A Short 5e Adventure by

ArchvillainCOVER
Games®
4
Table of Contents Credits
Writers
The Deathlord Order ..........................................1
Angel Angelides, Jean Roix
Maps
Background.............................................................1
Jean Roix
Editing
Running the Adventure ......................................1
Gabrielle Harbowy, Jean Roix
The Hook ................................................................2 Graphic Designer
Dimitris Dimarelos
Starting the Adventure .......................................2 Cover Art
Iwo Widuliński
Part One: Behind Enemy Lines ...................... 3
The Deathlord Order and its contents are trademarks of
Part Two: Last Stand ...........................................4 Archvillain Games. All rights reserved. Product Identity: all
content herein, unless covered by the Open Game License,
Conclusion .............................................................6 are Copyright Archvillain Games LP and are identified as
Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License
Meranthreons Hold ............................................ 7 version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and not Open Content. Any
reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork
Appendix A: New Creatures .............................9 contained herein is prohibited without the express written
permission of Archvillain Games LP or the art’s respective
Deathcrown .............................................................................. 9
owners.
Shadowblades ........................................................................ 10

Soulbinder ................................................................................11

Undead Abomination ...........................................................12

Erevos .......................................................................................13

Plague Bearer .......................................................................... 14

Norathras ................................................................................. 15

Map Overview ......................................................17

 The Deathlord Order His ultimate goal, known by very few of his subordinates, is
to quickly conquer a large, easily defensible region with their
initial attacks and from there, to spread enough mayhem and
misery to the neighboring countries that they have no other

R
ise servants of the Deep Father, rise children option but to accept the conquered region as an independent
of Death! For far too long the living forced nation of undead.
us to live in the shadows, for far too long This plan relies heavily on speed, misdirection, and the
they hunted and exterminated us. The time successful acquisition of key locations to be successful. One
has come to claim our right to exist, the time such location is Merantheron's Hold, a heavily fortified keep
has come to claim our homeland! in the northern borders of Viseria.
-Nikodemus- Merantheron's Hold, named for Merantheron, who
sacrificed his life to stop an orc invasion, is famous for
thwarting many would-be invasions. But, though difficult to

Background
capture, it is far from impregnable. If the undead forces
manage to defeat the defenders before reinforcements
arrive, Nikodemus' army will be able to strike at the heart of
Ages past, a lesser known death knight was created. His story Viseria with impunity.
wasn't as tragic as some of his most famous brethren, nor his For this difficult task a young undead knight, Norathras,
deeds of evil so grand as to give him a place in the tomes of was chosen by Nikodemus himself to lead the force.
knowledge. That was because this death knight, who went by Nikodemus sees great potential in this knight and Norathras
the name of Nikodemus, was at heart a philosopher. Decades wants to prove to his mentor that his trust is justifiable.
of unlife gave him, time to ponder and accept his new life as And so, the day of the siege has come. Merantheron's
another form of existence. He then spent an equal amount of defenders awaken to an army of undead at their doorstep...
time traveling the realms in disguise, debating with thinkers
and all kinds of philosophers of the mortal races about
undeath.
Even after his countless travels, he met no one one who
Running the Adventure
could accept a society where undead and living could coexist. This module is an adventure for 4-6 players of 4th level and
The only creatures that accepted his reasoning were the can be used as a short adventure or as a side-quest in your
undead and some mortal spellcasters who had a great main campaign. If you run this as an one-shot adventure, use
fascination with undeath (that is to say, necromancers). the High Magic Campaign chart on page 38 of the DMG for
Disappointed, he reached the conclusion that if the living the character starting equipment, preferably taking items
wouldn't accept his utopia by words, they would accept it by that enhance stealth. Parties with stealthy characters in their
force. Setting out again, he approached only intelligent ranks (rogue, ranger, etc.) will have an easier time completing
undead and mortals with necromantic powers. His dream of this module.
a world where undead wouldn't be prosecuted simply for
existing, managed to convince many of these sympathetic
people and creatures to join his cause. Scaling The Adventure
With the help of some of the most powerful spellcasters
To scale up the adventure for 5th level characters, add 1
among his new disciples, he achieved a major breakthrough.
more Soulbinder on each patrol (Reinforcements and
He created a ritual that could transform living people into
Reaching the Enemy Camp). Increase the number of
intelligent undead with free will. The ritual wasn't without
Deathcrowns by 2 (Siege Engine Workshop). Add 1
flaws, but was a huge step towards his goal. With this he
more Abomination (General’s Tent). Add 1 Shadowblade
could, and did, grow his followers exponentially by offering
and 1 Soulbinder (Assassination Attempt). Increase the
the perks of undeath to mortals who wanted more time in
number of Deathcrowns Norathras has with him by 2
this realm, who wanted more power, who had incurable
(Last Stand).
diseases, and so on.
Scaling down the adventure is not recommended unless
With this strong following, he created a militaristic order to
you are confident enough to reduce the power of some
help him achieve the next part of his plan. The order was
of the monsters yourself. To scale down the adventure
named simply "Ordo Immortuos" and accepted any
for 3rd level characters reduce the Hit Dice of Norathras,
intelligent undead that was loyal to Nikodemus' vision. The
Erevos and the undead abomination by 2 and reduce
order had several branches to accommodate different aspects
the damage dealt by Necrofire Orb and the dragon’s
of war (infantry, cavalry, espionage, magic, etc.) and
breath weapon by 7 (2d6). Reduce the number of
eventually grow in size and numbers.
plague bearers and Deathcrowns by 1 and 2
The final step of Nikodemus' plan was realised some days
respectively (Siege Engine Workshop). Reduce the
ago, where he summoned all his commanders to Charon's
number of Shadowblades by 2 (Reaching the Enemy
Hold, the first and largest stronghold of the Ordo
Camp) and the number of Shadowblades and
Immortuos, in the Boreas mountain range. He declared war
Deathcrowns by 1 and 1 respectively (Reinforcements).
on the mortal kingdoms of the south and took command of
Reduce the number of Deathcrowns that enter each
all the undead forces that he had amassed over the decades.
round from the wall breach by 1.
BACKGROUND

1
Adventure Synopsis Starting the Adventure
The party is caught in a siege situation and they have more or Upon starting the adventure, the party should be briefed by
less 24 hours to affect the outcome in their favor. Captain Grifaeon about the upcoming mission and the
importance it holds for the defence of the hold. Grifaeon has
• They must infiltrate the enemy camp and succeed in a come up with a plan to sabotage the enemy army based on
three-fold mission. information from his trusted scouts.
The characters are to fulfill three important objectives for
• Later that same night they must thwart an assasination this mission, as follows:
attempt directed at them or the commanding officer of First, they are to sabotage the siege engines the enemy has
the hold. been building since they camped to the west of the fort.
Second, they are to destroy the nodes the undead horde
• Finally, depending on the success of the previous day, has been using to create new undead from those fallen in
they will have either successfully defended the hold until battle.
reinforcements arrive, or they will have failed to do so. Third, they are to enter the enemy general's tent and steal
In the second case they must choose if they will flee the plans for the final attack against the fort.
from the ensuing undead onslaught or risk their lives Captain Grifaeon explains that they can take a tunnel that
along with the defenders of the hold. Whatever they do, leads a couple of miles outside the fort. They are to evade the
the consequences will haunt them for the rest of their enemy army and head toward what the captain believes is the
lives...or, unlives! least-populated western encampment, where they are to
achieve their objectives.
When the party is ready to start the mission, read or
The Hook paraphrase the following.

When the war between the Undead armies of Nikodemus

and the kingdom of Viseria first started, many mercenaries Captain Grifaeon leads you to a tunnel under the
and adventurers were hired to strengthen the military forces barracks. It is dark, full of spiderwebs and seems like it
of the kingdom. Among them were the characters, who were hasn't been used in a long time. After a couple of hours
sent far from the main battlefront to reinforce Merantheron's of traveling through the narrow dark passage, you reach
Hold. Hold, where a large undead force is now laying siege. a half rotted wooden staircase leading back outside.
Captain Erwin Grifaeon, commander of the hold,
managed to send a message to the nearest military base
asking for reinforcements. The reply was positive, but the
fastest reinforcements can arrive is 24 hours from now. The
existing forces must hold the keep until then.
Despite the good news, Grifaeon's experienced eye sees
that the undead that are gathered before his hold aren't a
mindless horde, but are moving with military discipline and
have weapons of war at their disposal. Not to mention that
the latest reports talk about a huge armored dragon inside
their camp!
Grifaeon tasks the party with the mission of infiltrating the
enemy lines while the undead are distracted by their attack
on the Hold. He knows well enough that even though his
soldiers are brave men and women, they don't have the
necessary skill set to pull this off.
Unfortunately for the more materialistic characters, he
can't promise any more gold than what they have already
agreed to upon their recruitment by the Viserian military
forces (3 gp per day per person and another 1000gp at the
end of the war). Nor does he have the power to award them
medals. They will just have to do it to save their lives, the
lives of their fellow defenders and, indirectly, hundreds if not
thousands more. The only thing that he can promise them
upon his honour is an extra portion of salted meat every day
they remain at his command, and that if he is alive after all
this he will make sure the higher-ups learn about their brave
deeds.

BACKGROUND

2
 Part One: Behind consists of one Soulbinder, two Shadowblades and two
Deathcrowns.

Enemy Lines
If the fight is over by the time the second group arrives,
they stay on high alert, going around searching for the
intruders. You might have the characters roll Stealth checks
Reaching the Enemy Camp to go undiscovered and have the patrol show up 2 rounds
From here, the party must move past the marching enemy after another fight breaks up.
army, while avoiding the enemy scouts that patrol near the If the players dispatch with the reinforcements, more
edges of the main force. In order to achieve that they will arrive to investigate the scene after a couple of hours if no
need to complete a Skill Challenge. report has been made by the patrols. After two hours a force
The DC is 13 and the relevant skills for this skill challenge of twelve Deathcrowns, six Shadowblades and three
are Dexterity (Stealth) for moving without being seen, Soulbinders arive to investigate. At this point a force of that
Wisdom (Perception) for spotting and avoiding incoming size might be too difficult for the players to face and they
patrols, Wisdom (Survival) to camouflage or to spot tracks of might need to flee before they have finished all of their
enemy patrols. They need to collectively succeed in three
checks before failing twice.
If the fail, they face a patrol of four Shadowblades led by Note for the Storyteller
one Soulbinder. In the case they pass the challenge, they
The reinforcements that arrive after two hours are meant
successfully evade the patrols. Award the XP for the patrol
to enforce a time limit for completing the objectives. It
avoided this way, as if they fought against it and won.
means that the players do not have enough time to take
As soon as they clear the above obstacle they come on top
two short rests in between fights and you should let
of the hill behind the enemy camp. Read or paraphrase the
them know that resting once might be okay, but a
following:
second time is stretching it. That means they will have to
play it safe, taking advantage of stealth and fighting
You see the smoke from a couple hundred bonfires smart so they can conserve resources. If you use the
lingering in the air above the horizon before the entirety rules for half hour short rests, reduce the response time
of the enemy camp comes into view. A sea of tents from the rest of the camp appropriately.
covers a big part of the valley below and even from that
distance, you are able to make out the large structure at
the back where the siege engines are being assembled. objectives.
1. Siege Engine Workshop
When the players approach the entrance to this large wooden
The characters can follow the path around and to the back of construction yard / workshop, read or paraphrase the
the enemy camp where their three objectives lie. The order
in which they can tackle the objectives can change but for the
purposes of this module they are presented in order as This large enclosed space contains several huge
follows. menacing war machines. You hear the noise of workers
fitting armor and weapons on these mostly finished
siege-towers. Two hulking figures carrying coffins on
Note for the Storyteller their backs, give orders and instructions to them from
the ground.
We have included several skill challenges in this module.
The relevant skills included here are only a small sample
of things the players can try and don’t hesitate to include following:
more as you see fit. Also, consider rewarding creative Development: When the characters arrive here, there are
application of skills with Advantage and imaginative use two plague bearers on the ground giving instructions to six
of spells or magic with automatic successes. Deathcrowns working on the siege towers. They are clad in
armor but the Deathcrowns’ weapons are on the far wall of
the workshop.
Both plague bearers have horns to sound an alarm in case
they are attacked. On the first round of combat, the one that
The Enemy Camp
plays first takes a bonus action to blow on their horn. If they
Reinforcements: Apart from the soldiers mentioned on each
do, the first round of reinforcements arrive in 5 rounds and
discrete position in the camp, there are two groups of
the second in 10 minutes as discussed above.
reinforcements available at short notice. These are soldiers,
Objective: Destroying the siege engines in the workshop is
left behind on duty to guard the camp. One of the two
one of the three objectives. The siege engines are heavily
groups is currently patrolling the premises and they are the
armored and have an AC 15 with resistance to bludgeoning,
ones to arrive within 5 rounds in the case of an alarm. The
piercing and slashing damage from non magical weapons,
second group is currently resting in the tents and need ten
and 200 hp. The players can sabotage the siege engines by
minutes to get into gear and be combat ready. Each group
dealing at least 50 damage to the wheels to make it

PART ONE : BEHIND ENEMY LINES

3
 Back to the Hold
impossible to roll them, or setting them on fire, which will
Once all their objectives are complete or in case the
need a large amount of oil or any other flammable liquid.
characters have to leave before completing them, they will
have to work their way back to the hold. They can return to
2. The General’s Tent
the hold via the same secret exit. They don't have to pass a
When the characters enter this tent, read or paraphrase the
skill challenge this time, since all the enemy forces are
focused on the assault on the hold.
This large tent looks magnitudes larger than the other If they don't take care to cover their tracks, they are
tents you see in the camp. As you enter, you see a large eventually discovered by enemies who subsequently use the
table ridden with maps and scrolls. A bearskin decorates secret passage during the night for an infiltration and
the floor underneath and barrels with supplies litter the assassination attempt. If any of the players think about
left and right walls. A large figure dominates the side of covering their tracks, award them inspiration and hand the
the room, a mass of what looks like dead bodies stitched party full XP for the assasination encounter that is avoided.
together, some of their bellies open with their guts
overflowing. What is more disturbing is that it starts Assassination!
moving menacingly towards you. If the players don't think about covering their tracks, the
enemy finds the secret passage and uses it to attempt an
assassination on Captain Grifaeon during the night.
following:
When the players finally go for a long rest, read or
Development: Norathras has left behind an abomination,
paraphrase the following text:
stitched together and animated by his Soulbinders and
plague bearers using the bodies of the enemies he personally
killed in combat. He left his faithful pet to guard his tent in A bone chilling scream wakes you up in the middle of
his absence and it has instructions to attack anyone the night. Moments later, a frightened page rushes into
trespassing. your room, crying, "Intruders! They're after the captain!"
Objective: The orders and enemy placements are on the
scrolls and map on the table. Since they are made of paper
they can be potentially accidentally destroyed by any fire that As soon as the characters arrive to the captain's quarters, they
might break out in the tent. find the captain surrounded by four Shadowblades and two
Soulbinders. And his guards are already dead. One of the
3. The Animus Nodes Soulbinders faces Captain Grifaeon head on, while the rest
When players move close to this part of the camp read out or turn against the party. Captain Grifaeon has the stats of a
veteran.
There are several large black crystals forming a ritual
circle on this open field, glowing with necromantic
energies. In the middle of the circle, the massive body of Part Two: Last Stand
a dragon clad in black iron armor lies still and dead
silent. When the new day comes and you are ready to start the Last
Stand read or paraphrase the following to your players:

paraphrase the following text:

Development: The dragon that lies in the middle of the The first rays of sunshine pass through the mountain
circle is an adult undead dragon, animated by the dark peaks, shedding light in the area around Merantheron's
necromantic powers of the crystals. As soon as at least one of Hold. Morning dew covers everything like a shimmering
the players enters the circle, the dragon rises to attack. blanket and creates a beautiful, almost magical, scene.
Objective: The crystals have AC 10 and 15 HP but are The beauty of it is wasted, though, because right now its
invulnerable to normal damage while the circle is intact. spectators have more important priorities. The events of
There are several ways for the players to destroy them and last day have deeply affected everyone and you can see
they involve disrupting the ley lines that connect them it in the defenders' faces: the coming battle will decide
before smashing the crystals. They can do that with a DC 15 their future and the future of their families back home.
Intelligence (Arcana) check or a dispel magic spell. The As you reflect on this, you hear the war horns blowing.
crystals can also be directly destroyed by a shatter spell or The final assault has started.
any other source of thunder or force damage.

Mostly the events of the previews section will decide the

outcome of this one, but the party will still have a last chance
to affect the outcome of the siege, or at least save their own
hides. Depending on how successful they were in completing
the objectives in Part One, the following three scenarios may
occur:

PART TWO : LAST STAND

4
 Merantheron is Doomed! Norathras, seeing that the battle has come to a standstill and
suspecting that Viserian reinforcements are probably
This is the worst case scenario. In this, the characters have
approaching the hold, decides to gamble everything in a final
failed the majority of objectives in Part One. The defenders’
assault. He leads the charge and along with some of his elite
morale is abysmal, seeing that the enemy has at their disposal
knights enter through the hole while most of his remaining
the advantage of numbers, a fully charged undead dragon,
forces savagely press the attack on other parts of the wall.
and siege engines that throw toxic gases.
At this point the characters can intercept Norathras and his
The battle quickly turns to massacre, the walls are breached
soldiers and try to repel them or hold them off enough so the
before reinforcements can arrive and with Norathras himself
reinforcements can arrive. If they don't intervene, then soon
leading the charge, it is painfully clear to everyone that
enough the hold is captured. In that case, follow the options
Merantheron is doomed. The characters can attempt to
given in the Merantheron is Doomed! scenario but lower the
escape or if they are suicidal enough, stay and fall with the
difficulty of escape to DC 14 for all skill checks.
hold.
If they interfere, they must defend the breach from
If they attempt to escape, a successful DC 16 Wisdom
Norathras and his soldiers for 10 rounds. The first round
(Perception) check lets them avoid areas with heavy undead
Norathras and two Deathcrowns burst through the hole
presence, a DC 16 Dexterity (Stealth) lets them pass
(check Appendix A: New Monsters for the statistics and
unnoticed by unavoidable areas of undead and a DC 16
tactics of Norathras and his Deathcrowns). Every round after
Strength lets them lift, pull, push or move various rubble and
the first, 2 more Deathcrowns squeeze through the hole
debris that block the escape routes due to the hammering of
making things more difficult for the party. If the characters
the siege engines and dragon attacks. They need to
manage to kill Norathras before the time limit then the final
collectively succeed in three checks before failing twice.
assault fails and the invaders are repelled. If they manage to
In the second case, make sure to convey to them that
hold him off for 10 rounds and don't retreat then a horn
survival is impossible as hordes of brainless and intelligent
signals the arrival of the Viserian army and Norathras tries to
undead are too powerful an enemy for a group of 4rth level
flee. The battle is won! Check Conclusion for further details.
adventures to face alone. Give them another chance to escape
following the skill challenge above. If they still insist, describe
to them how the undead surround them and quickly start to
Glorious Victory!
This is the best case scenario. In this, the characters have
overcome every member of the party. At this point you can
successfully completed all the objectives of Part One and
declare the party dead like so many other unnamed heroes
prevented the assasination attempt. The defenders are in
that defended the hold that day.
high spirits and a heartfelt speech from Captain Grifaeon
Or if you want to give things an unexpected twist, inform
makes them even more eager for the fight to come.
them that they are instead subdued and captured. If you do
From the get go, the battle turns in favor of the defenders
this check the Conclusion for further details.
as the advanced weapons of war and necromancy that would
have given the advantage to the undead army are easily
Merantheron's Fate Hangs in the Balance
defeated and every devious tactic Norathras employs is
In this scenario the party has successfully completed two out
quickly and efficiently countered as if the defenders knew it
of the three objectives and prevented the assasination
beforehand.
attempt. As this leaves the outcome of the battle undecided,
The undead are repelled and with such underwhelming
they will get a great opportunity to affect the outcome and
odds not even Norathras attempts a final attack preferring
save the day.
instead to save as much of his army he can and retreat
Describe how things unfold, emphasising how each
defeated back to the main force of Nikodemus. The battle is
objective's failure or success helps or hinders the defenders
won! Check Conclusion for further details.
and makes the battle come into a standstill with neither side
Of course all the scenarios above are general guidelines. In
having an overwhelming advantage (ex. if they succeeded in
a chaotic, multifaceted environment such as the siege of
sabotaging the animus nodes that charged the dragon,
Merantheron's Hold many things can affect the outcome.
describe how its weakened form tries to descend on the
Feel free to tweak, embellish or add more possible scenarios
hold's parapets but falls after a barrage of shots by the hold’s
as you see fit.
ballistae, etc).
Read or paraphrase the following to your players:

Reports from the back lines, quickly transferred forward

by excited shouts, announce that the Viserian
reinforcements have been spotted nearby. These cheers
are interrupted by a terrible explosion that breaks
through a section of outer wall, spreading rubble and a
strange green gas. Through the hole the explosion
leaves behind, you can make out the figure of Norathras,
with a couple of his elite units behind him.

CONCLUSION

5
Conclusion
In any scenario in which Merantheron's Hold remains in the
hands of the defenders, the party is hailed as heroes among
the soldiers. The survivors bury the dead and purge the
fallen undead. Repairs of the hold start immediately and
scouts are sent to gauge the movements of the retreating
horde. Characters can help with either of these tasks, which
can lead to further adventures and encounters.

Captain Grifaeon, if he is alive after the siege, remains true

to his word and gives an extra portion of salted meat for
every day they remain in his Hold and makes sure the higher
echelons learn about the party's heroic deeds. Sometime in
the future a messenger approaches the players and delivers
to each one of them a medal of honour.
If Norathras managed to retreat then you can make a
recurring villain out of him as he will not easily forget or
forgive the ones who defeated and disgraced him in the eyes
of his mentor.
Worse yet, if the party managed to kill him, then eventually
the news will arrive in his mentor's ears. Nikodemus surely
will not be pleased when he learns about his favorite pupil's
death and will seek retribution from the ones that achieved
the deed.
In general, the war is still going strong in other places so
the players, now that they have proven their worth, could be
transferred in the front lines or help Viseria's Armed Forces
with other assignments if you want to expand on this
adventure.
In the unfortunate event Merantheron's Hold falls, that
could bring numerous implications both to the players and
the war, as the undead will now have gained a very defensible
foothold from which to make further assaults in Viseria's
mainland or attempt to strike at the back of the main
Viserian Army.
If the party managed to retreat then they have to live with
the implications of their defeat.
Finally, in the event that they are captured then a twist
awaits them. Having piqued the interest of Norathras as
capable individuals, he offers them a final chance to remain
in this world. If they accept, they must willingly take part in
the ritual that will transform them to undead.
This will change their type to undead but because the ritual
is still in experimental stage, you as a Storyteller feel free to
decide what other effects, mechanical or other, you want it to
have (ex. what are the chances of success, which traits/
abilities they gain or lose, what effects it has on their
personality etc). Whatever you decide to do with the ritual it
could lead to many interesting adventures because they will
have the chance to see things from another perspective.

CONCLUSION

6
Meranthreons Hold
Appendix A: New
D EATHCROWN
Creatures Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

Armor Class 15 (half plate)

Hit Points 22 (4d8 + 4)

T
he monsters here are displayed by CR (lowest Speed 30 ft.
to highest). If a monster isn't displayed in this
Appendix you can find it in the MM.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
15 (+2) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 13 (+1)

Saving Throws Con +3, Wis +2

Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Fanatic. Deathcrown has advantage on saving throws

against being frightened.

Actions
Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Heavy Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +2 to hit,

range 100/400 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d10) piercing
damage.

Reactions
Parry. Deathcrown adds 2 to its AC against one melee
attack that would hit it. To do so, the knight must see the
attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

Description: Deathcrowns are the order's heavy infantry. It

consists of men and women that gave up their humanity and
embraced undeath. They are paler versions of themselves
with blood red eyes and raven dark hair. They are technically
a lesser version of a death lord, on the way to full ascendancy.

Tactics: Deathcrowns are still knights and value their honor to

a high degree. As such they prefer to fight one on one against
enemies and usually prefer to go against the most capable
melee fighters so as to prove their prowess.
 S HADOWBLADES
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment

Armor Class 13 (leather armor)

Hit Points 18 (4d8)
Speed 30 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

11 (+0) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 11 (+0) 13 (+1) 11 (+0)

Skills Stealth +6
Damage Resistances necrotic
Senses passive Perception 11
Languages any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Sneak Attack (1/Turn). The Shadowblade deals an extra

7 (2d6) damage when it hits a target with a weapon
attack and has advantage on the attack roll, or when the
target is within 5 ft. of an ally of the Shadowblade that
isn't incapacitated and the Shadowblade doesn't have
disadvantage on the attack roll.

Actions
Hand Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
range 30/120 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing
damage.

Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,

one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage.

Description: Shadowblades are similar

to Deathcrowns, only they have
focused on using the
shadows and underhanded
tactics to get the upper
hand in combat. They rely
more on their
nimbleness and fitness to
fight instead of their more
brutish brethren and that
also reflects on their
equipment and tactics.

Tactics: Shadowblades rely on shock tactics. They strike

fast and they strike hard, focusing on enemies until they
are down. They are very well versed in battlefield tactics
and will pile on top of healers and spellcasters first if
given the opportunity.
 Description: Soulbinders are hybrid mage
fighters that train in blood magic. They
have perfected the art of creating
S OULBINDER
Medium humanoid (any race), any alignment
weapons out of the spirits of slain
enemies and using them to absorb
Armor Class 15 (studded leather)
enemy lifeforce in order to heal
Hit Points 49 (9d8 + 9)
their wounds. They also have mastered some
Speed 30 ft.
low level combat magic and necromancies.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Tactics: Soulbinders complement the fast and furious
9 (-1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 12 (+1) 11 (+0)
attack patterns of Deathcrowns and Shadowblades by
providing ranged support and blinding key opponents
casting false life on themselves and jumping into the Saving Throws Int +5, Wis +3
fray. They have a more careful approach but jump into Skills Arcana +5, History +5, Stealth +5
melee as soon as they are injured so they can replenish Damage Resistances necrotic, poison
their lost health and always keep a misty Condition Immunities exhaustion
step to get away from clutch Senses passive Perception 11
situations in which they Languages any four languages
might get focused Challenge 3 (700 XP)
and taken down
before they
Spellcasting. Soulbinder is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its
have a
spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 13, +5
chance to
to hit with spell attacks). The mage has the following
heal up.
wizard spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light, mage hand,

prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, false life, magic missile,
shield
2nd level (2 slots): misty step, blindness/deafness

Actions
Spirit Scythe. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to
hit, reach 10 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (2d6
+ 3) piercing damage and the Soulbinder heals half of
the damage dealt.
 Description: The undead abomination is a monstrosity

U NDEAD A BOMINATION stitched together from many different corpses and animated
through foul necromantic energies. The bodies are in a
Large undead, chaotic evil
constant state of rot and as soon as the older bodies rot to a
Armor Class 12 (natural armor) point of not being functional any more, new ones are stitched
Hit Points 104 (11d10 + 44) on it by the plague bearers. Thus the gasses that accumulate
Speed 30 ft. on the inside get to the point where they become explosive if
set on fire.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

Tactics: The Abomination is not very aware of battlefield
20 (+5) 8 (-1) 18 (+4) 5 (-3) 11 (+0) 5 (-3)
tactics. It tries to engage as many enemies as it can by
charging and chain flailing the furthest opponents to get them
Damage Immunities necrotic in its stench aura, and prioritises any healers, clerics, druids or
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, paralyzed, paladins.
poisoned
Senses passive Perception 10
Languages —
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Stench. Any creature other than an undead abomination

that starts its turn within 5 feet of the undead
abomination must succeed on a 15 Constitution saving
throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature's
next turn. On a successful saving throw, the creature is
immune to the stench of all undead abominations for 1
hour.

Flammable gases. If the undead abomination receives

any amount of fire damage the gases inside and around
it explode dealing the same amount of fire damage to
both the abomination and anyone around within 10ft.

Actions
Great Cleaver. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 10
ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.

Chain Flail. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 20 ft.,

one target. Hit: 11 (1d12 + 5) bludgeoning damage and
the target must make a DC 16 Strength Saving Throw or
be pulled 10ft towards the undead abomination

Multiattack. The undead abomination makes one Great

Cleaver and one Chain Flail attack.
 E REVOS
Huge Dragon, Evil alignment

Armor Class 18 (plate)

Hit Points 105 (10d12 + 40)
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

22 (+6) 7 (-2) 18 (+4) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 8 (-1)

Skills Perception +5
Damage Resistances necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, poisoned
Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive
Perception 15
Languages —
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)

Actions
Multiattack. The dragon makes three attacks: one with
its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one

target. Hit: 17 (2d10 + 6) piercing damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one

target. Hit: 13 (2d6 + 6) slashing damage.

Breath Weapon (Recharge 5-6). The dragon exhales a

fetid cloud of poison in a 60-foot cone. Each creature in
that area must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw,
taking 36 (8d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half
as much damage on a successful one. A creature that
fails the saving throw is also poisoned until the end of
it's next turn.

Description: Erevos was an adult black dragon that

Nicodemus slew himself. He was in need of a steed so he
proceeded to experiment with the ritual designed to raise
human warriors to sentient undead on the dragon's corpse. It
partially worked but left the dragon severely weakened and in
need of a constant source of necromantic energy. Nicodemus
had his best plague bearers work on fitting him with metallic
armor to turn him into a fearsome armored undead
monstrosity.

Tactics: Erevos is as animalistic in undeath, as he used to be in

life. He breathes poison on as many enemies as he can and he
focuses on killing the enemies he perceives as the most
dangerous, as in the enemies that have dealt the most damage
to him in previous rounds.
 P LAGUE B EARER
Medium undead, chaotic evil

Armor Class 13 (scale mail)

Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
Speed 20 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA

16 (+3) 8 (-1) 15 (+2) 11 (+0) 16 (+3) 8 (-1)

Saving Throws Wis +5

Skills Medicine +5, Nature +2
Damage Resistances acid, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities exhaustion, necrotic, poisoned
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages Any one language (usually Common)
Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Stench. Any creature other than a plague bearer that

starts its turn within 5 feet of the plague bearer must
succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or be
poisoned until the start of the creature’s next turn. On a
successful saving throw, the creature is immune to the
stench of all plague bearers for 1 hour.

Actions
Plague Grenade. The plague bearer throws a plague
grenade in a spot within 60 ft. Any one within 20 ft of the
grenade must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw,
taking 18 (4d8) poison damage and being poisoned
until the end of their next turn on a failed save, or half as
much damage on a successful one.

Poisoned Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach

5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3)
piercing damage, or 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage if used
with two hands to make a melee attack plus 10 (3d6)
poison damage.

Description: Erevos was an adult black dragon that

Nicodemus slew himself. He was in need of a steed so he
proceeded to experiment with the ritual designed to raise
human warriors to sentient undead on the dragon's corpse. It
partially worked but left the dragon severely weakened and in
need of a constant source of necromantic energy. Nicodemus
had his best plague bearers work on fitting him with metallic
armor to turn him into a fearsome armored undead
monstrosity.

Tactics: Erevos is as animalistic in undeath, as he used to be in

life. He breathes poison on as many enemies as he can and he
focuses on killing the enemies he perceives as the most
dangerous, as in the enemies that have dealt the most damage
to him in previous rounds.
 N ORATHRAS Multiattack. Norathras makes two attacks. One bastard
sword attack and one short sword attack.
Medium undead (Corporeal Undead), Lawful Evil

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft.,

Armor Class 18 (plate)
one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage.
Hit Points 90 (12d8 + 36)
Speed 30 ft.
Bastard Sword +1. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach
5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) slashing damage.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
Leadership (Recharges after a Short or Long Rest). For 1
18 (+4) 12 (+1) 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 10 (+0) 16 (+3) minute, Norathras can utter a special command or warning
whenever a non hostile creature that it can see within 30 ft.
of it makes an attack roll or a saving throw. The creature can
Skills Athletics +7, Insight +3, Intimidation +6
add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Norathras. A creature can benefit from only one Leadership
Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened
die at a time. This effect ends if Norathras is incapacitated.
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
Languages Common, Abyssal
Challenge 7 (2,900 XP)
Reactions
Parry. Norathras adds 3 to its AC against one melee attack
that would hit it. To do so, Norathras must see the attacker
Necrofire Orb. Necrofire Orb (1/day). Norathras hurls a and he must be wielding a melee weapon.
magical ball of fire that explodes at a point it can see within
120 feet of it. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere
centered on that point must make a DC 14 Dexterity saving
throw. The sphere spreads around corners. A creature takes
16 (4d6) fire damage and 16 (4d6) necrotic damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Spellcasting. Norathras is a 12th-level spellcaster. Its

spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit
with spell attacks). Norathras has the following spells
prepared:

1st level (4 slots): command,compelled duel, searing smite

2nd level (3 slots): hold person, branding Smite
3rd level (3 slots): dispel magic, elemental weapon

Actions

Description: Norathras is Nikodemus' apprentice and most

promising protege. He was knighted for his combat prowess
in life and for his embracing of Nikodemus' ideals. He is the
closest of all of Nikodemus's students to becoming a true
deathlord even having mastered some of the signature
abilities of deathlords.

Tactics: Norathras begins the fight using his Leadership

ability to give his soldiers an edge before he casts elemental
weapon on his bastard sword and attacks. He uses smite spells
after casting hold person on melee opponents so he can
dispatch them with quick criticals. He uses Necrofire Orb as
soon as he has a shot to hit three or more enemies.

APPENDIX A : NEW CREATURES

15
 Map Overview

Note: The maps below are a small scale of the original maps, just for reference.
You will find the full-sized, printable maps in a separate file.
18
 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a

The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc
(“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.

1 Definitions: (a) “Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game
Content; (b) “Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into
other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation,
abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to
reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d) “Open Game Content”
means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does
not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as
Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and
derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and
product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines,
plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses,
concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of
characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations,
environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and
any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity,
and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto,
designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open
Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate
and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this
agreement.

2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game
Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content
that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other
terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual,
worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.

19
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You
represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed
by this License.

6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact
text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must
add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open
Game Content you Distribute.

7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except
as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You
agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a
work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of
such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a
challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall
retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.

8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are
distributing are Open Game Content.

9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any
authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under
any version of this License.

10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You
Distribute.

11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any
Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.

12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or
all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open
Game Material so affected.

13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such
breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.

14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the
extent necessary to make it enforceable.

15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference
Document Copyright 2000–2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich
Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on
original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J.
Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave
Arneson. The Markdown SRD5 Copyright 2016, Garrett Guillotte.

The Deathlord Order Copyright 2020, Archvillain Games, LP

20
An army of undead is laying siege to Merantheron's Hold.

Can you infiltrate their army and stop their invasion or

will you be swept away by the undead tide?

Enter the camp of the Deathlord Order to find out!

ARCHVILLAINGAMES.COM | AVGPATREON.COM