7), Kekai Kotaki (pg. 8, 17, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 49, 50), Mark Mulnar (pg. 9), Veli Nyström (pg. 10), Chaoyuan Xu (pg. 11), Kaewyn La Renarde (pg. 12), Paul Canavan (pg. 13), Jason Nguyen (pg. 14), Morgan Yon (pg. 15), Lada Da (pg. 16), Felix Ortiz (pg. 19), Lie Setiawan (pg. 20), KILART (pg. 21), Jaime Jones (pg. 22, 44), Jakub Bazyluk (pg. 27), Jaggudada (pg. 29), Mark Winters (pg. 33), Jama Jurabaev (pg. 34), Marek Madej (pg. 36), Jerad Merantz (pg. 37), James Ryman (pg. 45), Karl Kopinski (pg. 48), Daarken (pg. 51, 52), Akieron (pg. 53), Telthona (pg. 54) Proofreading/Editing: /u/DersitePhantom, /u/ElNalio, /u/Zagorath, /u/eronth, /u/chifii, /u/SwordMeow, /u/IrishBandit, /u/cometdance

Chapter 1: Races………………………………………....3 Mummy………………………………………………………….3 Wight…………………………………………………………….4 Shadar-kai………………………………………………………..6

Chapter 2: Subclasses………………………………...8 Barbarian: Path of Blood………………………………………...8 Bard: College of the Shadowfell………………………………....9 Cleric: Blood Domain…………………………………………..10 Cleric: Night Domain…………………………………………..11 Druid: Circle of Twilight……………………………………….12 Fighter: Blood Knight…………………………………………..13 Monk: Way of the Bloodied Fist……………………………….14 Paladin: Oath of the Grave……………………………………..15 Ranger: Nightstalker……………………………………………16 Rogue: Shadow…………………………………………………17 Sorcerer: Deathtouched………………………………………...18 Sorcerer: Vampiric Bloodline…………………………………..19 Warlock: Archlich………………………………………………20 Warlock: Invocations…………………………………………...21 Wizard: School of Reawakening……………………………….22 Wizard: School of Hemomancy………………………………...22

Chapter 3: Spells……………………………………….23 Casting Blood Magic…………………………………………...23 Spell Lists………………………………………………………23 Spell Descriptions………………………………………………25

Chapter 4: Creatures………………………………..32 Archlich…………………...32 Bloodbeast………………...34 Cruorbeasts………………..35 Cursed Oak………………..38 Deathcrest Ape…………….39 Fleshfiend………………….40 Fleshlings………………….41 Lost Soul…………………..43

Oozes……………………...44 Plaguebringer……………...46 Rothorror…………………..48 Seafallen…………………...49 Shadow Elemental………...51 Shadowtouched…………....52 Skeletons…………………..53 Zombies…………………...54

Preface In many adventures and campaigns, necromancy and similar magic often plays a key role in the story. This supplement aims to give both players and DMs more options in these types of campaigns by giving them more races, subclasses, spells, and creatures for them to work with. If your dungeon master allows, these options can be used in any of your campaigns.

SPENDING HIT POINTS Some of the features and spells in this companion allow you to spend hit points to augment their effect. In 5E terms, spending hit points is equivalent to taking necrotic damage that ignores resistance and immunity, with the necrotic damage you take being equal to the amount you choose to spend.

ON THE COVER Performing an ancient blood ritual, the Circle of Twilight druid channels energy from the source of fresh blood to cast a blood magic ritual, in this scene illustrated by Felipe Escobar Bravo. Disclaimer: Always be sure to remember your Dark Magic Safety Guidelines when handling dangerous magics and magical beings: a) don’t let the vampires bite, b) try not to die, and c) don’t anger an archlich

Created June 2016, Updated June 2019

The Dark Arts Player’s Companion is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Chapter 1: Races HIS CHAPTER PRESENTS THREE NEW Races to supplement those in the Player’s Handbook: Mummies, Wights, and Shadar-kai. Mummies and Wights are converted from creatures in the Monster Manual, and should be treated in the same way as monstrous races from Volo’s Guide to Monsters. The Shadar-kai are a race native to the toxic darkness of the shadowfell. These new options are available when you make a character, provided that your DM allows them in your campaign.

Mummy Hidden within ancient tombs in vast deserts, mummies evoke fear in the heart of every adventurer. Raised by dark funerary rites through necromantic rituals, mummies unquestioningly serve the whims of their masters for as long as they live. However, once those masters are gone a rare few mummies may choose to stray from their ancient tasks, traveling out of their tombs to inflict themselves on the world above.

The Will of Dark Gods An undead mummy is created when the priest of a death god or other dark deity ritually imbues a prepared corpse with necromantic magic. The mummy's linen wrappings are inscribed with necromantic markings before the burial ritual concludes with an invocation to darkness. As a mummy endures in undeath, it animates in response to conditions specified by the ritual. Most commonly, a transgression against its tomb, treasures, lands, or former loved ones will cause a mummy to rise. The long burial rituals that accompany a mummy's entombment help protect its body from rot. In the embalming process, the newly dead creature's organs are removed and placed in special jars, and its corpse is treated with preserving oils, herbs, and wrappings. After the body has been prepared, the corpse is typically wrapped in linen bandages.

The Punished Once deceased, an individual has no say in whether or not its body is made into a mummy. Some mummies were powerful individuals who displeased a high priest or pharaoh, or who committed crimes of treason, adultery, or murder. As punishment, they were cursed with eternal undeath, embalmed, mummified, and sealed away. Other times, mummies acting as tomb guardians are created from slaves put to death specifically to serve a greater purpose. Once created, a mummy obeys the conditions and parameters laid down by the rituals that created it, driven only to punish transgressors.

Timeless Undeath Most mummies have existed far longer than even the oldest elves, though most of them have remained in their tomb for nearly the entire period. Once they awake, they cannot remember their past life or personality, so they remain dry husks even throughout their eons of “life” if you could call it that. However, some mummies do gain some knowledge of the outside world, and even the most rudimentary knowledge from when they were first created may hold untold secrets to the modern world. As a result, some serve as undead repositories of lost lore, and can be consulted by the descendants of those who created them. Powerful individuals sometimes intentionally sequester mummies away for occasional consultation, and particularly talkative mummies are treasured by historians.

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Mummy Names When they are created, mummies are not often named, and they have no memory of their name in life. Even when they are named, it is usually something extremely simple such as a number. However, once a mummy becomes free of its master, it might choose to give itself a real name, or perhaps let a troop of adventurers choose its name for it. Therefore, mummies can have all types of names based on what names they have encountered. If they have encountered many human adventurers in their time, they may choose a human name, and could do the same for any of the other races.

Mummy Traits As a mummy, you have certain traits that you share with other mummies. As a mummy you gain access to powerful magic through your rotting curse and dreadful glare, though both of these magics have been weakened through the death of your master and your departure from the tomb. Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1. Age. As beings of undeath, mummies do not age or mature, and they may live for thousands of years if undisturbed. Alignment. As the creations of evil masters, mummies are often evil themselves. Most often mummies tend towards lawfulness in their devotion to their master. Size. Mummies are between 5 and 6 feet tall and average about 120 pounds. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. Darkvision. Accustomed to the eternal darkness of an ancient tomb, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Dreadful Glare. As an action, you can target one creature you can see within 10 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of you until the end of your next turn. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Constitution modifier + your Proficiency bonus. After you use your glare, you can't use it again until you complete a short or long rest. Rotting Fist. Your hands rot those they touch. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you deal necrotic damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier, instead of the bludgeoning damage normal for an unarmed attack. Undead. Your type is both humanoid and undead, meaning you are affected by any features or abilities that affect either of those types. For example, you can be targeted by hold person or turned by turn undead. The exception to this is healing: any spell, feature, or ability that restores hit points and normally has no effect on undead instead restores you for half the number of hit points it would normally restore, rather than having no effect. Due to your undead nature, you are immune to disease and the poisoned condition, and you have resistance to poison damage. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food or drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state, but resting in this way is otherwise identical to sleeping. Magically induced sleep can cause you to enter this inactive state. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language you knew in life.

Wight The word "wight" meant "person" in days of yore, but the name now refers to evil undead who were once mortals driven by dark desire and great vanity. When death stills such a creature's heart and snuffs its living breath, its spirit cries out to the demon lord Orcus or some vile god of the underworld for a reprieve: undeath in return for eternal war on the living. If a dark power answers the call, the spirit is granted undeath so that it can pursue its own malevolent agenda. Wights possess the memories and drives of their formerly living selves. They will heed the call of whatever dark entity transformed them into undead, swearing oaths to appease their new lord while retaining their autonomy. Never tiring, a wight can pursue its goals relentlessly and without distraction.

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Life Eaters Neither dead nor alive, a wight exists in a transitional state between one world and the next. The bright spark it possessed in life is gone, and in its place is a yearning to consume that spark in all living things. When a wight attacks, this life essence glows like white-hot embers to its dark eyes, and the wight's cold touch can drain the spark through flesh, clothing, and armor.

Shadow of the Grave Wights flee from the world by day, away from the light of the sun, which they hate. They retreat to barrow mounds, crypts, and tombs where they dwell. Their lairs are silent, desolate places, surrounded by dead plants, noticeably blackened, and avoided by bird and beast. Humanoids slain by a wight can rise as zombies under its control. Motivated by hunger for living souls and driven by the same desire for power that awakened them in undeath, some wights serve as shock troops for evil leaders, including wraiths. As soldiers, they are able to plan but seldom do so, relying on their hunger for destruction to overwhelm any creature that stands before them.

Wight Names When they are created, a wight keeps all of the memories of its former life, and therefore keeps its name as well. Therefore, wights can have all types of names based on whatever race they were in life.

Wight Traits Your wight character has certain traits derived from its undead nature. Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 2, and your Charisma score increases by 1. Age. As beings of undeath, Wights do not age or mature, and can live for thousands of years if they are not killed in battle. Alignment. Wights are transformed by dark entities to serve their needs, and therefore are most often evil themselves.

Although they retain their memories and personalities, Wights are only created from evil and vain humans, so they will remain evil unless they change their alignment after reaching undeath. Size. Wights are between 5 and 6 feet tall and average about 180 pounds. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Darkvision. As a being forced to live in darkness, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Life Drain. When you kill a humanoid, you can choose to have it rise 24 hours later as a zombie under your control, unless it is restored to life or its body is destroyed. Only one zombie may be created through this ability at any one time; if another is created then the first becomes inanimate. The zombie has the statistics of the Zombie (Monster Manual pg. 316), except its hp value is instead equal to three times your level. Sunlight Sensitivity. You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight. Undead. Your type is both humanoid and undead, meaning you are affected by any features or abilities that affect either of those types. For example, you can be targeted by hold person or turned by turn undead. The exception to this is healing: any spell, feature, or ability that restores hit points and normally has no effect on undead instead restores you for half the number of hit points it would normally restore, rather than having no effect. Due to your undead nature, you are immune to disease and the poisoned condition, and you have resistance to poison damage. You do not need to eat or breathe, but you can ingest food or drink if you wish. Instead of sleeping, you enter an inactive state for 4 hours each day. You do not dream in this state, but resting in this way is otherwise identical to sleeping. Magically induced sleep can cause you to enter this inactive state. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language you knew in life.

Shadar-kai Shadar-kai were once humans, native to the world. They were all members of an extended tribe who called themselves Shadar-Kai. These early humans had seen the abuses Nerull, once god of death, perpetrated on the souls who passed into his power. They also feared the unknowable reaches of death into which most souls pass even now. When the Raven Queen slew Nerull and ascended to godhood, in an age now largely forgotten, the Shadar-Kai struck a deal with her. They promised to serve as her mortal agents, and in exchange, she gave them incredibly long life and freedom from frailty. The shadar-kai believe that, through their pact, they became the chosen people of death and winter.

The Shadar-Kai moved to the Shadowfell, setting up their communities on the borders of Letherna, the Raven Queen’s domain. Life in shadow changed the humans, reshaping them and altering their appearance. Eventually, they were so different from humans that they became a distinct species. As they expanded their territory in the Shadowfell and began interacting again with the mortal world, the tribal name became the name for their race.

Ashen and Scarred Shadar-kai are humanlike, but the weight of existence in the Shadowfell has shaped them to be slightly shorter and much thinner than their human counterparts. A shadar-kai has a colorless complexion that varies from alabaster to dark gray. Shadar-kai hair is similarly drab or raven black. Pale hair might have a hint of color within the range of human norms. The eyes are lustrous and black, lacking any white or clear pupil. Shadows near a shadar-kai sometimes seem to reach out or deepen, especially when the shadar-kai is angry. Although drab in natural appearance, shadar-kai are quite elaborate and idiosyncratic in personal adornment. They like dark and exotic clothing, jewelry, and weapons, often decorated with swatches of bright color. Hair is similarly ornate and often dyed, and many embellish their skin with tattoos, scars, and piercings. The tattoos, scars, and piercings a shadar-kai wears have more than one purpose. They exist as a testament to the wearer’s ability to withstand pain as well as a means of personal expression and decoration. Each decoration can also be a record of a deed done, an honor gained, or a misdeed declared.

The Raven Queen Through their pact with the Raven Queen, each shadar-kai is an instrument of death and fate. The Raven Queen doesn’t demand worship from the shadar-kai, though she receives it in abundance. She demands only that they observe the pact by following her commandments. So most shadar-kai hold no pity for the dying and try to punish those who defy fate. But shadar-kai also believe that nobody truly knows what fate holds. The Raven Queen is a fair mother, if not a loving one. When the shadar-kai called upon her in ancient times, she answered. She still does. While she spares little love, she also never demands the love of her children. Almost all shadar-kai revere the Raven Queen, but each shadar-kai is free to choose his or her destiny and way of life, including religion.

Strong Emotions The Shadowfell saps living creatures of creativity and the will to live. When shadar-kai moved to the Shadowfell ages ago, they were not immune to this depression. Numerous members of their early society gave in to ennui and simply slipped out of existence, driving the shadar-kai to change their lifestyle, embracing strong emotions and peak experiences. These practices, born out of necessity, became traditions over countless generations. The current culture of the shadar-kai is a study in pushing boundaries. Shadar-kai welcome difficult tasks and physical and emotional extremes as a way of life. They learn to channel the darkness of the Shadowfell rather than allowing that darkness to consume them. And they accept death as the inevitable end for those who fail to attain the right amount of power or fame. Shadar-kai embrace living with gusto. The limits of pleasure and pain distract them from the wearying melancholy of the Shadowfell. They also strive for personal greatness, so that if they fail to gain the ability to live forever, stories of their great deeds will grant a sort of immortality. In this search for personal glory, most shadar-kai ignore banalities such as comfort and safety. CHAPTER 1 | RACES

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Call of the Shadowfell Although shadar-kai leave the Shadowfell to seek fortune in the world and among the planes, a few needs and wants drive a shadar-kai to return home from time to time. Most shadar-kai feel a basic need to visit the enveloping dimness of the Shadowfell at least intermittently. The plane is unlike even the darkest reaches of other planes. Obtaining new adornments and equipment in the proper style often requires a return to the Shadowfell. Shadar-kai also return to their gloomy settlements to spend time among those who see extreme, weird, or even deviant as normal. And they come home to brag.

Shadar-kai Names Shadar-kai have similar names to their human counterparts, though they did change slightly due to their isolation in the Shadowfell, with the only real influencing force being the will of the Raven Queen. Their names are often merely the inventions of their parents, though some common names do exist. Male names: Albrek, Baden, Codren, Emul, Horiam, Hutahn, Ioan, Lucyan, Mahahn, Niku, Ovid, Petru, Razvahn, Serbahn, Shathys, Teodahr, Vasylay, Zahar. Female names: Afyn, Anka, Bahnka, Codruta, Doru, Dyon, Floahr, Ghita, Helayna, Ioana, Jenit, Katryn, Lucya, Markella, Nadya, Roduka, Sahyeh, Tabita, Yalda, Zyna

Shadar-kai Traits The weight of existence in the Shadowfell has shaped the physical qualities of the Shadar-kai, granting them traits unique to their native realm. Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and either your Intelligence score or your Charisma score increases by 1. Age. The Shadar-kai reach physical maturity at the same rate as humans, but they generally live far longer. A shadar-kai may live up to 800 years. Alignment. Shadar-kai society is often seen as cruel and apathetic. The shadar-kai generally strive to create chaos and death, bringing death for both purposes of evil as well as good. Size. Shadar-kai are generally a tad below 6 feet in height and they weigh between 110 and 170 pounds. Your size is medium. Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Superior Darkvision. Accustomed to the black skies and eternal shadow of the Shadowfell, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of grey. Cold of Heart. The chilling air of the shadowfell has made your body accustomed to the bitter cold. You are natural adapted to cold climates, as described in chapter 5 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Doomspeaker. You gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. Fatespinner. When you fail a death saving throw, you can choose to reroll it and use the new roll. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Shadow Jaunt. On your turn, when you reduce a creature to 0 hit points, you can use your bonus action to teleport up to 15 feet. Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one other language of your choice.

The Raven Queen Goddess of Death, Fate, and Winter Alignment: Unaligned Suggested Domains: Death, Nature Symbol: Head of a black raven The Raven Queen was once a powerful mortal sorcerer-queen. When she died, she came to Pluton, the domain of the evil death god Nerull. Nerull, impressed with her will and ambition, gave her form and made her his consort, naming her Nera. She stole Nerull's power over mortal shades, and by freeing most of them she managed to destroy Nerull and become the god of death. After overthrowing Nerull, she abandoned Pluton and created her own realm in the Shadowfell. She is the spinner of fate and the patron of winter. She marks the end of each mortal life, and mourners call upon her during funeral rites, in the hope that she will guard the departed from the curse of undeath. She expects her followers to abide by these commandments: 1) Hold no pity for those who suffer and die, for death is the natural end of life. 2) Bring down the proud who try to cast off the chains of fate; you must punish hubris where you find it. 3) Destroy the cults of Orcus, for the Demon Prince of the Undead seeks to claim the Raven Queen's throne.

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Chapter 2: Subclasses HIS CHAPTER PRESENTS FOURTEEN NEW subclasses to supplement those in the Player’s Handbook: one or more for each class. These new options are available when you make a character, provided that your DM allows them in your Campaign. For subclasses that use the spells featured in this companion, those spells are denoted by a †.

Primal Paths Rage burns in every barbarian's heart, a furnace that drives him or her toward greatness. Different barbarians attribute their rage to different sources, however, each represented by different paths.

Path of Blood The Path of Blood is a path taken by only the most ruthless and battle-hungry barbarians. They do not care when they shed their own blood - in fact, they use that energy to empower their rage even farther, using their suffering to inflict wounds upon their foes through magical bonds of blood. While at first glance the Path of Blood appears to be powered by the same forces as the Path of the Berserker, the Path of Blood is far more magical in nature. Bloodragers use their blood in a form of hemomancy - a magic that utilizes blood sacrifices.

Bloodrage Starting when you select this path at 3rd level, you can choose to ignite your blood with magical power during you rage. At the end of each of your turns while raging, you can choose to take 1d4 + half your barbarian level necrotic damage to release a burst of

necrotic energy. Each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you takes necrotic damage equal to the necrotic damage you took. The necrotic damage you take ignores resistance or immunity.

Scent of Death At 6th level, you gain the ability to smell the scent of the injured from up to a mile away, and accurately pinpoint the scent’s direction. Once you get within 1000 feet of the source, you can make a DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check to determine its exact identity. On a success, you know the exact identity of the creature if you have encountered it before; otherwise you only determine its type and the severity of its injury. Either way on a success, you know the exact distance and direction to the injured creature. On a failed check, you know that you failed the check and can’t make another one for 1 hour.

Sanguine Visions Starting at 10th level, touching spilled blood allows you to see the circumstances under which the blood was spilled. As an action, you can touch at least a drop of blood that has been spilled within the last 48 hours. For the next 12 seconds, you become blind and deaf to your own senses as your mind experiences the minute that led to that blood being spilled, from the point of view of the one whose blood was spilled.

Path of Destruction Beginning at 14th level, whenever a creature within 10 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points while you’re raging, you can use your reaction to move up to half your speed without provoking opportunity attacks, and make a single melee weapon attack. As part of the same reaction, you may also spend a hit die to heal yourself. If you choose to do so, roll the die, add your Constitution modifier, and regain a number of hit points equal to the total (minimum of 1).

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Bonus Proficiencies

Bard Colleges The way of a bard is gregarious. Bards seek each other out to swap songs and stories, boast of their accomplishments, and share their knowledge. Bards form loose associations, which they call colleges, to facilitate their gatherings and preserve their traditions.

College of the Shadowfell Bards of the College of the Shadowfell specialize in the study of that realm, gleaming great knowledge of shadow magic in the process. These bards are few in number and their study is far harder than most, for knowledge of the Shadowfell is hard to come by. These bards occasionally gather in great libraries to share their knowledge, but most of their time is spent out in the world, looking for any glimpses of knowledge that might lead them to their goal. These bards generally do not perform music, and are instead more inclined to creating stories and manufacturing histories, with most of these stories ending as dark as the realm they study.

When you join the College of the Shadowfell at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with medium armor, martial weapons, and the Stealth skill.

Shadow Stride Also at 3rd level, you can lace your words with shadow magic to grant an ally unnatural speed. When a creature that has a bardic inspiration die from you begins to move, it can choose to roll that die and add 5 times the number rolled to its speed until the end of its turn. For the same duration, every 2 feet of its movement in dim light or darkness only costs 1 foot of speed.

Shroud of Darkness Starting at 6th level, whenever a creature rolls a bardic inspiration die from you, both you and that creature become imbued with shadow magic. Shadows envelop the two of you until the start of the roller’s next turn, causing the first attack made against each of you during the duration to be made at disadvantage.

Umbral Body Beginning at 14th level, you gain the ability to transform into pure shadow. You can cast umbral form at will, without expending a spell slot or material components. When you cast the spell using this feature, you may only target yourself.

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Divine Domains

Sacrificial Healer

In a pantheon, every deity has influence over different aspects of mortal life and civilization, called a deity's domain. All the domains over which a deity has influence are called the deity's portfolio. For example, the portfolio of the Greek god Apollo includes the domains of Knowledge, Life, and Light. As a cleric, you choose one aspect of your deity's portfolio to emphasize, and you are granted powers related to that domain. Each domain's description gives examples of deities who have influence over that domain. Gods are included from the worlds of the Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, and Eberron campaign settings, as well as from the Celtic, Greek, Norse, and Egyptian pantheons of antiquity.

Blood Domain

Blood Domain Spells Spells bloodburn †, cruorwhip † blood seal †, sanguine rope † blood sight †, tides of blood † draining thread †, sanguine sanctum † bloodcurse †, dominate person

. . .

Bonus Cantrip When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain the bloodletting † cantrip if you don’t already know it.

Wrath of the Blood God Also at 1st level, you can cause the blood of your enemies to lash out at surrounding creatures, draining the life from them. When a hostile creature you can see within 30 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points or subjected to a critical hit, you can use your reaction to unleash a burst of necrotic energy from its wounds. Constructs, elementals, and undead are invalid targets. Each creature of your choice within 10 feet of the target, which can include the target, must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d4 necrotic damage on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

Channel Divinity: Drain Spirits Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to sap the life of nearby creatures, using their vitality to heal a portion of your wounds. As an action, you present your holy symbol, and each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes necrotic damage equal to 1d8 + half your cleric level on a failed saving throw, and half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that has total cover from you is not affected. You regain hit points equal to the damage dealt, up to a maximum of three times your cleric level.

Potent Spellcasting At 8th level, you add your Wisdom modifier to the damage you deal with any Cleric cantrip.

Eternal Bloodshed

The gods of blood are patrons of all varieties of slaughter— including war, battle, murder, and even hunting—and accept any shedding of blood as an offering to their domain. They are the patrons of warriors, particularly those of a more chaotic disposition. While many clerics that follow a blood deity resemble deranged, blood-thirsty cultists, others are comparable to the followers of particularly violent war deities. Examples of the deities of this domain are Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, and Shezmu, the Lord of Blood

Cleric Level 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th

Starting at 6th level, you can augment your healing spells through sacrifice. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that restores hit points, you can choose one creature within 15 feet of you that the spell affected. You spend a number of your hit points, and that creature regains additional hit points equal to the amount you spent, plus temporary hit points equal to half that amount. The temporary hit points last until the start of your next turn. The number of hit points you spend can’t exceed the amount of hit points restored to the target by the triggering spell.

Beginning at 17th level, the dark magic you cast can cause deep, gushing wounds to appear on the body of an affected creature. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher that deals necrotic damage or has the hemomancy tag, you can force one creature that took damage from the spell to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the creature is wounded for 1 minute. The wound ends early if the creature receives magical healing, uses their action to staunch the wound, or if you use this feature again. While the wound lasts, the wounded creature takes 1d10 necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns, and it has disadvantage on saving throws against any spell that deals necrotic damage or has the hemomancy tag.

Night Domain

Channel Divinity: Midnight Gloom

Gods of the night—such as Selûne, Shar, Tharizdon, Takhisis, and Hecate—serve as both creators of light and harbingers of darkness, with moon goods focusing on the former and darkness gods on the latter. These gods serve as patrons of all alignments; their clerics serve as both righteous defenders of the weak, as well as deceptive thieves and assassins. Either way, these clerics excel in both melee combat and spellcasting, always using the cover of darkness to their advantage in both their battles and their attempts at subterfuge.

Night Domain Spells Cleric Level 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th

Spells sleep, cause fear darkness, moonbeam fear, feign death greater invisibility, rend shadows † dream, shadow stride †

Bonus Proficiencies At 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons and the Stealth skill.

Lunar Radiance Also at 1st level, you can empower your attacks with moonlight. Once per turn when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can force them to become basked in moonlight. The next attack roll made against this target before the end of your next turn has advantage, and deals an additional 1d6 radiant damage on a hit. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

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Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to harness the black gloom of midnight, banishing light and draining the life of your foes. As an action, you present your holy symbol and all lights within 30 feet of you, magical or non-magical, are instantly put out. Additionally, each hostile creature within 30 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes necrotic damage equal to 2d6 + your cleric level on a failed saving throw, and loses any darkvision they have for 1 minute. On a successful save, they take half as much damage and suffer no other effects. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the start of each of its turns, regaining their darkvision on a success.

Moonlight Strike Starting at 6th level, when you deal radiant damage to a creature you may choose to have it emit dim light in a 10 foot radius until the end of your next turn. The affected creature can’t benefit from being invisible, has its speed reduced by 10 feet, and if the creature is a shapeshifter it immediately shifts to its original form and can’t assume a different form until the light dissipates.

Divine Strike At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with divine energy. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Nightstalker Beginning at 17th level, when you are in an area of dim light or darkness, you can use your action to become invisible. You remain invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, or are in an area of bright light.

Druid Circles Though their organization is invisible to most outsiders, druids are part of a society that spans the land, ignoring political borders. All druids are nominally members of this druidic society, though some individuals are so isolated that they have never seen any high-ranking members of the society or participated in druidic gatherings. Druids recognize each other as brothers and sisters, Like creatures of the wilderness, however, druids sometimes compete with or even prey on each other.

Circle of Twilight The Circle of Twilight is an ancient sect of druids, long estranged from other druidic circles due to their differing outlooks on the natural world. The Circle of Twilight believes that the spirits of nature need regular sacrifices of beasts, natural and unnatural, and even the occasional human sacrifice. These druids meet in old, dying forests to perform secret blood rituals - rituals which they hope will appease the cruelest gods of the Old Faith. As a member of this circle, you realize nature’s will is not of kindness and spirituality - it is of cruelty and sacrifice.

Ritual Sacrifice When you choose this circle at 2nd level, you learn how to perform rituals using the blood sacrifices of powerful foes. By using the body of a creature that has died within the last 8 hours as one of your spell components, you can cast any spell with the ritual tag from any class spell list without needing to prepare it. The gentle repose spell cast on a body that’s been dead for less than 8 hours extends the duration that body may be used. You still need to use the other components of the ritual as normal.

In order to cast a ritual in this manner, you need the body of a creature of a CR greater than or equal to the spell level of the ritual to be cast, and the spell must be of a level you have spell slots for. The creature used cannot be a construct, an undead, or an elemental. Once you complete the ritual, that creature cannot be used in any other rituals.

Life from Death Also at 2nd level, you can grasp the last breath of life energy from a falling creature, and use it to restore life to another. When a creature within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction and expend a spell slot to restore 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended, adding your Wisdom modifier to the total, to yourself or another creature you can see within 60 feet. You cannot target the creature you reacted to.

Circle Spells The dark powers of twilight infuse you with the ability to cast certain spells. At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level you gain access to a number of circle spells, listed below in the twilight table. Once you gain access to a circle spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the druid spell list, the spell is nonetheless a druid spell for you.

Twilight Druid Level 3rd 5th 7th 9th

Circle Spells darkness, gentle repose speak with dead, tides of blood † dominate beast, draining thread † dominate person, insect plague

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Eyes of Twilight Starting at 6th level, you gain darkvision with a radius of 60 feet, or you increase the radius of your darkvision by 30 feet if you already have it. Additionally, you can see through magical darkness for the radius of your darkvision.

Soulseeing At 10th level, you gain the ability to see the souls of living creatures. As an action on your turn, you hone your senses to allow you to see the outline of any living creature or creature that has died within the last 8 hours. This allows you to see any creature within the radius of your darkvision, including invisible creatures, as well as creatures that are obscured in some manner, such as being behind a wall or in murky water. This sight can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt. This sight can be maintained for up to 10 minutes by using your action each turn. If your turn ends and you haven’t used your action to maintain this feature, it ends early. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a short or long rest.

Ritualist When you reach 14th level, you become a master at performing rituals. Casting a spell as a ritual now only adds 1 minute to the cast time. Additionally, you can use your ritual sacrifice feature to cast spells that aren’t rituals as if they were rituals. The spell chosen must be of 2nd level or lower, and must have a duration of 10 minutes or longer. The casting otherwise follows the rules outlined in the ritual sacrifice feature. CHAPTER 2 | SUBCLASSES

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Martial Archetypes Different fighters choose different approaches to perfecting their fighting prowess. The martial archetype you choose to emulate reflects your approach.

Blood Knight The archetypal Blood Knight employs their own flesh and blood in the slaughter of their enemies. To a Blood Knight, battle is everything. It isn’t winning or losing that drives them so much as it is the opportunity for a good fight. And when they find that fight, they use everything they have to contest their opponent. They utilize blood sacrifices to cast spells and grant themselves additional offensive and defensive capabilities, though at a steep cost.

Hemomancy Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast hemomancy spells, detailed in chapter 3 of this companion. Spell Slots. The Blood Knight table shows how many spell slots you have. The table also shows what the level of those slots is; all of your spell slots are the same level. To cast one of your spells of 1st level or higher, you must expend a spell slot. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. During a short rest, you can choose to regain one of your blood knight spell slots. Once you do so, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher. You know two 1st-level hemomancy spells of your choice, chosen from the hemomancy spells detailed in chapter 3. The Spells Known column of the Blood Knight Spellcasting table shows when you learn more hemomancy spells of 1st level or higher. For instance, when you reach 7th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of the hemomancy spells you know with another hemomancy spell of your choice. The new spell must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spellcasting Ability. Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your blood knight spells, since your spells are powered through the resilience of your body. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a blood knight spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier

Blood Well Also at 3rd level, you gain a well of blood magic that is fueled through special dice called blood dice. Blood Dice. You have two blood dice, which are d6s. A blood die is expended when you use it. You regain all of your expended blood dice when you finish a short or long rest You gain an additional blood die at 7th, 10th, and 15th levels. Using Blood Dice. Blood dice can be utilized in two ways. As a bonus action, you can expend a blood die and regain a number of hit points equal to the number rolled. Also, when you hit a creature with an attack, you can choose to expend a blood die and add the number rolled to the attack’s damage roll. If you do so, the attack counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Blood Knight Fighter Level 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th

Spells Known 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7

Spell Slots 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3

Slot Level 1st . 1st 1st . 1st 2nd . 2nd 2nd . 2nd 2nd . 2nd 3rd . 3rd 3rd . 3rd 3rd . 3rd 4th . 4th

Deathseeker Starting at 7th level, you gain advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check used to find a wounded creature. Additionally, as a bonus action on your turn you can sacrifice 1 hit point to learn the general direction of every creature within 100 feet of you that has blood.

Improved Blood Well At 10th level, your blood dice turn into d8s.

Blood Rush Starting at 15th level, whenever you cast a hemomancy spell of 1st level or higher, you enter a blood rush. The blood rush lasts until the end of your next turn, and for the duration your speed is doubled, you have advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and you can disengage as a bonus action.

Strength of the Wounded At 18th level, you gain increased power when wounded. Whenever you expend a blood die while below half your hit point maximum, you can add your Constitution modifier to the result.

Monastic Traditions A few traditions of monastic pursuit are common in the monasteries scattered across the multiverse. Most monasteries practice one tradition exclusively, but a few honor all the traditions and instruct each monk according to his or her aptitude and interest. All the traditions rely on the same basic techniques, diverging as the student grows more adept. Thus, a monk need choose a tradition only upon reaching 3rd level.

Way of the Bloodied Fist Monks of the Way of the Bloodied Fist follow a tradition that teaches them to control their own life force, as well as the life force of their foes. By focusing their ki, they exert control over blood - a powerful tool that is not to be underestimated. Their monasteries practice in secret in dark caves and high mountains, out of the eye of the common people, and their members only leave for the rare missions ordered by only the most desperate. Many monks of this tradition are covered in scars - some self-inflicted in their training, and others earned in battle. The monks often use their mystic energies to manipulate these scars, forming them into complex designs and symbols to represent their unique ki powers.

Sanguine Arts Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you can use your ki to duplicate the effects of certain spells. As an action, you can spend 2 ki points to cast blackblood †, blood seal †, or sanguine rope † as 2nd-level spells without providing material components. Additionally, you gain the bloodletting † cantrip if you don’t already know it. You must still pay the hemomancy costs associated with each spell.

Toll of the Mystic At 6th level, you gain the ability to convert your blood into a well of energy. Whenever you spend your ki points, you can choose to take necrotic damage equal to the number of ki points spent. This damage cannot be reduced through any means. If you take this damage, until the start of your next turn you gain a bonus to your speed equal to 10 times the damage taken.

Transfusion Beginning at 11th level, whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you regain 1d4 hit points, or 2d4 hit points if the attack was a critical hit.

Dominion of Blood At 17th level, you can take complete control of a creature by manipulating its blood. When you hit a creature with an unarmed strike, you can spend 3 ki points to attempt to grasp control over that creature. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or fall under your control. Constructs and elementals automatically succeed on this saving throw. On every subsequent turn after assuming control, you must use your action to take total and precise control of the target. To assert your control, you must be able to see the target and it must be within 120 feet of you. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn't do anything that you don't allow it to do. During this time, you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well. If you do not take this action on your turn, the control ends prematurely. This control can last for up to 1 hour, or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell). Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Constitution saving throw against the effect. If the saving throw succeeds, the effect ends.

Paladin Oaths Becoming a paladin involves taking vows that commit the paladin to the cause of righteousness, an active path of fighting wickedness. The final oath, taken when he or she reaches 3rd level, is the culmination of all the paladin's training. Some characters with this class don't consider themselves true paladins until they have reached 3rd level and made this oath. For others, the actual swearing of the oath is a formality, an official stamp on what has always been true in the paladin's heart.

Oath of the Grave The Oath of the Grave is a seldom practised tradition, most commonly reserved for the followers of the Raven Queen. Sometimes called winter knights, black knights, or grave knights, these paladins serve as protectors of the sacred passings into the afterlife. They constantly struggle against the forces of undeath, as they see them as the most unholy abominations that blight this land. They adorn themselves with images of death and winter skulls, ravens, or similar symbols of their patron gods.

Tenets of the Grave The tenets of the Oath of the grave have been passed down for generations. This oath emphasizes the passing between the warmth of life to the everlasting cold of death, and punishes those that defile this passing with the unholy raising of undead. Annihilate the Unholy. The undead and those who foster them are unholy and wicked. Destroy them before they defile more than they have already Preserve the Righteous. Death should not come early to those who have led a blessed life . Preserve the righteous, so they may live on without fear. Let Souls Pass On. Every soul deserves its place in the afterlife. When you see a creature forced into undeath, let its soul go free. Accept Death. Death comes to all eventually. Accept it, and you will find a place in the afterlife.

weapon. Additionally, hitting a target with the weapon marks them until the end of your next turn. A marked target can’t regain hit points, and if it dies while marked, it can’t become undead. You can end this effect on your turn as part of any other action. If you are no longer holding or carrying this weapon, or if you fall unconscious, this effect ends.

Aura of Preservation Starting at 7th level, you and friendly creatures within 10 feet of you have resistance to necrotic damage, and cannot be charmed, frightened, or possessed by undead creatures. At 18th level, the range of this aura increases to 30 feet.

Soul of Demise By 15th level, your restbringer feature has become far more powerful. The duration of restbringer increases to 10 minutes, and any creature marked by the feature has their speed reduced by 10 feet. Additionally, if a marked creature dies, that creature can’t be raised from the dead for the next 30 days, outside of using a wish spell.

Reaper of Winter At 20th level, as an action, you can surround yourself with a deathly chill. For 1 minute, swirls of chilling wind surround you in a 30 foot radius. Whenever an enemy creature starts its turn in the area, the creature takes 10 cold damage and their movement speed is reduced by 10 feet until the start of their next turn. In addition, whenever a creature dies within the area, you gain 20 temporary hit points. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Oath Spells You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

Oath of the Grave Spells Paladin Level 3rd 5th 9th 13th 17th

Spells inflict wounds, ice knife gentle repose, Snilloc’s snowball swarm sleet storm, speak with dead blight, ice storm cone of cold, destructive wave

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Channel Divinity When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the following two Channel Divinity options. Icy Repose. As an action, you present your holy symbol and speak a prayer against undeath, using your Channel Divinity. Each undead that can see or hear you within 30 feet of you must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature fails its saving throw, it takes cold damage equal to your paladin level, and is frozen for 1 minute or until it takes damage again. A frozen creature is affected by the petrified condition until the frozen effect ends, at which point the creature is freed and able to act normally. Restbringer. As action, you can imbue one weapon that you are holding with necrotic energy, using your Channel Divinity. For 1 minute, you add 1 + your Charisma modifier necrotic damage (minimum 1) to your damage rolls made with that CHAPTER 2 | SUBCLASSES

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Ranger Archetypes Presented here is an additional ranger archetype, to accompany the two ranger archetypes presented in the Player’s Handbook.

Nightstalker The Nightstalker archetype emulates a unique form of shadow magic, used to create shadowy familiars to accompany you in battle. By walking this path, you learn to use your shadow familiar like an extension of yourself, using them like a weapon as you stalk through the dim forests and vast plains of the world, searching for your prey. Your choice of familiar defines your style of fighting, with each familiar playing a different role on the hunt and on the battlefield.

UA Ranger If you’re playtesting the Unearthed Arcana ranger, you can use this subclass with it if you make one addition: give the subclass the Extra Attack feature. Extra Attack. Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Shadow Familiar At 3rd level, you gain the ability to summon a creature of shadow to serve you. As a bonus action on your turn, you can conjure or dismiss your shadow familiar, which takes the form of a spectral creature that cannot be targeted or damaged. You choose the form you can create when you select this subclass. When you conjure your shadow familiar, it appears in an unoccupied space within 30 feet of you. As long as it is conjured, you can forgo one or more of your attacks when you use the Attack action to have your shadow familiar make attacks of its own, which use your Ranger spell attack modifier for their attack rolls, have a reach of 5 feet, and trigger any spells or features that would trigger from your own weapon attacks (such as Hunter’s Mark). The familiar makes one melee weapon attack for each attack you forgo. While within 120 ft of your familiar, you can command it to move (no action required). The speeds and attacks of the three forms are listed below. Cat. This form has a walking speed of 30 feet. On a hit, its attack deals 1d4 + your Wisdom modifier slashing damage, and causes the next attack made against the target by a creature other than you or the cat before the end of your next turn to be made at advantage. Raven. This form has a flying speed of 90 feet, and a walking speed of 10 feet. On a hit, its attack deals 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier piercing damage. Wolf. This form has a walking speed of 40 feet. On a hit, its attack deals 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier piercing damage, and causes its target to have disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

Nightstalker Magic Also at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, based on the form you chose above, as shown in the Nightstalker Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but doesn’t count against your spells known.

Nightstalker Spells Ranger Level 3rd 5th 9th 13th 17th

Cat Spells feather fall invisibility haste greater invisibility seeming

Raven Spells thunderwave gust of wind call lightning storm sphere control winds

Wolf Spells cause fear darkness fear sickening radiance contagion

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Shadowy Transposition Starting at 7th level, whenever you cast a ranger spell of 1st level or higher, you can choose to swap locations with your familiar immediately before or after casting the spell.

Dark Sentinel At 11th level, whenever a creature leaves the reach of your shadow familiar, you can use your reaction to have it make an attack against that creature. The disengage action and other effects that prevent opportunity attacks prevent this reaction.

Midnight Bulwark Beginning at 15th level, whenever a creature within reach of your shadow familiar makes an attack against you, you can use your reaction to have the familiar make an attack against that creature. Additionally, whenever you command your familiar to make an attack using your reaction and the attack hits, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the target’s current turn. CHAPTER 2 | SUBCLASSES

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Roguish Archetypes Rogues have many features in common, including their emphasis on perfecting their skills, their precise and deadly approach to combat, and their increasingly quick reflexes. But different rogues steer those talents in varying directions, embodied by the rogue archetypes. Your choice of archetype is a reflection of your focus - not necessarily an indication of your chosen profession, but a description of your preferred techniques.

Shadow Some rogues choose to delve into the intricacies of shadow magic, using its unique powers to enhance their skills in stealth and deception. These rogues are a very diverse subset, from simple thieves to hired killers to highly trained bounty hunters. By learning how to separate their shadow from their body, shadow rogues become difficult to catch and even harder to kill.

Bonus Cantrips When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the umbraturgy † cantrip and the dueling shadows † cantrip. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.

Severed Shadow Starting at 3rd level, you can separate your shadow from your body, creating a shadowy replica of yourself and causing you to no longer cast a shadow. This replica is completely opaque and solid, and looks like a three-dimensional silhouette of yourself. As an action, you may separate your shadow and then move it up to 30 feet as part of the same action. The shadow shares your statistics, and can perform all movements that you would be able to, making ability checks for any movements that would normally require them, but it cannot take any actions. The shadow is susceptible to saving throws and attacks, including opportunity attacks, and it shares your AC. If it takes any damage, it instantly

disappears. Your separated shadow can count as an enemy of a hostile creature for the purpose of granting sneak attack. On subsequent turns while you are separated from your shadow by less than 120 feet, you may move it another 30 feet (no action required). As a bonus action on your turn, you may choose to teleport to the location of your shadow, reuniting yourself with it. You can also reunite with your shadow by moving into its space. Once you teleport to your shadow, you can’t teleport to it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Deceiving Darkness Starting at 9th level, you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks if you are in dim light or darkness.

Shadow Simulacrum At 13th level, you gain greater control over your shadow. When your shadow is separated from you, you can use your bonus action to have it perform the Help action, and your shadow can also manipulate objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Master of Shadows When you reach 17th level, you have gained ultimate control over your shadow. When you sever your shadow, you can control its movement as long as it is within 500 feet, and you may use your bonus action to switch from using its senses to using your own, or back again. Additionally, you no longer have to complete a short or long rest before teleporting to it again.

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Sorcerous Origins Different sorcerers claim different origins for their innate magic. Many variations exist, all stemming from the power of magic.

Deathtouched Your innate magic comes from a past encounter with death. Most often, this origin is traced back to surviving an attack from an undead, such as a vampire’s bite, a ghost’s possession, or a specter’s life drain. Or, it could have originated from an imperfect revival or near-death experience. Regardless of the way you attained this dark magic, it now dictates your life and greatly augments your power.

Ghostly Body Starting when you choose this origin at 1st level, your body becomes imbued with dark power. Your hit point maximum is increased by 1, and increases by 1 again whenever you gain a level in this class. Additionally, this power allows your body to slowly fade into invisibility. If you remain still for 1 minute while in dim light or darkness, you become invisible until you move, enter bright light, or use an action, bonus action, or reaction. When you reach 3rd level in this class, you can use your bonus action and spend 1 sorcery point to activate this feature without waiting a minute, causing you to immediately become invisible.

Memories of the Fallen Also at 1st level, you gain the ability to access the memories of the deceased. By performing a 1 minute ritual on a corpse, you can gain insight into how that creature died. If you already witnessed that creature’s death, you instead gain another random memory from that creature, as determined by your DM. This feature can only be used once per corpse.

Necrotic Affinity At 6th level, you learn two Necromancy spells from any class. A spell you choose must be of a level you can cast. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you may choose one of these Necromancy spells and replace it with another Necromancy spell from any class. The chosen spells count as sorcerer spells for you but don’t count against the number of sorcerer spells you know.

Incorporeal Figure Starting at 14th level, you have the ability to become temporarily incorporeal. As a bonus action on your turn, you can spend 2 sorcery points to become incorporeal, gaining the ability to move through objects as if the objects were difficult terrain, and you become immune to the grappled and restrained conditions. For the duration, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and your speed is increased by 15 feet. The incorporeal effect ends at the end of your next turn. If you are inside an object when the effect ends, you are ejected to the nearest empty space and take 1d10 force damage.

Possession At 18th level, you gain the ability to take control of another creature’s body. As an action, you can spend 5 sorcery points to attempt to possess a creature of size Large or smaller within 5 feet of you. That creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your sorcerer spell save DC or be possessed for up to 1 hour. On a success, you then disappear, and the target is incapacitated and loses control of its body. While possessing a creature, you can't be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, and you retain your alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. You otherwise use the possessed target's statistics, but don’t gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. At the start of each of your turns, if the possessed creature has been damaged at least once since the end of your last turn it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on a success. You may also end the effect using your bonus action. A target is immune to Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw

Vampiric Bloodline Your innate magic stems from the mingling of your bloodline with the blood of a vampire. Some sorcerers with this origin can trace their powers back to an ancient bargain with a powerful vampire. When a vampire takes particular interest in a mortal being, they may allow that humanoid to have a taste of their blood, granting them a semblance of power. This ritual is seldom practiced, and few vampires would even dare to try it. But this is not the only way to gain this origin, as many of these sorcerers can trace their powers to a near-death experience with a vampire. Whatever the case, vampiric magic permeates your blood, and your very being. Vampiric sorcerers most often try to hide their ancestry, since their origins can make them as reviled as the vampires that spawned them. However, a select few embrace their vampiric ancestry, and may even seek to become true vampires in death.

Denizen of the Night Starting when you choose this origin at 1st level, you gain Darkvision out to a range of 30 feet, as described in chapter 8 of the Player’s Handbook.

Martial Prowess Also at 1st level, your vampiric ancestry grants you increased effectiveness in melee combat. You gain proficiency in light and medium armor. Also, as long as you aren’t wielding a shield, you can fight with vampiric claws. Your claws are unarmed strikes that deal slashing damage, use a d6 as their damage die, and use your Charisma instead of Strength for their attack and damage rolls. The damage die of this attack increases when you reach certain levels in this class. Its damage die becomes a d8 at 6th level, and a d10 at 14th level. Additionally, starting at 6th level these attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Vampiric Regeneration At 6th level, you gain a semblance of the regenerative abilities of a vampire. At the start of each of your turns, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to a third of your sorcerer level if you aren’t in sunlight or running water.

Deadly Bite Starting at 6th level, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn and attack with your claws, you can make a second attack with your bite as part of the same action. Your bite deals the same damage as your claws, except its damage type is piercing. If you hit a creature with your bite, you can spend 1 sorcery point to regain 1 + your Charisma modifier hit points (minimum 1). If you have the extra attack feature, these features don’t add together.

Shapechanger Starting at 14th level, you can use your bonus action to polymorph into a Tiny bat or back into your true form. While in bat form, you can't speak, attack, or cast spells, your walking speed is 5 feet, and you have a flying speed of 30 feet. Your statistics, other than your size and speed, are unchanged. Anything you are wearing or carrying transforms with you.

Unholy Thrall At 18th level, you gain the ability to raise a dead humanoid as your vampiric thrall. If a humanoid that has been hit with your bite within the past 10 minutes dies, you can bury the creature in the ground and spend 5 sorcery points to begin an arcane ritual. After 1 hour, the creature rises as a vampire spawn under your control (see page 298 of the Monster Manual). At the end of each long rest, after you regain your sorcery points, you can immediately spend 5 sorcery points to reestablish your control over the spawn. If you choose not to, the spawn dies. Raising a new spawn also causes the previous spawn to die.

Otherworldly Patrons

Expanded Spell List

The beings that serve as patrons for warlocks are mighty inhabitants of other planes of existence - not gods, but almost godlike in their power. Various patrons give their warlocks access to powers and invocations, and expect significant favors in return. Some patrons collect warlocks, doling out mystic knowledge relatively freely or boasting of their ability to bind mortals to their will. Other patrons bestow their power only grudgingly, and might make a pact with only one warlock. Warlocks who serve the same patron may view each other as allies, siblings, or rivals.

Archlich Expanded Spells

The Archlich You have made a pact with an archlich, a creature that has existed since the dawn of the last age and holds secrets of arcane magic that have been forgotten for thousands of years. Such a being desires only to expand its own power and influence, only using you as a pawn in its far larger scheme. Any lich powerful enough to form a pact has lived for many thousands of years, and many of them were involved in the invention of lichdom itself.

The Archlich lets you choose from an expanded list of spells when you learn a warlock spell. The following spells are added to the warlock spell list for you.

Spell Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Spells inflict wounds, ray of sickness blindness/deafness, Melf’s acid arrow lightning bolt, maim † fire shield, vitriolic sphere cone of cold, contagion

. . .

Soulkeeper Starting at 1st level, you can force the souls of the dead to protect you from attack. Whenever a creature within 60 feet of you is reduced to 0 hit points, you can use your reaction to temporarily tether its soul to your body. Until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), your AC equals 12 + your Charisma modifier + your Dexterity modifier if you aren’t wielding a shield. If you lose your concentration, the soul goes free and the bonus is lost.

Phylactery Ring Starting at 6th level, your patron grants you a magical ring that can serve to revive you from death. If you would be reduced to 0 hit points while you a have a soul tethered to you with your soulkeeper feature, the soul is first bound the ring, empowering it, before you fall unconscious. If you die while wearing the empowered ring, you are revived 24 hours later with 1 hit point, your body fully restored at the location of the ring. If you instead get up from unconsciousness, the soul is removed from the ring and re-tethers to your body. If you ever lose the ring, you can request your patron to grant you a replacement during a long rest.

Undying Flesh By 10th level, your body has taken on the attributes of undeath. You have resistance to necrotic damage, gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws, and you age at a slower rate. For every 10 years that pass, your body ages only 1 year.

Souleater Starting at 14th level, you can consume the souls you’ve enslaved to heal yourself. When you lose concentration on your soulkeeper feature, you can choose to consume the soul, rather than freeing it. If you do so, you regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum, and each creature of your choice within 10 feet of you becomes frightened of you until the end of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Pact Boon At 3rd level, the warlock gains the following additional choice of pact boon, if the DM allows it.

Pact of the Cloak Your patron ties a metal necklace inlaid with a small gem worth 100 gp to you. As an action, you can press this gem to conjure a black cloak that wraps around your body and gives off wisps of shadow as it moves. Choose an armor that you are proficient with and that is worth less than the gem. The cloak has the same statistics as that armor, but it weighs half as much and never imposes disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. The cloak remains until you dismiss it as an action. CHAPTER 2 | SUBCLASSES

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Using a 1 hour ritual, you can replace the inlaid gem with a more valuable one, allowing you to emulate more valuable armor. Magical armor cannot be replicated with the gem. While wearing other armor, you can conjure a weightless cloak that isn’t considered armor, but grants the cloak’s other benefits. While you wear the cloak, you can use a bonus action to pull mundane equipment, reconstructed with shadow magic, out from the cloak. You can summon any one of the following: • 20 pieces of ammunition of any type, in case or quiver. • ball bearings (bag of 1000) • block and tackle • caltrops (bag of 20) • 10 feet of chain • climber’s kit • fishing tackle • hunting trap • lamp or lantern (with oil) • magnifying glass

• • • • • • • • • • •

manacles mess kit 50 feet of rope spyglass tinderbox torches (3) any type of artisan’s tools disguise kit forgery kit navigator’s tools thieve’s tools

The DM might allow you to summon other equipment of similar usefulness. The equipment lasts until you dismiss it (no action required), or until you use this bonus action again. The equipment is visibly magical due to the wisps of shadow that emanate from the summoned objects.

Eldritch Invocations The following section presents new invocations for the warlock. These invocations follow the same rules as invocations found in the Player’s Handbook.

Cloak of the Raven Prerequisite: 15th level, Pact of the Cloak feature You can use a bonus action on your turn to cause large, raven-like wings to sprout out of your cloak. While you wear the winged cloak, you gain a flying speed equal to your current speed. You can dismiss the wings using another bonus action.

Ghost-Iron Chains Prerequisite: 5th level, Pact of the Chain feature Your familiar becomes ghostly in appearance, and gains the ability to become incorporeal. Your familiar can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain, but if it ends its turn inside an object it is immediately dismissed to its pocket dimension.

Mantle of the Everlasting Prerequisite: Pact of the Cloak feature You gain proficiency with medium and heavy armor.

March of the Restless Prerequisite: 5th level You can cast animate dead using a warlock spell slot. You can do so twice, and regain both uses when you complete a long rest.

Mirror Blade Prerequisite: Pact of the Blade feature When you conjure a one-handed weapon as your pact weapon and have nothing in your other hand, you can conjure a shadowy copy of the weapon in your other hand. You can perform two- weapon fighting with these weapons, even if the weapons aren’t light, and you can perform the somatic components of spells while both your hands are wielding your pact weapons. While the second weapon counts as magical, it does not inherit any magical properties from the weapon it was copied from

Pact of Blood Prerequisite: 7th level You can cast blood seal at will as a 2nd-level spell, without expending a spell slot or material components. You still need to pay the hemomancy cost as normal.

Sanguine Seeker Prerequisite: eldritch blast cantrip When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points with eldritch blast, you can cause the beam to continue through the creature, taking on a crimson hue. Select a new target within range and make a ranged spell attack against it. That creature takes force damage equal to any excess damage left over from the previous attack, plus an additional 1d4 necrotic damage.

Tales of the Crimson Tome Prerequisite: Pact of the Tome feature You can drop a pinch of humanoid blood into your book of shadows, and then ask one question aloud. Over the next minute, the blood manipulates itself into a language of your choice, answering your question in the process. The answer is provided using the knowledge of the humanoid that provided the blood, and is answered in less than 25 words. The blood must be from a living humanoid, and needs to be dropped into the book within a minute of it leaving the body.

Veil of the Night Prerequisite: 9th level, Pact of the Cloak feature When you are wearing your pact cloak, you can use your action to turn invisible until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until the end of your next turn.

Arcane Traditions The study of wizardry is ancient, stretching back to the earliest mortal discoveries of magic. It is firmly established in the worlds of D&D, with various traditions dedicated to its complex study. The most common arcane traditions in the multiverse revolve around the schools of magic. Wizards through the ages have cataloged thousands of spells, grouping them into eight categories called schools. In some places, these traditions are literally schools; a wizard might study at the School of Illusion while another studies across town at the School of Enchantment. In other institutions, the schools are more like academic departments, with rival faculties competing for students and funding. Even wizards who train apprentices in the solitude of their own towers use the division of magic into schools as a learning device, since the spells of each school require mastery of different techniques.

School of Reawakening As a member of the school of reawakening, you combine the forces of necromancy with the power of conjuration. By transforming the necromantic energies of the creatures you kill into completely new conjurations, you bridge the gap between these two school of magic, creating a hybrid school that combines elements of both Conjuration and Necromancy. As you progress, you learn to shape together ever more powerful conjurations.

Dual Savant Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the time you must spend to copy a necromancy or conjuration spell into your spellbook is halved.

Reawaken Soul At 2nd level, you gain the ability to store a creature’s soul for later use. You gain a Soul Vial, which can be used to store the soul of a creature with a challenge rating as high as 1/2. By using a 10 minute ritual on a creature that has died within the last hour, you can store that creature’s soul in the vial. If there is already a soul within the vial, then the new soul replaces it. Once you have a soul contained within your Soul Vial, you can release it to reform that creature. The creature has the same statistics as the creature you gathered the soul from, but it appears slightly translucent and visibly magical. Once formed, the creature lasts for up to 1 hour, and requires your concentration to maintain. The creature is friendly to you and your companions, and obeys your spoken commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands to it, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. Once the duration ends, the creature’s soul is freed and the vial is emptied. Once you form a creature, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. Starting at 6th level, you can capture the soul of a creature with a CR as high as your wizard level divided by 3, rounded down.

Volatile Soul Beginning at 6th level, the creatures you create through your Reawaken Soul feature can be used as arcane explosives. When one of the creatures is reduced to zero hit points, it explodes in a burst of necrotic essence. Each creature of your choice within a 10 ft radius of the exploding creature must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 necrotic damage for every point of that creature’s CR. Creatures below CR 1 deal 1d6 necrotic damage. On a successful save, a creature takes half damage.

Consume Starting at 10th level, you can consume the soul within your Soul Vial to restore hitpoints to yourself. As an action, you may drink the contents of the vial, regaining 2d4 hit points for every point of that creature’s CR. This feature cannot restore hitpoints to a creature other than yourself. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you complete a short or long rest.

Lasting Creation Starting at 14th level, the creature created through your Soul Reawaken feature lasts for up to 8 hours, and no longer requires concentration to maintain.

School of Hemomancy The School of Hemomancy studies the ancient arcane art of blood magic. As you select this tradition, you learn to manipulate your own life force so that you may manipulate the life force of others. As you progress through this school, you learn how to transform that vital energy into a force of immeasurable power, capable of defeating even the greatest of foes.

Hemomancy Savant Beginning when you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a spell with the hemomancy tag into your spellbook is halved

Arcane Endurance At 2nd level, your hit point maximum increases by 2, and increases by 1 whenever you gain another level in this class. Additionally, you only need to sacrifice a fraction of your life force to cast Hemomancy spells. When you spend hit points to cast a spell with the hemomancy tag, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to half the amount spent on the spell. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 hour.

Deepen Wound Starting at 6th level, when you damage a creature that is below half their hit point maximum with a spell, that creature takes additional necrotic damage equal to your Intelligence modifier if they haven’t already taken damage from this feature this turn.

Improved Endurance At 10th level, your ability to cast Hemomancy spells is greatly augmented. When you spend hitpoints to cast a spell with the hemomancy tag, you now gain temporary hit points equal to the total amount spent on the spell.

Dance with Death At 14th level, your body learns to repair itself when it is near death. At the start of each of your turns, you regain a number of hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1) if you have no more than half of your maximum hit points remaining. You don’t gain this benefit if you start your turn with 0 hit points.

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Chapter 3: Spells

3rd Level Flicker (transmutation)

HIS CHAPTER OFFERS NEW SPELLS FOR many of the classes in the Player’s Handbook. These spells provide various ways to harness the traditionally “evil” magics: necromancy, blood magic, and shadow magic. Your DM determines whether these spells are available at character creation, or whether they are discovered in an ancient tomb or library or other storehouse of magical knowledge. Also, this chapter includes rules for a new tag: hemomancy.

5th Level Shadow stride (conjuration)

6th Level Banshee's wail (necromancy)

7th Level Umbral assault (transmutation)

Cleric Spells

Hemomancy

Cantrips (0 level)

Certain spells included in this supplement have the special tag: hemomancy. Such a spell has an additional cost when it is cast: your own hit points. When you cast a spell with this tag, you must spend a number of hit points during the casting of the spell. Spending hit points in this way causes you to take necrotic damage equal to the amount spent, which cannot be reduced through any means. The number of hit points you can spend is based on the spell’s level, and is shown in the table below. You may not use temporary hit points to cast hemomancy spells.

Minimum Cost 1 4 7 10 13 16 19 22 25

Maximum Cost 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Blackblood (transmutation) (hemomancy) Blackflame (transmutation) Cruorwhip (necromancy) (hemomancy) Inflict pain (necromancy) Reaper's scythe (necromancy)

2nd Level

.

3rd Level

.

Animate blood (necromancy) (hemomancy) Beacon of false life (necromancy) Maim (necromancy)

.

4th Level

.

Draining thread (necromancy) (hemomancy) Sanguine sanctum (abjuration) (hemomancy)

.

5th Level

When you cast a spell with the hemomancy tag, you must spend a number of hit points that is between the minimum and the maximum amount you can spend. For example, if you are casting a spell of 2nd level, you must spend at least 4 hit points to cast it, though you can choose to spend up to 15 hit points in order to increase the power of the spell.

Spell Lists The following spell lists show which of the new spells are for a class. A spell’s school of magic is noted in parentheses after its name. If a spell has either a hemomancy or ritual tag, the tag also appears within the parentheses.

Bard Spells

1st Level

Blood seal (necromancy) (hemomancy) Hand of the grave (necromancy) Necromantic burst (necromancy)

Hemomancy Spell Table Spell Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Lacerate (necromancy) Umbraturgy (transmutation)

Bloodcurse (necromancy) (hemomancy)

6th Level Banshee's wail (necromancy)

7th Level Hemoplague (necromancy) (hemomancy)

9th Level Drain life (necromancy) (hemomancy)

Druid Spells 2nd Level Aura of shade (illusion) Dome of night (transmutation) (ritual)

4th Level

Cantrips (0 level)

Rary's rapid replication (transmutation)

Dueling shadows (transmutation) Umbraturgy (transmutation)

Shadow stride (conjuration)

1st Level Blackflame (transmutation) Inflict pain (necromancy)

2nd Level Aura of shade (illusion) Clinging shadows (transmutation) Dome of night (transmutation) (ritual) Hand of the grave (necromancy)

5th Level

Ranger Spells 2nd Level Aura of shade (illusion) Dome of night (transmutation) (ritual)

5th Level Shadow stride (conjuration)

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Paladin Spells

3rd Level

2nd Level

4th Level

Ichorous Smite (necromancy) (hemomancy)

Wall of bones (conjuration)

Sorcerer Spells

5th Level

Cantrips (0 level)

6th Level

Bloodletting (necromancy) (hemomancy) Lacerate (necromancy) Life thread (necromancy) Umbraturgy (transmutation)

1st Level Blackblood (transmutation) (hemomancy) Blackflame (transmutation) Bloodburn (necromancy) (hemomancy) Cruorwhip (necromancy) (hemomancy)

2nd Level Aura of shade (illusion) Blood seal (necromancy) (hemomancy) Clinging shadows (transmutation) Sanguine rope (transmutation) (hemomancy) Vampire's kiss (necromancy) (hemomancy)

3rd Level Animate blood (necromancy) (hemomancy) Beacon of false life (necromancy) Bloodsight (necromancy) (hemomancy) Flicker (transmutation) Tides of blood (necromancy) (hemomancy) Umbral form (transmutation)

4th Level Draining thread (necromancy) (hemomancy) Sanguine sanctum (abjuration) (hemomancy) Wall of bones (conjuration)

5th Level Bloodcurse (necromancy) (hemomancy) Shadow stride (conjuration)

6th Level Investiture of shadow (transmutation) Rain of blood (necromancy) (hemomancy)

7th Level Hemoplague (necromancy) (hemomancy)

8th Level Memento mori (necromancy) (hemomancy)

9th Level Drain life (necromancy) (hemomancy)

Warlock Spells Cantrips (0 level) Dueling shadows (transmutation) Lacerate (necromancy) Life thread (necromancy) Umbraturgy (transmutation)

1st Level Blackflame (transmutation) Reaper's scythe (necromancy)

2nd Level Aura of shade (illusion) Clinging shadows (transmutation) Dome of night (transmutation) (ritual) Hand of the grave (necromancy)

Beacon of false life (necromancy)

Shadow stride (conjuration) Banshee's wail (necromancy)

7th Level Umbral assault (transmutation)

Wizard Spells Cantrips (0 level) Bloodletting (necromancy) (hemomancy) Dueling shadows (transmutation) Lacerate (necromancy) Life thread (necromancy) Umbraturgy (transmutation)

1st Level Blackflame (transmutation) Bloodburn (necromancy) (hemomancy) Cruorwhip (necromancy) (hemomancy)

2nd Level Aura of shade (illusion) Blood seal (necromancy) (hemomancy) Clinging shadows (transmutation) Dome of night (transmutation) (ritual) Hand of the grave (necromancy) Necromantic burst (necromancy) Sanguine rope (transmutation) (hemomancy) Vampire's kiss (necromancy) (hemomancy)

3rd Level Animate blood (necromancy) (hemomancy) Beacon of false life (necromancy) Bloodsight (necromancy) (hemomancy) Flicker (transmutation) Tides of blood (necromancy) (hemomancy) Umbral form (transmutation)

4th Level Draining thread (necromancy) (hemomancy) Rary's rapid replication (transmutation) Rend shadows (necromancy) Sanguine sanctum (abjuration) (hemomancy) Wall of bones (conjuration)

5th Level Bloodcurse (necromancy) (hemomancy) Ray of fatigue (necromancy) Shadow stride (conjuration)

6th Level Banshee's wail (necromancy) Investiture of shadow (transmutation) Rain of blood (necromancy) (hemomancy)

7th Level Hemoplague (necromancy) (hemomancy) Umbral assault (transmutation)

8th Level Memento mori (necromancy) (hemomancy)

9th Level Drain life (necromancy) (hemomancy)

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Spell Descriptions The spells are presented in alphabetical order.

Animate Blood 3rd-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 10 feet Components: V, S, M (droplets of blood) Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.

Components: V, S, M (alcohol or distilled spirits) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Necromantic energy emanates from you in a 30-foot radius area. Until the spell ends, the area moves with you, centered on you. While within the area, you and every creature that you have under your control (such as through an animate dead spell) gains 2d4 temporary hit points at the start of each of their turns. These temporary hit points last until they leave the area.

You animate droplets of your own blood to act under your command. For every three hit points spent in the casting of this spell, you create a droplet of animated blood. As you cast the spell, and as a bonus action on each of your turns thereafter, you can mentally command the droplets to move as long as they are within 120 feet of you. The droplets have a speed of 30 feet, and a climbing speed of 15 feet. As an action on your turn, you can choose to see and hear from the location of one of the blood droplets until the end of your turn, becoming blinded and deafened to your own surroundings. Additionally, you may instead use your action to cause one of the droplets to explode in a burst of necromantic energy, destroying the droplet and damaging surrounding creatures. Each creature within 5 feet of the droplet must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 6d4 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 3rd.

Blackblood

Aura of Shade

1st-level transmutation

2nd-level illusion Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, M (a deep black stone) Duration: 1 minute You create a 15-foot radius sphere of shadow magic centered on a point within range. The area appears to be wreathed in swirling shadows and darkness, and is easily identifiable when it is in an area of bright or dim light. The sphere spreads around corners, and each creature that ends their turn within the area becomes invisible. This invisibility ends for a creature if they attack, cast a spell, or leave the area. Anything they are wearing or carrying is also invisible as long as they are.

Banshee’s Wail 6th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (20-foot radius) Components: V, S, M (a strand of banshee hair) Duration: Instantaneous You release a mournful wail that pierces into the mind of those that hear it. Each creature within 20 feet of you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 4d8 psychic damage, falls unconscious, and is deafened for 1 minute. On a success, it takes half as much damage and suffers no other effect. An unconscious creature wakes up after 1 hour, if it takes any damage, or if another creature uses its action to shake them awake. A deafened creature automatically succeeds on the save.

Beacon of False Life 3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (30-foot radius)

1st-level transmutation (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: 1 hour You transform a portion of your blood into a poisonous substance. As you cast this spell, you must spend a number of hit points. You gain a number of temporary hit points equal to the amount spent. For as long as these temporary hit points last, whenever a creature hits you with an attack while within 5 feet of you they take 1d8 poison damage and become poisoned until the start of their next turn. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you gain 5 additional temporary hit points for each slot level above 1st.

Blackflame Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You choose a flame that you can see within range and that fits within a 5-foot cube. The flame momentarily changes color into a deep black, and then lashes out at surrounding creatures. Each creature within a 5-foot radius extending from the flame must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 1d6 necrotic damage and 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the necrotic damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

Bloodburn 1st-level evocation (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 120 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You inflict a burning pain upon yourself, causing another creature that you can see within range to feel an even more excruciating pain as their blood boils. As you cast the spell, you must spend a number of hit points. The creature must then make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 2d6 + the number of hit points spent as fire damage, and immediately falls prone as they become wracked with pain. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage and doesn’t fall prone. Constructs, elementals, and undead are immune to this spell. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.

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Bloodcurse 5th-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Touch Components: S Duration: Varies (see below) You touch a creature’s open wound and bestow a curse. As you spend a number of hit points to cast the spell, that creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed. During the casting of the spell, you can make a Charisma (Deception) check against the target’s Wisdom (Insight) check to attempt to conceal the spell’s true nature, such as pretending to bandage their wound. The curse has no effect until after 1 hour. Thereafter, the curse lasts for a number of days equal to the number of hit points spent, and for that duration the cursed creature can’t regain hit points and is poisoned. Every 8 hours the creature is cursed, they take 3d4 necrotic damage as the curse rots away at them. A remove curse spell ends this effect. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 5th.

Bloodletting Necromancy cantrip (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You touch a creature and spend 1 hit point, opening a wound where you touch. Make a melee spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d12 necrotic damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt. These temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute. The spell's damage increases by 1d12 when you reach 5th level (2d12), 11th level (3d12), and 17th level (4d12).

Blood Seal 2nd-level necromancy (hemomancy) (ritual) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S, M (an ornate dagger worth at least 25 gp) Duration: 1 hour You inflict a wound upon yourself to create a protective seal on another creature within range. As you cast the spell, you spend a number of hit points and the target gains 1d10 + the number of hit points spent as temporary hit points for the duration. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the target gains 1d10 additional temporary hit points for each slot level above 2nd.

Bloodsight 3rd-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes You draw out a portion of your blood, causing your eyes to take on a crimson hue. For the duration, you can see the life force of nearby creatures. The range of this vision is a number of feet equal to 5 times the number of hit points spent on this spell. When a creature is at full health, they appear perfectly normal, but as they become more wounded a red aura begins to surround them. You can notice when a creature’s current hit points are

below 1/2 or 1/4 of their hit point maximum. If a creature is below 1/2 of their hit point maximum, you can see them even through walls and invisibility. At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the duration is 1 hour. If you use a slot of 7th level or higher, the duration is 8 hours. If you use a 9th level spell slot, the duration is 24 hours. Using a spell slot of 5th level or higher grants a duration that doesn’t require concentration.

Clinging Shadows 2nd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (bat fur) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You choose an area of dim light or darkness that you can see within range and that fits within a 20-foot cube. Each creature within the area must succeed on Strength saving throw or be restrained by shadows until the spell ends. A creature restrained by the shadows can use its action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, it frees itself. Until the spell ends, you can use an action on each of your turns to cause a tendril of shadow to reach out and grab a creature within 15 feet of the area. The creature must repeat the saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is pulled into the area and becomes restrained. If the area becomes bathed in bright light, the spell has no effect until the bright light fades.

Cruorwhip 1st-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: 1 minute You create a whip out of your own blood in your free hand. By spending a number of hit points, you create a whip similar in size and shape to a normal whip. If you let go of the whip, it disappears, but you can recreate it again as a bonus action. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the whip. For every 5 hit points spent in the casting of this spell the reach increases by 5 feet, with a minimum health cost of 5 hit points. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 necrotic damage. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases to 3d6. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases to 4d6. When you use a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases to 5d6. When you use a 9th level spell slot, the damage increases to 6d6.

Dome of Night 2nd-level transmutation (ritual) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, M (owl feathers) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You create a 15-foot radius dome of magical darkness that lasts for the duration. A creature with darkvision cannot see through the walls of the dome, and nonmagical light can’t illuminate it. The dome is filled with dim light, and the inside of the dome shows an accurate representation of the night sky, including the current location of the stars and moon. If any of this spell's area overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell that created the light is dispelled. CHAPTER 3 | SPELLS

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Draining Thread

Hand of the Grave

4th-level necromancy (hemomancy)

2nd-level necromancy

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous

Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: 10 feet Components: V, S, M (hand of a humanoid) Duration: 24 hours

You open a wound on your body, shooting out a thread of blood between yourself and a creature within range. As you cast the spell, you must spend a number of hit points. The creature must then succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 7d6 + the number of hit points spent as necrotic damage. If this damage brings the target to 0 hit points, half the hit point cost is refunded as blood drains through the thread back into your body. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d6 for each slot level above 4th.

When you cast this spell, you bury a humanoid hand into a patch of loose earth at least 5 feet in diameter to conceal it. The area is nearly undisturbed and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found. The hand animates when a medium or smaller creature walks over the area of earth. You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the spell could be set to affect aberrations or drow), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that don't trigger the spell, such as those who say a certain password. When the hand animates, it attempts to grab whatever creature triggered it. That creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and become restrained as the hand grasps it with an inhumanly strong grip. The creature

Drain Life 9th-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You open a deep wound on your body, draining the life of another creature as your own blood leaves your body. As you cast the spell, you must spend a number of hit points. The creature must then make a Constitution saving throw. The creature takes 12d12 + double the number of hit points spent as necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Dueling Shadows Transmutation cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous Choose two creatures within range that are within 5 feet of each other. Each target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 necrotic damage as their shadows lash out at each other. If one of the creatures moves before the start of your next turn, both targets must repeat the saving throw as the shadows lash out again, dealing another 1d4 necrotic damage The spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Flicker 3rd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self Components: V, S, M (displacer beast fur) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Your body begins to flicker in and out of existence as shadow magic envelops you. For the duration of the spell, you can use your bonus action to teleport 5 feet. Additionally, when you are targeted by an attack you can use your reaction to attempt to teleport out of harm's way. Roll a d20. On a roll of 11 or higher, the attack automatically misses, and you teleport 5 feet. Otherwise, the attack is made as normal and you teleport 5 feet shortly after.

can use an action on its turn to make a Strength check against your spell save DC, freeing itself on a success. Once the hand has animated for 1 minute, the spell ends, and the hand returns to normal. If the creature dies while restrained, the hand pulls it underground, burying it.

Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Hemoplague

• At the start of each of your turns, you turn invisible. If you attack or cast a spell, this invisibility ends. • You can see normally in darkness, both magical and nonmagical, to a distance of 120 feet. • You can use your action to create a 15-foot radius sphere of magical darkness centered on a point you can see within 60 feet of you, as per the darkness spell. This darkness lasts for the duration, or until you activate this ability again.

7th-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S, (a poison or venom) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You draw out a portion of your blood, infecting it with a vile poison before causing it to streak towards creatures within range. As you cast this spell, you must spend a number of hit points, allowing you to target 1 creature for every 5 hit points spent. Each creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 6d8 necrotic damage and is also infected for the duration. On a success, the target takes half damage and suffers no additional effect. An infected target is poisoned, can’t regain hit points, and whenever they take bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, they take an additional 2d8 necrotic damage as they bleed profusely. A creature repeats the saving throw at the start of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the initial damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 7th.

Ichorous Smite 2nd-level necromancy (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You imbue a weapon with a portion of your life force, spending a number of hit points as you cast the spell. The first time you hit with a melee weapon attack during this spell’s duration, the attack deals additional necrotic damage equal to 2d4 + the number of hit points spent. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 2nd.

Inflict Pain 1st-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You touch a creature, inflicting them with negative energy and racking them with excruciating pain. The target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 necrotic damage and become incapacitated with pain until the start of your next turn. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 1st.

Investiture of Shadow 6th-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self

Until the spell ends, shadows swirl around you, and you gain the following benefits:

Lacerate Necromancy cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous Two bolts of necrotic energy shoot from your fingertips towards a single creature within range. Make two ranged spell attacks against the target. On a hit, the target takes 1d4 necrotic damage. If both bolts hit the target, they strike simultaneously as a single instance of damage, and the target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage it took. The target’s hit point maximum returns to normal after 10 minutes. The spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Life Thread Necromancy cantrip Casting Time: 1 action Range: 5 feet Components: V, M (a red or black thread) Duration: 1 minute You create a binding thread that ties your soul to the soul of creature within 5 feet of you. If that creature moves more than 5 feet away from you, it must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or take 2d6 necrotic damage, and the spell ends. The spell also ends if you move more than 5 feet away from the creature. The spell's damage increases by 2d6 when you reach 5th level (4d6), 11th level (6d6), and 17th level (8d6).

Maim 3rd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (flake of skin or bone from an undead) Duration: Instantaneous You touch a creature, transferring a virulent disease into their body. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, it takes 8d4 necrotic damage, or half as much damage on a successful save. The damage can’t reduce a target’s hit points below 1. If the target fails the saving throw, it can’t take reactions for the next 10 minutes as the disease clouds their brain. Any effect that removes a disease allows a creature to remove the secondary effect. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 2d4 for each slot level above 3rd.

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Memento Mori

Rain of Blood

8th-level necromancy (hemomancy)

6th-level necromancy (hemomancy)

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 150 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

This spell dominates the minds and bodies of humanoids, consuming them in a frenzy of death. As you cast the spell, you must spend a number of hit points. Roll 14d8 and add twice the number of hit points spent to the roll; the total is how many hit points of creatures this spell can affect. Humanoids within 30 feet of a point you choose within range are affected in ascending order of their current hit points (ignoring unconscious creatures). Starting with the creature that has the lowest current hit points, each creature affected by this spell is under your control until the spell ends. Subtract each creature’s hit points from the total before moving on to the creature with the next lowest hit points. A creature’s hit points must be equal to or less than the remaining total for that creature to be affected. Creatures immune to being charmed aren’t affected by this spell. On each of your turns, you can issue commands to the creatures under your control, directing them where to move and attack. If a creature doesn’t receive orders from you, they attack the closest creature to them. If a creature hasn’t made an attack by the end of its turn, the spell ends for them. If you maintain your concentration on this spell for its whole duration, each creature that is still under the spell’s effect when the spell ends dies.

You draw out your blood, turning it into rain that pours down over a 45-foot radius area within range. As you cast this spell, you must spend a number of hit points. A creature that starts its turn in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a target takes 4d6 + half the number of hit points spent as necrotic damage, and its movement speed is slowed by 5 feet for the duration of the spell. On a success, the target takes half as much damage and is not slowed. The slow can stack with itself, but it cannot reduce a creature’s speed below half. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 6th.

Necromantic Burst 2nd-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous

Rary’s Rapid Replication 4th-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 20 feet Components: V, S, (a poison or venom) Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes You transform up to ten bats, rats, or ravens, three quippers, five insects, or one poisonous snake within range into swarms of shadowy replicas for the duration. Each creature becomes a swarm, as described in the monster manual. Each creature obeys your verbal commands, and in combat, they act on your tum each round. The DM has the statistics for these creatures and resolves their actions and movement. A creature remains a swarm for the duration, until it drops to 0 hit points, or until you use an action to dismiss the effect on it.

You cause the corpse of a creature to explode into a burst of necrotic energy. Choose a corpse within range. The creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to black dust. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a reincarnate, true resurrection, or a wish spell. Each creature within 5 feet of the target must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 necrotic damage. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.

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Ray of Fatigue

Shadow Stride

5th-level necromancy

5th-level conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 10 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You cause a creature of your choice to be overtaken by exhaustion. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature gains a level of exhaustion. On a successful save, the creature suffers no effect and the spell ends. At the start of each of their turns, the creature must repeat the saving throw. It gains a level of exhaustion on a failed save, and the spell ends on a successful one. The spell ends early if the target’s exhaustion level becomes 4 or greater.

You gain the ability to blink from one shadow to another. When you are in dim light or darkness, you can use 5 feet of movement to teleport up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You can use this teleportation ability twice per round for the duration.

Reaper’s Scythe

2nd-level transmutation (hemomancy)

1st-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 bonus action Range: Self Components: V, S, M (a piece of a scythe blade) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute You create a scythe out of necrotic energy in your free hands. The scythe is a large weapon, requires both hands to wield, and lasts for the duration. If you let go of the scythe, it disappears, but you can conjure it again as a bonus action. You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the scythe. On a hit, the target takes 2d4 necrotic damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 1st.

Rend Shadows 4th-level necromancy Casting Time: 1 action Range: 60 feet Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute Choose up to 4 creatures within range. Each creature has their shadow forcibly ripped from their body, conjuring a Shadow (Monster Manual pg. 269) in an unoccupied space next to them. As long as the shadow is separate from their body, they do not cast a shadow. A shadow created through this spell reforms with its host when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends, and it disappears if its host dies. If its host dies, a new shadow does not rise from the corpse. The shadows seek only to attack the creature they were separated from, and disappear when that creature is killed. Roll initiative for the shadows as a group, which has its own turns. They spend their turns attacking their host, without any thought for strategy or tactics. The DM has the creature’s statistics. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using certain higher level spell slots, you can target more creatures: twice as many with a 6th-level slot and three times as many with an 8th-level slot.

Sanguine Rope Casting Time: 1 action Range: Varies (see below) Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous You draw out a portion of your blood, forming it into a rope that you can use to either pull yourself to a location, or pull an object or creature to you. As you cast the spell, you must spend a number of hit points. Then, you immediately send the rope to grab a target that you can see within a range equal to 5 times the number of hit points spent. Once you grab a target, you can either pull yourself to a location within 5 feet of the target, or you can attempt to pull the target to a location within 5 feet of you. In order to pull the target to you, it must weigh less than 100 pounds, and if it is a creature it can make a Strength saving throw to avoid being pulled. If you pull yourself to a target, you move in a straight line towards the target and take opportunity attacks as normal. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the amount of weight you can pull increases by 100 pounds for each slot level above 2nd.

Sanguine Sanctum 4th-level abjuration (hemomancy) Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (10-foot radius hemisphere) Components: V, S Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You transform your blood into a 10-foot-radius protective dome that forms around and above you and remains stationary for the duration. The dome can be damaged, and it has a number of hit points equal to 20 + double the amount of hit points spent in the casting of this spell. Any creature within the dome cannot be targeted by creatures outside the dome, and vice versa. Spells and attacks that would pass or extend through the dome instead hit the dome, dealing it damage, and do not extend farther. As long as the dome lasts you can use your action to spend a number of hit points and add this amount to the dome’s current hit points. Nine creatures of Medium size or smaller can fit inside the dome with you. The spell fails if its area includes a larger creature or more than nine creatures. Creatures and objects within the dome when you cast this spell can move through it freely. All other creatures and objects are barred from passing through it. The dome is semi-transparent. It can be seen through, but things seen through the walls appear distorted and blurred with the red color of the dome. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the dome’s base hit point value increases by 5 for each slot level above 4th. CHAPTER 3 | SPELLS

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Tides of Blood

Umbraturgy

3rd-level necromancy (hemomancy)

Transmutation cantrip

Casting Time: 1 action Range: Self (20-foot radius) Components: V, S Duration: 1 round

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 15 feet Components: V, S Duration: Up to 1 hour

You draw out your own blood as well as the blood of corpses within 20 feet of you. You may choose to spend a number of hit points, and you may also gain the hit points needed from corpses within the radius, not including those of constructs, elementals, and undead. Each corpse that had a hit point maximum greater than or equal to 5 in life gives 5 hit points towards the casting, and then cannot be used to cast this spell again. As a bonus action on your next turn, you can release the blood. Each creature within 20 feet of you must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, they take 4d6 + the number of hit points gained or spent as necrotic damage. On a successful save, they take half as much damage. At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.

You compel shadows to create one of the following effects at a point you can see within range:

Umbral Assault

Vampire’s Kiss

• The shadow of a creature or object changes size or shape, up to a maximum of double or half its normal size. This effect lasts for up to 1 hour. • You cause shadows to conceal up to 2 creatures within a 15foot radius area of dim light or darkness, allowing them to hide as a bonus action on their next turn if they remain in the area. • The shadow of a creature or object becomes either blurred or unblurred, making its form either easier or harder to discern from the shape of the shadow. This effect lasts for up to 1 hour. If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have no more than two of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.

7th-level transmutation

2nd-level enchantment (hemomancy)

Casting Time: 1 action Range: 30 feet Components: V, S Duration: Instantaneous

Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: S Duration: Varies (see below)

You target a creature within range. The shadows of creatures within 5 feet of the target then turn against the first creature, attacking them from all sides. The target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The creature takes 3d6 necrotic damage for every creature within 5 feet of it of size Small or larger, up to a maximum of 24d6 on a failed save, or half damage on a successful one.

You draw out a portion of your own blood as you kiss another humanoid. As you cast the spell, you must spend a number of hit points. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw, and does so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. If it fails the saving throw, it is charmed by you for 10 minutes for every hit point spent on the casting of the spell, ending early if you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature falls hopelessly in love with you. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.

Umbral Form 3rd-level transmutation Casting Time: 1 action Range: Touch Components: V, S, M (a drop of black ink) Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour You transform a willing creature you touch, along with everything it’s wearing and carrying, into an animated shadow for the duration. The spell ends if the creature drops to 0 hit points. While in this form, the target has an AC of 18, its only method of movement is a walking and climbing speed of 20 feet, and it cannot jump or otherwise remove itself from the surface it moves on. This movement is completely noiseless, and allows the target to move up, down, and across vertical surfaces and upside down on ceilings. The target can enter and occupy the space of another creature. It has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and is always hidden in darkness. The target can pass through small holes, narrow openings, and even mere cracks, though it treats liquids as though they were solid surfaces. The target can't fall and remains on the surface it was on even when stunned or otherwise incapacitated. While in the shadowy form, the target can't talk or manipulate objects, and any objects it was carrying or holding can't be dropped, used, or otherwise interacted with. The target can't attack or cast spells.

Wall of Bones 4th-level conjuration Casting Time: 1 action Range: 90 feet Components: V, S, M (a skeletal hand) Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes A wall of writhing bones and skeletons springs into existence at a point you choose within range. The wall is 6 inches thick and is composed of three 10-foot-by-10-foot panels. Each panel must be contiguous with at least one other panel. If the wall cuts through a creature's space when it appears, the creature is pushed to one side of the wall (your choice). Any creature that starts its turn next to a wall must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 bludgeoning damage and become restrained. The creature can make a Strength saving throw at the start of each of its turns, taking the same damage on a failure or freeing itself on a success. The wall is an object that can be damaged and thus breached. Each panel has AC 10 and 20 hit points per inch of thickness. Reducing a panel to 0 hit points destroys it.

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Chapter 4: Creatures HIS CHAPTER INCLUDES NEW CREATURES for your players to face as they run through your Campaign, supplementing those found in the Monster Manual. These new creatures themed around necromancy, undeath, blood magic, and shadow magic may all be used in your campaigns, if they are deemed fitting.

Archlich Archliches are beings of immense magical power outmatched by only the gods themselves. Through their many millennia of existence, archliches have mastered all arts of necromancy. But these beings are still not satisfied with their near limitless power they still yearn for more, and they hunger for even greater arcane knowledge. Supremely intelligent, these creatures enact schemes that last for hundreds of years - which is just a blip in their unending existence. An archlich appears almost completely skeletal, with only a few wisps of flesh and hair left on its frame. The lights of their eyes disappeared long ago, so all that remains are black, empty sockets. They choose to adorn themselves with kingly attire, believing themselves to be the rightful rulers of the land. Dark Creation. Archliches are the oldest beings known to exist, originally and only created during the Crown Wars over ten thousand years ago. Long tired of the unending war, a few elves yearned to gain the power that would allow them end the war themselves. So these few became high mages, sages with unmatched magical power for their time. But they still needed more, as this war couldn’t be ended with normal magic in the span of a single mortal life. So these mages devoted their entire lives to the study of necromancy, and learned the secrets to lichdom from their dealings with the dark gods of the time. These gods gave them the forbidden knowledge needed to ascend past even the most powerful liches, which hasn’t been given to a mortal mind before or since. Using this knowledge, these mages began the arcane ritual. This ritual released a huge storm of necrotic power onto the world; an event now known as the Dark Disaster. The Dark Disaster destroyed an entire elvish kingdom, and reduced the surrounding area to a barren wasteland. This power also proved too much for the minds of the mages, and they lost all memory of their original purpose and their mortal life, but they had gained the power they had so desired. Enemy of the Gods. Once the gods saw the destruction wrought by the Dark Disaster, they knew they needed to intervene. Celestial agents were sent to destroy these few archliches, but even the most powerful of angels couldn’t fully destroy them. But eventually, after only a few months of destruction, all the archliches were banished to other planes, supposedly to never be seen again. After they were all dispatched, the gods sought to never allow another mortal to ascend to that degree of lichdom again. They used all their power to hide that forbidden knowledge, and even convinced some of the most evil deities to never to part with the knowledge. Pact-makers. Although all the archliches were banished and trapped in their own demiplanes, a few of them have learned how to contact mortals in the material plane, though as of yet none have escaped the confines of their prison. By gaining mortal followers, an archlich hopes to free itself and become a ruler of the mortal world.

Those that are make a pact with an archlich are granted a degree of magical power, with the assumption that they will serve and put all their resources towards freeing their master. They believe that with the outside influence gained through these pacts, they will eventually find a creature capable of freeing them and inflicting them upon the world. Death and Restoration. An archlich’s phylactery is located within its demiplane, and is completely indestructible and inaccessible to all but the archlich. However, this means that if an archlich were to escape from their confines and then allow their body to be destroyed, they would once again be trapped within the demiplane when their body reforms. Since an archlich requires the assistance of powerful spell casters to return to the material plane, it is necessary for them to attempt to create and hold allegiances with mortals. If a mortal was to learn how to summon an archlich from their plane of existence, the archlich would be obligated to keep that mortal alive and allied, for the archlich may need that mortal again if their body is destroyed and they are restored to their plane. Undead Nature. An archlich doesn’t require air, food, drink or sleep.

An Archlich’s Lair If an archlich were to escape its prison, it would be able to create a lair for itself fairly quickly. Using the armies of undead it easily amasses, an archlich can build great castles and towers for itself, designing grand halls, mighty defenses, and cunning traps meant to ward off all intrusion. An archlich’s lair would be filled with strategically placed undead, meant to emerge and surround unlucky visitors. The lair would also include a residence for those that have made a pact with the archlich, both to keep those allies in good standing and to help protect the lair. An archlich encountered in its lair has a challenge rating of 31 (175,000 XP).

Lair Actions On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the archlich can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects; the lich can't use the same effect two rounds in a row: • The archlich rolls 2d8 and takes the higher roll, regaining a spell slot of the level rolled or lower. If it has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens. • The archlich targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers thelich to the target. Whenever the lich takes damage, the target must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the lich takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until the lich or the target is no longer in the lich's lair. • The lich calls forth the spirits of creatures that died in its lair. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that the lich can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, becoming paralyzed for 1 minute and taking 52 (15d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear. A paralyzed creature can repeat the saving throw at the start of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

32

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Medium undead, neutral evil Armor Class 20 (natural armor) Hit Points 361 (38d8 +190)

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STR

DEX

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INT

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12 (+1)

18 (+4)

20 (+5)

28 (+9)

16 (+3)

16 (+3)

Saving Throws Con +14, Int +18, Wis +12 Skills Arcana +27, History +18, Insight +12, Perception +12 Damage Immunities necrotic, poison, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Damage Resistances lightning, cold, acid, force Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned, paralyzed, stunned Senses truesight 300 ft., passive Perception 22 Languages All Challenge 30 (155,000 XP) i—

Legendary Resistance (3/day). If the archlich fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Death Burst. When an undead under the archlich's control is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes in a burst of necrotic energy. Each living creature within 5 feet of the undead must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 27 (6d8) necrotic damage on a failed save or half damage on a success. Reanimating Presence. Whenever a humanoid dies within 60 feet of the archlich, it rises at the start of the archlich's next turn as a zombie under its control. If the humanoid's body was protected against raising or was too heavily damaged before being raised, such as through the disintegrate spell, the gentle repose spell, or decapitation, the rising fails. Rejuvenation. If it has a phylactery, a destroyed lich gains a new body in 1d4 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active

again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactely. Spell Mastery. The archlich can cast magic missile and mirror image at their lowest level without expending a spell slot, and may add its Intelligence modifer to any damage dealt by a spell. Turn Immunity. The archlich is immune to effects that turn undead. Spellcasting. The archlich is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 26, +18 to hit with

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spell attacks). The archlich has the following wizard spells prepared: Ca ntrips (at will): chill touch, mage hand, prestdigitation, ray offrost 1st level (4 slots): detect magic, magic missile, shield, thunderwave 2nd level (3 slots): acid arrow, detect thoughts, invisibility, mirror image, scorching ray 3rd EVE (3 s ots) counterspell, dispel magic, fireball 4th EVE (3 s ots) banishment, blight, dimension door 5th EVE (3 s ots) cloudkill, scrying, wall offorce 6th EVE (2 s ots) disintegrate, globe of invulnerability 7th EVE (2 s ots) finger of death, plane shift 8th EVE (1( s ots) dominate monster, power word stun 9th EVE (1 s ots) power word kill

Ac'1o\|s Multiattack. The archlich can use its Frightful Presence, and then casts 2 spells with a casting time of 1 action, one of 1st level or higher and one cantrip. It then makes an attack with its paralyzing touch. Paralyzing Touch. Melee SpeIlAttack: +18 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) cold damage. The target must succeed on a DC 26 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the archlich's choice within 120 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 20 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, with disadvantage if the archlich is within line of sight, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the archlich's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.

LEGENDARY AcT1o|\|s The archlich can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The archlich regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Paralyzing Touch. The archlich uses its Paralyzing Touch. Sacrifice. The archlich reduces an undead under its control to 0 hit points, and regains 2d10 + 20 hit points.

Disrupt Life (Costs 2Actions). Each living creature within 20 feet of the archlich must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 54 (12d8) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

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Bloodbeast Bloodbeasts roam destroyed forests and barren plains, searching for signs of life that signal the presence of their prey. These savage creatures scour the landscape for small towns and dens, snatching and devouring any residents that they find. Their victims are often found days later, drained of all their blood. Bloodbeasts take the form of thin, decrepit dire wolves, with crimson-hued fur and pale pink skin. Although these beasts look to be in ill health at first glance, the magic that runs through their veins makes them a powerful foe to face. Beasts of Yeenoghu. When a hyena feasts on a creature slain by a gnoll fang of Yeenoghu, that hyena undergoes a horrid transformation into a gnoll. However, there is also another lesser known, unintended transformation: the creation of bloodbeasts. When a dire wolf eats a creature that has been slain in that way, it instead undergoes a transformation into a bloodbeast, a creature imbued with the savagery and insatiable hunger of Yeenoghu himself. This process is extremely rare, since the territories of gnolls and dire wolves rarely intersect. But when they do, these powerful beasts can wreak havoc among the small packs of gnolls that dot the barren landscapes these beasts call home. Lone Hunters. When a bloodbeast is created, it quickly disappears from the scene of its creation and hides from the gnolls that accidentally brought it into existence. It is only after a few days that the beast is ready to venture out and search for its prey. Bloodbeasts stalk the landscape in the dead of night, searching for weak creatures that they can easily ambush and quickly kill. After becoming a blood beast, these creatures no longer have any desire to procreate or work in packs. Enemy of the Gnolls. Larger groups of gnolls that see a bloodbeast will kill it on sight, knowing that these creatures can easily pick off all but the most powerful gnolls in one-on-one combat.

B L o o D B EA s T Large monstrosity, chaotic evil

Armor Class 12 Hit Points 76 (8d10 + 32) Speed 40 ft. STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

17 (+3)

14 (+2)

18 (+4)

3 (-4)

10 (+0)

5 (-3)

i

Skills Perception +2 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 Languages — Challenge 3 (700 XP) i

Transfusion. Once per turn, when the bloodbeast hits a creature with cruorwhip or with a bite attack, the target takes an extra 10 (3d6) damage, and the bloodbeast regains hit points equal to the extra damage dealt. Innate Spellcasting. The bloodbeast's spellcasting ability is Constitution (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The bloodbeast can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: cruorwhip 1/day each: animate blood, tides of blood

AcT1o|\|s Multiattack. The blood beast makes two bite attacks. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.

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C RU o R BAT Large undead, unaligned

Armor Class 13 Hit Points 32 (5d10 + 5) Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

17 (+3)

16 (+3)

13 (+1)

6 (-2)

12 (+1)

8 (-1)

Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) Echolocation. The bat can't use its blindsight while deafened Keen Hearing. The bat has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. Regeneration. The bat regains 5 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or running water. If the bat takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the bat's next turn.

AcT1o|\|s Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6+3) piercing damage.

Cruorgheist As they feast on more corpses, cruorbats become larger, stronger and more intimidating. After a few years of meals, cruorbats gradually evolve into cruorgheists, a much more powerful enemy with a far greater constitution. These creatures are masters at hit-and-run tactics, where they dive onto their foes and then retreat as necromantic energy allows them to regenerate enough for another dive. Another common tactic is grabbing a foe and then taking off into the air, dropping them a few seconds later to potentially secure a kill.

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In their transition, a cruorgheist has become far more monstrous in appearance. Their lithe body has been replaced with a far larger, more muscular frame, and their claws and fangs have become considerably larger. While a cruorbat can easily be mistaken as a regular bat, a cruorgheist’s form is immediately noticeable. For this reason, cruorghiests typically aren’t used as scouts, as they lack the cruorbat’s capability of blending into the natural world.

Cruorhulk A cruorhulk is yet another stage in the life of a cruorbeast, and it is the most seldom achieved. By allowing a cruorgheist to drink the blood of its vampire master, that cruorghiest can undergo a transformation into a cruorhulk, which is a gigantic beast that rivals the strength of its master. Because of their immense power and the food required to sustain them, even the most powerful vampire will rarely have more than one cruorhulk at its side. While the cruorhulk retains its loyalty to its master, it is no longer under their direct control, and its life is no longer connected with its master. This means that its master must take extra care in keeping a cruorhulk happy, since the beast is able to turn against them if it doesn’t get enough food or care. However, this also means that if the vampire dies, then the cruorhulk will be able to take its revenge. By transforming into a cruorhulk, a cruorghiest loses its flight capabilities due to its body becoming too heavy for its wings to lift. While it is no longer a skirmisher, it is instead a fantastic front-line fighter, capable of protecting its master against some of the most powerful threats they might face.

CRUo RGH E1 sT Large undead, unaligned

Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 76 (8d10 + 32) Speed 30 ft., fly 50ft. —

STR

DEX

CQN

INT

WIS

CHA

19 (+4)

16 (+3)

19 (+4)

8 (-1)

13 (+1)

11 (+0)

i

Skills Perception +4, Intimidation +3, Stealth +6 Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages — Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Echolocation. The cruorgheist can't use its blindsight while deafened Keen Hearing. The cruorgheist has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. Regeneration. The cruorgheist regains 10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point. If the cruorgheist takes radiant damage, this trait doesn't function at the start of the cruorgheist's next turn.

ACTIONS Multiattack. The cruorg heist makes two attacks, one with its claws and one with its bite Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage. If the target is grappled, then this attack is made with advantage and deals an additional 3 (1d6) necrotic damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (2d4+4) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the cruorgheist can grapple the target (escape DC 15)

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

36

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Ir--' Regeneration. The cruorhulk regains 20 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1 hit point and isn't in sunlight or running water. If the cruorhulk takes radiant damage or damage from holy water, this trait doesn't function at the start of the cruorhulk's next turn.

CRUORHULK Huge undead, unaligned

Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit Points 150 (12d12 + 72) Speed 40ft.

Actions

STR

DEX

CQN

INT

WIS

CHA

23 (+6)

16 (+3)

22 (+6)

13 (+1)

16 (+3)

15 (+2)

Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +6 Damage Resistances necrotic, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Senses blindsight 60 ft., passive Perception 13 Languages Common, one language known by its creator Challenge 12 (8,400 XP) Echolocation. The cruorhulk can't use its blindsight while deafened Keen Hearing. The cruorhulk has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. Flying Leap. Although it can no longer fly, the cruorhulk can still use its wings to increase the distance of its leaps. The cruorhulk's long jump is up to 30 feet and its high jump is up to 15 feet, with or without a running start.

Multiattack. The cruorhulk makes three attacks, two with its claws and one with its bite Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10+6) piercing damage. If the target is grappled, then this attack is made with advantage and deals an additional 5 (1d10) necrotic damage. Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d8+6) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the cruorhulk can grapple the target (escape DC 18). Deadly Leap. If the cruorhulkjumps at least 15 feet as part of its movement, it can then use this action to land on its feet in a space that contains one or more other creatures. Each of those creatures must succeed on a DC 18 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (target's choice) or be knocked prone and take 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage plus 17 (2d10 + 6) slashing damage. On a successful save, the creature takes only half the damage, isn't knocked prone, and is pushed 5 feet out of the cruorhulk's space into an unoccupied space of the creature's choice. If no unoccupied space is within range, the creature instead falls prone in the cruorhulk's space.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

37

Cursed Oak A cursed oak is a treant that has been blighted by an evil force, transforming into a living gulthias tree, an engine of spreading blight throughout once tranquil forests. This corrupted being tirelessly carries out the will of the ancient evil that controls it, and attempts to spread that evil wherever it can. Soul of Gulthias. A cursed oak is the soul of the ancient vampire Gulthias made manifest, and it harbors all of his evil within its branches. These creatures have no semblance of their former self left within them. Much like a normal gulthias tree, a cursed oak spreads blight and creates blighted creatures, with the only difference being its ability to move and act on its own. Using this animation, a cursed oak forcibly uproots healthy trees and plants, cursing them and then harboring the growth of blighted brambles, toxic weeds, and others of their kind. Wherever the cursed oak walks, these cursed plants follow, growing with supernatural speed to engulf all that they come across. If they encounter a settlement, that settlement may disappear in a matter of days, or even a matter of hours, as plants overwhelm the buildings and roads. Blightlord. All other blights are beneath the cursed oak in the chain of superiority. The cursed oak commands other blights, creating strategies and tactics far beyond the mind of your average blight. A cursed oak is always surrounded by other blights, which serve as its spies and its bodyguards. Through its system of roots, it can communicate with other blights within its area of corruption, creating a vast network of command. Curing the Curse. The curse of Gulthias is powerful dark magic, and cannot be lifted by a remove curse alone. In order to lift the curse and restore the treant to its former self, the oak must first be knocked unconscious, such as through reducing its hit points to 0 without killing it outright. Once it is unconscious, another treant must perform an hour long ritual to lift the curse. If the ritual is interrupted, it must be restarted from the beginning.

CURs ED OAK Huge plant, chaotic evil Armor Class 16 (Natural Armor) Hit Points 138 (12d12 + 60)

Speed 30 ft. STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

19 (+4)

8 (-1)

21 (+5)

11 (+0)

13 (+1)

10 (+0)

i

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing Damage Vulnerabilities fire Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Druidic, Elvish, Sylvan Challenge 7 (2,900 XP) i

False Appearance. While the cursed oak remains motionless, it is indistinguishable from a fallen tree. Siege Monster. The cursed oak deals double damage to objects and structures.

Actions Multiattack. The cursed oak makes two swipe attacks. Swipe. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 22 (4d8+4) bludgeoning damage. Ground Slam. The cursed oak slams its arms into the ground, causing the earth to erupt around it. Each creature within 5 feet of the oak must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 27 (6d8) bludgeoning damage and is pushed 10 feet away from the oak on a failed save, or takes half as much damage and suffers no other effect on a successful one. Grasping Roots (Recharge 6). Grasping roots sprout in a 30-foot radius centered on the oak, withering away after 1 minute or when this action is used again. For the duration, that area is difficult terrain for non-plant creatures. In addition, each creature of the oak's choice in that area when the plants appear must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or become restrained. A creature can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing itself or another entangled creature within reach on a success.

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CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

38

DEATHCREST APE Medium monstrosity, chaotic neutral Armor Class 16 (natural armor) Hit POil1tS 71 (11d8 + 22)

Speed 30 ft. STR 13 (+1)

DEX 19 (+4)

CON 14 (+2)

INT 8 (-1)

WIS 12 (+1)

CHA 9 (-1)

-

Skills Acrobatics +6, Athletics +3, Stealth +6, Survival +3 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Undercommon Challenge 3 (700 XP) i

Leaping Attack. If the ape jumps at least 10 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, the attack deals an additional 3 (1 d6) slashing damage. Shadowjaunt. When the ape hits a creature with its claw attack, it can immediately use its bonus action to teleport up to 15 feet. Springy. The ape's long jump is up to 20 feet and its high jump is up to 10 feet, with or without a running start.

Actions Multiattack. The deathcrest ape makes two claw attacks. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage plus 3 (1d6) poison damage

Deathcrest Ape Savage predators and skillful hunters, deathcrest apes climb through the dark chasms and destitute forests of the underdark, searching for sustenance. They hunt in small packs, devouring those that they come across in a frenzy of claws and teeth. Beastial Origins. Deathcrest apes are the descendants of normal apes from the material plane, brought to the shadowfell through the dark portals that occasionally manifest in the deep gloom of dense jungle caverns. Against all odds, a few of these creatures managed to survive long enough for the shadowfell to corrupt their bodies, causing their claws to become larger and more monstrous, and transforming their hind feet into hooves. The Shadowfell has a dispiriting effect on its denizens, such that the longer a creature remains on the plane, the more it accepts the plane's malaise. As the years passed, these creatures became aware of the transformation being wrought upon them, and yet could do nothing to prevent it. Devourers of All. In order to survive in the shadowfell, creatures must find a way to make do with whatever they find. One of the greatest adaptations of these creatures is their ability to eat any type of flesh - even the remains of an undead. While most creatures refuse to eat the undead due to their inability to

digest meat tainted by the necrotic energy that animated them, deathcrest apes have specifically adapted to this purpose, filling a very large niche in the food chain. Protected by the Raven Queen. As one of the few natural predators of the undead, deathcrest apes are venerated by the followers of the Raven Queen. Since the Raven Queen believes the undead to be a blight on the the land, any creature that reduces their population is a welcome guest in her realm of the shadowfell. Because of this, the followers of the Raven Queen actively seek to protect these creatures, and they do not hunt the apes, even when they are in grave need of food. If these creatures were to be hunted to extinction, the undead would be even more numerous in the shadowfell than they already are. Companions of the Shadar-kai. Due to a number of mutual interests and benefits, the shadar-kai occasionally domesticate deathcrest apes, making them serve as bodyguards against the undead. While the shadar-kai gain protection, the apes gain a food source and a shelter against the harsh storms of the shadowfell. However, these creatures are quick to anger and not loyal in the slightest, so they are quick to turn on their masters if they run out of food or are harmed by them. A deathcrest ape can be as intelligent as a dim-witted human, and therefore they can easily understand the commands of the Shadar-kai, and some even learn undercommon. Those that do serve as leaders or communicators for a pack, and spend much more time in the presence of the Shadar-kai, using their communication skills to foster their relations.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

39

FLEsHFIEnD

Actions

Large fiend, /awful evil

Multiattack. The fleshfiend makes two slash attacks. Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 110 (13d10 + 39) Speed 30 ft., fly 60 ft.

Slash. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit (2d10+3) slashing damage.

STR

DEX

CQN

INT

WIS

CHA

17 (+3)

14 (+2)

16 (+3)

15 (+2)

12 (+1)

11 (+0)

i

Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +5 Damage Immunities poison Damage Resistances cold, fire, lightning, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 120 ft. passive Perception 11 Languages Abyssal, telepathy 120 ft. Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) i

Chained Ones. The fleshfiend is accompanied by two chained ones, which act on the same turn as the fleshfiend, and must remain within 10 feet of it. The chained ones have the same statistics as the fleshfiend, except they are size medium, have 40 hit points, and they have no abilities besides the slash action option. A chained one immediately disappears if they or the fleshfiend are reduced to 0 hit points. After 24 hours, both chained ones reform ifthe fleshfiend is alive. Flesh Defenders. For each chained one that is alive, the fleshfiend gains a +2 bonus to AC, for a total of +4 when both are alive. Magic Resistance. The fleshfiend has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Poison Burst (Recharge 5-6). A burst of poison extends out of either the fleshfiend or one of its chained ones. The fleshfiend chooses either itself or one of the chained ones, and each creature within 5 feet of chosen creature must make a DC 15 Consitution saving throw. A creature takes 24 (7d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half damage on a successful one.

Fleshfiend A fleshfiend is a powerful warrior that is most often found in the service of other devils. Although not true devils themselves, fleshfiends are treated like lesser devils on the infernal hierarchy, and they only serve greater devils and archdevils. Evil Made Manifest. Fleshfiends originated in the Nine Hells many centuries ago, when powerful devils created a dark ritual to corrupt intruding humanoids, turning them into devilish fiends with no semblance of their mortal form remaining. The fleshfiends roam the Nine Hells, a gruesome reminder of the danger of remaining in that realm for too long. Chained Ones. When fleshfiends are created, they are the fusion of 3 different humanoids, with the most powerful among them becoming the fleshfiend, and the others becoming chained ones. Chained ones appear to be smaller versions of the fleshfiend, with similarly leathery wings and sharp claws. The chained ones are independent thinkers, though they must obey the commands of the fleshfiend, which are always given through telepathy.

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CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

32

Fleshlings The dreaded fleshlings dwell in clans within vast deserts and wastelands, always warring with one another for supremacy in the eyes of their god; Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine Hells. Using their natural aptitude in hemomancy, these savage humanoids seek to expand their clans and rule alone over their barren landscapes. Each tribe has no interest in working together with other clans, instead opting to go to war with all that they can find. Most fleshlings have pink, flesh colored skin, which is how they earned their name. Their features are completely monstrous, with serrated teeth, multiple pairs of eyes, sharp claws, and fleshy ‘fins’ on their back. They wear clothing made of hides and strong leathers, useful materials for protecting their skin against the harsh sun of the desert. Infernal Master. Fleshlings are the spawn of Asmodeus, Lord of the Nine Hells, and they revere him as their god. He offers them divine guidance and vengeance against their enemies while urging them towards even greater wars and bloodshed. These creatures erect dark temples devoted to their lord, and they tirelessly follow his every order. Warring Tribes. Fleshlings have no ties with other clans of their race, and they rarely keep allies for longer than a few weeks. They are just as quick to war with other tribes as they are to war with other races, so their clans stay relatively small as they remain in a constant state of war. Within a tribe, fleshlings live in a hierarchy based on a fleshling’s power and their proficiency with blood magic. As fleshlings become more proficient with their clans magic, they rise among the ranks and may eventually become a clan leader.

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FLESHLING BLOODLETTER Medium humanoid (fleshling), chaotic evil

Armor Class 12 (leather armor) Hit Points 76 (8d8 + 40) Speed 30 ft. STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

18 (+4)

12 (+1)

20 (+5)

11 (+0)

16 (+3)

10 (+0)

F L E s H LIN G Medium humanoid (fleshling), chaotic evil

Saving Throws Wis +5 Skills Medicine +5, Athletics +6 Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Common, Fleshling Challenge 2 (450 XP) Reknit Flesh. While the fleshling has half of its hit points or fewer, it gains 10 temporary hit points at the start of each of its turns.

Armor Class 12 (leather armor) Hit Points 26 (4d8 + 8) Speed 30 ft. —

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

15 (+2)

13 (+1)

15 (+2)

9 (-1)

12 (+1)

10 (+0)

i

Skills Athletics +4 Senses passive Perception 11 Languages Common, Fleshling

Spellcasting. The fleshling bloodletter is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). The fleshling bloodletter has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): blood/etting 1st level (4 slots): bloodburn, cruorwhip 2nd level (2 slots): blood seal

Reknit Flesh. While the fleshling has half of its hit points or fewer, it gains 5 temporary hit points at the start of each of its turns.

Actions

Actions

Multiattack. The fleshling makes two claw attacks.

Multiattack. The fleshling makes two claw attacks.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+4) slashing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2) slashing damage.

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

41

"

F L E s H WU R M Large monstrosity (fleshling), chaotic evil

Fleshling Bloodletter The title of bloodletter is given to fleshlings that have gained some level of mastery over hemomancy, becoming more intelligent and powerful in the process of their learning. A bloodletter acts as a war leader, commanding troops and sending them to battles. Although they aren’t at the very top of the hierarchy, they are close to it and are highly respected by the lower members of a tribe. Fiendish Blessing. Asmodeus bestows special blessings upon a bloodletter, gifts that recognize their prowess in battle and in the arcane arts. Thusly, a bloodletter has far greater regenerative abilities and a more impressive constitution than their counterparts.

Fleshwurm Fleshwurms are fleshlings that were blessed at birth by Asmodeus himself, destined by divine right to become the leader of their clan. Imbued with an exceptional aptitude with blood magic, fleshwurms quickly outclass all other members of their tribe, and no fleshling lower in status than them dares to question their rule. Even the fleshlings of enemy tribes do not dare to attack a fleshwurm themselves, instead allowing their tribe’s fleshwurm leader to have a one-on-one duel with the enemy. Through their blessing, a fleshwurm has gained a vastly different body from that of its peers. Their legs have been replaced with a long abdomen, like that of a snake or a worm.Their hands are smaller and more humanlike, and are therefore capable of wielding human weapons. Additionally, their great strength allows them to burrow through loose earth, and ability which they use to ambush their foes, as well as to create underground passages that may be used by other tribe members.

Armor Class 14 (hide armor) Hit Points 115 (10d10 + 60) Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft. -4

STR

DEX

CQN

INT

WIS

CHA

20 (+5)

14 (+2)

22 (+6)

11 (+0)

18 (+4)

10 (+0)

Saving Throws Wis +5 Skills Perception +7, Athletics +8 Senses tremorsense 30 ft., passive Perception 17 Languages Common, Fleshling Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Reknit Flesh. While the fleshling has half of its hit points or fewer, it gains 15 temporary hit points at the start of each of its turns. Spellcasting. The fleshwurm is a 5th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). The fleshwurm has the following cleric spells prepared: Cantrips (at will): blood/etting 1st level (4 slots): bloodburn, cruorwhip 2nd level (3 slots): blood seal 3rd level (2 slots): tides of blood, vampiric touch

Actions Multiattack. The fleshling makes two longsword attacks and one siphon attack. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1 d8+5) slashing damage. Siphon. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) piercing damage. If the creature is below its hit point maximum, it takes an additional 7 (2d6) necrotic damage

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

42

Lost Soul When a ghost has failed to complete its unfinished business for too long, it occasionally becomes a lost soul. A lost soul has existed for so long that is has no memory of its life or whatever unresolved task caused it to become a ghost, so it simply wanders across the world yearning to find a meaning to its existence. Some lost souls seek out the living, hoping that they might find a way to put their soul to rest, while others may instead seek to kill the living in fits of spite and jealousy. Like regular ghosts, lost souls can still resolve their unfinished business, though it is often much harder to do so due to them not being tied to a specific location. Otherwise, the haunting of a lost soul is exactly the same as that of a regular ghost. Eternal Wanderers. Lost souls have lost their binding to whatever creature, place or object they may have haunted before, and they have no memory of it, so they instead wander the land. Undead Nature. A lost soul doesn't require air, food, drink, or sleep.

Variant: Martial Ghosts Some ghosts and lost souls had martial training and battlefield experience in life, granting them an increased strength of 16 in death. A warrior ghost or lost soul wearing a chain shirt (AC 14 for the ghost, AC 15 for the lost soul) and wielding a longsword has a challenge rating of 6 (2,300 XP) for the ghost, and 7 (2,900 XP) for the lost soul, and the following additional action options: Multiattack. The ghost makes two longsword attacks. Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, plus 13 (3d8) necrotic damage. '

L o st S ou L Medium undead, any alignment Armor Class 12 Hit Points 66 (12d8 + 12) Speed 0 ft., fly 60ft. -

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

9(-1)

14(+2)

12(+1)

11 (+0)

12(+1)

18(+4)

Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11 Languages any languages it knew in life Challenge 5 (1800 XP) i

Ethereal Sight. The ghost can see 120 ft. into the Ethereal Plane when it is on The Material Plane, and vice versa. Incorporeal Movement. The ghost can move through other creatures and Objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Actions Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d6+4) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, then their Strength score is reduced by 1d4. The target dies if this reduces its Strength to 0. Otherwise, the reduction lasts until the target finishes a short or long rest. Etherealness. The ghost enters the Ethereal Plane from The Material Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on The Material Plane while it is in the Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can't affect or be affected by anything on the other plane. Horrifying Visage. Each non-undead creature within 60ft. of the ghost that can see it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be Frightened for 1 minute. If the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 x 10 years. A Frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the Frightened condition on itself on a success. If a target's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target is immune to this ghost‘s Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. The aging effect can be reversed with a Greater Restoration spell, but only within 24 hours of it occurring. Possession (Recharge 5-6). One humanoid that the ghost can see within 5 ft. of it must succeed on a DC 15 Charisma saving throw or be possessed by the ghost; the ghost then disappears, and the target is Incapacitated and loses control of its body. The ghost now controls the body but doesn't deprive the target of

awareness. The ghost can't be targeted by any Attack, spell, or other effect, except ones that turn undead, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, and immunity to being Charmed and Frightened. It otherwise uses the possessed target's statistics, but doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, Class Features, or proficiencies. The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the ghost ends it as a Bonus Action, or the ghost is turned or forced out by an effect like the Dispel Evil and Good spell. When the possession ends, the ghost reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 ft. of the body. The target is immune to this ghost‘s Possession for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends. CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

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Km?‘ BLOOD OozE

Large ooze, unaligned

Armor Class 8 Hit Points 76 (9d10 + 27) Speed 15 ft., climb 15 ft.

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STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

17 (+3)

7 (-2)

16 (+3)

2 (-4)

6 (-2)

1 (-5)

Damage Immunities lightning, slashing Damage Resistances acid, necrotic Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone Senses blindsight 60ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 8 Languages — Challenge 3 (700 XP) Amorphous. The ooze can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Changing Form. When the ooze is reduced to half of its maximum hit points, its size becomes Medium. When it is reduced to a fourth of its maximum hit points, its size becomes Small. If the ooze's hit points are restored above a fourth or a half, its size becomes Medium or Large, respectively. Regeneration. The ooze regains 10 hit points at the start of its

turn if it has at least1 hit point. If the ooze takes radiant damage this trait doesn't function at the start of the ooze's next turn. Spider Climb. The ooze can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6+3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1 d6) acid damage for each size category of the ooze above Tiny.

REActions Bloodshed. If the ooze's size changes and it becomes smaller, it

can cause its lost mass to explode outward. Each creature within 5 feet of the ooze (based on the ooze's size before its size changed) must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 7 (2d6) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Oozes Oozes thrive in the dark, shunning areas of bright light and extreme temperatures. They flow through the damp underground, feeding on any creature or object that can be dissolved, slinking along the ground, dripping from walls and ceilings, spreading across the edges of underground pools, and squeezing through cracks. The first warning an adventurer receives of an ooze's presence is often the searing pain of its acidic touch. Ooze Nature. An ooze doesn't require sleep.

Blood Ooze A blood ooze resembles a giant, sticky clot of blood, with a deep crimson color. They lay in wait on the ceilings of dark caves and deep caverns, waiting for their prey. Once they spot a creature below them, they drop down and devour them, feasting on their blood to increase their size Blood oozes are created when a large amount of blood is tampered with by chaotic magic, in much the same way a grey ooze is created out of stone. These beings then constantly search for more blood to add to their body.

Necrotic Slime Necrotic slimes are the most powerful and feared among the oozes. These slimes take the form of huge black blobs, larger than any other ooze and capable of consuming creatures the size of giants. They bubble with a necrotic energy that reanimates those that it consumes, creating undead servants that help it by bringing prey for it to feast on. A creature that is engulfed by a necrotic slime is slowly eaten down to the bone, leaving behind a perfectly clean and intact skeleton. Significantly more intelligent than their brethren, necrotic slimes are capable of strategic thought and know when they are outmatched. If a necrotic ooze detect the presence of a creature or group of creatures powerful enough to defeat it, it has enough intelligence to hide effectively and escape into the underground. A necrotic slime can also command its servants intelligently, and uses them for scouting and for diversions. CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

44

Necrotic Form. A creature that touches the slime or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1 d8) necrotic damage.

NECROTIC SLi1viE Huge ooze, chaotic evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 180 (19d10 + 76) Speed 25 ft., climb 25 ft. i

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

19 (+4)

9 (-1)

18 (+4)

8 (-1)

11 (+0)

1 (-5)

Damage Immunities acid, cold, lightning, necrotic, slashing Condition Immunities blinded, charmed, deafened, exhaustion, frightened, prone Senses blindsight 60ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 10 Languages — Challenge 8 (3,900 XP) Amorphous. If the slime has no creature engulfed, it can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Enveloping Slime. Other creatures can enter the slime's space, but a creature that does so is subjected to the slime's engulf and has disadvantage on the saving throw. Creatures inside the slime can only be spotted with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) check, and have total coven A creature within 5 feet of the slime can take an action to pull a creature or object out of the slime. Doing so requires a successful DC 15 Strength check, and the creature making the attempt takes 13 (3d8) necrotic damage. The slime can hold one huge or large creature, or up to nine Medium or smaller creatures inside it at a time.

Reanimator. A humanoid that dies while engulfed by the slime and then remains within the slime for 24 hours rises as a skeleton under the the slime's control. The slime can have no more than four skeletons under its control at one time. Spider Climb. The slime can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Actions Multiattack. The slime makes two attacks: one pseudopod attack and one grasp attack. Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (3d8+4) necrotic damage. Grasp. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target not already engulfed by the slime. Hit: 7 (1 d6+4) bludgeoning damage and the target is engulfed by the slime, suffering the same initial and ongoing effects as the engulf action. Engulf. The slime moves up to its speed. While doing so, it can enter Huge or smaller creatures‘ spaces. Whenever the slime enters a creature's space, the creature must make a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw. On a successful save, the creature can choose to be pushed 5 feet back or to the side of the slime. A creature that chooses not to be pushed suffers the consequences of a failed saving throw. On a failed save, the slime enters the creature's space, and the creature takes 13 (3d8) necrotic damage and is engulfed. The engulfed creature can't breathe, is restrained, and takes 27 (6d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of the slime's turns. When the slime moves, the engulfed creature moves with it. An engulfed creature can try to escabe by taking an action to make a DC 16 Strength check. On a success, the creature escapes and enters a space of its choice within 5 feet of the slime. cw.

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CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

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Legendary creations formed from shadow and poisonous gases, plaguebringers scour the most desolate areas of the shadowfell, spreading disease and malice through that barren wasteland. They spend most of their time as a gigantic figure of pure shadow, a being that flies at great speed throughout the upper reaches of the shadowfell, only descending once every few years to inflict itself upon the surface world. Occasionally, a plaguebringer finds a portal to the material plane during its visits to the surface. A plaguebringer that finds itself in the material plane is a terrible foe indeed, capable of rivaling the power of the most ancient dragons. It flies across the surface of the world, killing all in its wake and spreading disease throughout the land. It is from these occasional visits that the plaguebringers earned their name. Denizens of the Dark. In its shadow form, a plaguebringer is near invisible during a dark night. A creature looking up into the night sky may only see a plaguebringer by watching the stars and moon, waiting for them to momentarily blink out of existence as the shadow passes over them. When a plaguebringer descends to the surface, it does so quickly and quietly, and then immediately transforms into its true form. It takes little time for one of these creatures to destroy an entire town or pollute a lake. Then they disappear again into the night sky, leaving behind nothing but the remnants of their destruction. However, in the daylight a plaguebringer is extremely easy to spot: they look like a giant blob of darkness, after all. This means that any creature that wants to hunt a plaguebringer should do so during the day, when they can’t simply vanish into night sky at a moment's notice. Foe of the Dragons. As one of the few creatures capable of battling a plaguebringer, these creatures seek to hunt down and destroy dragons both in the Shadowfell and out of it. When a dragon enters the Shadowfell, a plaguebringer will seek to destroy it before it can become an ancient shadow dragon - one of a plaguebringer’s only true competitors in its home plane. In the material plane, these two species still seek to mercilessly destroy one another. If a plaguebringer spots a dragon’s nest, it will go out of its way to destroy it and bring its creator to ruin. Dragons also recognize the threat of a plaguebringer, and seek to destroy them if they have gained enough power, or run if they have not. Origins in Shadow. A plaguebringer that has come to the material plane always attempts to eventually return. The eternal darkness of the shadowfell allows them to move stealthily during all times of day, and they simply have an innate draw to the shadowfell. They actively seek out portals to the shadowfell dark circles within only the largest and darkest cave systems. If they cannot find one, they continue to scour the landscape until they find one or until they are defeated in the process. Hunger and Hibernation. Plaguebringers only seek to feast once every few years, and they “hibernate” in between these events, where they may devour countless creatures in a fit of voracious hunger. After non-stop eating for nearly half of a year, a plaguebringer seeks to return to the upper reaches of the Shadowfell, where it sleeps until its appetite is once again ravenous. If awoken during its sleep, such a by a dragon or some other flying visitor in the shadowfell, a plaguebringer goes into a rage. During this rage, it seeks to destroy whatever woke it, and then it continues to destroy until its anger is sated. During its years of hibernation, a plaguebringer does not need to eat or drink.

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CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES l‘

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PLAGUEBRINGER Gargantuan monstrosity (shapechanger), chaotic evil

plaguebringer can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: cloudkill, contagion, insect plague

Armor Class 18 (natural armor) Hit Points 214 (13dZO + 78)

Actions

Speed 40 ft. i

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

26 (+8)

16 (+3)

23 (+6)

13 (+1)

18 (+4)

11 (+0)

Saving Throws Str +14, Dex +9, Con +12, Wis +10 Skills Athletics +14, Perception +10 Damage Immunities poison Damage Resistances necrotic, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Condition Immunities poisoned Senses blindsight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 20 Languages Common, Terran Challenge 20 (25,000 XP) i

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If the Plaguebringer fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Plague Aura. At the start of each of the plaguebringer's turns, each creature within 5 feet of it takes 7 (2d6) poison damage, and becomes poisoned until the end of the plaguebringer's next turn. Shapechanger. If the plaguebringer hasn't taken damage since the end of its last turn, it can use its action to polymorph into a Gargantuan form of magical shadow, or back into its true form. While in shadow form, the plaguebringer can't take any actions, speak or manipulate objects. It is weightless, has a flying speed of 150 feet, can hover, and can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. In addition, if air can pass through a space, the form can do so without squeezing, and it can't pass through water. It has advantage on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws, and it is immune to all nonmagical damage. If the plaguebringer takes any damage while in this form, it immediately reverts back to its true form and falls to the ground, taking falling damage as normal. Innate Spellcasting. The plaguebringer's spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 18, +10 to hit with spell attacks). The

Multiattack. The plaguebringer can use its Frightful Presence. It then makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6+8) slashing damage. Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8+8) piercing damage. If the target is poisoned, then the plaguebringer can choose to expunge the poison. If it does so, the condition is removed and the plaguebringer regains 15 hit points. Frightful Presence. Each creature of the plaguebringer's choice that is within 120 feet of the plaguebringer and aware of it must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the plaguebringer's Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours. Plague Breath (Recharge 5-6). The Plaguebringer exhales a virulent plague in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in the area must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 72 (16d8) poison damage and is poisoned until the end of the plaguebringer's next turn. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn't poisoned.

LEGENDARY Actions The plaguebringer can take legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. The plaguebringer regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn. Detect. The plaguebringer makes a Wisdom (Perception) check. CIawAttack. The plaguebringer makes a claw attack. Slam (Costs 2Actions). The plaguebringer slams its claws into the

ground, creating a shockwave. Each creature within 15 feet of the plaguebringer must succeed on a DC 22 Dexterity saving throw or

take 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

47

SwAR1vi OF IVIAGGOTS

Rothorror

Medium swarm (of tiny undead), unaligned

Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 22 (5d8) Speed 10 ft., climb 10 ft. —

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

3 (-4)

12 (+1)

10 (+0)

1 (-5)

7 (-2)

1 (-5)

Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, slashing Condition Immunities charmed, frightened, paralyzed, petrified prone, restrained, stunned Senses blindsight 10 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages — Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) i

Swarm. The swarm can occupy another creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm can move through any opening large enough for a Tiny maggot. The swarm can't regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.

Actions Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, one target. Hit: 10 (4d4) piercing damage or 5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm is has half of its hit points or fewer. Infest. The swarm infests the body of a dead humanoid, causing all damage that would be dealt to them to be dealt to the body instead, and preventing them from taking any other actions. If the body takes 10 hit points of damage, the maggots are driven out, and cannot reenter that body for 24 hours. If the maggots remain in a body for 24 hours, the creature rises as a Rothorror. On its turn, the swarm can spend an amount of movement equal to half its speed to leave the body.

A rothorror is an undead monstrosity, reanimated by a unique species of maggot-like beasts. Indistinguishable from true maggots, these creatures are able to create rothorrors by infesting the body of a dead humanoid. The body becomes bloated, grows in size, and gains large claws that are used to rip apart other creatures. When a rothorror dies, its body explodes and the maggots seek to infest new bodies. Undead Nature. A rothorror doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

ROTHORROR Large undead, chaotic evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 144 (17d10 + 51) Speed 25 ft. i

STR 19(+4)

max s(-1)

con 1s(+3)

INT s(-1)

WIS 9(-1)

CHA 5(-3)

Saving Throws Wis +2 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses passive Perception 9 Languages — Challenge 7 (2900 XP) —

Death Burst. When the rothorror dies, it explodes in a burst of putrid gas. Each creature within 5 feet of it must make a DC 14 Dexterity Saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. Four swarms

of maggots crawl out of the exploded remains, spawning in the area the rothorror once occupied.

Actions Multiattack. The rothorror makes two claw attacks. If it has a creature grappled, it can also take the rotting stench action. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) slashing damage. If a Medium or smaller target is hit by both claw attacks in the same turn, it is grappled (escape DC 15) if the rothorror isn't already grappling a creature. Rotting Stench. The rothorror releases a putrid stench on a creature it is grappling. That creature must succeed on a DC 14 Consitution saving throw or become incapacitated by the stench until the end of the rothorror's next turn. Dominate (Recharge 6). The rothorror releases a maggot into the ear of an incapacitated creature that the rothorror is grappling. As the maggot reaches the brain, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or lose control of its body as the maggot latches onto the creature's brain, taking total control of it. The creature's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scorce are replaced by the rothorrors, but it otherwise retains its statistics, though the rothorror doesn't gain access to the target's knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. If the host body or the rothorror drops to 0 hit points, the maggot disintegrates and the creature regains control. A protection from evil and good spell cast on the body drives the maggot out. The target is immune to this rothorror's dominate for 24 hours after succeeding on the saving throw or after the domination ends.

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CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

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Seafallen Covered by a thick layer of fog, a dilapidated ship sails into view, piloted by the lifeless bodies of former sailors. Now turned into grotesque meldings of coral and flesh, these creatures seek to force other sailors to suffer their same fate. The Drowned Dead. When a large sailing ship becomes shipwrecked and its sailors drown, occasionally an inexplicable necromantic energy animates them, turning them into undead monsters of considerable power. Unlike most lowly undead, these creatures are not mindless: they stick together and behave much like a normal sailing crew. Until they can find a ship, however, they wander the ocean floor, looking for the dropped anchor of a potential target. Once they find one, they swim up to the surface and attempt to take it over for themselves, driven by an innate desire to command a ship. Seafallen can be created from the bodies of any humanoid race, and they still show some resemblance to their living form, though they become melded with coral and their mouths are filled with serrated teeth. Their skin becomes tight and takes on a bluish hue, and their eyes become pearly white. The coral that covers their skin serves as a kind of makeshift armor, though it is weak and easily destroyed by heavily damaging attacks. If damaged, this armor naturally reforms within a few days as the coral grows at an unnaturally fast speed.

Internal Hierarchy. A crew of seafallen has a well established hierarchy, with the captain at the top, hosts below them, and the crew at the lowest rank. The captain wields a large anchor as a weapon, an item that they can only lift because of their near inhuman strength. A seafallen host, so named because they are a willing host to a large octopus, instead fights with a trident and the help of its octopus companion. The crewmembers, on the other hand, fight without weapons. All of these creatures have the power to store water within their bodies, which they later release in a powerful blast that knocks creatures away. Driven by Hate. Seafallen seek to destroy their living counterparts, and they sail the sea with sinking other ships as their only intent. The necromantic energy that drives them forces them to attack without mercy and fight to the very last man. Undead Nature. A seafallen doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

SEAFALLEN CREW Medium undead, neutral evil Armor Class 12 (natural armor) Hit Points 15 (2d8 + 6) Speed 20 ft., swim 20 ft.

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-

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

13 (+1)

10 (+0)

16 (+3)

4 (-3)

7 (-2)

5 (-3)

i

Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60ft. passive Perception 8 Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 1/4 (50 XP) Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the seafallen to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the seafallen drops to 1 hit point instead. WeakIyArmored. Whenever the seafallen takes more than 10 damage in a single turn, a piece of its coral armor chips off, reducing its AC by 1. This reduction is cumulative, but cannot reduce the seafallen's AC below 10.

Actions Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d6+1) bludgeoning damage. Water Whip (1/day). The seafallen releases a line of water in a 10foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 7 (2d6) bludgeoning damage and, if it is Medium or smaller, is pushed up to 5 feet away from the seafallen. On a success, a target takes half as much damage and isn't pushed.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

49

SEAFALLEN CAPTAIN Medium undead, neutral evil /

Armor Class 15 (natural armor) Hit Points 76 (9d8 + 36)

Speed 20 ft., swim 20ft. —

STR 20 (+5)

DEX 12 (+1)

con 19 (+4)

INT 7 (-2)

WIS 8 (-1)

CHA 9 (-1)

Saving Throws Wis +1 Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9 Languages the languages it knew in life Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) i

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the seafallen to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. Medium undead, neutral evil On a success, the seafallen drops to 1 hit point instead. WeaklyArmored. Whenever the seafallen takes more than 15 Armor Class 13 (natural armor) damage in a single turn, a piece of its coral armor chips off, Hit Points 45 (6d8 + 18) reducing its AC by 1. This reduction is cumulative, but cannot Speed 20 ft., swim 20ft. reduce the seafallen's AC below 11.

X .

SEAFALLEN Host

Actions

-4

Multiattack. The seafallen makes two anchor attacks Anchor. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d12+5) bludgeoning damage and the target must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the creature was already prone, they are instead stunned until the end of their next turn on a failed save. Waterjet (Recharge 6). The seafallen releases a line of water in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 14 (4d6) bludgeoning damage and, if it is Medium or smaller, is pushed up to 10 feet away from the seafallen and knocked prone. On a success, a target takes half damage and isn't pushed or knocked prone. v-

STR 15 (+2)

DEX 11 (+0)

con 16 (+3)

INT 5 (-3)

WIS 7 (-2)

CHA 5 (-3)

Damage Immunities poison Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8

Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can't speak Challenge 1 (200 XP) i

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the seafallen to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the seafallen drops to 1 hit point instead. WeaklyArmored. Whenever the seafallen takes more than 15 damage in a single turn, a piece of its coral armor chips off, reducing their AC by 1. This reduction is cumulative, but cannot reduce their AC below 10.

Actions

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Multiattack. The seafallen makes two attacks: one with its trident, and one with its tentacles. Trident. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8+2) piercing damage. Tentacles. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1 d4+2) bludgeoning damage. If the target is Medium or smaller, it is grappled (escape DC 12) and is restrained for the duration of the grapple. Water Whip (Recharge 6). The seafallen releases a line of water in a 10-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a target takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and, if it is Medium or smaller, is

pushed up to 5 feet away from the seafallen. On a success, a target takes half damage and isn't pushed.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

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Shadow Elemental Shadow elementals are creatures of living shade, brought into being from the depths of the Shadowfell. Appearing as nebulous forms of ever-shifting gloom, they lash out at the living with tendrils as insubstantial as darkness itself. Bound and Summoned. These elusive creatures rarely roam the Material plane of their own free will. When they do, it is almost exclusively deep underground, places the light has never touched. More frequently, they manifest as servants summoned from the Shadowfell, bound into service by powerful spellcasters. Shadow elementals seem to understand the commands of their summoners, regardless of what language they speak. Beyond this, however, these creatures never seem to communicate in any manner. It is unknown whether they have any language at all.

Enemy of the Light. Although these creatures are not directly harmed by sunlight, it does cause them considerable discomfort, and they do all that they can to escape or snuff out the hateful illumination. Similarly, shadow elementals find the presence of living beings not native to the shadowfell to be disturbing, although not nearly to the same extent as they do light itself. When not under a summoner’s control, they make every effort to extinguish life and light both. They are as obedient as any elemental when summoned, so most shadow elementals are only as evil as their masters permit. Elemental Nature. A shadow elemental doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.

SiiADow ELEMENTAL Large elemental, neutral evil

Armor Class 14 Hit Points 90 (12d10 + 24) Speed 0 ft., fly 60 ft. (hover) STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

16 (+3)

19 (+4)

14 (+2)

6 (-2)

10 (+0)

7 (-2)

i

Skills Stealth +7 Damage Immunities poison Damage Resistances cold, necrotic, bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical weapons Condition Immunities exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained, unconscious Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages —

Challenge 5 (1,800 XP) -

Blinding Light. When the shadow elemental takes radiant damage, it must make a Consitution saving throw with a DC of 10 or half the radiant damage taken, whichever is higher. On a failed save, the elemental is blinded until the end of its next turn.

Shade's Sight. Magical darkness doesn't impede the elemental's darkvision.

Shadow Form. The elemental can enter a hostile creature's space and stop there. It can move through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without squeezing. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadow elemental can take the Hide action as a bonus action.

Actions Multiattack. The elemental makes two tend ril attacks. Tendril. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage and the creature is pulled up to 5 feet towards the elemental.

Whirling Shadows (Recharge 4-6). A 10-foot radius of magical darkness extends out from the elemental, moves with it, and spreads around corners, lasting until the end of the elemental's next turn. Darkvision can't penetrate this darkness, and no

natural light can illuminate it. If any of the darkness overlaps with an area of light created by a spell of 2nd level or lower, the spell creating the light is dispelled.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

51

Shadowtouched

.

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Shadowtouched are creatures that have been tainted through many years or generations spent within the dismal confines of the Shadowfell. Some of these creatures learn to embrace the Shadowfell, while others seek to return to their former homes on the Material plane. Dark Portals. Just like shadow dragons, most shadowtouched creatures first arrived in the Shadowfell after coming across portals deep within subterranean caverns and caves. Once they spend enough time in the Shadowfell, they slowly transform to become as harsh as the landscape itself.

Shadowtouched Template A beast, giant, humanoid, monstrosity, ooze, or plant can become shadowtouched. When it undergoes this transformation, it retains its statistics except as described below. Damage Resistances. The shadowtouched has resistance to necrotic damage. Reanimate Shadow. If a non-evil humanoid dies from a melee weapon attack from the shadowtouched, a shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later. Senses. The shadowtouched has darkvision with a radius of 120 feet. Skill Proficiency: Stealth. The shadowtouched's proficiency bonus is doubled for its Dexterity (Stealth) checks. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowtouched can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the shadowtouched has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Sample Shadowtouched

.

The shadowtouched statistics presented here use an umber hulk as the base creature.

SHADOWTOUCHED UMBER HULK Large monstrosity, chaotic evil Armor Class 14 (natural armor) Hit Points 93 (11d10 + 33) Speed 30 ft., burrow 20ft. i

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

20 (+5)

13 (+1)

16 (+3)

9 (-1)

10 (+0)

10 (+0)

Skills Stealth +7 Senses darkvision 120 ft., tremorsense 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Umber Hulk Challenge 5 (1800 XP) Confusing Gaze. When a creature starts its turn within 30 feet of the shadowtouched and is able to see the shadowtoched's eyes, the shadowtouched can magically force it to make a DC 15 Charisma saving throw, unless the shadowtouched is incapacitated. On a failed saving throw, the creature can't take reactions until the start of its next turn and rolls a d8 to determine what it does during that turn. On a 1 to 4, the creature does nothing. On a 5 or 6, the creature takes no action but uses all its movement to move in a random direction. On a 7 or 8, the creature makes one

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melee attack against a random creature, or it does nothing if no creature is within reach. Unless surprised, a creature can avert its eyes to avoid the saving throw at the start of its turn. If the creature does so, it can't see the shadowtouched until the start of its next turn, when it can avert its eyes again. If the creature looks at the shadowtouched in the meantime, it must immediately make the save. Reanimate Shadow. Ifa non-evil humanoid dies from a melee weapon attack from the shadowtouched, a shadow rises from the corpse 1d4 hours later. Shadow Stealth. While in dim light or darkness, the shadowtouched can take the Hide action as a bonus action. Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the shadowtouched has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. Tunneler. The shadowtoched can burrow through solid rock at half its burrowing speed and leaves a 5 foot-wide, 8-foot-high tunnel in its wake.

Actions Multiattack. The shadowtouched makes three attacks: two with its claws and one with its mandibles Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d8+5) slashing damage. Mandibles. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8+5) slashing damage.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

52

Skeletons Skeletons arise when a creature is animated by dark magic. They heed the summons of spellcasters who call them from their stony tombs and ancient battlefields, or rise of their own accord in places saturated with death and loss, awakened by stirrings of necromantic energy or the presence of corrupting evil. Skeletal undead can be created from the bones of other creatures besides humanoids, giving rise to a host of terrifying and unique forms.

Skeleton Template An aberration, beast, dragon, fey, fiend, giant, humanoid, or monstrosity can become a skeleton. When it undergoes this transformation, it retains its statistics except as described below. Lost Characteristics. The skeleton loses its original saving throw and skill bonuses, as well as any special senses. Some special traits may be removed at your discretion, such as traits that assume a living body, like amphibious. Type. The skeleton’s type is Undead, and it loses any tags. It no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep. Alignment. The skeleton is Lawful Evil. Ability Scores. The skeleton’s ability scores change as follows: Con 15 (+2), Int 6 (-2), Wis: 8 (-1), Cha: 5 (-3). Int, Wis, and Cha can’t be increased by this change. Senses. The skeleton has darkvision with a radius of 60 feet. Armor Class. The skeleton’s AC is reduced by 2. This cannot reduce their AC below 10 + their Dexterity modifier. Damage Vulnerabilities. The skeleton is vulnerable to bludgeoning damage. Damage Immunities. The skeleton is immune to poison damage. Condition Immunities. The skeleton can’t be exhausted or poisoned Languages. The skeleton understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak.

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Sample Skeleton The skeleton statistics presented here use an ogre as the base creature.

OGRE SKELETON Large undead, lawful evil Armor Class 9 Hit Points 52 (7d10 + 14)

Speed 40 ft. i

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

19 (+4)

8 (-1)

15 (+2)

5 (-3)

7 (-2)

5 (-3)

Damage Immunities poison Damage Vulnerabilities bludgeoning Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned Senses darkvision 60ft. passive Perception 8 Languages understands Common and Giant but can't speak Challenge 2 (450 XP)

Actions Greatclub. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 13 (2d8+4) bludgeoning damage. javelin. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., or range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) piercing damage.

CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

53

Zombies Sinister necromantic magic infuses the remains of the dead, causing them to rise as zombies that do their creator's bidding without fear or hesitation. They move with a jerky, uneven gait, clad in the moldering apparel they wore when put to rest, and carrying the stench of decay.

Youno BLACK ZOMBIE DRAGON Large undead, unaligned

The flesh and bones of any formerly living creature can be imbued with some semblance of life, transforming them into a zombie. Necromantic magic, usually from spells, animates a zombie. Some zombies rise spontaneously when dark magic saturates an area. Once turned into a zombie, a creature can't be restored to life except by powerful magic.

Sample Zombie The zombie statistics presented here use a young black dragon as the base creature.

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)

Zombie Template

Hit Points 161 (17d1O + 68)

Speed 30 ft., fly 70 ft., swim 30ft. *

STR

DEX

CON

INT

WIS

CHA

19 (+4)

8 (-1)

19 (+4)

3 (-4)

6 (-2)

5 (-3)

Saving Throws Wis +1 Damage Immunities poison, acid Condition Immunities poisoned Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8 Languages understands Common and Draconic but can't speak Challenge 7 (2900 XP) -

Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead.

Actions Multiattack. The zombie makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d10+4) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) acid damage. Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6+4) slashing damage.

Acid Breath (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales acid in a 30-foot line that is 5 feet wide. Each creature in that line must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 49 (11d8) acid damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

An aberration, beast, dragon, fey, fiend, giant, humanoid, or monstrosity can become a zombie. When it undergoes this transformation, it retains its statistics except as described below. Lost Characteristics. The zombie loses its original saving throw and skill bonuses, as well as any special senses or special traits. Type. The zombie’s type is Undead, and it loses any tags. It no longer requires air, food, drink, or sleep. Alignment. The zombie is Neutral Evil. Speed. Reduce all the zombie’s speeds by 10 feet, to a minimum of 5 feet. Ability Scores. The zombie’s ability scores change as follows: Int 3 (-4), Wis: 6 (-2), Cha: 5 (-3). Int, Wis, and Cha can’t be increased by this change. The zombie’s Constitution score is increased by 2, and its Dexterity score is decreased by 6, to a minimum value of 6 (-2). Senses. The zombie has darkvision with a radius of 60 feet. Saving Throw: Wisdom. The zombie adds its proficiency modifier to its Wisdom saving throws Damage Immunities. The zombie is immune to poison damage. Condition Immunities. The zombie can’t be poisoned. Hit Dice. The zombie gains two additional hit dice, increasing its hit points by the regular amount. Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the zombie to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the zombie drops to 1 hit point instead. Languages. The zombie understands all languages it knew in life but can’t speak. CHAPTER 4 | CREATURES

54

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