Undead

Some serve as mindless soldiers and workers under the control of a necromancer. Others rise when they die a bitter death in a place infused with cursed magic. For a few, it was a choice to become something beyond mortal. However they arose, all undead were once living creatures who now walk the land after death in defiance of the natural order.

Rotting zombies, seductive vampires, wailing wraiths, and more undead stalk the widespread horror stories nobles and commoners alike tell each another around low-burning hearths. Even the most isolated hermits know that the dead can rise, eager to kill. These popular tales fuel many people's fears of the undead. Mere rumors of a nearby ghoul pack can send an entire community into a panic. When open graves appear in the churchyard or a translucent spirit is spotted on the street, local leaders are quick to hire adventurers to deal with the threat.

Content Warning: Body Horror

This section contains references to grisly body horror and viscera. To alleviate player discomfort, you can modify descriptions and abilities to be more spectral as needed.

Undead Stat Block Table

Dark Places

For many undead, sunlight is a nuisance that they naturally avoid. While rarely harmful to them, the sun's golden rays make them uncomfortable and shine far too bright to their dead eyes. Walking in the light of day also makes it easier for undead to be spotted by fearful mortals. Many undead avoid the sun entirely, hiding in tombs or ruins until nightfall when they can freely stalk their victims.

Encountered Together

Undead are often encountered in groups that include more than just a single kind of creature. A necromancer might raise zombies, skeletons, and ghouls to protect their mansion, as each serves a different function as a guardian. A lich could have wraiths as messengers and soulwights as laboratory assistants. An ancient tomb might have mummies and vampires within. The undead don't need to drink, eat, sleep, or breathe, and many share an affinity for lightless places, leading to these congregations.

Corporeal Undead

At their most innocuous, corporeal undead are a mockery of life, a body hoisted and dragged along by unnatural strings. At their worst, they are a violent scourge hungry for slaughter, and a perverse reflection of the mortal desire to exist for eternity. Ghouls, skeletons, soulwights, and zombies number among the lesser corporeal undead. Many lack a soul, and many can't think beyond the orders of their creators—unlike more powerful corporeal undead such as liches and vampires. Those who aren't controlled by others typically have a singular focus: the destruction of all living things.

The magic that animates a corpse removes the need for air, sleep, and sustenance. This magic also halts decay, preserving the undead at the stage of deterioration before they were animated. While most corporeal undead are brought to unlife by a creator, tales abound of zombies suddenly rising from graveyards during rare astronomical occurrences, skeletal soldiers emerging from mass graves on the anniversary of their death, and other seemingly spontaneous acts of necromancy.

Spectral Undead

Umbral stalkers. Specters. Wraiths. Spectral undead come in many forms. One might be spawned by a person's vile actions in life, while another could be a soul lost to a necromancer's fell arts. Powerful undead can even manifest these shadowy beings into existence through sheer will. Regardless of how they come to be, though, all spectral undead are malice incarnate.

Spectral undead who are formed naturally from the souls of malicious, hate-filled creatures usually haunt the places where they died, while those manifested by another being typically dwell where ordered to by their creator. Left to their own devices, spectral undead stop at nothing to kill the living they encounter, with some stalking their quarry through miles of ruins or wilderness.

Spectral Undead and Phasing

All spectral undead have some kind of phasing trait that enables them to move through creatures and objects at their usual speed. However, they can't end this movement inside a creature or object while in combat. Outside of combat, a spectral undead might hide themself inside a statue, painting, or other object. But when battle begins, they can't remain within or fall back to that cover to prevent being attacked.

Undead Languages

Most undead speak (or at least understand) the languages they knew in life.

Undead-1st Echelon

It's rare you fight a single zombie. Low-level undead most often appear in huge droves, and skeletons, ghouls, specters, and shades can overwhelm the mightiest of heroes through sheer numbers alone if those heroes aren't careful.

Undead Malice (Level 1+ Malice Features)

At the start of any undead's turn, you can spend Malice to activate one of the following features.

🌀 Ravenous Horde (2 Malice)

At the end of this round, each hero not already adjacent to one or more undead is beset by two rotting zombies who burst up from the ground to appear in adjacent unoccupied spaces. Each zombie is winded. This feature can't be used two rounds in a row.

🌀 Paranormal Fling (3 Malice)

Up to three unattended objects on the encounter map rise to float 1 square off the ground. Each object is then pulled 5 squares toward the nearest enemy within 3 squares of the object.

🔳 The Grasping, the Hungry (5 Malice)

Ravenous and rotting undead arms burst forth from 9 connected squares of a vertical or horizontal surface. Any creature who ends their turn adjacent to an affected square makes an Agility test.

• ≤11: 5 damage; restrained (save ends)
• 12-16: 5 damage; restrained (EoT)
• 17+: 5 damage

Effect: While restrained this way, a creature takes 1d6 damage at the start of each of their turns.

⭐️ Dread March (7+ Malice)

Up to four undead in the encounter move up to their speed and can make a free strike. The number of undead affected increases by 1 for each additional Malice spent on this feature. If an undead is reduced to 0 Stamina during this dread march, they don't die until the march is resolved.

Crawling Claw

🗡 Fingernails (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 1 damage
• 12-16: 2 damage
• 17+: 3 damage

Effect: The crawling claw shifts up to a number of squares equal to the damage dealt.

⭐️ Disorganized

Allies can't flank with the crawling claw.

Decrepit Skeleton

🏹 Bone Bow (Signature Ability)

Ranged, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Ranged 10	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 2 damage
• 12-16: 4 damage
• 17+: 5 damage

Effect: The decrepit skeleton chooses one other target within distance, who takes 1 damage.

⭐️ Bonetrops

When the decrepit skeleton is reduced to 0 Stamina, their space is difficult terrain. The first time any enemy enters this space, the take 1 damage and the effect end.

Rotting Zombie

🗡 Rotting Fist (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 2 damage
• 12-16: 4 damage
• 17+: 5 damage; M < 2 prone if size 1, or slowed (save ends) otherwise

⭐️ Death Grasp

When the rotting zombie is reduced to 0 Stamina, their space is difficult terrain. The first time any enemy who has M < 2 enters this space, they are slowed (save ends) and the effect ends.

Shade

🗡 Life Drain (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 2 corruption damage
• 12-16: 4 corruption damage
• 17+: 5 corruption damage; the target must move up to their speed and can't end that movement closer to any shade

⭐️ Shadow Phasing

The shade can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the shade moves through a creature, that creature takes 1 corruption damage. The shade doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Ghoul

🗡 Razor Claws (Signature Ability)

Charge, Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 3 damage
• 12-16: 4 damage
• 17+: 5 damage; M < 2 bleeding (save ends)

👤 Leap

-	Maneuver
📏 Self	🎯 Self

Effect: The ghoul jumps up to 3 squares. If they land on a size 1 enemy, that enemy is knocked prone and the ghoul can make a free strike against them.

⭐️ Arise

The first time the ghoul is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 1 Stamina and fall prone.

⭐️ Hunger

When the ghoul uses the Charge main action, they gain a +2 bonus to speed until the end of their turn.

Skeleton

⚔️ Bone Shards (Signature Ability)

Melee, Ranged, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1 or ranged 10	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 4 damage
• 12-16: 6 damage
• 17+: 7 damage

Effect: Until the start of the skeleton's next turn, the target takes 2 damage the first time they willingly move on their turn.

❇️ Bone Spur (2 Malice)

Area, Weapon	Maneuver
📏 1 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 1 damage; M < 0 bleeding (save ends)
• 12-16: 2 damage; M < 1 bleeding (save ends)
• 17+: 3 damage; M < 2 bleeding (save ends)

Effect: Each target takes a bane on their next strike.

⭐️ Arise

The first time the skeleton is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 1 Stamina and fall prone.

Specter

🗡 Decaying Touch (Signature Ability)

Magic, Melee, Strike	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 3 corruption damage; P < 0 weakened (save ends)
• 12-16: 4 corruption damage; P < 1 weakened (save ends)
• 17+: 5 corruption damage; P < 2 weakened (save ends)

2 Malice: The potency increases by 1. Any living creature who dies from this damage rises at the start of the next round in the target's space as a specter under the Director's control.

👤 Hidden Movement

-	Maneuver
📏 Self	🎯 Self

Effect: The specter turns invisible, moves up to their speed, and is visible again.

⭐️ Corruptive Phasing

The specter can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the specter moves through a creature, that creature takes 2 corruption damage. The specter doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Soulwight

🗡 Soulstealer Longsword (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 3 corruption damage
• 12-16: 4 corruption damage; M < 1 slowed (save ends)
• 17+: 5 corruption damage; M < 2 slowed and weakened (save ends)

Effect: The target appears to rapidly age each time they take damage from this ability. The target regains their former appearance when the soulwight is destroyed.

🏹 Stolen Vitality (3 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Maneuver
📏 Ranged 5	🎯 One ally

Effect: The target regains 10 Stamina. The soulwight can't use this maneuver again until after they strike a creature with their Soulstealer Longsword.

⭐️ Arise

The first time the soulwight is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 1 Stamina and fall prone.

Umbral Stalker

🗡 Chilling Grasp (Signature Ability)

Magic, Melee, Strike	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 4 cold damage
• 12-16: 6 cold damage; the stalker can shift 1 square
• 17+: 7 cold damage; the stalker shifts up to 2 squares

🔳 Freezing Dark (3 Malice)

Area, Magic	Main action
📏 3 cube within 1	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 2 cold damage
• 12-16: 3 cold damage
• 17+: 4 cold damage

Effect: Until the end of the stalker's next turn, the area provides concealment, and blocks line of effect for enemies.

👤 Shadow Jump (1 Malice)

-	Free maneuver
📏 Self	🎯 Self

The umbral stalker teleports to an unoccupied space in an area of concealment within 10 squares.

⭐️ Corruptive Phasing

The umbral stalker can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the umbral stalker moves through a creature, that creature takes 2 corruption damage. The umbral stalker doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Zombie

🗡 Clobber and Clutch (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 4 damage
• 12-16: 6 damage
• 17+: 7 damage; grabbed

Effect: A target who starts their turn grabbed by the zombie takes 2 corruption damage. A creature who takes 5 or more corruption damage this way becomes insatiably hungry for flesh, and must complete the Find a Cure downtime project in Draw Steel: Heroes to end this effect.

❇️ Zombie Dust (3 Malice)

Area	Maneuver
📏 2 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Effect: The zombie falls prone, expelling a wave of rot and dust.

Power Roll + 2:

• ≤11: 2 corruption damage
• 12-16: 3 corruption damage; M < 1 weakened (save ends)
• 17+: 4 corruption damage; M < 2 dazed (save ends)

⭐️ Endless Knight

The first time the zombie is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 10 Stamina and fall prone.

Ghost

🏹 Heat Death (Signature Ability)

Magic, Ranged, Strike	Main action
📏 Ranged 5	🎯 Two creatures

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 7 cold damage; P < 1 slowed (save ends)
• 12-16: 10 cold damage; P < 2 slowed (save ends)
• 17+: 13 cold damage; P < 3 slowed (save ends)

Effect: The next strike made against the target gains an edge.

🏹 Haunt

Ranged	Maneuver
📏 Ranged 8	🎯 Self or one ally with a Phasing trait

Effect: The target shifts up to their speed.

2 Malice: The ghost chooses one additional target.

❗️ Shriek (1 Malice)

Magic, Melee	Triggered action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 The triggering creature

Trigger: A creature within distance targets the ghost with a strike.

Effect: The ghost halves the damage from the strike and the target takes 2 sonic damage.

⭐️ Phantom Flow

Each undead with a Phasing trait within 10 squares of the ghost can't be made slowed or weakened.

☠️ Paranormal Activity (Villain Action 1)

Area, Magic	-
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each size 3 or smaller object in the area

Effect: Each target rises 1 square into the air and is vertically pulled up to 5 squares toward the nearest enemy within 3 squares of the target.

☠️ Spirited Away (Villain Action 2)

Area, Magic	-
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: P < 1 the target is levitated (EoT)
• 12-16: P < 2 the target is levitated (EoT)
• 17+: P < 3 the target is levitated until the end of the encounter

Effect: A levitated target floats 1 square off the ground when first affected, then rises 1 square at the end of each of their turns. If a levitated target can't already fly, they can fly but are slowed and weakened while flying this way.

☠️ Awful Wail (Villain Action 3)

Area, Magic	-
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 3 sonic damage
• 12-16: 5 sonic damage
• 17+: 8 sonic damage

Effect: A target who has P < 2 is reduced to 1 Stamina if they are winded after taking this damage.

⭐️ Corruptive Phasing

The ghost can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the ghost moves through a creature, that creature takes 2 corruption damage. The ghost doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Undead-2nd Echelon

More powerful and more self-aware forms of undead rise above the undead horde and lay claim to dark, isolated domains all their own. The longer an undead is allowed to thrive, the stronger they become.

Mummies

Mummies are humanoids raised from the dead through a complex series of magical rituals. The process tethers a creature's soul to their earthly body, preventing them from crossing into true death. As part of the mummification process, a corpse is embalmed and wrapped in cloth imbued with necromantic power. Mummification is reserved for situations of grave import. A great hero might voluntarily be mummified upon death to eternally guard future generations or a holy relic. On the other hand, a great villain could be mummified to prevent them from escaping their crimes through death.

Vampire Spawn

Vampirism is a curse of blood that harrows its victims, turning them into mirror-mockeries of life that nonetheless hunger for life's essence: blood. With that hunger comes power everlasting over life and death. By feeding, a vampire passes this curse onto their victims.

Though vampires are fundamentally changed from their living forms, they retain the intellect and memories of their mortal selves. A vampire's power grows as they spend time in undeath. Vampire spawn, the youngest of their ilk, are barely separated from their mortal selves. They are driven by their thirst for blood and their master's orders. Few spawn survive long enough to become true vampires.

Mournlings

Powered by sorrow and rage, these hulking amalgamations of dirt or flesh defend the homes of their creators, brutally attacking intruders while sobbing uncontrollably. Mournlings express far more emotion than many other undead guardians, for their makers imbued them with sadness and loss. Though their druidic creators are long-dead, some original mournlings still defend forests, mead ows, and other natural places they were built to protect.

Outside of battle, mournlings patrol for interlopers in a trance-like state. When an unknown creature creates a disturbance or approaches them, the mournling unleashes a primal cry that conveys the very essence of suffering, then bursts into violence. They continue to sob and moan even as they viciously beat their enemies to a pulp.

Undead Malice (Level 4+ Malice Features)

At the start of any level 4 or higher undead's turn, you can spend Malice to activate one of the following features.

⭐️ Prior Malice Features (2-7+ Malice)

The undead activates a Malice feature available to undead of level 3 or lower.

🌀 Blood Hunger (5 Malice)

One undead acting this turn uses a signature ability against a creature who is bleeding. As a free triggered action, each undead within 5 squares of the first undead moves up to their speed and can make a free strike against the same target.

Fleshflayed Shambler Zombie

🗡 Bone Carvers (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 3 damage
• 12-16: 5 damage
• 17+: 7 damage

Effect: If this ability gains an edge or has a double edge, the target is bleeding (save ends).

⭐️ Fleshfused Spines

Any adjacent enemy who grabs the fleshflayed shambler or uses melee ability against them takes 2 damage.

Ghoul Craver

🗡 Taste (Signature Ability)

Charge, Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 2 damage
• 12-16: 4 damage
• 17+: 6 damage

Effect: This ability has a double edge against a bleeding target.

⭐️ Ever So Hungry

Any enemy adjacent to three or more ghoul cravers can't shift.

⭐️ Hunger

When the ghoul craver uses the Charge main action, they gain a +2 bonus to speed until the end of their turn.

Hollowbone Launcher

🏹 Hollowbone Slug (Signature Ability)

Ranged, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Ranged 10	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 3 damage
• 12-16: 5 damage
• 17+: 7 damage; M < 3 bleeding (save ends)

Effect: Each creature adjacent to the target takes 2 damage.

⭐️ Brittle Revenge

The hollowbone launcher explodes when they are reduced to 0 Stamina, dealing 2 damage to each adjacent creature.

Flesh Mournling

🗡 Multiarm Strike (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 2	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 5 damage
• 12-16: 7 damage
• 17+: 9 damage

Effect: The target can't shift until the end of their next turn.

1 Malice: This ability targets one additional target.

❇️ Horrid Wail

Area, Magic	Main action
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 2 psychic damage
• 12-16: 3 psychic damage; I < 2 frightened (save ends)
• 17+: 4 psychic damage; I < 3 frightened (save ends)

Effect: A target who is still frightened this way at the end of the encounter can't take a respite activity during their next respite.

⭐️ Arise

The first time the mournling is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 10 Stamina and fall prone.

⭐️ Immutable Form

The mournling's shape can't be changed by any external effect.

Giant Zombie

🗡 Rotten Smash (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 3	🎯 Two creatures or objects

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 9 damage
• 12-16: 14 damage; A < 2 grabbed
• 17+: 17 damage; A < 3 grabbed

❗️ Knocking Heads (1 Malice)

-	Triggered action
📏 Self	🎯 Self; see below

Trigger: The giant zombie grabs two creatures or objects, or starts their turn with two creatures or objects grabbed.

Effect: The creatures or objects are smashed together using Rotten Smash, which has a double edge.

⭐️ Endless Knight

The first time the giant zombie is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 50 Stamina and fall prone.

⭐️ Negative Nerves

When the giant zombie is targeted by an ability that deals rolled damage, they halve the damage from a tier 1 outcome.

Mummy

🗡 Accursed Bindings (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 3	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 6 corruption damage; pull 1
• 12-16: 8 corruption damage; pull 2
• 17+: 10 corruption damage; pull 2; M < 3 restrained (save ends)

Effect: The next ability the mummy uses against the target has any potency increased by 1 for the target.

🏹 Eldritch Curse (3 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Main action
📏 Ranged 10	🎯 One creature

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 3 corruption damage; I < 1 the target is cursed (save ends)
• 12-16: 5 corruption damage; I < 2 the target is cursed (save ends)
• 17+: 7 corruption damage; I < 3 the target is cursed (save ends)

Effect: A cursed target is bleeding and weakened, and allies gain an edge on strikes made against them.

❗️ Blast of Mummy Dust (1 Malice)

Area	Triggered action
📏 1 burst	🎯 The triggering creature

Trigger: The mummy comes within distance of a restrained creature or starts their turn within distance of one.

Effect: The target takes 8 poison damage.

Vampire Spawn

🗡 Exsanguinating Bite (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 5 damage
• 12-16: 7 corruption damage; M < 2 bleeding (save ends)
• 17+: 9 corruption damage; M < 3 bleeding (save ends)

Effect: The vampire spawn regains Stamina equal to any corruption damage dealt.

1 Malice: The target takes an additional 3 corruption damage.

👤 Vampiric Celerity

-	Maneuver
📏 Self	🎯 Self

Effect: The vampire spawn can shift 1 square, then move up to their speed. The next ability the vampire uses before the start of their next turn gains an edge.

⭐️ Unslakable Bloodthirst

The vampire spawn has speed 10 while any creature within 10 squares of them is bleeding. The vampire spawn must use Exsanguinating Bite against a bleeding creature on their turn if they are able to.

Wraith

🗡 Chilling Gravetouch (Signature Ability)

Magic, Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 3:

• ≤11: 5 cold damage; P < 1 slowed (save ends)
• 12-16: 7 cold damage; P < 2 slowed (save ends)
• 17+: 9 cold damage; P < 3 slowed (save ends)

Effect: Any living creature who dies from this damage rises at the start of the next round as a ghoul craver under the Director's control.

👤 Hidden Movement

-	Maneuver
📏 Self	🎯 Self

Effect: The wraith turns invisible, moves up to their speed, and is visible again.

❗️ Stolen Vitality (1 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Free triggered action
📏 Ranged 5	🎯 The triggering creature

Trigger: An enemy within distance regains Stamina.

Effect: The target regains only half the Stamina, and the wraith regains the remaining Stamina.

⭐️ Agonizing Phasing

The wraith can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the wraith moves through a creature, that creature takes 5 corruption damage and takes a bane on their next strike. The wraith doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Mummy Lord

🗡 Accursed Slam (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 Two creatures or objects

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 10 corruption damage; I < 2 bleeding (save ends)
• 12-16: 14 corruption damage; I < 3 bleeding (save ends)
• 17+: 17 corruption damage; I < 4 bleeding (save ends)

Effect: While the target is bleeding this way, the potency of any ability used against them increases by 1 for the target.

🏹 Binding Curse (1 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Main action
📏 Ranged 20	🎯 One creature

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 7 corruption damage; I < 2 frightened (save ends)
• 12-16: 12 corruption damage; I < 3 frightened (save ends)
• 17+: 16 corruption damage; I < 4 frightened (save ends)

Effect: While frightened this way, a target takes 4 psychic damage whenever they use a move action.

2+ Malice: This ability targets one additional target for each 2 Malice spent.

❗️ Summon My Guard (2 Malice)

Ranged	Triggered action
📏 Ranged 10	🎯 Special

Trigger: The mummy lord is made winded for the first time in the encounter.

Effect: One mummy or four ghoul cravers appear within distance.

⭐️ Cursed Transference

At the end of each of their turns, the mummy lord can take 10 damage to end one effect on them that can be ended by a saving throw. This damage can't be reduced in any way.

5 Malice: The effect that is ended is transferred to another creature within 10 squares.

☠️ Plague of Flies (Villain Action 1)

Area, Magic	-
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 5 poison damage
• 12-16: 8 poison damage
• 17+: 10 poison damage

Effect: Each target takes a bane on their next strike.

☠️ Land's Guardian (Villain Action 2)

-	-
📏 Self	🎯 Self

Effect: The mummy lord gains a +2 bonus to speed and can automatically burrow at full speed while moving. They can then use the Dig maneuver. The next time the mummy lord breaches the surface, each enemy within 2 squares of the mummy lord makes an Agility test.

• ≤11: Prone and can't stand (EoT)
• 12-16: Prone
• 17+: No effect

☠️ Unbound Horrors (Villain Action 3)

Area, Magic	-
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 5 corruption damage; I < 2 frightened (save ends)
• 12-16: 8 corruption damage; I < 3 frightened (save ends)
• 17+: 10 corruption damage; I < 4 frightened and restrained (save ends)

Undead-3rd Echelon

Older, taboo methods of creating devastating undead wildly vary from one another. These wretched creatures can come about by way of accursed blood rituals, terrible operations, a spirited collective resistance to death, or other unspoken methods once thought lost to time.

Koptourok

Koptourok is a Variac name that roughly translates to "dead tourist." It's given to those who meet their end suffocating in the depths, whether they drowned in a subterranean lake, wandered into a cave of trapped gas, or were crushed by a rockslide. These rasping, slouching undead rise from their grave desperate for the one thing they've lost: breath.

Haunt

Born of mass death events that leave multiple souls stranded in agony together, a haunt is a violent collective chaos driven by a hatred for the living. A haunt lays claim to the scene of their death, which their grief forbids them from leaving so as to strand them in the mundane world. None of the souls within a haunt are necessarily malicious, and all would individually prefer to move on and find peace. But their accumulated grief drives them to tremendous anger that inspires sadistic acts of violence against the living.

Waxen

When a corpse is preserved improperly, its body fat can become a substance known as corpse wax. Necromancers sometimes harvest and use this foul substance to enhance their undead minions, transforming them into waxens. These awkward, loping creatures cake their foes in foul-smelling wax to slow and sicken them. Waxen minions are often set ablaze by unscrupulous masters, sacrificing them to the flames but making them significantly more dangerous in the process

Vampires and Vampire Lords

By drinking the blood of a true vampire, a vampire spawn can transcend their feral beginnings and rise to become a true vampire themself. The path of transformation is daunting, and vampires who end up starved for blood often band together for mutual protection. But with patience and cunning, a vampire can grow old and powerful enough to control vast amounts of territory and countless vassals.

The term "vampire lord" thus refers not to a specific age or threshold of physical prowess, but rather to status and influence. A vampire who refers to themself as a lord invites challenges to their title and is prepared to crush all those who seek to end their reign.

Undead Malice (Level 7+ Malice Features)

At the start of any level 7 or higher undead's turn, you can spend Malice to activate one of the following features.

⭐️ Prior Malice Features (2-7+ Malice)

The undead activates a Malice feature available to undead of level 6 or lower.

🌀 Necrotic Rupture (5 Malice)

Until the end of the round, whenever an undead is reduced to 0 Stamina, they deal 8 corruption damage to each enemy within 3 squares of them.

Blood-Starved Vampire

🗡 Feeding Frenzy (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 3 damage
• 12-16: 6 damage
• 17+: 7 damage; M < 4 bleeding (EoT)

Effect: If a target made bleeding this way is already bleeding, they are instead knocked prone and can't stand until the end of their next turn.

⭐️ Unslakable Bloodthirst

The blood-starved vampire has speed 10 while any creature within 10 squares of them is bleeding. The vampire must use Feeding Frenzy against a bleeding creature on their turn if they are able to.

Faded Echo Spirit

🗡 Hollow Grasp (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 3 corruption damage
• 12-16: 6 corruption damage; P < 3 weakened
• 17+: 7 corruption damage; P < 4 weakened

Effect: This weakened condition ends if an affected target ends their turn with no spirit within 5 squares of them.

⭐️ Corruptive Phasing

The spirit can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the spirit moves through a creature, that creature takes 4 corruption damage. The spirit doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Mummy Rotwrap

🗡 Fetid Wrappings (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 2	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 4 damage
• 12-16: 7 damage; pull 1
• 17+: 8 damage; pull 3

Effect: Each ally gains an edge on strikes made against the target until the end of the round.

Dirt Mournling

🗡 Mudslide (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 2	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 7 damage; M < 3 grabbed
• 12-16: 10 damage; M < 4 grabbed
• 17+: 11 damage; grabbed

Effect: A 3-cube area of ground centered on the target is difficult terrain for enemies.

❇️ Mourning Cry (3 Malice)

Area, Magic	Main action
📏 3 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 3 corruption damage; I < 2 frightened (save ends)
• 12-16: 6 corruption damage; I < 3 frightened (save ends)
• 17+: 7 corruption damage; I < 4 frightened (save ends)

Effect: A target frightened this way is frightened of all undead. This effect ends early if the mournling is destroyed.

⭐️ Arise

The first time the mournling is reduced to 0 Stamina by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage and their body isn't destroyed, they instead have 15 Stamina and fall prone.

⭐️ Immutable Form

The mournling's shape can't be changed by any external effect.

⭐️ Rupture

Whenever the mournling uses the Dig maneuver to breach the surface, they make a free strike against each adjacent enemy.

Haunt

🗡 Lash Out (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 3	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 7 damage; slide 2
• 12-16: 10 damage; slide 3
• 17+: 11 damage; slide 5

Effect: If the target is force moved into another creature's space, that creature takes an additional 4 damage and the haunt slides them up to 2 squares.

❇️ Crushing Despair (3 Malice)

Area, Magic	Main action
📏 3 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 3 damage; I < 2 prone
• 12-16: 6 damage; I < 3 prone
• 17+: 7 damage; I < 4 prone

Effect: A target knocked prone this way can't use the Stand Up maneuver on themself while any haunt is within 20 squares of them.

⭐️ Invisible Horror

The haunt can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. They are invisible while moving using a move action. The haunt doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Koptourok

🗡 Choking Grasp (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 5	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 7 damage; M < 2 grabbed
• 12-16: 10 damage; M < 3 grabbed
• 17+: 11 damage; M < 4 grabbed

Effect: A creature grabbed this way is suffocating. The koptourok can have up to two creatures grabbed at once.

❇️ Inhale (3 Malice)

Area, Magic	Main action
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: Pull 3; M < 2 5 corruption damage
• 12-16: Pull 5; M < 3 5 corruption damage
• 17+: Pull 7; M < 4 5 corruption damage

Effect: This ability gains an edge against any target grabbed by the koptourok. If one or more targets are pulled adjacent to the koptourok, the koptourok can fly until the end of the encounter.

⭐️ Exhale

The first time the koptourok is made winded by damage that isn't fire damage or holy damage, each enemy within 3 squares of them takes 8 corruption damage. Any enemy who takes this damage and has M < 3 is also weakened (save ends)

Waxen

🏹 Wax Fling (Signature Ability)

Ranged, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Ranged 15	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 8 damage
• 12-16: 11 damage
• 17+: 12 damage; A < 4 slowed (save ends)

Effect: If a target made slowed this way is already slowed, they are instead restrained (save ends).

❇️ Erupt (3 Malice)

Area, Magic	Main action
📏 2 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Effect: If the waxen is ignited (see Burn Bright), they shift up to their speed before using this ability. Each target makes an Agility test.

• ≤11: 10 damage
• 12-16: 8 damage
• 17+: 5 damage

The waxen is then destroyed and the area is difficult terrain for enemies.

⭐️ Burn Bright

If the waxen takes fire damage, they ignite. While ignited, the waxen takes 4 fire damage at the start of each of their turns and their strikes deal an extra 4 fire damage.

Vampire

🗡 Exsanguinating Bite (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 7 damage; M < 2 bleeding (save ends)
• 12-16: 10 corruption damage; M < 3 5 corruption damage and bleeding (save ends)
• 17+: 11 corruption damage; M < 4 7 corruption damage and bleeding (save ends)

Effect: The vampire regains Stamina equal to any corruption damage dealt.

🗡 Vicious Pursuit (3 Malice)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 4:

• ≤11: 7 damage; A < 2 slowed (save ends)
• 12-16: 10 damage; A < 3 slowed (save ends)
• 17+: 11 damage; A < 4 slowed (save ends)

Effect: If the target is bleeding, the vampire shifts up to their speed before using this ability.

❗️ Reactive Charm (2 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Triggered action
📏 Ranged 5	🎯 One enemy

Trigger: A creature makes a strike against the vampire.

Effect: The target becomes the new target of the strike.

⭐️ Unslakable Bloodthirst

The vampire has speed 10 while any creature within 10 squares of them is bleeding. The vampire must make a strike against a bleeding creature on their turn if they are able to.

Vampire Lord

🗡 Crimson Embrace (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 13 corruption damage; M < 3 bleeding (save ends)
• 12-16: 21 corruption damage; M < 4 bleeding (save ends)
• 17+: 24 corruption damage; M < 5 bleeding (save ends)

Effect: The vampire regains Stamina equal to half the damage dealt, and can end one effect on them that can be ended by a saving throw.

2+ Malice: The vampire shifts 3 after striking the last target, and can target one additional creature for every 2 malice spent.

🏹 Arise, My Children (2 Malice)

Ranged	Maneuver
📏 Ranged 10	🎯 Special

Effect: Two blood-starved vampires appear in unoccupied spaces within distance.

❗️ Redirected Charm (3 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Free triggered action
📏 Ranged 5	🎯 One enemy

Trigger: A creature makes a strike against the vampire.

Effect: The target becomes the new target of the strike.

⭐️ Lord's Bloodthirst

The vampire has speed 15 and an edge on power rolls while any creature within 20 squares of them is bleeding. Any bleeding creature within 5 squares of the vampire can't hide.

☠️ Let Us Feast! (Villain Action 1)

Ranged	-
📏 20 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Effect: Each target who has P < 4 is now bleeding (save ends).

☠️ Red Mist Rising (Villain Action 2)

Area, Magic	-
📏 5 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 2 damage; M < 3 6 corruption damage
• 12-16: 7 damage; M < 4 6 corruption damage
• 17+: 10 damage; M < 5 6 corruption damage

Effect: The vampire turns to mist, filling the area. Until the end of the round, the vampire can't move or be targeted by abilities, but they can use Crimson Embrace against a target in the area. The vampire reforms in an unoccupied space in the area at the end of the round.

☠️ Sacrifice (Villain Action 3)

Magic, Ranged	-
📏 Ranged 20	🎯 Each chosen ally

Effect: Each target is marked for sacrifice. At the end of the round, each target who isn't dead or destroyed takes 50 corruption damage. The vampire then uses the following ability.

Wave of Blood:

Area, Magic	-
📏 20 burst	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Effect: Each target makes a Might test. This ability deals an extra 5 damage for each creature killed by the Sacrifice villain action.

• ≤11: 11 corruption damage
• 12-16: 8 corruption damage
• 17+: 2 corruption damage

Vampires and Sunlight

Vampires and Sunlight

In some stories, vampires act only in the dark of night, since direct sunlight sears their skin. Learning about a vampire's weaknesses before delving into their domain can also make for a great adventure or downtime project. To explore sunlight rules with vampires, you can give them the following traits.

Creature of the Night

If the vampire starts their turn in concealment created by darkness, they regain Stamina equal to one-quarter of their Stamina maximum.

Curse of Day

If the vampire is exposed to direct sunlight, they have damage weakness 5 until they start their turn in concealment created by darkness.

Undead-4th Echelon

The deadliest of undead creatures can be placed into one of two categories: terrible machines that know only destruction, and powerful tyrants who aren't content with conquering just death.

Bonecage

The weakness of many undead minions means that necromancers at war often find themselves shy of corpses when their forces lose more numbers than they slay. The bonecage offers a horrifi c solutio n t o thi problem. This hulking creature made from giants' bones is structured like a massive cage that they can cram dead and near-dead corpses into. Trawling the scenes of great battles, the bonecage fills themself with the fallen, stealing them away for ill purposes. Of course, when no mass casualty site presents itself, the bonecage is more than capable of making corpses of their own.

Lithgekh

Every mage who lives long enough eventually contends with the fact that their knowledge will one day leave the world. For those who can't stomach this idea, seeking the immortality of the lich often becomes an irresistible temptation. But many of those who try and fail to achieve lichdom become lithgekh—a word in the First Language meaning "lich corpse." Having failed to create a proper soul vessel, a lithgekh suffers an eternal hunger for magic to sustain themself. Liches will sometimes trick or tempt mortal mages into pursuing lichdom, only to sabotage them and create a lithgekh under the lich's control. These servants are prized by liches for their ability to disrupt enemy magic and empower their own.

Undead Malice (Level 10 Malice Features)

At the start of any level 10 undead's turn, you can spend Malice to activate one of the following features.

⭐️ Prior Malice Features (2-7+ Malice)

The undead activates a Malice feature available to undead of level 9 or lower.

❇️ Death Tax (7 Malice)

The undead attempts to rend the vitality of their foes. Each enemy within 5 squares of the undead makes a Might test.

• ≤11: 10 corruption damage; the target loses 2 Recoveries
• 12-16: 8 corruption damage; the target loses 1 Recovery
• 17+: 5 corruption damage

Effect: A target who has fewer Recoveries than they would lose is also weakened (save ends).

Special: This ability can't be used by a minion.

Giant Shambler Zombie

🗡 Rotten Kick (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 2	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 5 damage; push 2
• 12-16: 8 damage; push 4
• 17+: 10 damage; push 6

⭐️ Meat Shield

Each ally adjacent to the shambler has damage immunity 3.

Skeleton Knight

🗡 Four Swords Swing (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 4 damage
• 12-16: 7 damage
• 17+: 9 damage; the target can't shift (EoT)

⭐️ Bitter Bones

If the knight is reduced to 0 Stamina, their bones collapse to fill their space with an impassable barrier. Any enemy who comes adjacent to the barrier for the first time in a round or starts their turn there takes 5 damage.

⭐️ More Swings

Whenever the knight makes a free strike, they can make two free strikes instead.

Wraith Skulker

🗡 Draining Rake (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 1	🎯 One creature or object per minion

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 4 cold damage; the wraith can shift 1 square
• 12-16: 7 cold damage; the wraith shifts up to 2 square
• 17+: 9 cold damage; P < 5 slowed (save ends); the wraith shifts up to 3 squares

Effect: The wraith turns invisible until the start of their next turn.

⭐️ Corruptive Phasing

The wraith can move through creatures and objects at their usual speed, but can't end their turn inside a creature or object. The first time in a round that the wraith moves through a creature, that creature takes 5 corruption damage. The wraith doesn't take damage from being force moved into objects.

Bonecage

🗡 Ribcage Chomp (Signature Ability)

Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main action
📏 Melee 2	🎯 Two creatures or objects

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 9 damage; M < 4 grabbed
• 12-16: 12 damage; M < 5 grabbed
• 17+: 14 damage; grabbed

Effect: The bonecage can have up to four size 1 targets grabbed at once. Any creature grabbed by the bonecage takes a bane on the Escape Grab maneuver, and the bonecage has damage immunity 5 against that creature's abilities. When the bonecage is force moved, any creature or object they have grabbed moves with them.

3 Malice: While grabbed this way, a target can't teleport or be teleported.

🔳 Labyrinth of Bone (5 Malice)

Area, Magic, Ranged	Main action
📏 Four 10 x 1 lines within 3	🎯 Each enemy in the area

Effect: The bonecage can put up to two 90-degree bends in each of the lines. Each target makes an Agility test.

• ≤11: 9 damage
• 12-16: 7 damage
• 17+: 4 damage

Effect: The area is difficult terrain for enemies. The effect ends at the end of the encounter or when the bonecage uses this ability again.

Lithgekh

🏹 Heartstopper (Signature Ability)

Magic, Ranged, Strike	Main action
📏 Ranged 15	🎯 One creature or object

Power Roll + 5:

• ≤11: 9 corruption damage; I < 3 frightened (save ends)
• 12-16: 12 corruption damage; I < 4 frightened (save ends)
• 17+: 14 corruption damage; I < 5 frightened (save ends)

Effect: A creature frightened this way takes a bane on any ability that targets undead.

❗️ Mystic Battery (1 Malice)

Magic, Ranged	Free triggered action
📏 Ranged 20	🎯 The triggering creature

Trigger: A creature within distance uses a magic ability.

Effect: Any damage dealt by or Stamina regained from the ability is halved. The lithgekh regains Stamina equal to the remaining damage dealt or Stamina gained.

⭐️ Devour Magic

Each ally within 10 squares of the lithgekh gains an edge on magic abilities.