5th Edition Conversion

Credits Fifth Edition Conversion badooga (badooga#8108 on Discord, /u/badooga1 on Reddit) - designer Discord - a lot of you guys on D&D discord servers like the Discord of Many Things helped me out with this conversion. Thanks for all the help! Converter's Note: Welcome! Welcome to Elder Evils 5e! I hope you enjoy this conversion. To view the statistics for all of the monsters referenced in this document, see the standalone document on GM Binder. You can also download a PDF version of the bestiary document on Google Drive. Also note that this book refers to content from the original Elder Evils book; as such, you will need to acquire your own copy of the book in order to use it alongside this one. Additionally, there is a standalone supplement for a tenth Elder Evil, Shothragot, that can be found on GM Binder or on Google Drive. Please feel free to use the content of this book however you'd like, as long as credit is given as appropriate. Have fun! Original Book Designers Robert J. Schwalb

Jason Bulmahn

Greg Gordon

James Jacobs

Rhiannon Louve

Michael McArtor

Anthony Pryor Editors Logan Bonner

Michele Carter

Jennifer Clarke Wilkes Freelance Coordinator Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel Editing Manager Kim Mohan Content Credits A lot of text in this conversion is taken directly from the original Elder Evils books. Give it up for these guys for all the hard work they put into it! Additionally, note that I used stat blocks from official 5e supplements (e.g. the atropal in ToA) as foundations for some of the new stat blocks found in this conversion. Design Manager Christopher Perkins Development Manager Andy Collins Director of RPG D&D Bill Slavicsek Production Managers Kris Walker

Shari Overbay Senior Art Director D&D Stacy Longstreet Art Director Karin Powell Cover Artist Michael Komarck Interior Artists Miguel Coimbra

Daarken

Wayne England

Ralph Horsley

Izzy

Howard Lyon

Michael Philippi

Skan Srisuwan

Francis Tsai

Franz Vohwinkel

Eva Widermann

James Zhang Cartographer Mike Schley Graphic Designers Michael Martin

Soe Murayama Graphic Production Specialist Erin Dorries Image Technician Sven Bolen Art Credits Much of the art used in this book is borrowed from the original Elder Evils supplement. There might be some images that came from elsewhere, however. If you find any, note that these images are taken from official books like Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes that are printed by Wizards of the Coast.

Introduction When elder evils stir, the world groans; when they awaken, the world weeps. Buried in the deepest bowels of the Underdark, hidden in the farthest reaches of the multiverse, or lost in the gulfs between realities are terrible things that exist only to destroy or horribly remake creation. So mighty are these ancient beings that even the gods think twice about standing against them. Mortals who are aware of their existence viciously suppress that knowledge and destroy any who would serve such things. Even if an elder evil can be forced back to whence it came, its mere presence changes the world forever. In short, it is a campaign ender. Evil to Challenge the Gods The Elder Evils supplement presents a catalog of some of the most infamous and terrible creatures ever to plague the multiverse. From an undead world "born" at the moment of creation, to terrifying monstrosities that clawed their way out of the Abyss, to unthinkable entities from beyond the planes, these beings exemplify horrors that can destroy not just a kingdom but entire worlds or even existence itself. Most elder evils have been imprisoned by great heroes, deities, or other powerful beings who fear their release. Yet they are not so easily forgotten: Whispers of their existence seduce the mad and villainous, promising great power in exchange for release. Thus, each elder evil presented here has one or more servants, also described in detail. Chapter 1. Evil Does Not Sleep: This section provides suggestions for introducing an elder evil into the campaign as well as signs that bring the end times to your world. New cult features and malefic properties add horror and power to elder evils and their servants. Chapter 2. Atropus: This moonlike orb is the stillborn afterbirth of the world's creation, an undead entity that desires nothing less than the end of the entire multiverse. Chapter 3. Father Llymic: Although his body lies frozen in a prison of ice, the mind of this utterly alien being is glacially aware. His corrosive form slowly infects his surroundings, reaching gradually to make the world a part of himself. His corrupt Brood roams free, spreading evil in preparation for their master's awakening. Chapter 4. Hulks of Zoretha: Left behind in the wake of a world-shaking storm a century past, these enigmatic monoliths hold a secret known by only a few. The Hulks are the seeds of a monstrous colonization project, awaiting a signal from a parallel plane. Once it is received, they will animate to carve a path of destruction. Chapter 5. Leviathan: Leviathan is a creature of bestial intelligence whose enormous coils wrap the world. It sleeps in the deepest trenches of the seas, spawning tsunamis, whirlpools, and earthquakes as it restlessly shifts. Now mad cultists seek to wake the beast and submerge all the lands. Chapter 6. Pandorym: Pandorym is a doomsday weapon, an entity from beyond the multiverse. Ancient wizards summoned it as a deterrent to defend their empire from vengeful deities. However, the raging gods ended the kingdom's reign before it could release the weapon. Pandorym now lingers, its essence split and imprisoned, waiting for release—and vengeance. Chapter 7. Ragnorra: Arising in a time before creation, Ragnorra is a force of perverted life that births monstrosities from her swollen body. The deities cast her into the sky, but she reappears as a blood-red comet every 500 years. Dreadful seed and falling stars produce monstrous offspring in worlds Ragnorra approaches—and now she smashes into worlds to remake them directly. Chapter 8. Sertrous: Sertrous began as a demon, one of the obyriths—a remnant demonic race shuddering toward extinction. With the rise of the tanar'ri, Sertrous was exiled from the Abyss and took the form of a monstrous serpent, granting vile powers to the yuan-ti in exchange for their service. Even though he was slain, Sertrous lingers in spirit and continues to corrupt the snake people. His followers, the Vanguard of Sertrous, employ intrigue and magic to gain influence and ultimately bring about the end of the world. Chapter 9. The Worm that Walks: This elder evil is the memory of a slain corporeal god. Its essence transferred itself to the worms and maggots that devoured the deity's corpse, forming a hideous but vaguely humanoid shape. The horror was sealed away in an obelisk by heroes of a previous age. It seeks ever to escape and eat its way to world domination, one writhing victim at a time. Chapter 10. Zargon: According to legend, Zargon cannot be killed unless his horn is severed from his body, and if his horn is not destroyed, he will inevitably return to claim it. The immortals could not discover a means of destroying his horn, and thus they entombed Zargon and a whole city of his mad worshipers in a place now lost to history. Extra Images Check out these Imgur albums for important images you can use in your games! Maps : High quality maps for each area and encounter.

: High quality maps for each area and encounter. Monster Images : Art for most monsters in the bestiary.

: Art for most monsters in the bestiary. Tokens: Tokens for most monsters in the bestiary.

Evil Does Not Sleep "And I looked upon the Thing and I wept tears of blood, for I knew my land, my people, my very world was dead." — Ancient scroll recovered from the Valley of Death The following pages present incomprehensible horrors, threats to the campaign setting so powerful as to bring it to an end. These beings have nothing less in mind than the utter destruction of a world or even existence itself. Even if their genocidal plans are not completely realized, they can leave the world unrecognizable. Elder evils are not just monsters with impressive Challenge Ratings. They are campaign capstones. Their abilities outstrip those of even the most powerful player characters. In some cases, the party does not confront the elder evil itself, but only a mighty extension of its foul will. It might be possible to fight and even defeat such creatures, but their very existence unalterably changes the world. If ending the world isn't on your horizon just yet, the foes described in the following chapters make exciting challenges for your campaign's high-level adventurers. They and their powerful minions are the basis for grand story arcs that pit the characters against the greatest threats facing their existence. As an individual challenge, any of the monsters presented here offers a memorable confrontation. An adventure need not conclude with encountering the elder evil itself; the party might thwart the plans of villains early enough to prevent an apocalyptic outcome. If you are ready to bring your campaign to a close, though, start with this chapter. It sets out the basics of incorporating these beings into your world's history. As well, it provides some advice on ending it all in a way that is not only memorable and exciting, but satisfying too. The End Times "The shrieks, the laughter, the wailing! We were going mad. We knew not why or how, but delusions and hallucinations ruled our feverish minds." You might be wondering why you should ever end your campaign: Things are going fine, and you're having fun. To cite a cliché, all good things must come to an end. Even if you're not ready to stop now, one day you will be. At some point, the party ascends the heady heights of the fourth tier of play, and fewer and fewer foes can challenge them. When player characters own castles and lands, command continent-spanning organizations, lead entire religious movements, or are generals of armies no longer content with mortal wars, your campaign is approaching a natural close. You could forge on, having the party challenge the gods themselves, but even then, the tale has to end someday. Ending a campaign is a significant achievement. It is a natural conclusion to all the stories you and your players have told together, and it gives everyone a feeling of accomplishment after years of play. In addition, bringing your campaign to a close lets you embark on something different, exploring new worlds and possibilities—in short, death leads to rebirth. Incorporating Elder Evils Elder evils lurk on the fringes of existence. They have always been and always will be. Although they can be as powerful as demigods—sometimes more so—they are not deities. They aren't interested in mortals except to wipe them out. Gods create and attend their creations; elder evils unravel them. The mere presence of an elder evil threatens reality. Such power is difficult to conceal. If the party hasn't heard even a whisper of the entity to date, why and how has it masked its presence? Uncovering this mystery can be as thrilling a challenge as the final confrontation itself. The secrecy of an elder evil depends on your needs as the Dungeon Master. If you're starting a new campaign and plan to end it in a confrontation with a world-threatening entity, plant the seeds early and drop hints over time. If you've decided recently to bring things to a head, there's nothing wrong with suddenly revealing the elder evil. When introducing these terrifying entities into an established campaign, use what you already have. Recurring villains or their minions work well when the party already has an inkling of the nemesis. For example, when the nefarious high priest of Nerull reveals that she is in fact an accomplice of the Worm that Walks (see Chapter 9), the revelation is as logical as it is horrifying. On the other hand, a major campaign villain might turn out to be the elder evil itself. Faceless, recurring villains hide their identities behind several masks; as the campaign develops, the party exposes (or believe they expose) their true enemy again and again until you're ready to reveal the ultimate truth. Reading the Entries Each of the chapters of the original book describes an elder evil, its motivations and servants, and signs of its approach, as well as providing a sample story arc to help you introduce the threat into your campaign. A given entry uses the format below. To respect the intellectual property of the original creators, this document only notes changes with respect to the source material. It also includes Signs of Apocalypse that are rebuilt to fit 5th Edition design philosophies. Background This section opens with a paragraph of common knowledge and continues with several paragraphs of specialized knowledge. Learning one of these pieces of information about an elder evil requires an Intelligence (Arcana) or Intelligence (Religion) check, as listed in the original book. While the DC of each check remains up to the DM, they should range from Moderate (DC 15) to Nearly Impossible (DC 30). Alternatively, the DM may decide that this information cannot be acquired except through certain methods of research or interaction with the campaign world. Goal This section follows the same format as the Background entry, but the lore entries reveal ever more secret details of the elder evil's ultimate purpose.

The Elder Evil in the Campaign This section sets out a sample story arc with increasingly difficult challenges, culminating in the final confrontation with the elder evil. The Suggested Level of these challenges correspond with strengthening signs of the apocalypse, as detailed later in this chapter. Each chapter includes a section that describes the game effects of that elder evil's sign. Two subsections suggest ways to adapt the elder evil to the Forgotten Realms® and Eberron™ campaign settings. Variant Usage. This subsection presents an original variant on how an elder evil might fit in a unique campaign setting, or it may present alternate plot hooks or story details to be used as appropriate. You can adapt any of the example elder evils in this book so that they fit better into your setting's history. For example, planar campaigns or campaigns that use Spelljammers might wish to change the default locations given in the original book to better fit the setting they are a part of. Description Here follow physical details of the elder evil. Important servants and minions are also presented in this section. Statistics for these creatures can be found in a separate document, linked here. Encounter Information Each entry has an overview map of the area in which the final confrontation occurs. Specific encounter areas are described in narrative, and a few are tied to tactical encounters at the end of the chapter. Each tactical encounter includes a map of the room or area in which it takes place. The information includes creature statistics and tactics, initial positions of combatants, the locations of traps or other hazards, and other details important to the encounter. Signs of Apocalypse An elder evil, or its mortal minions, might be active through the life of the campaign, but only when the horror awakens, arrives, or sets its plans in motion does the world know of it. This awakening manifests as a sign: the physical, magical, or psychological imprint of the elder evil. A sign reflects an aspect of the being's purpose and nature, and it influences the entire campaign setting. Sometimes it appears not by the will of the entity itself (which would rather not tip its hand), but as a warning from the gods, who are often constrained from direct involvement. Introducing Signs When adjudicating a sign's influence, describe in flavorful narrative how it alters the world around the party. (Refer to the quotations that introduce each sign for inspiration to guide your story.) After a sign appears and gains strength, its effect can be nearly as devastating as the elder evil itself; even if the threat is dealt with, this lingering influence leaves the world a much different place. Since signs have such widespread effects, handling them within the context of the game can be daunting. The sample story arcs in the following chapters suggest ways to heighten a given sign gradually over time. When it finally becomes overwhelming—heralding the imminent arrival of the threat—the party's average level should be high enough to resist all but the worst effects. Identifying Signs To ordinary mortals, the appearance of a sign is a mysterious phenomenon—foreboding and sinister, to be sure, but without obvious significance. Only individuals who have the proper training and experience, who are steeped in ancient or forbidden knowledge, have any chance to recognize its grim implications. To identify a sign for what it is, a character must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) or Intelligence (Religion) check, as appropriate. The check DC depends on the sign's intensity, as set out in the following table. As the effect of the sign becomes more pervasive, its meaning grows ever more clear. A faint sign might be simply unsettling, but at its height, its influence is inescapable. Intensity DC Faint 23 Moderate 19 Strong 15 Overwhelming 11 By succeeding on this check, a character knows the sign is an evil omen. If the check succeeds by 5 or more, the character can identify the sign's strength, and succeeding by 10 or more reveals all the ramifications of its effect (including the identity of the elder evil). Signs Revealed The following signs are examples of those that could accompany an elder evil's approach; you might prefer to design your own, taking inspiration from these entries. Each section describes the effect of the sign at the four intensities listed above. Some entries suggest ways of varying the sign's influence to better suit the needs of the campaign. Blood Moon "And the moon shone crimson, drenching the lands with the color of blood. In its ill-omened light, people went mad with rage and turned on each other in hate." The pale disk of silver hanging in the night sky transforms, assuming a ghastly hue. At first, it darkens to an orange tone like that of a harvest moon, but as the sign approaches its peak, it turns the color of blood. Effect: The sign of the blood moon sets tempers on edge, making living creatures irritable and aggressive. Ultimately, they are consumed by involuntary rage.

Details: The Hulks of Zoretha are associated with this sign. See Chapter 4 for more information. Dead Sun "The sun did not rise. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, and still the blanket of darkness shrouded all. A cruel, dark winter was upon us, freezing the warmth of our blood." When this sign appears, the light dies. The days grow shorter, and temperatures drop until finally the sun vanishes from the sky, plunging the world into perpetual night. Effect: Natural and magical lighting diminish as the sign strengthens, until the sun no longer rises. Details: Father Llymic is associated with this sign. See Chapter 3 for more information. Variant: Instead of the sun disappearing completely, planetary rotation slows so that, ultimately, one side of the world is bathed in perpetual light while the other is plunged into eternal darkness. The effects of the sign on the dark side function as normal. On the light side, the effects are reversed: The range of natural light sources doubles; sunrise occurs earlier and sunset later; spells that produce darkness are impeded and light-producing spells are enhanced. Finally, global average temperatures climb rather than drop. The glaring light and heat are as great a disaster as endless dark, ultimately rendering the light side a lifeless ruin. Eerie Weather "Frogs fell from the sky for hours. The next day, flaming stones showered us, killing all they touched. Then it snowed for three weeks. Who knows what's next?" This sign alters the weather in drastic and unnatural ways. Snow in the summer and sweltering heat in the winter are just the beginning. Hurricanes lash the coastlines, destroy villages, or flood entire cities; tornadoes rip apart the countryside; and bizarre weather effects become commonplace. All the while, sickening green clouds form, and violet lightning dances between them. Effect: When this sign manifests, it creates strange and random meteorological effects. The intensity of the sign determines the extent, duration, and frequency of the unusual weather. Details: The Leviathan and Zargon are associated with this sign. See Chapters 5 and 10 for more information. Infestation "Do you hear that? That terrible sound! The scratching, the endless scratching in the wall—and the rats! They're everywhere, choking us, drowning us!" The world shudders beneath a flood of loathsome creatures birthed from the depths of the seas or the dankest pits of the Underdark. Armies of hideous monsters march to the pulse of the lurid sign. The infestation sweeps across the lands, devouring everything in its path. Effect: The type of infestation depends on the nature of the elder evil. Aberrations, animals, plants, oozes, undead, and vermin are typical choices, though some magical beasts, outsiders, and even humanoids could work too. As the sign grows in strength, so too do the numbers, increasing the challenge of the encounter. The creatures spread throughout the campaign setting as the sign grows stronger, and encounters range from single fights to desperate stands against vast armies. Details: Sertrous and the Worm that Walks are associated with this sign. See Chapters 8 and 9 for more information. Variant: Infestations need not be combat encounters. Swarms serve well in this role: Clouds of locusts devour crops, numberless rats spread disease, and creeping spiders drape entire cities in webbing. Restless Dead "Too long have we reveled in our wickedness, too long have we sampled the forbidden—now the gods shun us, sealing the gates to heaven and leaving us lost among the dead." When this sign appears, the demarcation between life and death grows ever more blurry. After souls depart, their bodies stir in a wretched existence neither alive nor dead. The sign of the restless dead first makes itself known by isolated occurrences of zombies and skeletons in the community. As it strengthens, the undead plague increases. Corpses pull themselves free from graves, slaughtering former friends and lovers and swelling their ranks until only the shuffling dead remain. Effect: In the early stages of this sign, only a few of the dead spontaneously animate. Necromancy magic becomes more efficacious, while healing magic is suppressed. As the sign intensifies, more and more corpses rise, growing stronger all the while. Details: Atropus is associated with this sign. See Chapter 2 for more information. Seal of Binding "Unnatural things walk the streets, horrors spewed up from the pits of hell. How did they get here? Will they ever depart?" A fiery glyph appears in the sky, casting dim light. Aside from its sudden and unusual appearance, the symbol seems to be harmless, but those who communicate with planar beings or use magical methods of travel feel its effect at once. As the sign intensifies, the glyph grows more complex, spreading like a weird stain across the heavens. Effect: The seal of binding interferes with most conjuration spells and many divination spells by closing off the avenues that enable mortals to interact with the planes. Clerics' connections with the divine are severed, summoned creatures do not return to their home planes, and dimensional travel ceases to function. Details: Pandorym is associated with this sign. See Chapter 6 for more information.

Twisted Life "We argued about which deity had granted us the boon and blamed harmful effects on infernal forces. When we should have taken action, we instead wasted time on pointless wrangling. Only now can we see the hideous truth." This sign first manifests with accelerated healing. Soon, though, living creatures and inanimate objects become covered with festering boils, which burst to expel swarms of pests. Not long after this boon comes a light rain of spores, dotting the landscape with foul growths that spawn horrid abominations and spread corruption across the land. As the sign strengthens, wounds close almost instantly, but flesh grows pustulent and bones distend as life becomes corrupted. At its peak, all undead but the most powerful and hidden are obliterated. The dead rise as gibbering aberrations, and the living mutate into twisted progeny. Effect: This sign manifests as a surge of corrupt positive energy that resculpts life on an entire world. Details: Ragnorra is associated with this sign. See Chapter 7 for more information. Additional Signs When creating your own elder evil, use the following signs as inspiration. Alter the effects to fit the theme of your elder evil when necessary. Alien Skies "I peered into the heavens, searching for familiar sights, but found nothing I knew. All was strange and disquieting, as though we were adrift in alien seas." After the sun sets, the stars twinkle in the heavens as always—but they are strange. They glow luridly with weird colors, spreading fear and wonder in all who behold them. Familiar constellations vanish, re-form, or shift to new locations. As the sign reaches its peak, distorting the arcane energies of the world, unsettling auroras and intense meteor showers illuminate the night skies. Faint: The DC for any saving throw made to maintain concentration on a spell is increased by 2. Moderate: As faint, but whenever a creature deals damage with a spell, the damage of the spell is randomly changed to one of the following damage types (roll a d10 to determine the damage type): acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant, or thunder. Strong: As moderate, but the DC for saving throws made to maintain concentration on a spell is increased by 5 (from 2). Additionally, all creatures gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Overwhelming: As strong, but whenever a creature casts a spell, roll a d20. On a 20, the creature must roll on the Wild Magic Surge table to create a random magical effect. Appalling Fecundity "The peasants believed they had been blessed: Their crops grew quickly, women bore healthy children in weeks rather than months, and the harvest was the best ever. At first, life was good. But the growth never slowed. Everything birthed and died with such speed that we could hear Nature suffering. Disease was rampant, and vermin spread it everywhere; there was no end to the screams of the afflicted." Growth and healing are accelerated. At first crops and animals grow and reproduce with unnatural swiftness, and injuries vanish overnight. As the sign intensifies, these early benefits run out of control. Fruit bursts and rots on the vine before it can be harvested. Weeds crack pavement and damage buildings. Clouds of vermin boil up from the earth, laying eggs that hatch and spawn new life in moments, and with them come equally virulent disease. Faint: Ordinary plants are enhanced as if by the plant growth spell. Crops benefit from the enrichment effect, while other vegetation suffers from overgrowth and chokes open spaces. Moderate: As faint, but each week at dawn, living creatures are cured as if by the lesser restoration spell. Additionally, all plants grow hard spikes and thorns, as the spike growth spell (save DC 11). Strong: As moderate, but living creatures that require sleep begin to lose the ability to do so, as their bodies fidget and their thoughts race. Whenever a creature finishes a long rest, it must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or gain no benefit from its rest. Overwhelming: As strong, but the DC of the Constitution saving throw increases to 16. Additionally, flesh grows and heals with terrible speed. Living creatures regain 1 hit point each minute, and severed body parts regrow daily at dawn. Each week at dawn, living creatures must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature ages by 1d4 × 10 years, but it suffers none of the frailty of old age. Finally, creatures that die due to old age from this effect explode in a shower of gore. Dry Winds "From the north came a hot wind, scouring the clouds from the skies. It leached the water from our rivers and lakes, and the mighty oceans receded with each gust." Unnaturally warm winds blow from an atypical direction, growing hotter as the sign intensifies and carrying away all moisture. Faint: Natural precipitation stops. Average global temperatures increase by 1d3 degrees Fahrenheit, and all bodies and streams of water lose 1d4 feet of depth each week. Moderate: Average global temperatures increase by 1d6 degrees, and all bodies and streams of water lose 1d10 feet of depth each week. Strong: Average global temperatures increase by 2d10 degrees, and all bodies and streams of water lose 1d20 feet of depth each week. Additionally, the dry wind begins to strengthen; calm air becomes a light wind, while a light wind has a 50% chance of becoming a strong wind (see DMG 110 for details).

Overwhelming: Average global temperatures increase by 4d10 degrees, and all bodies and streams of water lose 1d100 feet of depth each week. Additionally, the wind strengthens further; all wind becomes a Strong Wind (DMG 110), and wind that was already strong now literally burns. Such wind deals 1d4 fire damage to creatures and objects caught in it per hour. Variant: The inverse of the dry winds sign is dreadful flooding. Clouds pile up overhead, darkening the sky, and they unleash torrents that drench the world. As the sign intensifies, water levels rise by the listed amount rather than fall. Global temperatures cool somewhat: When the sign grows strong, they drop 1d3 degrees, and when it is overwhelming, a further 1d6 degrees. The winds increase as described above but do not deal fire damage. Horrid Blight "Before my very eyes, the waters darkened to the color of coagulated blood. One by one, white shapes bobbed to the surface: fish slain by the tainted sea. And the smell—the air reeked of a slaughterhouse." This sign slowly kills the world. Creatures become barren, no longer producing offspring. Animals sicken and die. Plants wither or rot, while disease runs rampant, corrupting all with its horrid touch. Faint: The save DC to resist any disease increases by 2. Moderate: Ordinary plants begin to wither and die. Dead animals and plants become carriers of all manners of contagion and disease, and plant-based food begins to become unsafe to eat. Strong: The save DC to resist any disease increases to 5 (from 2), and living creatures that are suffering from a disease also have disadvantage on death saving throws. Famine is widespread as all forms of organic food are riddled with disease. Overwhelming: Each day at dawn, living creatures must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned for 8 hours. Serving Elder Evils "That the Beast shall awaken is inevitable. I'm working to ensure I am the first to die when it does." —William von Dreichart, mad cultist Elder evils do not attract many mortal servants, for their nature is opposed to all living things. A few wretches who despise everything, whether they be nihilists or lunatics, do bow to an elder evil. Annihilation is the only reward for such service. But for those driven by insanity, an unquenchable thirst for vengeance, or myriad other strange and sinister motivations, the utter finality of death is sweet. Aiding an elder evil is the surest means of embracing that much desired end. Any intelligent and evil creature can swear service to an elder evil if the creature knows of its existence. They may gain a cult feature based on the elder evil they serve, or they may gain a vile feat of their choice. Elder Evil Cults Through generations of study and grim practice, the disciples of certain Elder Evils have mastered the ability to bestow supernatural gifts on minions they select for the privilege. Any creature that serves a cult of Elder Evil can be given one of these rewards - usually as compensation for faithful service, but sometimes as a chance for a creature that breached the cult's laws to redeem itself. The following powers are unique to specific cults, and typically a creature is part of only one elder evil cult at a time. Atropus the World Born Dead Typical Cultists: Alhoon, archmage, cult fanatic, cultist, death cultist, lich, mage, necromancer, any undead

Alhoon, archmage, cult fanatic, cultist, death cultist, lich, mage, necromancer, any undead Signature Spells: Toll the dead (cantrip), inflict wounds (1st level), ray of enfeeblement (2nd level), animate dead (3rd level) While most of Atropus's heralds are undead who seek to destroy the living, there are some mortals who are wretched enough to give the World Born Dead their undying service. Cultists of Atropus typically act in isolation to advance their master's goals, but cabals of undead or those that associate with undead can also act in Atropus's name, such as the cult headed by the foul ur-priest Caira Xasten. Cultists of Atropus often uncover necromantic secrets on their own, but may also be granted powers by the World Born Dead as its arrival draws near. Rank-and-file cultists typically obtain the Gaze of Corruption action option, and cult leaders obtain the Anti-Heal trait through the mastery of negative energy manipulation. Gaze of Corruption (Recharge 6). The cultist targets one creature it can see within 30 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 16 (3d10) necrotic damage and be poisoned for 1 minute. The poisoned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Anti-Heal. The cultist can activate or deactivate this feature as a bonus action. While active, creatures within 30 feet of the cultist can't magically regain hit points. A creature that were to magically regain hit points must instead make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes necrotic damage equal to the hit points it would have regained. Father Llymic the Alien Thought Given Flesh Typical Cultists: Berserker, any brood spawn, cult fanatic, cultist, frost giant, tribal warrior, white dragon

Berserker, any brood spawn, cult fanatic, cultist, frost giant, tribal warrior, white dragon Signature Spells: Ray of frost (cantrip), ice knife (1st level), darkness (2nd level), sleet storm (3rd level) There is a tribe of barbarians that lives on and near the mountain that houses Father Llymic's tomb. These barbarians worship the Alien Thought Given Flesh and perform alien rituals in his name. Sooner or later, these cultists transform into brood spawn, either by willing self-corruption or by corruption from the brood spawn they consort with.

Most of the time, a creature that encounters the Alien Thought Given Flesh or his minions is transformed into a savage brood spawn. However, there are rumors of creatures that are able to preserve their minds after the transformation, allowing for the existence of shadowy organizations of brood spawn that enact their plans from behind the scenes. Cultists of Father Llymic perform unholy rituals that transform them into inhuman monsters, eventually turning them into brood spawn. The most devoted of his cultists may even have a chance to interact with Father Llymic's illusory projections, who may reveal to them methods of manipulating ice and becoming icy abominations. These cultists may gain the Icy Touch action option and/or the Chilled Flesh trait. Chilled Flesh. The cultist has resistance to cold damage, and a creature that touches the cultist or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 5 (1d10) cold damage. Icy Touch. Melee Spell Attack: bonus to hit equal to the cultist's proficiency bonus plus its Charisma modifier, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (4d6) cold damage. The Hulks of Zoretha Typical Cultists: Berserker, bugbear, cult fanatic, cultist, ogre, orc, troll

Berserker, bugbear, cult fanatic, cultist, ogre, orc, troll Signature Spells: Vicious mockery (cantrip), Tasha's hideous laughter (1st level), blindness/deafness (2nd level), enemies abound (3rd level) Janwulf the Soulbiter rules the cultists of Zoretha with an iron fist, leading them on raids of surrounding settlements and actively recruiting new members. Janwulf himself is not faithful, instead abusing the low intelligence of many berserkers, ogres, and trolls in order to retain his power over them. There are also devotees that act alone, perhaps because they went mad reading the Zoretha Scrolls or were exposed to the Hulks themselves for too long. Cultists of the Hulks of Zoretha embrace their madness, allowing them to resist mental manipulation or control via the Madness of Zoretha trait. Some cultists can also impose madness onto others via the Mental Overload action option. Madness of Zoretha. The cultist is immune to any spell or effect that would read its thoughts, determine if it is lying, charm or frighten it, or magically influence its thoughts or behavior, unless the spell or effect comes from the Hulks of Zoretha. Mental Overload (2/Day). One creature that can see or hear the cultist must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or experience long-term madness for 8 hours. Consult the Long-Term Madness table (see "Madness Effects" in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) to determine the form of the madness. The affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each hour, ending the effect on itself on a success. The Leviathan Typical Cultists: Brine cultist, cult fanatic, cultist, any elemental, ixitxachitl, kraken priest, any kuo-toa, mage, sea spawn

Brine cultist, cult fanatic, cultist, any elemental, ixitxachitl, kraken priest, any kuo-toa, mage, sea spawn Signature Spells: Shape water (cantrip), chaos bolt (1st level), enlarge/reduce (2nd level), water breathing (3rd level) Cultists of The Leviathan are categorized by one interest: chaos. While some cultists pledge their loyalty to a demon lord, others might be ambitious spellcasters who wish to channel chaotic energy in the pursuit of power. With that in mind, chaotic evil cultists are more likely to be Cultists of The Leviathan, as they are more likely to seek The Leviathan's power despite the potential loss of life it may cause. Cultists of The Leviathan are capable of manipulating the forces of chaos, granting them the Conduit of Chaos trait. Some cultists can also channel chaotic energies directly via the Innate Spellcasting trait. Conduit of Chaos. When the cultist casts a spell that deals damage, it can change the spell's damage type to cold, fire, force, lightning, or thunder. Innate Spellcasting. The cultist's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: chaos bolt, create or destroy water

2/day each: misty step, protection from energy

1/day each: call lightning, watery sphere Pandorym the Utter Annihilation Typical Cultists: Any aberration, cult fanatic, cultist, any psionicist, quell, shadow

Any aberration, cult fanatic, cultist, any psionicist, quell, shadow Signature Spells: Encode thoughts (cantrip), detect evil and good (1st level), detect thoughts (2nd level), fly (3rd level) Despite Pandorym's attempts to manipulate mortals into freeing him, any attempt to serve the Utter Annihilation typically ends in the death or undeath of the cultist. Most who encounter Pandorym's mind usually have their minds collapse into madness or savagery, but there may be some, like Lucather Majii, that retain enough sanity to act on his behalf. Whether or not its mind is completely shattered, the influence of Pandorym monopolizes a cultist's mind and psyche, granting it the Stained Psyche trait. You may also choose to have cultists of Pandorym gain psionic abilities via the Innate Spellcasting (Psionics) trait, depending on the context of the cultists' worship and the campaign setting you wish to insert Pandorym into. Stained Psyche. The cultist is immune to any spell or effect that would read its thoughts, determine if it is lying, charm or frighten it, or magically influence its thoughts or behavior, unless the spell or effect comes from Pandorym. Innate Spellcasting (Psionics). The cultist's innate spellcasting ability is Intelligence. It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no components: At will: jump, mage hand (the hand is invisible)

2/day each: command, misty step

1/day each: haste (self only), telekinesis

Ragnorra the Mother of Monsters Typical Cultists: Aboleth sarcoma, acolyte, cult fanatic, cultist, any malshaper

Aboleth sarcoma, acolyte, cult fanatic, cultist, any malshaper Signature Spells: Guidance (cantrip), cure wounds (1st level), alter self (2nd level), plant growth (3rd level) Ragnorra has twisted life not just on the Material Plane, but also in the Feywild and the Shadowfell. A handful of refugees from her prior ravages on these planes formed the Malshapers, a cultlike group dedicated to helping the Mother of Monsters perform her grotesque art. These fanatics believe they have a duty to guide Ragnorra to every suitable world. Scholars note, though, that they never target worlds on their home planes. The Malshapers watch the Astral Plane for signs of Ragnorra's ascent. Once they detect movement, they scout out a suitable location. They strew samples of native life along her likely path, then redraw the astral runes to lure Ragnorra to the target world. While some standalone cultists or groups who pledge themselves to Ragnorra may exist, most cultists of Ragnorra are sought out by the Malshapers in order to join their ranks. Either way, cultists of Ragnorra receive both the Warped Flesh trait and the Sculpt Flesh action option. Warped Flesh. The cultist has advantage on saving throws against poison, and it is immune to disease. Additionally, any critical hit against the cultist becomes a normal hit. Sculpt Flesh (Recharge 6). The cultist touches one creature within 5 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or have its flesh warped by unnatural growth, covering it in blisters and tumors. While its flesh is warped in this way, the target is poisoned, its speed is reduced by 10 feet, and it can't use reactions. This effect lasts for 1 minute. The poisoned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Sertrous the Prince of Heretics Typical Cultists: Acolyte, commoner, cult fanatic, cultist, any demon, priest, any yuan-ti

Acolyte, commoner, cult fanatic, cultist, any demon, priest, any yuan-ti Signature Spells: Sacred flame (cantrip), command (1st level), suggestion (2nd level), spirit guardians (3rd level) The Vanguard of Sertrous is made up of yuan-ti cultists whose teachings are secretly passed down by the decapitated head of their demonic patron. However, as Sertrous's teachings become more widespread, independent heretics may begin to spread the obyrith lord's words throughout normal civilization in the campaign world. Followers of the teachings of Sertrous are granted the Disciple of Sertrous trait for their loyalty. Additionally, those that do not fear death and do not wish to be revived by their allies may have the Testament of Faith trait. Disciple of Sertrous. The cultist has advantage on saving throws against divine spells, which are spells cast by clerics, paladins, druids, rangers, celestials, and other sources the DM deems appropriate. Testament of Faith. When the cultist is reduced to 0 hit points, it explodes in a burst of divine energy. Each creature within 10 feet of the cultist must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, taking 14 (4d6) radiant damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The cultist and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, is reduced to a pile of fine gray dust by this explosion. The cultist's soul then passes into Sertrous's realm in the Abyss; the cultist can't become undead or be brought back to life by any means short of a wish spell. Kyuss the Worm That Walks Typical Cultists: Avolakia, cult fanatic, cultist, death cultist, necromancer, star spawn larva mage, any undead

Avolakia, cult fanatic, cultist, death cultist, necromancer, star spawn larva mage, any undead Signature Spells: Chill touch (cantrip), false life (1st level), hold person (2nd level), vampiric touch (3rd level) Many followers of the Worm That Walks also serve or sympathize with Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undead, due to Kyuss worship of Orcus before his transformation. Unlike other cults of undeath, followers of the Worm That Walks often seek to spread disease and parasites, weakening those that would oppose Kyuss so that his undead can squash them without opposition. Many cultists of the Worm That Walks learn to raise undead as spawn of Kyuss via the Worm Necromancer trait below. Others learn to channel dark magic in order to replicate the Plague of Worms action option that Kyuss and his servants often use against their opponents. Worm Necromancer. When the cultist casts a spell that animates or creates undead, up to two of the undead can be turned into spawn of Kyuss. Plague of Worms (Recharge 6). Each creature of the cultist's choice within 10 feet of the cultist must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw against this magic. On a failure the target takes 9 (2d8) necrotic damage and is restrained by masses of swarming worms. The affected creature takes 9 (2d8) necrotic damage at the start of each of the cultist's turns. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Zargon the Returner Typical Cultists: Acolyte, cult fanatic, cultist, oozeblade, slime shaman

Acolyte, cult fanatic, cultist, oozeblade, slime shaman Signature Spells: Acid splash (cantrip), bane (1st level), Melf's acid arrow (2nd level), fireball (3rd level) After being driven from the Nine Hells, Zargon turned his attention to the Material Plane. It took centuries, but he crawled up from the depths of the earth and set upon the soft mortals dwelling in the Cynidicean Kingdom above. To spare themselves extinction, the people of the kingdom raised up Zargon as their god and fed him endless sacrifices to appease his need to kill. While the descendants of these original cultists are still instilled with the fear of being devoured by Zargon, make no mistake: many of these cultists are dedicated to Zargon and would sacrifice their lives in his name. Cultists that are corrupted by Zargon's influence sometimes gain the Corrosive Form or Foul traits below.

Corrosive Form. A creature that touches the cultist or hits it with a melee attack while within 5 feet of it takes 4 (1d8) acid damage. Foul. Any creature, other than an ooze or another creature that has this trait, that starts its turn within 10 feet of the cultist must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be poisoned until the start of the creature's next turn. Vile Feats Vile feats are powerful boons available to intelligent NPCs of evil alignments. Those that are associated with an Elder Evil will pursue such boons at any cost, even resorting to self-mutiliation and deformation as a method of acquisition. The following abilities are available to cultists that are associated with Elder Evils or other evil entities; these abilities are not specific to any one Elder Evil, and a creature can have more than one vile feat at a time. Abominable Form The cultist revels in the ruination of its flesh, drawing power from its disturbing deformities. Deformity: Mutilated Flesh. In order to obtain this vile feat, the cultist flayed, burned, or otherwise mutilated its flesh, turning them into a grotesque shadow of their former self. At least one of their body parts (such as a limb or their face) have been mutilated in this way; this mutilation can only be undone by heal or another disease-curing spell of 6th level or higher. Disgusting Visage. Creatures that can see the cultist have disadvantage on saving throws against being frightened. Additionally, once per turn when the cultist hits a creature with a melee attack, they can force the target to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target is frightened of the cultist until the end of the cultist's next turn. Unsightly Figure. The cultist gains proficiency in the Intimidation skill, and its proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check made using the Intimidation skill. Apostate The cultist's hatred of the gods cloaks it with potent resistance against their works. Divine Resilience. When the cultist makes a saving throw to resist the effects of a spell cast by a cleric, paladin, druid, ranger, celestial, or some other divine source, it can add its proficiency bonus to the saving throw if it isn't proficient in the save. Inquisition Defier. The cultist is immune to effects that allows other creatures to read its thoughts, determine whether it is lying, or know its alignment. Additionally, the cultist can't be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors. Chosen of Evil The cultist's naked devotion to wickedness causes dark powers to take an interest in its success and well-being. Commander of Evil. The cultist can utter a special command or warning whenever a nonhostile creature that it can see within 30 feet of the cultist makes an attack roll or a saving throw (no reaction required). The creature can add a d4 to its roll provided it can hear and understand the cultist. This trait doesn't function while the cultist is incapacitated. Unholy Protection. The cultist can use its reaction to halve the damage that it takes from an attack, spell, or other effect. Dark Knowledge The cultist uncovers a piece of forbidden lore or knowledge that allows it to tap into ancient powers of evil. Ancient Secrets. If the cultist has the Spellcasting trait, it can choose one spell of 3rd level or lower. The cultist can cast that spell at its lowest level without using a spell slot. Dark Indulgence. After the cultist makes an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, but before the outcome is determined, an additional d20 can be rolled. The cultist chooses which of the d20s rolled is used to determine the outcome. When it does so, it takes 12 (5d4) necrotic damage, which can't be reduced or prevented in any way. Dark Speech The cultist learns a smattering of the language of truly dark power. Beguiling Influence. The cultist gains proficiency in the Deception and Persuasion skills, and its proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check made using these skills. Harbringer of Destruction. The cultist can use its action to force each creature within 60 feet of it that can hear the cultist to make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature is charmed or frightened (cultist's choice) for 1 minute. A charmed or frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After using this action, the cultist takes 13 (2d12) psychic damage, which can't be reduced or prevented in any way. Dark Whispers By whispering foul utterances in the Dark Speech, the cultist can drive its enemies insane. Prerequisite. The cultist must possess the Dark Speech vile feat in order to obtain this vile feat. Distorted Visions (Recharge 5-6). As an action, the cultist can whisper words of incredible wickedness to form grotesque visions in the minds of those who hear it. Each creature within 30 feet of the cultist that can hear the cultist must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be blinded for 1 minute. While blinded, a creature is also incapacitated. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After using this action, the cultist takes 13 (2d12) psychic damage, which can't be reduced or prevented in any way. Filthy Outburst The cultist shrieks a phrase in the Dark Speech to deafen those around it. Prerequisite. The cultist must possess the Dark Speech vile feat in order to obtain this vile feat. Booming Voice. When the cultist speaks, its voice can boom up to five times louder than normal.

Foul Scream (Recharge 5-6). As an action, the cultist can loose a blistering torrent of foul curses and wicked insults in the Dark Speech. Each creature within 60 feet of the cultist that can hear the cultist must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or be deafened for 1 minute. While deafened, a creature suffers disadvantage on all ability checks and saving throws. A target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. After using this action, the cultist takes 13 (2d12) psychic damage, which can't be reduced or prevented in any way. Harvester of Souls When the cultist delivers a killing blow, it destroys both the flesh and the soul. Steal Life. When the cultist reduces a creature to 0 hit points, it regains an amount of hit points equal to the cultist's Challenge Rating. Obliviation of Spirit. When a creature within 60 feet of the cultist dies, the cultist can use its reaction to annihilate its soul. That creature can't be revived by any means short of a wish spell. Insane Defiance The cultist adopts insanity as a shield to turn effects that target its mind against those around it. Defense of Madness. The cultist is immune to being charmed or frightened. Mind Shield. In response to being targeted by a mind-affecting spell or effect, the cultist can use its reaction to retarget the effect to another creature of its choice, other than the caster or source of the ability, within the effect's range. Lichloved By repeatedly consorting with the undead, the cultist gains dread powers. Undead Consortium. Mindless undead see the cultist as an undead creature. Becoming more and more like an actual undead creature, the cultist gains immunity to necrotic and poison damage, as well as the poisoned and paralyzed conditions. Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces the cultist 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 cultist drops to 1 hit point instead. Murderous Intent The cultist's enemies fear its savagery and inhumanity. Deadly Critical. The cultist scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 and rolls the damage dice three times, instead of twice. Slaughter (1/Turn). If the cultist makes a weapon attack with advantage on the attack roll and hits a creature with it, the target takes an additional 7 (2d6) damage. If the target is incapacitated or surprised, the attack also becomes a critical hit. Otherworldly Sight The cultist has mutilated its eyes or forehead in an attempt to see that which must remain unseen. Deformity: Eyes. The cultist has drilled a hole in its forehead trying to add a third eye, or it has supernaturally scarred one of its regular eyes. Third Eye. The cultist has truesight out to a range of 60 feet. Ghostly Gaze. The cultist can see through solid objects to a range of 30 feet; when it does so, it perceives objects as ghostly, transparent images. Parasitic Host The cultist invites parasites into its body in exchange for a greater hardiness against diseases and poisons. Deformity: Parasites. Parasites use the cultist's body as a nesting ground, creating holes and burrows on its skin and in its flesh as they feed and multiply. When the cultist dies, its body breaks apart into a swarm of insects in the same space. Healthy Tissue. The cultist is immune to poison and disease. Exude Parasites (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, the cultist can summon a swarm of insects or a swarm of rot grubs (cultist's choice), which exits its body and occupies its space. The swarm acts on its own initiative, and follows the cultist's verbal commands to the best of its ability. Elder Evil Traits All elder evils have the following characteristics: Languages. Elder evils have telepathy out to 1000 feet. Senses. Elder evils have truesight out to 120 feet and blindsight out to 500 feet. Damage Resistances. Elder evils are resistant to cold damage and fire damage. Damage Immunities. Elder evils are immune to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Condition Immunities. Elder evils can't be charmed, frightened, petrified, or knocked unconscious. They also don't suffer from exhaustion. Anathematic Secrecy. Elder evils can't be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors. Innate Spellcasting. Elder evils don't get innate spellcasting by default. However, those that do have it require no components to innately cast a spell. Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If an elder evil fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead. Magic Resistance. Elder evils have advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Magic Weapons. An elder evil's weapon attacks are magical. Unyielding Essence. Elder evils are immune to any spells or effects that would alter their forms, as well as those that would that would read their thoughts, determine if they are lying, or magically influence their thoughts or behavior.

Malefic Properties Elder evils are capable of incredible destruction. They wield devastating magic and possess an arsenal of potent attacks to work their wickedness. But such power alone offers little defense against the gods and their servants. Malefic properties are their safeguard against divine interference. A malefic property is a supernatural ability, intrinsic to the very nature of an elder evil. Dispel magic and antimagic field have no effect against a malefic property. A malefic property affects an enormous area and might influence an entire region of the world, depending on the nature of the elder evil. All elder evils have Anathematic Secrecy (see Elder Evil Traits), which shields them from divination spells and scrying sensors. Each elder evil has one additional malefic property, chosen from the list that follows, as appropriate to its nature. The sample elder evils provided in this book can guide you in deciding on a suitable malefic property for one of your own design. Dark Visiting An elder evil that has this property projects terrifying nightmares into the dreams of living creatures. Dark Visiting. Any living creature that sleeps within 100 miles of the elder evil must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be afflicted with a random form of short-term madness. If a creature fails this saving throw by 5 or more, it is instead afflicted with a random form of long-term madness. If a creature rolls a 1 on the d20 roll, it is instead afflicted with a random form of indefinite madness. The Short-Term Madness, Long-Term Madness, and Indefinite Madness tables can be found in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Discord and Woe The presence of an elder evil that has this property can use its action to incite violence and suffering. Discord and Woe (2/Day). One creature within 100 miles of the elder evil that the elder evil is aware of must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. A creature automatically succeeds if it is immune to being charmed. On a failed save, the target must target its allies with attacks and other damaging effects 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. If a creature's saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the elder evil's Discord and Woe for the next 24 hours. Divine Scourge An elder evil that has this property can punish deities' servants with a powerful surge of profane energy. Divine Scourge (1/Day). As a bonus action, each creature within 100 miles of the elder evil that is a celestial or a user of divine magic (a cleric, paladin, druid, ranger, or some other class the DM deems appropriate) must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw. A target takes 35 (10d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save, a target also suffers one level of exhaustion. God Slayer An elder evil that has this property can directly combat and kill deities and their servants. God Slayer. The elder evil deals double damage to gods and celestials, bypassing their resistances and immunities. If the elder evil reduces a god or celestial to 0 hit points, it kills them instantly. Impervious to the Divine An elder evil that has this property cannot be affected by divine magic of any kind, regardless of the source. Impervious to the Divine. The elder evil is unaffected by divine spells, which are spells cast by clerics, paladins, druids, rangers, celestials, and other sources the DM deems appropriate. Planar Anomaly An elder evil that has this property warps the planes of existence around them, preventing the gods and their servants from getting close to them. Planar Anomaly. The area within 10 miles of the elder evil is warped by the elder evil's presence. Creatures can't teleport into the area or use portals, such as those created by the gate spell, to enter the area. The area also blocks all forms of planar travel, and therefore prevents creatures from accessing the area by way of the Astral Plane, Ethereal Plane, Feywild, Shadowfell, or the plane shift spell. In addition, deities and other planar rulers are incapable of entering the area, and the elder evil can choose to block one or more of the following creature types from entering: celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. If any of these creatures start their turn in the area, they take 55 (10d10) force damage and are banished to their native plane of existence. Converter's Note: Impervious to the Divine Both Ragnorra and the Aspect of Sertrous are immune to divine spells. While I'm keeping this in as it's a Malefic Property from the original book, some DMs might find it to be a bit unfair towards divine spellcasters in the party. If you wish to get around this, consider informing your players of this trait ahead of time so that they can come up with a plan to get around it. You may want to roll with what they come up with, or you can devise your own method for the party to get around it, such as an artifact that converts divine magic into arcane magic when wielded by a divine spellcaster. Or perhaps you want to just remove the trait, either replacing it with a different malefic property or just excluding it altogether. This is completely fine, and won't affect encounter difficulty too much—the stat blocks in this book that have this are not specifically balanced around its presence.

Atropus "Behold the death of your world. There, cresting the horizon. Yes, that faint body is he, and he comes for me... for us all. Rejoice, for the end is near, and all life, all pain, all suffering shall be silenced in the perfect eternity of undeath." — Caira Xasten, mad astronomer and ur-priest Atropus, the World Born Dead, drifts through the gulfs of space, searching for worlds to consume and, when it finds them, erasing all life with its gruesome touch. As the afterbirth of creation, it is committed to unmaking all things. Nothing, not even the gods, can halt its relentless progress. Background Atropus's background is unchanged. Goals Atropus's goals are unchanged. Atropus in the Campaign Atropus dwells in the emptiness between worlds. As it drifts, it casts out with its senses, sampling the emptiness for signs of life. Once it detects a living thing, it moves toward the source. Since it is such a distant threat, you can assume the elder evil has been around for as long as your campaign setting has existed, and has been traveling toward your world for any number of years. Once Atropus takes an interest in your world, place it in the heavens. It is indistinguishable from the other celestial bodies at the start, and as it comes closer it reveals its sinister character to coincide with the intensifying sign. Sign: Restless Dead Atropus's presence in the sky causes the dead to rise from their graves. Consecration: If a forbiddance, hallow, or temple of the gods spell is cast and is made to affect undead, the effects of this Sign are negated within the area while the spell or spells persist. However, these spells cannot negate the spontaneous animation of undead within the area. Faint: Spells that raise undead can animate or target twice as many creatures and take effect for twice their normal duration. Additionally, whenever a living creature dies, there is a 20% chance that it will spontaneously rise as a zombie in 1d4 rounds. Moderate: As faint, but the chance of spontaneous animation increases to 40%. In addition, undead gain 5 temporary hit points at the start of each of their turns throughout the world. Strong: As moderate, but the chance of spontaneous animation increases to 80%. Even creatures that died before this sign manifested begin to rise as skeletons or zombies, depending on the condition of their corpses. In addition, the amount of hit points restored via magical healing is halved throughout the campaign world. Overwhelming: As strong, but any creature that dies automatically rises as a zombie 1 round after death. Previously dead creatures automatically animate as skeletons or zombies. Additionally, all undead in the campaign world gain advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects, and are immune to effects that turn undead. Timeline The possible campaign outline given in the original book is unchanged. Consult the following table for the suggested level of your party for each section of the original outline. Suggested Party Level Chart Intensity Party Level None 5 Faint 10 Moderate 15 Strong 17 Overwhelming 20 The apocalypse from the sky spell, as detailed in the original book, can only be learned via the book of vile darkness. Its material component, alongside the self-damage it deals and the 9th-level spell slot it requires, makes it a very costly spell to cast. Apocalypse From The Sky 9th-level necromancy Casting Time: 24 hours

24 hours Range: Self (100-mile radius)

Self (100-mile radius) Components: V, S, M (a bottle of angel tears, which the spell consumes)

V, S, M (a bottle of angel tears, which the spell consumes) Duration: Instantaneous You use part of your own life force to perform this vile ritual. You take 20d6 necrotic damage that can't be prevent or reduced in any way. Then, each non-undead creature other than you within 100 miles of you takes 10d6 necrotic damage. Atropus in Eberron This section is unchanged. Atropus in Faerûn In addition to the information given in the original book, a DM may wish to alter the lore of the Forgotten Realms at their table. Instead of constraining Atropus to be a leftover creation of the overgod Ao, they may wish to relate Atropus to Ao in a more equal manner, or they may wish to remove Ao from the setting altogether. In the latter case, use the default lore provided in the Background section to explain Atropus's origins.

Variant Usage Rather than being free to roam the Material Plane, Atropus could languish in stasis on the Negative Energy Plane. Once released, it might seek to transform all the Outer Planes into a mass graveyard. In this case, the Restless Dead sign could represent Atropus drawing nearer to a given plane, intensifying until Atropus is able to enter the plane. The default Sign of Apocalypse for Atropus is certainly a major effect in your campaign world, but some may find it unsatisfying that the Sign is a passive effect that is simply a byproduct of Atropus's approach. If you wish to make Atropus feel more like an active threat, allow more powerful undead in service to Atropus to descend from the moonlet to your campaign setting. For example, you can take advantage of Atropus's connection to Atropals to make them effective heralds of the moonlet's approach. As stillborn creatures from the Negative Energy plane, atropals also serve as effective heralds in planar campaigns, acting as forerunners for the much larger threat to come. You can also consider other threats to act as villains in anticipation of Atropus's arrival. For example, while the original outline suggests that Orcus be involved in an interplanar war, you may wish for Orcus himself to beckon Atropus's arrival. In this case, the Bleak General might be a loyal servant of Orcus, rather than betraying him in favor of Atropus. Another villains include Acererak, Lady Illmarrow (and the Order of the Emerald Claw), an aspiring lich or mummy lord, a god of undeath, or a fallen angel or undead celestial. Perhaps even the Worm That Walks (chapter 9) has taken an interest in Atropus, and has decided to ally with the World Born Dead so that it may rule the dead world that Atropus leaves behind. Additionally, feel free to alter the details as to how Atropus is summoned. The suggested campaign outline gives two ways for Atropus to be summoned: the apocalypse from the sky spell, obtained through the book of vile darkness, or the massacre of a major city by demonic forces. Below are additional possibilities for how Atropus might be summoned: Perhaps a certain artifact or magical object must be destroyed in order to summon Atropus. For example, maybe the book of exalted deeds can be temporarily destroyed using a talisman of ultimate evil, the act of which awakens Atropus and draws it towards the setting. Alternatively, perhaps a dimensional seal or a planar barrier prevents Atropus from entering a given plane or approaching a given planet, and if destroyed, the World Born Dead will be free to approach and annihilate it.

In Eberron, an eldritch machine, as detailed in Eberron: Rising from the Last War, may be used to channel large amounts of negative energy in order to cause mass death, or it may simply be used as a homing beacon that entices Atropus to approach the setting.

In a planar setting, cultists of the World Born Dead might perform a ritual to break down the barriers that separate the planes, allowing Atropus to pass through a large planar portal into the target plane.

In a Spelljammer campaign, Atropus might be on a set path through the cosmos. If it isn't stopped in time, Atropus might destroy a major planetary hub or a capital of a large civilization. Lastly, feel free to use the Aspect of Atropus in new and creative ways. For example, perhaps cultists seek to summon the Aspect of Atropus directly to their world; if they succeed, the aspect will annihilate them and every other creature in the setting. Perhaps a villain seeks to take advantage of the aspect for their own gain. If they absorb or take control of the aspect somehow, they may gain control of the moonlet, or their consciousness might be merged with the World Born Dead itself. Any villain will recognize that the World Born Dead holds the ultimate power over death and undeath, and that if this can be taken advantage of, they will be unstoppable. Description This section is unchanged. Reference the original book if you are interested in lore and details regarding the Aspect of Atropus, Caira Xasten, and Gorguth and its mount Skyshadow. The Moonlet Atropus is the moonlet, the location where the player characters confront the elder evil and drive it from their world. The moonlet is spheroid, 700 miles in diameter. When the moonlet approaches close to the home world of your campaign setting (assuming Earth as the default), it takes up an orbit just outside the moon's orbit, about 250,000 miles from the surface of the world. (If your campaign setting features multiple moons, it begins its orbit outside the orbit of the most distant satellite.) Once in position, the moonlet begins to circle the planet, entering a deteriorating orbit and picking up speed as it loses altitude. The rate of fall is up to you, but it should correspond with the progress of your campaign, the intensity of the sign, and the pace that best fits your needs. (Remember, this is a floating head in space, not an astrophysics project; don't worry too much about the time it takes for the moonlet to descend.)

Key Features The moonlet of Atropus is a barren, unforgiving wasteland of dread and despair, littered with undead, star spawn aberrations, and debris picked up from the countless worlds it annihilated. The following effects take place on and within 60 feet of the moonlet: The moonlet remains on the dark side of the world, keeping the planet between it and the sun. As such, the moonlet is in total darkness.

The moonlet has a thin atmosphere permeated by a field of negative energy. It is not breathable, and creatures that suffocate in it are overwhelmed by the stench of rotting flesh.

Due to the moonlet's low gravity, creatures have their walking speed increased by 5 feet, only take 1d4 bludgeoning damage for each 10 feet they fall, and have their carrying capacities doubled.

Creatures take 1 necrotic damage for each minute that they spend on the moonlet. This damage cannot be reduced by resistance to necrotic damage. Constructs, star spawn, and undead are immune to this effect.

A creature that isn't a construct, star spawn, or undead that reaches 0 hit points dies instantly, rising as a zombie after 1 minute if nothing raises it beforehand. Such a creature cannot be restored to life by any means.

The amount of hit points restored by magical healing is halved.

Spells and effects that attempt to restore life to dead creatures have no effect.

Spells that raise undead can animate or target twice as many creatures and take effect for twice their normal duration. Defenses The moonlet has few defenses. The dangers of the void are enough to keep enemies at bay. Unless the moonlet is approached when it has already entered the atmosphere—at which point it is almost too late—characters must contend with the hazardous environment. After 3 rounds of exposure, and at the start of each of its turns thereafter, a creature that is holding its breath must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature runs out of breath and is suffocating. On a failed save of 5 or more, the creature is also stunned until it can breathe again. If the characters set foot on or fly above the moonlet, the undead infesting its surface spill forth. Each hour the characters remain within 60 feet of the surface, there's a 20% chance for a random encounter, as shown on the table below. If an encounter features a creature from a book you don't have, pick a result from a book you do have. If the source column lists the source "EdE", it is referring to the accompanying bestiary for this book. d100 Encounter Source 01-10 1d4 nightwalkers MTF 216 11-20 4d12 ogre zombies MM 316 21-30 1d6 atropals ToA 214 31-40 1d8 angels of decay EdE 3 41-50 1d3 famine spirits EdE 6 51-60 6d12 ghasts MM 148 61-70 4d12 wraiths MM 302 71-80 1d8 atropal hulks EdE 7 81-90 2d12 dread wraiths EdE 27 91-00 20d6 zombies MM 316 Encounter Areas Given the moonlet's size, it could take an entire book to describe every location on its surface. The following are just a few of the locations appear on the vast "face" of Atropus. For a map of these locations, see the original book. A. The Ichor Sea The two areas marked A on the map are part of a large sea of necromantic sludge formed from the decaying afterbirth of creation. The fluid about 200 feet deep a short distance away from the shoreline. The sea emits an aura of negative energy. All undead within 20 feet of the shore gain advantage on saving throws. Any non-undead creature that come in contact with the Ichor Sea or starts its turn in the seatakes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature suffers one level of exhaustion. If a creature dies to this effect, it rises as an angel of decay (EdE 3) after 1d4 rounds. B. The Great Depth Piercing the side of the moonlet is an enormous pit 70 miles across with no visible bottom. Creatures coming within 20 feet begin to hear the susurrus of Atropus's hate. Each creature that enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature suffers from a random form of Short-Term Madness, determined by rolling on the Short-Term Madness table in chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master's Guide. Creatures falling into the pit descend 300 feet until they hit an underground offshoot of the Ichor Sea (area A). Such characters take 70 (20d6) bludgeoning damage from the fall in addition to the effects of the Ichor Sea. C. Crater Craters created by meteors and other debris pock the moonlet's surface. The craters vary depending on the size of the object that struck the moonlet. A typical crater is 10 feet in diameter, 4 feet deep, and has a 1-foot-tall rim around the impact area. Loose rock (counting as difficult terrain) spreads out 10 feet in all directions. Much larger craters, such as the ones marked on the map, are especially dangerous and usually inhabited by undead.

D. Inky Tears Welling up from one of the Eyes of Death (see area H) is a bubbling torrent of hideous slime. This fluid has the same properties as the Ichor Sea. E. Bubbling Crater This crater is similar to all the other craters marring the moonlet's surface, except that from its depth rises a fetid black ooze—the bilious blood of Atropus. A random undead creature (or creatures) always attends this place. Undead within 20 feet of the crater have advantage on saving throws, and they gain 10 temporary hit points whenever they start their turn there. Non-undead creatures touching the foulness at the bottom of the crater are affected as if they had come into contact with the Ichor Sea (see area A). F. The Trench The ground drops away, forming a deep trench between the Ichor Sea and the Great Depth. It extends some 30 feet down. Haunting the depths is twenty star spawn manglers (MTF 236). They crawl forth from the trench wall and attacks any creatures they encounter. If you do not have access to the statistics of a star spawn mangler, you can replace them with 11 beholder zombies (MM 316). G. Vents Spewing from 6-inch-diameter pits are streams of poisonous air. Creatures who require air can breathe here, but whenever a non-undead creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save of 5 or more, the creature is also poisoned until the end of its next turn. Creatures slain by the poisonous air rise as wraiths (MM 302) 1d4 rounds after death. H. The Eyes of Death Each spanning 40 miles across, these glossy black stones reflect no light, seeming to drink in everything shining on their surfaces. These black expanses are in fact the eyes of Atropus and, for as long as the party lingers here, Atropus is aware of their presence. There is also a 10% chance each minute for the aspect of Atropus to lumber toward the characters from a random direction, 140 (4d6 × 10) feet away. Undead in the area gain advantage on all saving throws, and they also gain immunity to effects that turn undead. Additionally, creatures in the area can't benefit from resistance to necrotic damage, and they suffer disadvantage on saving throws made against effects that deal necrotic damage. Facing the Aspect of Atropus The aspect of Atropus (EdE 2) can appear at any time you like once the player characters arrive at the moonlet. Atropus is no fool, and it generally won't send its minions against the party until it is prepared. However, the Focus might come on its own. Each time the party rolls initiative, there's a 10% chance that after 1 minute, the Aspect of Atropus approaches the characters from random direction, 140 (4d6 × 10) feet away. Encounter 1: Bone Field This encounter is unchanged, except that the dread boneyard is only capable of summoning one young red bone dragon (see EdE 5). Tactics The dread boneyard hides in the field of bones, requiring a DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to spot it. Once a creature comes within 15 feet of the boneyard, it emerges, and initiative is rolled; if the party didn't spot it before it emerged, the boneyard gains surprise over the party. During the first round of combat, the boneyard uses Summon Bone Dragon and Summon Skeletons to summon as many minions as possible. The skeletons will attempt to spread out and attack every party member if possible, while the bone dragon will take to the skies and swoop in only when its Breath Weapon has recharged. The boneyard will act as the main combatant, attempting to draw the party's fire and engage in melee when possible. Features of the Area This area contains a variety of features, as pictured in the original book. Altar This altar is dedicated to Atropus, erected eons ago by an undead servitor. The altar emits a hallow spell in a 60 foot radius, targeting celestials, elementals, and fey. Such creatures can't enter the area, nor can such creatures charm, frighten, or possess creatures within it. Additionally, undead in the area gain resistance to radiant damage, and whenever they make a saving throw, they can roll a d6 and add the result to the total. Bones Any space with bones in it is difficult terrain, and creatures that move through it have disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks unless they can avoid rattling the bones when they move. Treasure Every minute that a creature searches through the area allows the creature to make a DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a success, the creature finds a random item from the list below: An assortment of coins worth 5,000 gp

A silver comb with strange glowing gemstones worth 7,500 gp

A signet ring depicting an alien crest worth 3,500 gp

A potion of radiant resistance (DMG 188)

A potion of flying (DMG 187)

An amulet of health (DMG 150)

Encounter 2: Deep Crater This encounter is unchanged, although it is worth noting that the evolved atropal scion (EdE 6) is now CR 17 and that famine spirits (EdE 6) are now CR 11. Tactics The famine spirits work together against the closest foe they can see. At the start of combat, they are within range of the atropal's Turn Resistance Aura, which they will stay within range of unless they determine the party cannot use Turn Undead. Meanwhile, the atropal will cast its innate spells from range, using hold monster on any party member the famine spirits are attacking. It then has several options: it might use negative energy flood to give a famine spirit temporary hit points (if you don't own XGE: if the target of the spell is undead, roll 5d12 and give it half as many temporary hit points), or it might use circle of death and cone of cold to attack as much of the party as possible without affecting its allies. If attacked, the atropal will use misty step to exit melee and will use its Ray of Cold on the target if needed. Features of the Area This area contains a variety of features, as pictured in the original book. Debris Area with debris in it is difficult terrain until cleared. Deep Crater This crater emanates a field of negative energy. Non-undead creatures within 5 feet of the crater can't benefit from resistance to necrotic damage. Ichor Sea The sea emits an aura of negative energy. All undead within 20 feet of the shore gain advantage on saving throws. Additionally, any non-undead creature that come in contact with the Ichor Sea or starts its turn in the seatakes 14 (4d6) necrotic damage and must make a DC 23 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature suffers one level of exhaustion. If a creature dies to this effect, it rises as an angel of decay (EdE 3) after 1d4 rounds. Small Crater Creatures that fit inside of the small crater gain half-cover, but it costs an additional 5 feet of movement to enter and exit the crater. Encounter 3: Angels of Atropus This encounter is unchanged, although it is worth noting that the angel of decay (EdE 3) is now CR 7. Tactics After descending, the angels of decay attack split up to attack as many party members as they can. If possible, they stick close to one another so that may heal from each other's Rotting Auras via their Feed on Decay traits. When the aspect of Atropus (EdE 2) arrives, it makes its entrance by using Divine Scourge followed by casting meteor swarm, with no concern for the subsequent incineration of the remaining angels of decay. It uses its first lair action to create an earthquake effect, and it uses its next one to forcibly teleport the party members: it teleports melee opponents into newly formed fissures, and it teleports ranged opponents into its melee range. It consistently uses Waves of Exhaustion to decimate as many party members as it can, but it will favor its Life Drain or Slam if it finds itself to be taking large amounts of damage. Features of the Area This area contains a variety of features, as pictured in the original book. Eyes of Death This entire encounter takes place on one of the Eyes of Death. Undead in the area gain advantage on all saving throws, and they also gain immunity to effects that turn undead. Additionally, creatures in the area can't benefit from resistance to necrotic damage, and they suffer disadvantage on saving throws made against effects that deal necrotic damage. Small Crater Creatures that fit inside of the small crater gain half-cover, but it costs an additional 5 feet of movement to enter and exit the crater. Veins of Atropus A creature standing entirely on one of these cracks is unaffected by the effects of the Eyes of Death. Fissures created by the Aspect of Atropus's earthquake spell also count as veins of Atropus. Conclusion The moonlet's surface rumbles as if under the effects of an earthquake spell, requiring all creatures on the ground to succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. Fissures tear open, and all creatures on the ground have a 25% chance of falling into one; a creature can make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to avoid falling into one of these new fissures. The tremors last for 1d6 rounds, at which point the whole moonlet seems to contract—killing anyone or anything still trapped in a fissure. Then the moonlet rockets away from the world, moving at a speed of 40,000 feet per round. Characters still on the surface are carried with the moonlet. As it moves away from the world, the Restless Dead sign ends, and creatures animated by its effects collapse, lifeless.

Father Llymic "Madness dwells on the mountaintop, where feral tribesfolk feast on human flesh and dance in worship of the darkness. Their song can be heard even now, calling out to their father to bring the eternal cold, the endless darkness of death." — From the bloodstained journal of an unnamed traveler A mote of alien thought given form and flesh, Father Llymic is not of this world. He dwells in an icy prison, awaiting a time when the world will be right for his coming. As his age of freezing darkness draws near, his brood begins to appear, stalking the wastes in preparation for his reign. If he is released from his prison, the entire world will be covered in a deadly glacier, removed from light and hope for all time. Background Father Llymic's background is unchanged. Goals Father Llymic's goals are unchanged. Father Llymic in the Campaign Father Llymic sleeps in an icy prison atop one of the world's tallest mountains. Locked away inside a glacier, he beckons any who draw near to his form so that they might be transformed into his servants. With each new servant, he gains more of the strength needed to fully rouse. Since he lurks in such an inhospitable place, this elder evil is easy to add to any campaign. Only when Father Llymic approaches his full might does the effect become noticeable, as the sun begins to lose the power to contain him. The terrain easily hides his brood, and travelers and remote mountain clans go missing all the time. Only the most thorough chronicler might notice that one mountain in particular is full of strange tales regarding missing travelers and reclusive natives. The obvious sign of Father Llymic's coming—the darkening of the sun—means that it is almost too late to stop him from waking. Sign: Dead Sun The dead sun diminishes natural and magical lighting until the sun no longer rises. Faint: The radius of illumination from natural light sources (both bright light and shadowy illumination) drops to half normal, to a minimum of 5 feet. Sunrise occurs 1 hour later than normal, and sunset occurs 1 hour earlier than normal. Moderate: Spells and other effects that create magical darkness take effect for twice their normal duration. The radius of illumination from natural light sources drops to 5 feet. Sunrise occurs 2 hours later than normal, and sunset occurs 2 hours earlier. Finally, average temperatures drop by 2 degrees Fahrenheit all over the world. Strong: Spells and other effects that create magical darkness have their size doubled in all dimensions and take effect for twice their normal duration. Light produced by spells or other magical effects has its size halved in all dimensions and no longer dispels darkness spells of any level. Natural light sources do not illuminate any area at all, appearing only as dim spots. The sun rises for just 1 hour each day, and global temperatures drop by an additional 4 degrees. Overwhelming: The sun vanishes altogether. Spells, magic items, and other effects that generate light cease to do so. Spells and other effects that create magical darkness continue to be enhanced as under the strong sign. The average temperature plunges another 10 degrees and drops by 1 degree further every day thereafter. Timeline The possible campaign outline given in the original book is unchanged. Consult the following table for the suggested level of your party for each section of the original outline. Suggested Party Level Chart Intensity Party Level None 7 Faint 10 Moderate 13 Strong 16 Overwhelming 19 Father Llymic in Eberron This section is unchanged. Father Llymic in Faerûn This section is unchanged. Variant Usage Rather than have Father Llymic be imprisoned upon a block of ice, he may be banished to another plane or some other extradimensional prison for all eternity. As his Brood Spawn spread across the campaign setting, the binds that hold him in his prison weaken, culminating with his arrival in the setting. Or perhaps Father Llymic isn't imprisoned at all. He might be in the Far Realm or one of the other planes of existence, or in the case of a Spelljammer campaign, he might be on another planet in a distant sphere. In the former case, perhaps Father Llymic has already claimed one of the Outer Planes as his own icy domain. In the latter case, he might reside in a frozen crystal sphere whose sun has permanently gone dark. Either way, such a campaign would pose Father Llymic as an evil outsider whose Brood Spawn have invaded the setting, and the arrival of Father Llymic himself would spell doom for mortal life altogether.

Additionally, you may wish to alter Father Llymic's Sign of Apocalypse if you feel its default effects are not appropriate for your campaign. Instead of causing the sun to disappear, Father Llymic might simply cause the setting to experience an unnatural winter as his influence spreads. Temperatures fall as normal, but permafrost spreads from the mountain housing Father Llymic's tomb to envelop the entire world as the campaign goes on. In this case, you may wish to remove the Light Torpor and Light Weakness traits from Father Llymic and his Brood Spawn, instead relying on the very absence of heat to be that which awakens the Alien Thought Given Flesh. Lastly, some may find the default campaign timeline to lack the intrigue and variety that they seek in an elder evils campaign. If so, consider the following changes and additions: Associate Father Llymic with the other denizens of the Far Realm. While the brood spawn are certainly interesting creatures to fight, other aberrations such as mind flayers and daelkyr might serve Father Llymic's interests as well.

Brood spawn do not suffer reductions to their Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma scores; in fact, their Wisdom and Charisma are each increased by 2 compared to that of the base creature. As such, rather than using them as mindless aliens, you are capable of running them as an intelligent faction that has its own unique NPCs, sub-groups, and society, although such elements are obviously warped by the brood's alien nature.

Run a more active or intelligent Cult of Father Llymic. While the original timeline speaks of savage barbarians that perform strange rituals that transform them into Brood Spawn, you may wish to alter this existing cult or add new ones as you see fit. Perhaps a humanoid-esque brood spawn has figured out how to blend into society and to spread Brood Fever without getting caught. Maybe a vampire or some other creature of the night seeks to black out the sun, knowingly or unknowingly allowing Father Llymic to emerge from his prison sooner than expected. Keep in mind that this document provides cult features for NPCs that serve Father Llymic, as well as general Vile Feats for such NPCs to take as appropriate; use these features to create NPCs that fit your campaign as you see fit. Description This section is unchanged. Reference the original book if you are interested in lore and details regarding Father Llymic and his Brood Spawn. Glacial Tomb An imposing mountain holds Father Llymic's tomb. Surrounded by jagged hills, the mountain is studded with icy crags, treacherous ice bridges, and perilous cliffs. Few paths make their way to the summit; all of them are home to dangerous mountain predators and, as the time of Father Llymic's wakening draws near, swarms of alien brood spawn. As the light of the sun begins to dim and the cold increases, great sheets of ice cover the mountain and the surrounding hills. Eventually, this glacier begins to move across the surrounding countryside at an accelerated rate. The mountain becomes home to cascades of deadly ice spears, thunderous avalanches, and strange vistas of unnatural ice formations. Some areas begin to exhibit odd geometric patterns in the ice, many of which defy logic or reason. Key Features When planning for activity around the glacial tomb, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules for Wilderness Survival (DMG 109). These rules include mechanics for hazards such as Extreme Cold, Strong Wind, Slippery and Thin Ice, and Heavy Precipitation that you may find useful. Snow and ice cover the mountain. Temperatures hover just above freezing during the day and plummet to well below at night (the exact temperature varies depending on the time of the year and the power of the Dead Sun sign). The environment is severe cold, progressing to extreme cold as Father Llymic begins to stir. The surface of the mountain consists of three primary materials. Stone: Small patches remain where snow and ice have not found purchase. These areas are rough, but otherwise easy to traverse.

Small patches remain where snow and ice have not found purchase. These areas are rough, but otherwise easy to traverse. Snow: Although most of the snow is only a foot or so deep and is simple enough to traverse, other areas contain deep snowdrifts. These areas are difficult terrain, and they might hold other hazards as well, such as pockets of empty space beneath the snow that act as large pits.

Although most of the snow is only a foot or so deep and is simple enough to traverse, other areas contain deep snowdrifts. These areas are difficult terrain, and they might hold other hazards as well, such as pockets of empty space beneath the snow that act as large pits. Ice: Great smooth ice floes make their way down every side of the mountain. Traversing these floes requires a DC 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to avoid falling prone. Failing by 5 or more results in a fall that, depending on the slope, might carry a character far away from their companions. Other areas are merely slick and level and follow the normal rules for Slippery Ice (DMG 110). Aside from these effects, the weather itself makes traveling the mountain extremely difficult. Snow, hail, and lightning constantly assault its slopes. This weather can limit vision and obscure trails.

Defenses As long as Father Llymic remains imprisoned, defense of the glacial tomb falls to his minions—the crazed cultists and the brood spawn—and the harsh environment. Cultists and insane individuals prowl the lower reaches of the mountain, incapable of surviving the higher summits. These groups all succumb to brood fever eventually, joining the spawn up above, while new groups and individuals constantly arrive to take their place. The cultist groups might have an order among themselves, but none of them work together toward any sort of common defense. These maniacs attack anyone bearing natural or artificial light. Characters who are not carrying such illumination might be able to bypass these groups with the use of the Deception and Persuasion skills. When the party reaches the mountainside, the environment changes dramatically and brood spawn become common. Encountering a single creature precipitates a much greater conflict as all nearby brood move in to investigate the disturbance. The concentration and power of the brood increases the higher up one goes. Those hoping to fly to reach the peak find it to be a nearly impossible task. Fierce, driving snow and hail assault any who ascend to more than 30 feet above the mountain's surface. This constantly roiling storm limits visibility to 5 feet, slows movement by half, and deals 14 (4d6) cold damage per round of exposure. As an added hazard, the storm is home to flying brood spawn that have no difficulty navigating it. Additionally, those hoping to bypass the dangers of the mountainside by teleporting directly to the top find themselves out of luck. Due to the magical wards created by the ancient elves that imprisoned Father Llymic, it is impossible to make it to the summit, or to any other location on the mountain, via teleportation or by extradimensional or interplanar means. Anyone reaching the summit with a functioning light source provokes the wrath of all the brood spawn within 1 mile, who quickly make their way to the peak to destroy the intruders. Encounter Areas The mountain that holds Father Llymic's tomb is huge, covering many square miles. Although numerous threats and dangers plague the ascent, only the peak is detailed here. Feel free to add groups of cultists, wandering packs of brood spawn, dangerous terrain, and other hazards during the approach. Unless otherwise noted, all these areas are sites of intense weather, as noted in the previous section. A. Garden of Alien Ice As travelers ascend the peak, they encounter a large plain of relatively flat ground. Dotting this landscape are strange statues made out of ice. Odd shapes and alien forms make up most of the sculptures, including titanic spheres of ice balanced atop slender stalagmites, perfect spirals of ice that seem to tighten to infinity, and grotesque images of beasts that cannot be. Those wandering through this eerily quiet garden must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw for every minute that they spend there. On a failed save, a creature suffers from a random form of Short-Term Madness, determined by rolling on the Short-