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  Al-Qadim Archetypes: Scimitars Against the Darkv1.2 
   
   
   
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  AL-QADIM ARCHETYPES: 
  Scimitars against the Dark 
   
   
  Version 1.2 
  An Adventurer’s Guide to Banishing the Shadows of Zakhara 
  Converts material from the article “Campaign Journal: Scimitars against the Dark”  
  from Dragon Magazine #198, with additional material from Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures, The Complete Thief’s 
  Handbook, the Al-Qadim Monstrous Compendium, and The Complete Arcane. 
   
  by Jeremy Forbing 
   
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, Player’s Handbook, Monster 
  Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective 
  logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are 
  property of Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any 
  reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written 
  permission of Wizards of the Coast. 
   
  ©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC, PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707, USA. Manufactured by Hasbro SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 
  Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 4 The Square, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB11 1ET, UK. 
   
  This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission 
  under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. 
   
  All other original material in this work is copyright 2016 by Jeremy Forbing and published under the Community Content 
  Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild
  Contents
  Contents
  Contents
  Contents    
  Contents ......................................................................................................... 1 
  How to Use This Document .................................................................. 2 
  Class Archetypes ........................................................................................ 3 
  Defender Domain .................................................................................. 3 
  Janissary ................................................................................................... 6 
  Oath of Enlightenment .................................................................... 8 
  Mariner ................................................................................................... 10 
  Tomb Robber ........................................................................................... 12 
  School of the Sungazer ................................................................... 14 
  Races ............................................................................................................... 18 
  Sea Dragonborn ................................................................................... 18 
  Spells .............................................................................................................. 19 
  Spell Lists ................................................................................................ 19 
  Challenger’s Mark ............................................................................. 19 
  Dread Mercy .......................................................................................... 19 
  Elemental Blade ................................................................................. 20 
  Frightful Strike ................................................................................. 20 
  Reaver’s Touch ..................................................................................... 21 
  Equipment .................................................................................................... 21 
  Cutlass ..................................................................................................... 21 
  Razor Claw ............................................................................................. 21 
  Monsters ..................................................................................................... 22 
  Deep Cultist .......................................................................................... 22 
  Great Ghul.............................................................................................. 23 
  Pseudonatural Creature ................................................................ 25 
  Example: The Rat-Thing (Pseudonatural Rat) ..................... 26 
  Example: The Black Dog (Pseudonatural Hell Hound) .. 27 
  Rom ............................................................................................................ 28 
  Zakharan Kraken ............................................................................... 30 
  
   
  Al-Qadim Archetypes: Scimitars Against the Darkv1.2 
   
   
   
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  A Land of 
  Dark Fate 
  “Listen and grow wise, my 
  children, that you may 
  avoid the darkness that has 
  claimed my sight. Though 
  the sun shines bright on the 
  sands of Zakhara, the earth 
  beneath hungers for blood, 
  and the night hides mad 
  genies, howling for 
  vengeance. We have no Fate 
  but the Fate we are given; 
  may your Fate not be a 
  dark one.” 
   
    
  —Ali ben Ali, blind prophet 
  Not long after the debut of the Al-Qadim 
  campaign setting, one of that product line’s most 
  prolific authors, Wolfgang Baur, wrote an article on 
  a new campaign style for Al-Qadim games. Inspired 
  by the fictions of Tanith Lee, H.P. Lovecraft, and 
  Clark Ashton Smith, this article, “Scimitars Against 
  the Dark” detailed a more sinister side to the Land 
  of Fate. This version of the setting was described as 
  “A setting of tyrannical caliphs, man-eating ghouls, 
  and mad genies” where there were “whispering 
  terrors in the dark, and treks deep into the bowels of 
  the earth… Dark cults and heartless tyrants… the 
  struggle against encroaching shadow gives the 
  campaign a clear focus. The villains are ruthless, 
  lurking just out of sight, stronger or smarter than the 
  PCs, but the glory to be had is that much greater 
  because of it.” 
  The text of the article describes Dungeon 
  Mastering techniques, motifs, and themes for 
  running such campaigns, making the original 
  invaluable reading for a game set among the 
  eldritch shadows of Zakhara. This document does 
  not seek to improve on or reproduce that invaluable 
  DM advice, but converts character options, 
  monsters, and other rules stated or suggested in 
  that article, for the 5th Edition of Dungeons &  
  Dragons. It also converts material from the original 
  Al-Qadim tome and other books directly referenced 
  or related to concepts in the article as well, and 
  provides some new rules in order to give players 
  and DM’s everything they need to create such a 
  campaign with the existing core rulebooks. These 
  rules also focus on the two kinds of geographic 
  features that perhaps most define the Land of Fate: 
  the deserts and the seas.  
  How to Use This Document 
  Though the rules herein adapt material originally 
  intended for the Al-Qadim campaign setting—which 
  describes the continent of Zakhara, far to the south 
  of the default Forgotten Realms setting of Faerun—
  this content can also easily be used in any D&D 
  campaign setting. 
  In an area of the Forgotten Realms such as the 
  Sword Coast, characters with these class 
  archetypes can obviously be visitors from Zakhara, 
  taking their pursuit of ancient evils from their 
  native land to less civilized northern climes. 
  However, these archetypes can also represent 
  homegrown heroes aligned against such dark 
  forces. The mariner and tomb robber require no 
  adaptation at all to be natives of traditional fantasy 
  settings such as Faerun. The priest-defenders who 
  follow the Defender domain can easily be converted 
  to followers of a protective god such as Helm or 
  Torm. A  janissary can represent a member of a 
  multi-generational, long-standing mercenary 
  brotherhood, especially one with administrative 
  duties over a nation or city-state. The Paladin of the 
  Oath of Enlightenment (a conversion of the faris 
  from the original Al-Qadim) works best as the 
  exemplar who brings what they believe to be a more 
  advanced way of life to the common people of the 
  realm. And of course, the wizard meddling with 
  dark forces that could turn him to evil or insanity is 
  a long-standing trope of many fantasy settings, 
  making the School of the Sungazer an easy 
  conversion as well. Sea dragonborn should work as 
  written in most campaigns, as should all new spells 
  and equipment.  
  As for the monsters, they can strike anywhere at 
  all…    
  
   
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   3 
  Class Archetypes 
  Cleric Domain: 
  Defender Domain 
  There is a secret faction within your faith, 
  an order that includes members of certain 
  allied religions as well. The god or gods you 
  worship grant unique powers to you and 
  your fellow members of this order, for your 
  sacred task is keeping all of Zakhara safe. 
  You are a priest-defender, charged with 
  protecting civilization from the dark 
  primordial forces that still haunt the 
  shadows of the Land of Fate. There are very 
  few of you, and being organized at all is 
  very new for clerics called to your divine 
  mandate. It is only through alliance with a 
  legion of mamluks, known as “abd-Haris,” 
  or the Vigilant, that clergy with the 
  knowledge of these secret threats have now 
  banded together. All priest-defenders are 
  allied with the Vigilant, and those of higher 
  level serve a crucial function for these 
  warriors. When absolutely necessary, they 
  alter the memories of those who have 
  encountered those dark forces against 
  which priest-defenders and the Vigilant 
  have made common cause. Most clerics of 
  this domain are loathe to violate the minds 
  of the innocent, but sparing common folk 
  such knowledge is considered a mercy, and 
  often prevents a near-certain loss of sanity.  
  Priest-defenders are usually equipped 
  much like mamluks of the Vigilant. They 
  are often armed with maces, scimitars (a 
  traditional weapon of Zakhara), or with huge 
  scimitar-like greatswords. Their armor and clothing 
  are commonly embroidered. painted or inlaid with 
  sacred verses, holy writings, and religious symbols. 
  Unlike their farisan allies, priest-defenders often 
  care little for their own appearance, but maintain 
  their tools devotedly. 
  Defender Domain Spells 
  Cleric Level 
  Spells 
  1st 
  alarm, shield 
  3rd 
  cloud of daggers, magic mouth 
  5th 
  conjure animals, wind wall 
  7th 
  private sanctum, stoneskin 
  9th 
  modify memory, wall of force 
  Anointed Defender 
  In addition to your magical abilities, you are trained 
  in special combat techniques that help you defend 
  people and locations from an enemy advance. Any 
  creature within 30 feet that you hit with an attack 
  (including both weapon attacks and spell attacks) 
  must make a Wisdom saving throw against your  
  spell DC or have its speed reduced by half until the 
  end of its next turn. 
  Bonus Proficiency 
  When you choose the Defender Domain at level 1, 
  you gain proficiency with heavy armor, as well as 
  the scimitar and the greatsword. 
  Sacred Enemy 
  Starting at 2nd level, your faith grants you special 
  power when you face certain enemies. You can 
  choose a sacred enemy from the following: 
  aberrations, constructs, dragons, fey, fiends, giants, 
  monstrosities, or oozes. Whenever you use your 
  Turn Undead feature, instead of affecting undead 
  
   
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  with this ability, you may 
  choose to affect either the 
  type of monster you chose 
  for your sacred enemy, or 
  to affect elementals 
  (including genies). 
  Otherwise, the effect is 
  identical to when you Turn 
  Undead 
  Expert Defender 
  Beginning at 6th level, 
  opportunity attacks are 
  made against you with 
  disadvantage. In addition, 
  choose one of the following 
  types of monsters: 
  elementals, undead, or 
  your sacred enemy. When 
  a creature of that type 
  attacks a target within 30 
  feet of you, you can use 
  your reaction to impose 
  disadvantage on the attack 
  roll. 
  Defender’s Wrath 
  At 8th level, when you hit a 
  creature with a weapon 
  attack that has made an 
  attack roll against you in 
  the last minute, you can 
  choose to inflict an 
  additional 1d8 radiant 
  damage. In addition, 
  choose one of the following 
  categories when you gain 
  this ability: elementals, 
  undead, or your sacred 
  enemy. When you hit a 
  creature of the chosen type with a weapon attack or 
  a spell attack, you can choose to inflict the same 
  extra 1d8 radiant damage, whether the creature 
  has attacked you or not. Either way, you can only 
  inflict this extra damage once per turn. 
  Uncanny Protector 
  Starting at 17th level, when an attacker that you can 
  see hits you or a creature within 5 feet of you with 
  an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the 
  attack's damage. 
   
  Additional Ability 
  Because this ability uses less common game mechanics 
  and can have larger effects on your party’s ability to 
  defeat encounters, it requires your DM’s approval before 
  you acquire it in-game. 
  Vigilant Allies 
  Starting at 8th level, at the beginning of a game session, 
  or at another time the DM deems appropriate, you can 
  spend 10 downtime days to summon three guards from 
  the Vigilant to assist and protect you in battle. If you 
  spend 15 downtime days, a veteran comes leading them 
  as well. The guards stay with you until they have assisted 
  you in combat on two separate occasions, after which 
  time they return to their post. 
   
   
  
   
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  Warrior Roles: The Mamluk 
  Fanatically loyal professional soldiers educated from 
  youth in the disciplines of war, leadership, and politics, 
  mamluks are the unequalled masters of large scale battle. 
  The unpleasant root of most mamluk legions is slavery, 
  as the oldest such orders began as cadres of child slave 
  soldiers, and to this day many operate in this way. 
  However, in the current era of Al-Qadim, not all mamluk 
  legions are based in such atrocities, and at this point 
  leadership positions are nearly always held by the 
  mamluks themselves, rather than an outside “owner.” 
  Still, it is traditional for all members to start in their 
  youth, as the mamluk system of training demands it, and 
  all the legion are sworn to a nation, leader, or cause they 
  serve with unwavering devotion. 
  Whether they begin as slaves, orphans, younger children 
  of large families, offspring of older mamluks, or choose 
  this path for themselves, these scholar-warriors receive 
  an education as good as any aristocrat. In the societies 
  they serve, they operate as the infrastructure of the 
  government and civil service as well as the professional 
  military. Instead of earning position by being born with 
  the right name or connections, they advance based on 
  their own aptitude and determination, making mamluk 
  orders and the governments they compose true 
  meritocracies. This emphasis on personal excellence as a 
  path to authority pays off, and mamluks (also called 
  janissaries) often end up entirely ruling the countries 
  they once merely served. 
  The most important structural element of mamluk society 
  is rank. The scholar-warriors are raised for absolute 
  loyalty to their comrades in their legion, and they are 
  known for strict obedience to those of higher rank. 
  Disputes are arbitrated based on rank, and the only time 
  a trained mamluk will disobey an order from a higher 
  ranking member of their legion is of they are 
  countermanded by someone of even higher rank. 
  In order to make these ranks clear to all, mamluks 
  receive special facial tattoos that indicate their position in 
  the legion, as well as to which legion they belong. Though 
  different orders use different tattoos, the systems are 
  similar enough that anyone from a society where 
  mamluks are prominent can recognize one’s rank on 
  sight, and likely can identify which legion they belong to 
  as well. 
  In general, adventuring mamluks have been given leaves 
  of absence from regular duties to perform  some task or 
  larger tactical objective, ranging from spying or scouting 
  to master-minding an entire slave rebellion. While they 
  are expected they send reports whenever possible, these 
  leaves usually have few limitations, as they are granted to 
  exemplary scholar-warriors known to for their 
  adaptability and personal prowess. Such individuals are 
  expected to have the discipline to operate in the long-term 
  without direct oversight, in the belief that if they are 
  worthy they will gain the field experience necessary to 
  become great leaders, and that if they are unworthy they 
  will at least die well, without endangering their fellows.
  Creating a Mamluk 
  Most mamluks have the Soldier background. Most 
  mamluks in a Scimitars Against the Dark campaign join 
  the Vigilant, but you can also choose or roll using the 
  table below to determine the mamluk society you serve. 
  A great martial archetype for mamluk fighters (especially 
  members of the Vigilant) is the Janissary (see next page). 
  Another suitable archetype, the Commander, will appear 
  in the forthcoming Adventurer’s Guide to Al-Qadim.  
  d12 
  Legion 
  1 
  The Dauntless: Specialists in exploration and 
  recovery of lost relics, based in Qudra and Huzuz. 
  2 
  The Defenders: Focused on defense of Qudra, City 
  of Power, seat of the mamluks’ power. 
  3 
  The Devoted/Devout: Religious crusading 
  mamluks of I’tiraf and Kadarastro, respectively. 
  4 
  The Dutiful: Largest mamluk society stationed 
  throughout Zakhara, very loyal to Grand Caliph. 
  5 
  The Exalted: Moralist mamluks of Pantheist 
  League seeking to make Zakhara lawful and 
  civilized.  
  6 
  The Honored: Eunuchs and independent women 
  serving as harem guards for the Grand Caliph. 
  7 
  The Parched: Mamluks of Talab protecting the 
  water supply and nearby oases. 
  8 
  The Respected: Mamluks of Muluk, more loyal to 
  the kings of Muluk than the Grand Caliph. 
  9 
  The Studious: Qudra-based specialists in 
  espionage and communication. 
  10 
  The Valiant: Qudra-based specialists in lightning 
  raids and ambushes, facing impossible odds. 
  11 
  The Wanderers: Mamluk navy throughout 
  Zakhara. 
  12 
  The Wondrous: Parade troops and palace guards 
  of the island of Afyal. 
  The 13th Legion: The Vigilant 
  The most ancient and powerful of the mamluk societies 
  are the renowned twelve listed above. However, in the last 
  century or so, a new legion of mamluks has emerged, one 
  of the first such societies to be led entirely be their own 
  kind, rather than as slaves of an outside authority. Called 
  “abd-Haris,” or the Vigilant, they are based in the frontier 
  regions of Zakhara, including the Free Cities, the Ruined 
  Kingdoms, and the Crowded Sea, and dedicated to the 
  extermination of evil creatures beyond the Enlightened 
  lands. They have made close alliance with the holy 
  warriors known as the farisan (including paladins of the 
  Oath of Enlightenment) and the priest-defenders (clerics 
  of the Defender Domain) to cover up the existence of the 
  forces of darkness. They hide such knowledge fanatically, 
  even calling upon their cleric allies to erase memories 
  when necessary, in order to to protect the innocent from 
  things that would only terrify them, and to keep eldritch 
  lore away from those who might seek to learn more. 
  Members of this legion prefer the term “janissary” to 
  mamluk, and are best represented by the Janissary 
  martial archetype described on the next page. 
  
   
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  Martial Archetype: 
  Janissary 
  You are a member of a sworn alliance that defends 
  one or more kingdoms or city-states from dire 
  threats. The oath you share bonds you and your 
  comrades together as brothers and sisters, 
  foreswearing all outside ambitions and any social 
  ranks or obligations to which you were born. 
  Perhaps you’re a watcher on a wall at the far end of 
  the known world, the defender of a keep on the 
  caliphate’s borderlands, or a mamluk guard 
  stationed in a lawless city, but wherever you serve, 
  you seldom enjoy civilian comforts. You spend long 
  hours training in armor amid the extreme 
  conditions of your protectorate and its adjoining 
  wilds, whether they be scorching deserts or frozen 
  wastelands. gaining phenomenal endurance. Your 
  fighting style relies on this indomitable vigor, and 
  on leveraging the tactical advantages provided by 
  close collaboration with allies. 
  Stalwart Ally 
  Beginning at 3rd level when you choose this 
  archetype, if you successfully hit and damage an 
  opponent with a weapon attack on your turn, you 
  can use the Help action as a bonus action to assist 
  an ally in striking that same opponent. 
  Steel Yourself 
  At 3rd level the unforgiving training regimen you live 
  by helps you to resist threats to your morale as well 
  as the extreme temperatures of your home. You 
  gain different benefits depending on your legion’s 
  favored climate. Choose one of the following: 
  Colder Climate: You can use your reaction to 
  gain advantage on saving throws against cold 
  damage, psychic damage, fear, sleep, paralysis, or 
  being charmed until the end of your next turn, and 
  you are considered naturally adapted to cold 
  climates as long as you are wearing armor. 
  Warmer Climate: You can use your reaction to 
  gain advantage on saving throws against fire 
  damage, psychic damage, fear, sleep, paralysis, or 
  being charmed until the end of your next turn, and 
  you are considered naturally adapted to hot 
  climates when you are not wearing heavy armor. 
  Marks of Rank 
  At 7th level, you have attained a powerful reputation 
  in the alliance you serve, developing a natural mien 
  of authority. In a mamluk legion, this includes 
  impressive facial tattoos that intimidate foes. Even 
  those who don’t know of your standing are inclined 
  to take you seriously. The combination of any 
  marks of rank you possess and the grim, relentless 
  personal bearing you’ve gained as you’ve risen in 
  the ranks lets even mindless beasts know you are 
  not to be trifled with. But for those who know, your 
  rank testifies to your unquestionable battle 
  prowess. You have advantage on Charisma 
  (Intimidate) checks against any creature that can 
  see your face, and advantage on all Charisma 
  checks against members of any organized military 
  hierarchy (such as a mamluk society).  
  Allied Enemy 
  At 10th level, you are a specialist in infantry tactics, 
  as well as in dispatching enemies of the 
  organization to which you are sworn. Work with 
  your DM to determine an appropriate type of enemy 
  for the organization to which you belong (for 
  example, members of the mamluk order known as 
  the Vigilant are likely to choose aberrations or 
  undead). You can choose one allied enemy from the 
  following: aberrations, beasts, constructs, dragons, 
  elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, 
  plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two 
  races of humanoids (such as humans and goblins) 
  as legion enemies. When you hit with a weapon 
  attack against a creature that is within 5 feet of one 
  of your allies, or that is your allied enemy, the 
  creature takes an extra 1d10 damage. 
  At 18th level, you choose a second allied enemy. 
  Unyielding Comrade 
  Starting at 15th level, you are stirred to greater 
  prodigies of valor by dire threats to your comrades. 
  When an ally fails a death save, if you have no uses 
  of your Action Surge ability remaining, you regain 
  the ability to use it once. If the death save is the 
  second one that ally has failed, you also regain the 
  use of your Second Wind ability if you have no uses 
  remaining. In addition, as long as you have an ally 
  within 30 feet, you cannot be charmed or 
  frightened, and you cannot be forced to sleep by 
  magical effects unless you choose to be. 
  Lord Commander 
  At 18th level, you become a legendary role model in 
  your organization, regardless of your actual rank. 
  You gain resistance to psychic damage, you are 
  proficient in Wisdom saves, and you have 
  advantage on all weapon attack rolls against 
  enemies within 5 feet of an ally. In addition, you 
  gain a resistance dependent on the type of legion 
  you chose for your steel yourself feature. If you 
  chose colder climate, you gain resistance to cold 
  damage; if you chose warmer climate, you gain 
  resistance to fire damage.  
  
   
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  Additional Abilities for Mamluk Fighters 
  The abilities below are intended to represent a mamluk’s 
  true power: being part of larger organization. However, 
  because they use less common game mechanics and can 
  have larger effects on your party’s ability to defeat 
  encounters, they require your DM’s approval before you 
  acquire them in-game. 
  Ranking Mamluk 
  At 7th level, because of your rank, whenever you are in a 
  settlement with at least 1,000 inhabitants, you can spend 
  5 downtime days to recruit a knight or veteran (your 
  choice) from your order of mamluks or an allied military 
  force to assist you. The knight or veteran stays with you 
  until they have performed their assigned task, provided it 
  is reasonable and possible for them to perform, or until 
  they have assisted you in combat on two separate 
  occasions, after which time they leave you to resume 
  duties at their regular post. 
  Marshal Soldiers 
  At 10th level, you have such a natural mantle of 
  command that you can recruit soldiers even when away 
  from your legion. At the beginning of a game session, or 
  at another time the DM deems appropriate, you can 
  spend 10 downtime days to recruit three guards to your 
  cause. If you spend 15 downtime days, you can instead 
  recruit three scouts. They stay with you until they have 
  performed their assigned task, provided it is reasonable 
  and possible for them to perform, or until they have 
  assisted you in combat on two separate occasions, after 
  which time they return to their previous lives. 
  Legendary Legionnaire 
  Starting at 15th, your status in your legion is such that 
  even jaded sergeants and proud officers will flock to your 
  banner, even crossing great distances to fight by your 
  side. At the beginning of a game session, or at another 
  time the DM deems appropriate, you can spend 20 
  downtime days to summon a total or three mamluks (who 
  can be any combination of knights and veterans) to serve 
  you in completing your mission. These seasoned soldiers 
  are led to you by a competent scout, so they can reach 
  you anywhere within reason. The scout will not stay and 
  fight for you, but he can be trusted to deliver a message 
  back to your legion if you wish. They knights or veterans 
  stay with you until they have performed their assigned 
  task, provided it is reasonable and possible for them to 
  perform, or until they have assisted you in combat on two 
  separate occasions, after which time they return to your 
  legion and report what has occurred. 
  Political Intrigues 
  At 18th level, your importance in your legion of mamluks 
  makes you an influential mover-and-shaker in the 
  politics of Zakhara. By spending 20 downtime days 
  whenever you are in a settlement with at least 1,000 
  inhabitants,, you can cause an assassin to target and 
  attempt to kill a humanoid of your choice. It is up to the 
  DM to determine how long the assassination attempt 
  takes to plan and execute, whether or not it succeeds, 
  and how long it takes you to get word of the result. 
   
  
   
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  Paladin Oath: 
  Oath of Enlightenment 
  To swear the Oath of Enlightenment binds you to 
  live the holy and civilized beliefs that unite the 
  honorable peoples of Zakhara, You become known 
  as a faris, a faithful warrior who brings others to 
  the true path. You know that Fate walked the lands 
  of Al-Qadim as the shadow of a woman in ancient 
  times, leaving her teachings with the illustrious 
  Loregiver, who recorded the code of honorable 
  behavior for all to follow. These are not merely 
  manners of custom, but the commandments of 
  divine revelation. You strive to embody these ideals 
  as a holy warrior, sworn to serve only a righteous 
  cause. You devote yourself in particular to the 
  common folk, seekng to bring them enlightenment 
  and truth. You’ve sworn to fight for them and 
  inspire them, both by living honorably and by your 
  willingness to die for your cause.  
  If a faris worships a god associated with a 
  particular weapon, they always carry that weapon 
  on their person, whether or not they ever fight with 
  it. They are certain to always carry the holy symbol 
  of their faith as well, and often have sayings from 
  holy works or writings of their religion inscribed in 
  beautiful Midani calligraphy in various places on 
  their armor and arms. They maintain a 
  meticulously clean appearance whenever possible, 
  in keeping with the Loregiver’s principles of purity. 
  Warrior Roles: The Faris 
  A faris (plural farisan, pronounced FARE-iss-ahn) is a 
  holy warrior sworn to fight only in divine causes. Not all 
  farisan are paladins of the Oath of Enlightenment, or 
  even paladins, but all pledge their bodies and souls to 
  their faith. No mortal is without sin, but the Loregiver 
  wrote clearly in her scrolls that those who go to battle as 
  champions of the enlightened ways and wage war only in 
  the service of holiness will be redeemed. No matter what 
  the sins of a faris’s past, the paradise of the afterlife will 
  one day be welcome them, so long as they ensure that 
  they fight only the good fight. A truly just and holy war is 
  one that enjoys the popular support of the people, and 
  which is righteous according the teachings of the faith.  
  A fighter, ranger, or paladin with the Acolyte, Folk Hero, 
  and Soldier backgrounds is a good fit to be a faris, 
  though a Criminal background also suits the faris’s quest 
  for redemption.  
  The Faris Paladin & The Faris Fighter 
  A paladin of any oath may be a faris, but a good choice 
  for paladins following the Enlightened gods is the Oath of 
  Enlightenment. Such paladins are always farisan, 
  The Faris Fighter. An archetype for fighters who walk the 
  path of the faris, the Holy Warrior, appears in the 
  forthcoming Adventurer’s Guide to Al-Qadim. 
  Tenets of Enlightenment 
   Inspiration. You are a model and protector to the 
  common folk, and must conduct yourself in a 
  manner that inspires them. including distributing 
  any excess wealth you obtain as alms for the poor. 
   Duty. When you are called upon to redress 
  attacks against your church or its devoted 
  adherents, you must answer with action, and when 
  you are asked to join in wars which the church has 
  declared holy, you must fight and die if necessary.  
   Revelation. The fame of your deeds is an 
  opportunity to shine the light of the Loregiver’s 
  truth as a beacon for those following benighted 
  ways. 
   Faith. You are champion of your faith and your 
  people, in that order, and your religious beliefs 
  require absolute devotion, even beyond mortal 
  perceptions of ethics or morality. 
   Righteousness. So long as you fight only for holy 
  causes that enjoy the support of the people, any 
  misdeeds will be forgiven and your soul redeemed. 
  Oath Spells 
  You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.  
  Oath of Enlightenment Spells 
  Paladin 
  Level 
   
  Spells 
  3rd 
  charm person, faerie fire 
  5th 
  detect thoughts, enhance ability 
  9th 
  beacon of hope, tongues 
  13th 
  freedom of movement, greater restoration 
  17th 
  commune, hallow  
  Channel Divinity 
  When you take this oath at 3rd level, you gain the 
  following two Channel Divinity options 
   Holy Light. You can use a holy symbol on your 
  person to distract your enemies. As long as you 
  have a symbol of your faith displayed openly on 
  your person, you can dazzle an attacking enemy. 
  When you are attacked by a creature within 30 feet 
  of you that you can see, you can use your Channel 
  Divinity as a reaction to impose disadvantage on 
  the attack roll, before it hits or misses, as the light 
  from the symbol flashes at just the right angle to 
  distract the attacker. At that moment, the attacker 
  is also filled with fear of the power you are granted 
  by your faith, taking 2d6 psychic damage. An 
  attacker that can't be blinded is immune to this 
  feature. 
   Turn the Unenlightened. You can use your 
  Channel Divinity to rebuke fiends as well as genies 
  and other elementals with the holy sayings of the 
  Loregiver. As an action, you present your holy 
  
   
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  symbol and speak an appropriate scripture, and 
  each elemental or fiend within 30 feet of you that 
  can hear you must make a Wisdom saving throw. 
  On a failed save, such a creature is turned for 1 
  minute or until it takes damage.  
   A turned creature must spend its turns trying to 
  move as far away from you as it possibly can, and  
  it can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of 
  you. It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it 
  can use only the Dash action or try to escape from 
  an effect that prevents it from moving. If there’s 
  nowhere to move, the creature can use the Dodge 
  action. 
   If any other creatures are charmed and/or 
  frightened by the turned creature at the time it is 
  turned, any such charming and frightening effects 
  are suppressed while it is turned. Any suppressed 
  effect resumes when the duration of the turning 
  ends, provided that its duration has not expired in 
  the meantime.  
  Cavalry Leadership 
  Beginning at 7th level, you are an experienced 
  battlefield leader, especially comfortable leading 
  from atop your steed, and those who fight alongside 
  you feel a sense of security from your very presence. 
  You and all creatures you choose within 10 feet of 
  you have resistance to psychic damage and 
  advantage on saving throws against being charmed 
  or frightened. At 18th level, the range of this effect 
  increases to 30 feet. In addition, when you are 
  mounted, opportunity attacks against you and your 
  mount are made at disadvantage.  
  Holy Enlightenment 
  Beginning at 15th level, your religious studies have 
  fortified you against the occult. You have advantage 
  on saving throws against spells and resistance 
  against fire and necrotic damage. 
  Battlefield Prayer 
  When you reach 20th level, you can focus your mind 
  with prayer to gain legendary mettle and 
  unmatched martial prowess. Using your action, you 
  gain the following abilities for one minute: 
  • 
  You increase your walking speed and the speed 
  of any mount you ride by 20 feet. 
  • 
  You and your mount ignore difficult terrain. 
  • 
  You have resistance against all damage inflicted 
  by spells or non-magical weapons. 
  • 
  When you inflict damage on a creature with a 
  melee weapon attack, that creature must make 
  a Strength saving throw against your spell save 
  DC. If it fails, it is knocked prone. Once per 
  turn, when a creature is knocked prone by this 
  effect, you may choose to move it 10 feet away 
  from you if you wish. 
  Once you use this feature, you can't use it again 
  until you finish a long rest. 
  
   
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  Ranger Archetype: 
  Mariner 
  Mariners are rangers born not to the desert or 
  forest, but the sea. You are the daring merchant-
  princess, the cunning freebooter, or the bold 
  explorer. While your Zakharan ancestors were born 
  to the desert, they soon became practiced in the 
  ways of the sea, and today, mariners like you 
  dominate trade (and piracy) in the waters 
  surrounding the Land of Fate.  
  You live the virtues that Zakharans are known for: 
  bravery, honesty among allies, leadership by 
  example, and advancement by merit. Yet as a 
  traveler between the great seaports, with no single 
  home, you exist on the borders of society. When 
  your luck or patience runs out in one port, you 
  move on, seeking out new lands and adventures. 
  Yet the waves are no peaceful haven. The sea lanes 
  are choked with pirates (who may be your enemies 
  or rivals, depending on your own activities), sea 
  serpents, giant squids, and other strangeness. And 
  lately, these threats seem to be growing darker. It 
  has always been said by some that, in the deepest 
  waters, primordial powers older than the gods of 
  mortals still hold sway. Prophecies state that when 
  such beings wake, they will bring forth a cataclysm 
  that will devastate the Land of Fate, and that their 
  spawn and worshippers will swarm over city and 
  desert alike. Sailors will tell their tales, of course, 
  but you've heard too many rumors of signs and 
  omens repeated in different ports to dismiss these 
  dire predictions out of hand.  
  You've heard that mamluks of the order called the 
  Vigilant seem to be taking these threats seriously 
  enough to ally with even the most lawless mariners 
  when necessary. They most often seek only 
  information, but at times they will hire a ship and 
  all its crew to investigate dark doings in remote 
  places, occasionally joining the voyage themselves. 
  Some of these daring seafarers have never returned, 
  but others have come back to port with incredible 
  stories or cargo holds full of unique treasure. In the 
  Land of Fate, it is a strange and dangerous time to 
  be a mariner.  Then again, you weren’t seeking 
  safety or boredom when you chose a life at sea. 
  Upon "retiring, corsairs often become simple sea 
  merchants, following common routes and carrying 
  traditional cargos. Yet even in the hearts of these 
  old sea dogs a fire burns—a passion that may lead 
  them to accept one "last" great adventure.  Your 
  fighting style reflects the common traits of sailors 
  everywhere, prizing freedom, mobility, and vengeful 
  counterattacks.
   
   Warrior Roles: The Corsair 
  Shunning the regimented lives of land-bound soldiers, 
  corsairs are warriors of the waves, accustomed to swift 
  moves and running battles over open water. For a corsair, 
  the sea represents freedom, untethered to land-based 
  organizations or leaders. A mere mortal becomes the 
  master of their own universe when at the helm of a ship. 
  Corsairs may be fighters, rangers, or even rogues. 
  Barbarians who engage in coastal raiding or piracy may 
  be corsairs as well, just as paladins who take to the sea 
  to battle such savage pirates or greater evils such as the 
  servants of the Zakharan kraken may be as well. The 
  simplest way to represent this is to choose the Sailor or 
  Pirate background, or the Pearl Diver background from 
  the forthcoming Adventurer’s Guide to Al-Qadim. In 
  addition, whenever a class feature allows a corsair to 
  choose a fighting style, they may always choose from the 
  following additional options, even if they are not normally 
  options for that class (though they can never choose the 
  same fighting style twice). 
  • Mobility 
  When you are not using a shield or wearing any kind of 
  heavy armor, you receive a +1 bonus to AC, and you gain 
  a swimming speed and climbing speed equal to your 
  walking speed.  
  • Two-Weapon Fighting 
  When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add 
  your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. 
  The Corsair Ranger 
  The Mariner archetype is a worthy choice for corsairs of 
  the ranger class. 
  
   
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  Corsair Fighting Style 
  When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you 
  receive a second fighting style, chosen from either 
  Mobility or Two-Weapon Fighting (as listed under 
  Warrior Roles: Corsair, on the previous page), You 
  can never take the same Fighting Style option more 
  than once.  
  Seafarer 
  You gain proficiency in navigator’s tools and 
  vehicles (water). When you make ability checks for 
  either of these proficiencies, or Strength (Athletics) 
  checks related to climbing or swimming, your 
  proficiency bonus is doubled. For purposes of 
  holding your breath and avoiding suffocation, you 
  may treat your Constitution as if it were 19. 
  Sailor’s Luck 
  Once per round, when you miss with a weapon 
  attack against a creature that has attacked you 
  within the last minute or that is your favored 
  enemy, you can re-roll that attack roll. You must 
  use the result of the second roll. 
  Slippery Opponent 
  At 7th level, when you hit an opponent with a 
  weapon attack, that opponent’s attack rolls against 
  you are made at disadvantage until the end of your 
  turn. In addition, whenever you fail a saving throw 
  to avoid being frightened, you can use your reaction 
  to roll that saving throw again. 
  Seasoned Sailor 
  At 7th level, you learn three languages you did not 
  already know and the druidcraft cantrip. 
  Mariner Retreat 
  At 11th level, whenever an opponent makes an 
  opportunity attack against you, they provoke an 
  opportunity attack from you in turn. 
  Overwhelming Counterattack 
  Starting at 11th level, once per turn, when you 
  attack a creature that has attacked you within the 
  last minute, if that attack hits, you can choose one 
  of the following options: 
  • 
  Inflict an additional 1d10 damage on that 
  creature.  
  • 
  Make a weapon attack against any number of 
  creatures within 5 feet of that creature, with a 
  separate attack roll for each target. 
  Rolling with the Waves 
  At 15th level, you gain a special defensive ability. 
  Choose one of the following features. 
  Evasion. You can nimbly dodge out of the way of 
  certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery 
  breath or a lightning bolt spell. When you are 
  subjected to an effect that allows you to make a 
  Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, 
  you instead take no damage if you succeed on the 
  saving throw, and only half damage if you fail. 
  Outmaneuver. When you make an opportunity 
  attack, after the attack resolves, you can move 10 
  feet as part of the same reaction. This movement 
  does not provoke opportunity attacks.  
  Retaliation. When you take damage from a 
  creature that is within 5 fcet of you, you can use 
  your reaction to make a melee weapon attack 
  against that creature. 
  The Whispers at Sea 
  In recent years, more and more sea stories seem to speak 
  of a growing darkness invading oceans and coastal 
  regions. Superstitious merchant captains now make a 
  practice of fearfully sacrificing a black goat or white calf 
  and tossing the carcass overboard when passing through 
  the Strait of Dawal, sometimes accompanied by chests of 
  good coin. Primitive jungle elves on the coasts, once eager 
  to trade for maritime goods, now chase off merchant 
  ships with spears and poison blowgun darts. A growing 
  number of pirates on the waters seem to be murderous 
  cultists rather than mere thieves, and tattoos of tentacled 
  kraken or black eight-fingered hands are seen on 
  longshoremen in many a dock. Similars tattoos have been 
  seen on sahuagin traveling on land, sometimes in 
  disguise. It is said they do business near Hama with 
  sinister mamluks of an unidentified legion, purchasing 
  slaves of all races that are then carried off by evil jinn, 
  but holy slayers of Hakiya have come in the night for 
  those who have looked into the matter further. 
  Meanwhile, advisers, nobles, and viziers in many places 
  have been revealed as great ghuls in disguise. 
  Mercenaries from distant lands seek passage to marshal 
  at a long-ruined citadel in Kadar, their passage 
  sometimes paid by mysterious figures believed to be 
  rakshasa. A sha'ir's tower in the Sea of Chaos is said to 
  have vanished overnight. The dirges of the rom now sing 
  of horrors to come as well as their tragic past. Aboleths 
  seem to be inhabiting shallower and sunnier waters than 
  in the past, dao serving the emperor of the yak-men 
  haunt major ports, and nothics, once rarely seen in these 
  lands, are now a common feature of seaside tales. Even 
  the great marids, ever known for their chaotic nature, are 
  now described as plotting or even sinister in their deeds 
  as often as they are called capricious. Ancient writings 
  state that Great Old Ones sleep beneath the waves, elder 
  things who ruled in the chaos before recorded time, and 
  that they await a fateful night when the stars and planets 
  align correctly, awaken these ancient horrors to devastate 
  the kingdoms of mortals—many sages say that all these 
  troubling rumors, taken together, point to that night 
  coming very soon. 
  
   
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   12 
  Rogue Archetype: 
  Tomb Robber 
  While most burglars covet the treasure of the living, 
  you are one who specializes in stealing the wealth of 
  the dead. Nearly all civilized societies have strong 
  taboos against disturbing the rest of those who 
  have passed, and you see this as an advantage, 
  since it winnows down the competition. Many 
  cultures make a custom of interring their most 
  illustrious members with finery befitting their 
  station in life, yet the writings of the Loregiver make 
  it clear that such worldly trappings do not 
  accompany those who pass into the afterlife. You 
  have determined, quite sensibly, that this is a 
  tremendous waste. 
  Of course, those who lay such grand personages to 
  rest know that not everyone 
  respects the sanctity of burial. 
  Special masons and engineers 
  are often employed to design 
  stone walls, heavy doors, 
  bewildering architecture, and 
  cunning traps to protect great 
  tombs, to say nothing of 
  magical curses or monstrous 
  guardians. Your specialty is 
  navigating these deterrents. 
  Despite the unsavory nature of 
  their work, tomb robbers tend 
  to be well-educated and 
  scholarly, as they require a 
  deep understanding of the 
  ancient past and the dangers 
  history has left behind. 
  Though not a formal 
  community, they tend to know 
  each other by reputation. and 
  often form great rivalries. The 
  relationship between those 
  who pilfer from the dead for 
  personal gain and those who 
  do so in the service of a larger 
  cause (such as knowledge or 
  the desire to take dangerous 
  magic items out of evil’s reach) 
  is particularly competitive. 
  Many are traditional antiquity 
  scholars attached to 
  institutions of education, and 
  they delight in discrediting 
  each other’s theories about the 
  past by delving into ancient 
  ruins or mausoleums and 
  obtaining contrary proof firsthand. They foster their 
  own renown by specializing in certain cultures or 
  historical epochs, writing memoirs of their 
  dangerous expeditions, and carrying specialized 
  tools and equipment. Most of all, leading tomb 
  robbers become famous for their advanced prowess 
  with a signature weapon. Less commonly used 
  weapons—such as blowguns, nets, or whips—are 
  especially favored by tomb robbers for this purpose, 
  the better to grow their personal reputations.   
  Scholar of Danger 
  Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd 
  level, you can add your Intelligence modifier to 
  Dexterity saving throws. You also gain proficiency 
  in any one martial weapon of your choice and one 
  of the following skills: Arcana, History, or Religion. 
  
   
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  Signature Weapon 
  At 3rd level, choose one weapon with which you are 
  proficient. This becomes your signature weapon. 
  When you take the attack action with that weapon, 
  you can then use the bonus action granted by your 
  Cunning Action to use your weapon to force the 
  creature you attacked to make a Dexterity saving 
  throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your 
  Dexterity or Intelligence modifier (your choice)). If 
  they fail, choose one of the following effects: 
  • 
  The target falls prone; 
  • 
  The target takes damage equal to your 
  Intelligence modifier; 
  • 
  The target drops one item of your choice that it 
  is holding; 
  • 
  The next attack made against the target has 
  advantage. 
  In order to use your bonus action this way, you 
  must still be wielding your signature weapon, and 
  the target must be within range of that weapon. 
  Well-Planned Strike 
  At 9th level, when you add your sneak attack 
  damage to an attack with your signature weapon,  
  you may choose to reroll a number of the damage 
  dice up to your Intelligence modifier. You must use 
  the new rolls. You may use this ability twice. You 
  regain all expended uses when you complete a short 
  or long rest. 
   
  Signature Strike 
  At 13th level, when you add your sneak attack 
  damage to an attack with your signature weapon, 
  you can sacrifice 2d6 of the damage dice you would 
  have rolled to force the creature damaged to make a 
  Dexterity saving throw against one of the effects of 
  your Signature Weapon ability. In addition, when 
  you use your bonus action for your Signature 
  Weapon ability, the target does not have to be the 
  creature you attacked with your attack action on 
  that turn, but can be any creature within the 
  signature weapon’s range.  
  Adept in Darkness 
  At 17th level, when you hit a creature with an 
  attack, if you and that creature are both heavily 
  obscured by darkness, you can deal your sneak 
  damage even if you do not have advantage on the 
  attack roll. This ability does not function if the 
  creature struck has blindsight or truesight, the 
  rogue’s Blindsense feature, or the warlock’s Devil 
  Sight eldritch invocation ability. 
  Extra Signature Attack 
  Beginning at 17th level, you can attack twice, 
  instead of once, whenever you take the Attack 
  action on your turn, as long as both attacks are 
  made with your signature weapon. Once per turn, 
  you can inflict an extra 1d8 damage with your 
  signature weapon on a successful attack that does 
  not include sneak attack damage. 
  
   
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  Wizard’s Arcane Tradition: 
  School of the Sungazer 
  You study ancient, dark knowledge of the distant 
  past, and use the power of the forces you study to 
  empower your magic, You specialize in long-
  forgotten summoning, warding, and protective 
  spells related to eldritch horrors from before 
  recorded time. Your goal in studying these entities 
  is to better destroy then, but there is a price. The 
  reason other wizards eschew such forbidden lore is 
  because it slowly drives you insane. 
  It is worth noting that there is no formal academic 
  setting or larger organization in which these 
  damning secrets are taught. There is a loose 
  network among some of the wizards who curate this 
  knowledge, which mostly consists of exchanging 
  coded messages across long distances, but direct 
  transmission of the magical techniques implicit in 
  this “school” occurs almost exclusively from direct 
  study of the blasphemous tomes that contain them. 
  Only occasionally do the mysterious wizards known 
  as sungazers even take on apprentices. 
  Sungazers wear dark colored robes, and they let 
  their hair (and beard, if male) run long.  As they 
  grow progressively wilder and closer to insanity, 
  their eyes become tinged with red or yellow. 
  Forbidden Lore 
  You are both drawn to dark knowledge and repelled 
  by it. At 3rd level, when you choose this archetype, 
  your dark researches grant you insight and power. 
  You gain a set of abilities called eldritch wards, 
  which are fueled by special dice called lore dice. 
  Both are described below. Necrotic damage and 
  psychic damage inflicted by your expending lore 
  dice ignores resistances and immunities to those 
  damage types. 
  Lore Dice. You have three lore dice, which are d6s. 
  A lore die is expended when  you use it. You regain 
  all of your expended  lore dice when you finish a 
  long or short  rest. Your lore dice become more 
  potent as you gain levels: When you reach 9th level, 
  they become d8s instead of d6s. When you reach 
  13th level, they become d10s. At 17th level, they 
  become d12s. 
  Eldritch Wards. You learn four eldritch wards, 
  which are described under “Eldritch Wards” at the 
  end of this archetype description. Three of the 
  eldritch wards you learn are Cerulean Glyph, Dark 
  Studies, and Supernatural Sense, but the fourth 
  may be any one eldritch ward of your choice. Many 
  eldritch wards enhance a spell in some way. You 
  can only use one eldritch ward per spell. 
  The Price of Forbidden Lore. For a duration of 
  one hour after you spend a lore die, you have 
  disadvantage on all Charisma checks and Wisdom 
  (Insight) checks against humanoids. 
   
  A Bit of Complexity 
  During the design of 5th Edition D&D, there was a lot of 
  discussion about what various players wanted from the 
  game, specifically in terms of tracking resources and 
  other attributes of their characters. The tactical 
  complexity of managing character abilities in some 
  versions of the game was the source of strong 
  disagreement among players, with some really enjoying 
  that secondary level of gameplay. Others felt it betrayed 
  the spirit of earlier editions, in which combat was quicker 
  and tracking limited use features such as spells and 
  other abilities was simpler. In most editions of this game, 
  there is a marked difference even between classes of the 
  same edition in this area. From the earliest editions, 
  fighters were simpler to play than wizards, since a 
  fighter’s main action was to attack with their weapon, 
  while wizards had to track the limited number of spells 
  they could cast of each level. 5th Edition tries to bring the 
  editions together by offering faster combat and simpler 
  adjudication of edge cases while continuing the tradition 
  of having some classes play with less complexity than 
  others. A fighter with the Champion archetype has very 
  little resource management, while one with the Battle 
  Master archetype has to track superiority dice, and both 
  are simpler than classes like the druid and sorcerer, 
  which have to track spell slots as well as extra ability 
  uses such as wild shape or sorcery points. 
  The School of the Sungazer is on the complex end of 
  classes. In addition to tracking spell slots, the player of a 
  wizard with this school must track lore dice, eldritch 
  wards, and their effects. Hopefully, this complexity is 
  mitigated by not having very many lore dice to keep track 
  of (3 or 4 for most of an adventurer’s career), since the 
  effects of rolling too high on a lore die have more and 
  more possible consequences as the Sungazer gains levels. 
  This is an intentional attempt to make playing the 
  Sungazer feel like one is keeping track of a great deal of 
  strange and dangerous arcane lore, just as the character 
  is in the story of the game. It also seeks to bring some 
  direct horror into playing such a character, emulating the 
  effects of confronting blasphemous truths in certain more 
  Lovecraftian roleplaying games. However, a consequence 
  is that the School of the Sungazer is a better option for 
  advanced players who have a good deal of familiarity with 
  this edition of D&D or roleplaying games in general. For 
  players who envision their character as struggling with 
  the consequences of wielding forbidden magic from 
  unknowable entities but do not want the extra level of 
  resource management required in playing this class, a 
  warlock whose patron is the Great Old One or the Fiend 
  is a perfectly good option. But for those who do choose 
  this class, the rewards of wielding these secret powers are 
  great. As are the risks… 
  
   
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   15 
  Blasphemous Insight 
  At 6th level, your dark researches let 
  you use your knowledge of forbidden 
  lore more reliably and powerfully, but 
  at an even more horrifying price. You 
  gain an additional lore die (giving you a 
  total of four instead of three). You also 
  learn a new eldritch ward of your 
  choice, but may be forced to pay the 
  penalty listed below whenever you 
  expend a lore die. 
  Psychic Backlash. The price of using 
  lore dice worsens. When you roll one or 
  more lore dice, if at least one of the 
  dice rolls a 6 or higher, you must roll a 
  Wisdom saving throw against your own 
  spell save DC or take psychic damage 
  equal to double the result of the 
  highest rolling lore die. 
  Pseudonatural Familiar 
  Starting at 6th level, if you have or summon a 
  familiar, it becomes a pseudonatural creature, 
  gaining the effects of the Pseudonatural Creature 
  Template listed in this document. 
  Worsening Taint 
  At 10th level, part of you is tainted by corruption, 
  though you resist it. Your use of lore dice grows 
  both more potent and more costly. You learn a new 
  eldritch ward of your choice, but may be forced to 
  pay the penalty listed below whenever you expend a 
  lore die. 
  Spiral of Insanity. The price of using lore dice 
  worsens. When you take psychic damage as a side 
  effect of having expended one or more lore dice, roll 
  2d8 and add your Intelligence modifier. If the total 
  equals or exceeds your Wisdom score, your Wisdom 
  score is reduced to 0,  you are incapacitated until 
  you regain at least 1 point of Wisdom, and you gain 
  one type of indefinite madness (per the Madness 
  rules). 
  Deeper Studies 
  At 10th level, you can choose to either gain 
  proficiency with one type of artisan’s tools or learn 
  one additional skill from the following list: Arcana, 
  Deception, Intimidate, Investigation, Medicine, 
  Perception, or Religion. In addition, you add a 1st 
  level warlock spell of your choice to your wizard’s 
  spellbook. 
  Edge of Madness 
  At 14th level, you know you may not have much 
  longer until dark powers either destroy you or 
  shatter your sanity, but your insight and power give 
  you the potential to destroy such dark powers 
  yourself. When aberrations, fiends, elementals, or 
  undead take necrotic damage from your expended 
  lore dice, that damage is doubled. You also gain an 
  additional lore die (giving you a total of five instead 
  of four), and when you roll initiative and have no 
  lore dice remaining, you regain one lore die 
  automatically. Finally, you learn a new eldritch 
  ward of your choice, but expending lore dice may 
  expose you to the penalty listed below. 
  Loss of Self. If your Wisdom score is reduced to 0 
  by an expenditure of lore dice, you risk permanent 
  insanity if you do not regain your senses soon. For 
  every 24 hours you have a Wisdom score lower than 
  half of your normal Wisdom score, roll an 
  Intelligence saving throw against your spell save 
  DC. If you fail, you gain one form of indefinite 
  madness. Unlike normal indefinite madness, this 
  trait cannot be cured by any spell short of a wish. 
  Your DM may choose to allow your madness to be 
  cured by some other special means, but what that 
  means might be and how you might discover it are 
  entirely up to the DM. Finally, even when you do 
  regain your full Wisdom, you may not regain all of 
  it. When your Wisdom finally returns to its normal 
  score, if you have gained at least one incurable from 
  of indefinite madness since the last time your 
  Wisdom was at its normal score, as described 
  above, your Wisdom ability score is permanently 
  reduced by 1. 
  
   
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  Eldritch Wards 
  The eldritch wards are listed in alphabetical order 
  below. 
  Cerulean Glyph. When an aberration, elemental, 
  fey, fiend, or undead inflicts damage on you with a 
  spell or attack, you may expend one lore die to 
  decrease the damage you suffer. Roll the lore die, 
  then add your Intelligence modifier to the number 
  rolled and reduce the damage inflicted by the total. 
  Creeping Spell. When you cast a spell that has a 
  duration of 1 minute or longer, you can spend one 
  lore die to double its duration, to a maximum of 24 
  hours. However, there is a side effect. For a number 
  of minutes equal to your lore die roll, you have 
  advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks and 
  on Constitution saves that you make to maintain 
  your concentration on a spell when you take 
  damage, but you also have disadvantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks and Initiative rolls.  
  Dark Studies. When you make an 
  Intelligence check that relates to 
  aberrations, elementals, fey, fiends, 
  or undead, or to any cult or 
  extraplanar entity, you can expend 
  one lore die to bolster the check. After 
  you make the roll for the Intelligence 
  check, but before learning if it was 
  successful, you may choose to use 
  this ability, making a second roll and 
  taking the higher of the two rolls, and 
  you add half the number rolled on the 
  lore die to the final result of your 
  check. 
  Harrowing Spell. When you cast a 
  spell of 1st level or higher that targets 
  only one creature and doesn't have a 
  range of self, you can spend a lore die 
  to choose a number of creatures 
  equal to the spell’s level within 30 feet 
  of the target. One of these creatures 
  can be the creature targeted by the 
  original spell. The chosen creatures 
  must make a Wisdom saving throw 
  against your spell save DC or become 
  frightened of you for a number of 
  rounds equal to the lore die roll. If the 
  spell cast is 3rd level or higher, on a 
  failed save they also drop whatever 
  they are holding and must take the 
  Dash action and move away from you 
  by the safest route on each of their 
  turns while affected, as under the 
  effects of fear spell. 
  Hungry Spell. When you hit a creature with a 
  spell attack, you can expend one lore die to deal 
  extra necrotic damage to that creature equal to the 
  number rolled on the lore die. You can only inflict 
  damage on one creature per turn with this ability. 
  When you reach 10th level in your wizard class, you 
  may choose to expend two lore dice instead of one 
  on this ability. If you spend two, you roll both lore 
  dice and add them together to determine how much 
  necrotic damage this ability inflicts. 
  Insidious Spell. When you cast a spell that 
  forces a creature to make a saving throw to resist 
  its effects, you can expend one lore die to make the 
  creature more likely to fail. Subtract the number 
  rolled on your lore die from the creature’s saving 
  throw. You must choose to use this ability before 
  the saving throw is rolled. 
  Instinctive Spell. When you cast a spell that has 
  a casting time of one action, you can spend a lore 
  
   
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  dice to change the casting time to 1 bonus action 
  for this casting. When you use this ability, you 
  must roll your lore die and take necrotic damage 
  equal to the number rolled. 
  Repel Abominations. You can attempt to keep 
  dark forces at bay. Each time you use this eldritch 
  ward, you choose one of the following creature 
  types to affect: aberration, elemental, fey, fiend, or 
  undead, and then spend a lore die as an action. 
  Each creature of the chosen type within 30 feet of 
  you that can hear or see you must make a Wisdom 
  saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed 
  save, such a creature is repelled for a number of 
  rounds equal to the number rolled on your lore die, 
  though the effect ends if the creature takes damage. 
  A repelled creature must spend its turns trying to 
  move as far away from you as it possibly can, and it 
  can’t willingly move to a space within 30 feet of you. 
  It also can’t take reactions. For its action, it can use 
  only the Dash action or try to 
  escape from an effect that 
  prevents it from moving. If there’s 
  nowhere to move, the creature can 
  use the Dodge action. 
  Slithering Ward. When you 
  cast a spell or move on your turn, 
  you can expend one lore die to 
  temporarily ward yourself against 
  harm. You roll your die and add 
  the number rolled to your AC until 
  the end of your turn. In addition, 
  you increase your walking speed 
  by 5 feet and gain a climbing 
  speed equal to your (newly 
  increased) walking speed until the 
  end of your turn. 
  Supernatural Sense. You have 
  a preternatural awareness for 
  certain kinds of inhuman beings—
  a chill runs up your spine, the 
  hair on the back of your neck 
  stands up, an old wound aches, or 
  you experience some other 
  sensation. As an action, you can 
  expend one lore die to open your 
  awareness to detect these forces. 
  For a number of rounds equal to 
  your lore die roll, you know the 
  location of all aberrations, 
  elementals, fey, fiends, or undead 
  within 60 feet of you that are not 
  behind total cover. You know the 
  type (aberration, elemental, fey, 
  fiend, or undead) of any being whose presence you 
  sense, but not its identity (the vampire Count 
  Strahd von Zarovich, for instance). After you use 
  this ability, you gain another benefit. For a number 
  of minutes equal to your lore die roll, aberrations, 
  elementals, fey, fiends, and undead can always 
  understand your spoken words, and you can 
  always understand theirs, and you gain advantage 
  on Charisma checks and Wisdom (Insight) checks 
  against them.  
  Whispering Spell. When you cast a spell, you 
  can spend one lore die to cast it without any 
  somatic or verbal components. If you roll damage 
  for this spell, you must replace one die rolled for 
  damage with the number rolled on your lore die. 
  That much of the damage inflicted becomes necrotic 
  damage. At the same time, you take necrotic 
  damage equal to half the number rolled on your lore 
  die. 
  
   
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  Races 
  Dragonborn Variant: 
  Sea Dragonborn 
  Dragonborn remain rare in the Land of Fate. Having 
  only come to this world during the events of what 
  northern barbarians call the Spellplague—which 
  affected the continent of Faerun much more 
  dramatically—they have yet to become common 
  alongside the civilized peoples of Zhakara. However, 
  a certain breed of dragonborn 
  who share traits with sea 
  dragons rather than chromatic 
  or metallic ones are seafarers, and 
  perhaps for this reason there are 
  many more of them 
  found in Zakhara than 
  their more 
  landbound 
  cousins. The sea 
  dragonborn are a 
  warlike people who 
  take to naval battle 
  readily, using their 
  unique abilities to strike 
  with stealth from banks of 
  fog or mist. Besides a 
  tendency to be smaller and 
  more agile, they are very much 
  like their metallic or chromatic 
  kin. They have a tradition of 
  raiding ships 
  and port 
  settlements, 
  but few 
  seem to be 
  evil, and 
  they 
  focus their depredations on evil groups which their 
  leaders declare as anathema. Recently, many such 
  warbands have come into conflict with the slave-
  taking minions of the Zakharan Kraken, finding 
  common cause with corsairs of other races as well 
  as groups like the Vigilant. Of course, less ethical 
  sea dragonborn of other alignments are often 
  marine raiders as well, but are far less 
  discriminating when choosing their targets.  
   
  Sea Dragonborn Multiclassing 
  If you are using the optional multiclassing rules, sea 
  dragonborn gain a special benefit: they can substitute 
  their Dexterity score for their Strength score when 
  determining if they can be multiclass paladins. 
  Sea Dragonborn Traits 
  These traits replace the Ability Score Increase, 
  Draconic Ancestry, Breath Weapon, and Damage 
  Resistance traits of a normal Dragonborn. 
    Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score 
  increases by 2, and your choice of either your 
  Strength score or Dexterity score increases by 1. 
    Amphibious. You can breathe both air and water. 
    Draco-Aquatic Ancestry. Like all dragonborn, 
  you have draconic ancestry, but it links you to 
  dragons of the sea rather than the usual metallic or 
  chromatic breeds. For effects that may depend on 
  it, your draconic ancestry is of the “Sea” type, and 
  your breath weapon is a 15 ft. cone requiring a 
  Dexterity save. Your ancestry does not grant the 
  normal resistance to a particular damage type, but 
  for any effet that may be based on the damage type 
  determined by your draconic ancestry, the damage 
  type is considered fire. 
    Minor Heat Resistance. When you take fire 
  damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d6. Add 
  your Constitution modifier to the number rolled, 
  and reduce the damage by that amount. 
    Searing Steam Breath. You can use your action 
  to exhale a cloud of super-heated steam. When you 
  use your breath weapon, each creature within a 15 
  ft. cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. The 
  DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your 
  Constitution modifier + your proficiency bonus. A 
  creature takes 1d6 fire damage on a failed save and 
  half as much damage on a successful one. Being 
  underwater doesn’t grant resistance against this 
  damage. The damage increases to 2d6 at 6th level, 
  3d6 at 11th level, and 4d6 at 16th level. In addition, 
  your breath weapon creates an area of fog that 
  includes not only the cone itself but any area within 
  5 feet of it, including the space in which you are 
  standing when you use it. The fog remains for 1 
  minute, and it spreads around corners, and its area 
  is heavily obscured. After you use your breath 
  weapon, you can’t use it again until you complete a 
  short or long rest. 
    Sea Dragon’s Legacy. You gain a swimming 
  speed equal to your walking speed, and whenever 
  you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check while you are 
  heavily obscured by any form of water or vapor 
  (including mist and fog), you are considered 
  proficient in the Stealth skill and add double your 
  normal proficiency bonus to the check, instead of 
  your normal proficiency bonus. 
   
   
  
   
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  Spells 
  Spellcasters are some of the greatest foes of the 
  ancient darkness threatening Zakhara. Whether 
  they offer healing to warrior allies, terror to their 
  enemies, or simply bring increased destructive 
  power, their mysterious arts often make the 
  difference between failure and success against such 
  powerful enemies. 
  Spell Lists 
  The new spells in this section can be cast by many 
  classes, as shown in the following spell lists. After 
  each spells, its school of magic is listed in 
  parentheses. 
  Bard Spells 
  Cantrips (0 Level) 
  reaver's touch (necromancy) 
  1st Level 
  dread mercy (enchantment) 
  frightful strike (enchantment) 
  2nd Level 
  elemental blade (transmutation) 
  Cleric Spells 
  Cantrips (0 Level) 
  challenger's mark (enchantment) 
  reaver's touch (necromancy) 
  1st Level 
  frightful strike (enchantment) 
  2nd Level 
  elemental blade (transmutation) 
  Druid Spells 
  Cantrips (0 Level) 
  reaver's touch (necromancy) 
  1st Level 
  frightful strike (enchantment) 
  2nd Level 
  elemental blade (transmutation) 
  Paladin Spells 
  1st Level 
  dread mercy (enchantment) 
  2nd Level 
  elemental blade (transmutation) 
  Ranger Spells 
  1st Level 
  dread mercy (enchantment) 
  Sorcerer Spells 
  Cantrips (0 Level) 
  reaver's touch (necromancy) 
  1st Level 
  frightful strike (enchantment) 
  2nd Level 
  elemental blade (transmutation) 
  Warlock Spells 
  Cantrips (0 Level) 
  challenger's mark (enchantment) 
  reaver's touch (necromancy) 
  1st Level 
  frightful strike (enchantment) 
  Wizard Spells 
  Cantrips (0 Level) 
  reaver's touch (necromancy) 
  1st Level 
  frightful strike (enchantment) 
  2nd Level 
  elemental blade (transmutation) 
  Spell Descriptions 
  All new spells referenced in this document are listed 
  and described alphabetically in this section. 
  Challenger’s Mark 
  Enchantment cantrip  
  Casting Time: 1 action  
  Range: 5 feet  
  Components: V, S  
  Duration: 1 round 
  As part of the action used to cast this spell, you 
  must make a melee weapon attack against one 
  creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell 
  fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal 
  effects, and you exchange a moment of silent, 
  instinctive communication that expresses your 
  personal challenge. Before the beginning of your 
  next turn, if the target willingly moves more than 30 
  feet away from you or attacks a creature besides 
  you, it immediately takes 1d8 psychic damage, and 
  the spell ends. This spell's damage increases when 
  you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the melee 
  attack deals an extra 1d8 psychic damage to the 
  target, and the damage the target suffers for moving 
  more than 30 feet away from you increases to 2d8. 
  Both damage rolls increase by 1d8 at 11th level and 
  17th level. 
  Dread Mercy 
  1st-level enchantment 
  Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when 
  you reduce a creature within 60 feet to 0 hit points 
  with a weapon attack 
  Range: 60 feet 
  Components: V 
  Duration: 10 minutes 
  You offer an opponent mercy in exchange for their 
  cooperation. Choose one creature within range that 
  you have just reduced to 0 hit points. You instead 
  reduce that creature to 1 hit point and immediately 
  command their surrender. (If a creature prefers to 
  be reduced to 0 hit points for some reason, it can 
  make a Charisma saving throw, and be reduced to 
  0 hit points instead of 1 on a success.) As soon as 
  the creature is reduced to 1 hit point instead of 0 
  due this spell, it must immediately make a Wisdom 
  
   
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  saving throw. On a success, the creature is 
  frightened of you for the spell’s duration, and 
  suffers only the normal effects of being frightened. 
  On a failure, the creature is still frightened, but 
  rather than fleeing, the frightened creature stays 
  where it is and does not move unless you tell it to. 
  For the duration of the spell, the creature that 
  failed its save will not attack you, and it fearfully 
  obeys any instructions it can hear and understand 
  that will not directly harm it (for example, it will not 
  knowingly drink poison or walk off a cliff). It will not 
  deliberately say anything to you that it believes to 
  be a lie, though it can simply remain silent if you do 
  not ask any direct questions. If you ask it a direct 
  question that can be answered in one or two 
  sentences, it will not give you an answer that it 
  considers false, though it may leave things out, 
  especially if you ask a question that takes more 
  than one or two sentences to answer. It may avoid 
  answering questions to which it would normally 
  respond with a lie by giving short or evasive 
  answers, as long as what it does say remains within 
  the boundaries of what it believes to be the truth. 
  Whenever you or one of your allies attempt to harm 
  the creature, or if you give it instructions that 
  would harm it, or whenever you force it to make a 
  saving throw against another effect, it repeats its 
  Wisdom saving throw against this spell, ending the 
  effects of the initial failed save on a success. You 
  always know if a creature has succeeded or failed 
  on a saving throw against this spell. When the 
  spell’s effect ends, the creature is unaware it was 
  ever affected by this spell, knowing you could have 
  killed it and believing its fear of you was merely 
  natural. 
    At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using 
  a 3rd level or higher spell slot, the duration is 
  increased to 1 hour. If you use a 5th level or higher 
  spell slot, the duration is increased to 8 hours. 
  Elemental Blade 
  2nd level evocation 
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S, M (a plum blossom) 
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute 
  When you cast this spell, a sword blade of 
  elemental energy appears in the hand of the 
  creature you touch (who must be a willing 
  recipient). You choose one of the following damage 
  types when you cast this spell: acid, cold, fire, 
  lightning, or poison. It is the size and shape of a 
  normal shortsword, but is virtually weightless. If 
  the wielder lets go of the blade, it disappears, but 
  you can evoke it for them again as a bonus action. 
  Once on its turn while it holds the blade, the 
  wielder can use its action to create one of two 
  effects: 
  • 
  The wielder can make a melee attack with the 
  blade, rolling the attack as if they were 
  attacking with a regular shortsword, but on a 
  hit the target takes 5d4 damage of the type 
  chosen when this spell was first cast, instead of 
  the normal damage it would take from such an 
  attack. Since the blade is immaterial, the 
  wielder’s Strength or Dexterity modifiers do not 
  apply to the damage, nor does any extra damage 
  from special abilities the wielder may possess 
  (such as sneak attack). 
  • 
  The wielder can unleash lightning on a single 
  target within 30 feet. The wielder’s chosen target 
  makes a Dexterity saving throw against your 
  spellcasting DC. If the target fails, it takes 4d4 
  damage of the type chosen when this spell was 
  first cast. If it succeeds, it takes half damage 
  and can take reactions normally.  
  The blade sheds bright light in a 10 foot radius and 
  dim light for an additional 10 feet. A creature who 
  takes damage from this spell suffers an additional 
  effect depending on the type of damage inflicted, as 
  follows: 
  • 
  Acid: The creature cannot take reactions until 
  the beginning of the wielder’s next turn. 
  • 
  Cold: The creature’s speed is reduced by half 
  until the end of its next turn. 
  • 
  Fire: The creature must choose to either fall 
  prone to extinguish flames on its body or take 
  1d4 extra fire damage. Creatures wearing metal 
  armor are immune to this effect. 
  • 
  Lightning: The creature takes an extra 1d4 
  lightning damage if it is wearing metal armor. 
  • 
  Poison: The creature is poisoned until the end of 
  its next turn. 
  At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 
  3rd level or higher spell slot, the damage increases 
  by ld4 for each slot level above 2nd. 
  Frightful Strike 
  1st-level enchantment 
  Casting Time: 1 action 
  Range: 10 feet 
  Components: V, M (a weapon with at least one 
  drop of blood on it) 
  Duration: 1 round 
  
   
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  You bark or whisper a 
  terrifying threat to the 
  creature your weapon 
  strikes. As part of the 
  action of casting this 
  spell, you must make a 
  melee attack against 
  one creature within the 
  spell's range, otherwise 
  the spell fails. On a hit, 
  in addition to the 
  attack’s normal effect, 
  the creature struck 
  takes an additional 
  amount of psychic 
  damage equal to 1d4 
  plus your Charisma 
  modifier (minimum 1) 
  and must make a 
  Wisdom saving throw. 
  On a failed save, it is 
  frightened of you until 
  the end of your next 
  turn. 
    At Higher Levels. 
  When you cast this 
  spell using a spell slot 
  of 2nd level or higher, 
  the damage is 
  increased by 1d4 for 
  each slot level above 
  1st. 
  Reaver’s Touch 
  Necromancy cantrip  
  Casting Time: 1 action  
  Range: Touch 
  Components: V, S 
  Duration: Instantaneous 
  The touch of your hand drains a target’s life energy, 
  allowing you to empower yourself via the ritual 
  sacrifice of animals and other creatures, or by 
  striking your opponents in combat. Make a melee 
  spell attack against the target. You have advantage 
  on the attack if your target is a beast. On a hit, the 
  target takes 1d6 necrotic damage, and you gain 
  temporary hit points equal to half the damage 
  inflicted (round up). The spell’s damage increases 
  by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level 
  (3d6), and 17th level (4d6). 
  Equipment 
  Cutlass 
   A curving sword with a 
  cutting edge on only 
  one side, the cutlass’s 
  shape keeps it short 
  enough for battle in 
  close quarters. At the 
  same time, it is sharp 
  and strong enough the 
  cut through ropes and 
  rigging. These qualities 
  make it ideal for naval 
  combat.  
  Type: Martial Melee 
  Weapon  
  Damage: 1d8 slashing 
  Properties: Finesse 
  Cost: 25 go  
  Weight: 3 lbs. 
  Special: All creatures 
  can make attack rolls 
  with this weapon 
  underwater without 
  being at disadvantage 
  (for most weapons, only 
  creatures with swim 
  speeds can attack 
  normally underwater). 
  Razor Claw 
  Four or five curved blades are attached to a glove, 
  strap, or metal bar, allowing the wielder to place the 
  blades securely atop or between their knuckles. 
  Various versions of this weapon exist, often with 
  nicknames like “tiger claws” or “bear claws.” 
  Type: Simple Melee Weapon 
  Damage: 1d4 slashing 
  Properties: Finesse, light, special 
  Cost: 3 gp  
  Weight: 1lb. 
  Special: A wielder armed with this weapon can 
  choose to make an unarmed strike instead of a 
  weapon attack; if they do so, the unarmed strike 
  inflicts slashing damage instead of bludgeoning. If a 
  creature would drop this weapon, they can use 
  their reaction to not drop it. 
    
   
  
   
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  Monsters  
  Deep Cultist 
  A deep cultist is the child of a warlock who traded 
  their child’s humanity for power before it was born, 
  mixing their own nature with that of an 
  otherworldly being. They are naturally attracted to 
  aquatic aberrations, such as aboleths or krakens, 
  and they seek to assist their abominable schemes 
  in any way they can. 
  Parents who make these pacts raise their tainted 
  offspring to worship whichever Far Realm entity 
  they made their pact with, and when such children 
  grow up, they attempt to raise up cults of their own 
  sharing this worship. The being that spawned them 
  is connected to the element of water (or perhaps to 
  the elemental evil corruption of it), and so while 
  deep cultists can pass for human, their amphibious 
  nature is indicated by subtly fish-like or frog-like 
  appearances, including flattish noses that are 
  barely more than a pair of nostrils and great 
  bulging eyes that tend to stare without blinking. 
  They have muscular or wiry builds, pale almost 
  bluish or greenish skin, and black greasy hair that 
  either grows wild or is thin and sparse. 
  Despite these hints to their true origins, some deep 
  cultists are still attractive by human standards. 
  They’ve been known to recruit members for their 
  cults by seduction as well as more mundane means 
  of coercion, and some truly come to love their 
  human paramours. Many are the legends of 
  “mermaids” rescuing sailors from drowning and 
  falling in love with them that actually tell of deep 
  cultists. When on land commonly go about in heavy 
  robes to hide their appearance on land.  
  Deep Cultist 
  Medium humanoid, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 105 (14d8+42) 
  Speed 30ft., swim 40 ft. 
   STR   DEX   CON    INT    WIS    CHA 
   13 (+1) 14 (+2)  16 (+3)  11 (+0)  16 (+3)   14 (+2) 
  Skills Arcana +3, Deception +4, Religion +3, Stealth 
  +5 
  Damage Resistances cold, lightning 
  Damage Immunities acid, poison 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Aquan 
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) 
  Spellcasting. The deep cultist is a 7th-level 
  spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is spellcasting 
  ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with 
  spell attacks). It knows the following spells: 
  Cantrips (at will): druidcraft, reaver’s touch**, shape 
  water*, vicious mockery 
  1st level (4 slots): create/destroy water, dissonant 
  whispers, disguise self, fog cloud 
  2nd level (3 slots): blur, hold person 
  3rd level (3 slots): fear, tidal wave* 
  4th level (1 slot): storm sphere* 
  (“*” = appears in the Elemental Evil Player’s Guide). 
  (“**”= new spell appearing in this document). 
  Amphibious. The deep cultist can breathe air and 
  water. 
  Fanaticism. The deep cultist has advantage on 
  saving throws against being charmed or frightened. 
  Venomous Skin. The deep cultist can cause their  
  flesh to exude a corrosive poison. Any creature 
  grappling to deep cultist or grappled by it takes 3 
  (1d6) poison damage and 3 (1d6) acid damage at 
  the end of that creature’s turn. 
   Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 3(1d6) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) 
  poison damage and 3 (1d6) acid damage. 
  
   
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  Great Ghul 
  Undead elemental cousins of the dao, djinn, efreeti, 
  and marids, great ghuls comprise the most wicked 
  members of an inferior order of genies. They haunt 
  burial grounds and feed on dead human bodies. 
  They are usually female, and all great ghuls are 
  beguiling and seductive shapechangers. No matter 
  what form they take, however, their feet always 
  remain those of a donkey, though they often wear 
  special boots or long robes to conceal this 
  aberration. Ghuls delight in devouring the flesh of 
  victims and sucking the marrow from the bones. 
  Masters of Disguise. Great ghuls have thick 
  hair and bushy eyebrows that often droop 
  over their eyes. Their hands end in 
  clawed fingers, and their feet 
  and sometimes their ears 
  are those of a 
  donkey. Their jaws 
  jut out and are 
  powerfully muscled. Their 
  dark gray or pale white skin 
  is always cold and clammy, 
  and they have the hunched 
  posture of their lesser kin, the ghouls. 
  Great ghuls are aware of how their 
  looks repulse other creatures and 
  are eager to disguise their true 
  appearance with cosmetics, 
  clothes, and jewelry. While 
  most great ghuls stand over 7 
  ft. tall, those that are 
  sorcerers typically stand 
  about 10 ft. tall. In their 
  polymorphed form they are 
  often smaller. Because 
  great ghuls are feared by 
  humans and despised 
  by genies, they rarely 
  keep their own form, 
  even when at home in 
  their lonely caves 
  and ruins. 
  Shapeshifting has become a habit for the great 
  ghuls, and they are excellent actors and liars. Great 
  ghuls have many opportunities to practice these 
  deceptions when they travel among humans. Great 
  ghuls are fond of all forms of perfumes and scents, 
  such as attar of orange, rosewater, cloves, and so 
  on. They use these to cover their own unpleasant 
  smell. 
  Secretive yet Social. Great ghuls serve the genies 
  (when required), but lord it over the ghouls, who are 
  considered unrefined and unreliable. Great ghuls 
  who become sorcerers are very secretive; the other 
  genies resent and fear the ghuls’ power over them. 
  Such great ghuls are often destroyed when their 
  homes are 
  discovered. In 
  general, all great 
  ghuls avoid contact 
  with other races 
  because violence 
  often follows. But, 
  they do sometimes 
  help humans and 
  others who come to 
  them seeking help 
  against other genies. 
  Sometimes they also help 
  humans in quests which 
  the great ghuls find 
  interesting, and they do this 
  without expectation of reward. 
  Though solitary, they 
  grow bored easily, 
  and this seems to 
  motivate them to take 
  part in pranks and 
  daring deeds that 
  sometimes put them and 
  the secret of their true 
  identities at considerable 
  risk. Some of their pranks 
  are less amusing than 
  others: great ghuls are 
  particularly fond of joining 
  groups of nomads and 
  travelers and then leading 
  them astray. Many of 
  these travelers are led to 
  their deaths and 
  consumed by the carrion-
  eating ghuls. 
  Predators of the Lonely 
  Wastes. Great ghuls are normally solitary, 
  though if they have kin who are great ghuls as well, 
  they will form packs with them. Great ghuls live in 
  seclusion in ruins or caves found in the emptiest 
  deserts or on the highest mountains. Because of 
  their sharp claws and incredible strength, great 
  ghuls are able to climb sheer rock walls that would 
  daunt most mountaineers. Only genies slain by 
  great ghuls become ghuls themselves; all other 
  races are simply slain and devoured. 
   
  
   
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  Great Ghul 
  Large undead, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 184 (16d10+96)  
  Speed 40ft., climb 40 ft. 
   STR   DEX   CON    INT    WIS    CHA 
   20 (+5) 14 (+2)  23 (+6)  14 (+2)  16 (+3)   19 (+4) 
  Saving Throws Dexterity +6, Wisdom +7, 
  Charisma +8 
  Skills Deception +8, Religion +6, Stealth +6 
  Damage Vulnerabilities radiant 
  Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder, 
  necrotic 
  Damage Immunities cold; bludgeoning, piercing, 
  and slashing from nonmagical weapons 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13 
  Languages Common, Primordial 
  Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) 
  Spellcasting. The great ghul’s innate spellcasting 
  ability is Charisma (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with 
  spell attacks). It knows the following spells: 
  At will: shocking grasp , detect evil and good, 
  disguise self, true polymorph (self only) 
  1/day: animate dead, invisibility, tongues  
  Magical Weapons. The great ghul’s weapon 
  attacks are magical. 
  Mountainwalk. Great ghuls ignore difficult terrain 
  and take no damage from falling. 
  Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the great 
  ghul has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight. 
  Turning Defiance. The great ghul and any ghouls 
  within 30 feet have advantage on saving throws 
  against effects that turn undead. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The great ghul makes two claw 
  attacks or one claw attack and one bite attack. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 18 (3d8+5) piercing damage. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 12 (2d6+5) piercing damage.  
   
   
   
  Great Ghul Sorcerers 
  A great ghul sorcerer has a challenge rating of 11 (7,200 
  xp). It has the same statistics as a regular great ghul, 
  except that it has 229 (17d10+136) hit points, a 
  Constitution of 26, and the sorcerous spellcaster trait as 
  described below, in addition to its normal innate spells:  
  Sorcerous Spellcaster. The great ghul sorcerer is a 10th-
  level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell 
  save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). It knows the 
  following sorcerer spells: 
  Cantrips (at will): chill touch, fire bolt, friends, 
  prestidigitation, shape water*, shocking grasp, vicious 
  mockery 
  1st level (4 slots): charm person, chromatic orb, feather 
  fall, ray of sickness 
  2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, dust devil*, shatter, 
  suggestion 
  3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fear, vampiric touch 
  4th level (3 slots): storm sphere*, wall of fire 
  5th level (2 slots): dominate person 
  (“*” = spell appearing in the Elemental Evil Player’s 
  Guide). 
  
   
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  Pseudonatural Creature 
  Pseudonatural creatures originate in the Far Realm 
  or in other places beyond the planes as we know 
  them. Eldritch abominations such as these are 
  often the spawn or servitors of Great Old Ones, 
  elder gods, or powerful aberrations. They can take 
  on at least one less alien form when needed, but a 
  glimpse of their true nature can shake a mortal’s 
  grip on reality.  
  Pseudonatural Template 
  Any corporeal creature can become a 
  pseudonatural creature. When it becomes a 
  pseudonatural creature, it keeps its statistics, 
  except as noted below.  
  Type. The creature’s type changes to Aberration. 
  Alignment. Chaotic evil and neutral evil creatures 
  do not change their alignment. Other alignments 
  are changed as follows:  
  Pseudonatural Creature Alignment 
  Base Creature’s Alignment 
  New Alignment 
  Lawful Good 
  Unaligned 
  Neutral Good 
  Neutral 
  Chaotic Good 
  Chaotic Neutral 
  Lawful Evil 
  Neutral Evil 
  Lawful Neutral 
  Lawful Evil 
  Chaotic Neutral 
  Chaotic Evil 
  Neutral 
  Chaotic Neutral 
  Unaligned 
  Chaotic Neutral 
  Hit Points. If the creature has less than 3 Hit Dice, 
  raise its number of Hit Dice to 3 and adjust its hit 
  points accordingly. 
  Ability Scores. If the creature’s 
  Intelligence is below 3, increase it to 3. 
  In addition, if the creature’s Wisdom is 
  less than 20, increase the creature’s 
  Wisdom by 10, to a maximum of 20 or 
  the base creatures’s challenge rating, 
  whichever is higher.  
  Challenge. Increase the creature’s 
  challenge rating by 1 after applying 
  this template. If the base creature’s 
  challenge rating is lower  
  than1/2, increase the challenge 
  rating to 1/2; if it is 1/2, increase it 
  to 1. 
  Senses. The pseudonatural 
  creature gains blindsight with a 
  radius of 10 feet.  
  Damage Resistances. The 
  pseudonatural creature gains 
  resistance to acid and lightning.  
  Languages. The pseudonatural 
  creature gains telepathy 30 ft.  
  New Trait: Telepathic Insight. 
  If a creature within 30 ft. 
  communicates telepathically with 
  the pseudonatural creature, it 
  must make a Charisma saving 
  throw against a DC equal to the 
  pseudonatural creature’s Wisdom 
  score. If the creature fails the 
  save, the pseudonatural creature 
  magically learns one fact or secret 
  about that creature.  
  New Spells: The pseudonatural 
  creature knows the true strike and 
  vicious mockery cantrips. If it can 
  
   
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  cast spells of 1st level or higher, it also gains the 
  spells bane and dissonant whispers.  
  New Action: Pseudonatural Form. As a bonus 
  action, the creature assumes its true form, that of a 
  grotesque, tentacled mass (or another appropriately 
  gruesome form), but all its abilities remain 
  unchanged despite the alien appearance. While it is 
  in this form, all attack rolls against the 
  pseudonatural creature made by creatures who can 
  see it are at disadvantage. In addition, while it is in 
  its true form, the pseudonatural creature has 
  advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks and 
  disadvantage on all other Charisma checks. It can 
  use another bonus action to change back. 
  New Reaction: True Form. When the 
  pseudonatural creature takes damage, it can 
  assume its pseudonatural form as a reaction. 
  Example: The Rat-Thing 
  (Pseudonatural Rat) 
  The rat-thing appears to be a regular rat to most 
  who see it, but it is always the familiar of some 
  loathesome, half-mad spellcaster, and its true form 
  is far more disturbing. Those who glimpse it in 
  unguarded moments are horrified, for the rat-thing 
  has a face much like that of a human, and its tiny 
  hands are human-like as well. Its face is bearded, 
  sharp-toothed, and bears an evil expression. Its 
  voice sounds like hateful tittering, but it can only 
  communicate via telepathy, which those contacted 
  experience as the same loathsome titter forming 
  words in their own language. It is said evil wizards 
  and warlocks create rat-things from the remains of 
  sacrificed cultists. Such a creature almost never 
  fights alone, engaiging in hostile action only at the 
  side of the corrupted spellcaster they serve. 
  Pseudonatural Rat (Rat-Thing) 
  Tiny aberration, chaotic neutral 
  Armor Class 10 
  Hit Points 4 (3d4-3) 
  Speed 20ft. 
   STR   DEX   CON    INT    WIS   CHA 
   2 (-4) 
  11 (+0)  9 (-1) 
   3 (-4) 
   20 (+5)   4 (-3) 
  Damage Resistances acid, lightning 
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 30 ft., passive 
  Perception 15 
  Languages telepathy 30 ft. 
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting. The pseudonatural rat’s 
  innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 
  15). It can innately cast the following spell, 
  requiring no material components: 
  At will: true strike, vicious mockery 
  Telepathic Insight. If a creature within 30 ft. 
  communicates telepathically with the 
  pseudonatural rat, it must make a Charisma saving 
  throw (DC 20). If the creature fails the save, the 
  pseudonatural rat magically learns one fact or 
  secret about that creature.  
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +0 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 1 piercing damage. 
  Pseudonatural Form. As a bonus action, the 
  pseudonatural rat creature assumes its true form, 
  that of a rat with a human-like face and tiny, 
  humanoid hands. While it is in this form, all attack 
  rolls against the pseudonatural rat made by 
  creatures who can see it are at disadvantage. In 
  addition, while it is in its true form, the 
  pseudonatural rat has advantage on Charisma 
  (Intimidation) checks and disadvantage on all other 
  Charisma checks. It can use another bonus action 
  to change back.  
  Reactions 
  True Form. When the pseudonatural rat takes 
  damage, it can assume its true form as a reaction. 
  
   
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  Example: The Black Dog 
  (Pseudonatural Hell Hound) 
  The black dog is massive dog the size of a calf with 
  thick, shaggy, jet black fur and glowing red eyes.  It 
  has massive, sharp canines, and its mouth always 
  seems to be grinning, as the fell creature bears 
  some hidden secret. Its saliva stinks of sulfur. It 
  appears only at night, but even in the moonlight its 
  fur does not shine or gleam, but remains dark as a 
  shadow. It leave no footprints, but can be tracked 
  by the scorch marks it leaves on the ground every 
  few paces, and by its tendency to stop and claw or 
  gnaw upon large objects of wood or metal. It is 
  always associated with fire, with the smell of smoke 
  and flickering shadows in its presence, but does not 
  appear with a visible aura of fire. It is as if, 
  wherever it goes, there is always an unseen fire 
  nearby. Thankfully, these creatures are rare, and 
  seldom attack the living, but rather are omens of 
  worse horrors to follow. They appear before great 
  fires, deadly plagues, battles with high casualties, 
  and the deaths of important personages. They also 
  accompany the appearances of comets in the night 
  sky. Sometimes, they are set to guard something, 
  charged with this duty by unknown powers. In this 
  case, they remain calm and aloof unless a creature 
  threatens or approaches the object of their 
  protection, which sends them into an aggressive 
  frenzy.  
  In their true form, black dogs are far more 
  frightening. Their bodies seem to explode, as they 
  become unsteady orbs of crimson flame, 
  surrounded by ember-like points of fiery light and 
  bursts of red lightning. They shimmer with heat, 
  making them hard to focus on, but anyone looking 
  directly at the fiery orb sees visions in the flames, 
  visions of various horrific ways they might die, 
  combined with scenes of cataclysm and carnage 
  consuming nearby settlements.  
  Pseudonatural Hell Hound (Black Dog) 
  Medium aberration, neutral evil 
  Armor Class 15 
  Hit Points 45 (7d8-14) 
  Speed 50ft. 
   STR   DEX   CON    INT    WIS   CHA 
   17 (+3) 12 (+1)  14 (+2)  6 (-2) 
   20 (+5)   6 (-2) 
  Skills Perception +9 
  Damage Resistances Acid, lightning 
  Damage Immunities Fire 
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive 
  Perception 19 
  Languages telepathy 30 ft., understands Infernal 
  but can’t speak it 
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting. The pseudonatural hell 
  hound’s innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell 
  save DC 15). It can innately cast the following spell, 
  requiring no material components: 
  At will: true strike, vicious mockery 
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The pseudonatural hell 
  hound has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on hearing or smell.  
  Pack Tactics. The pseudonatural hell hound has 
  advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at 
  least one of the hound’s allies is within 5 feet of the 
  creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated. 
  Telepathic Insight. If a creature within 30 ft. 
  communicates telepathically with the 
  pseudonatural hell hound, it must make a 
  Charisma saving throw (DC 20). If the creature fails 
  the save, the pseudonatural hell hound magically 
  learns one fact or secret about that creature.  
  Actions 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., 
  one target. Hit: 7 (1d8+3) piercing damage plus 7 
  (2d6) fire damage. 
  Fire Breath (Recharge 5–6). The pseudonatural 
  hell exhales fire in a 15‐foot cone. Each creature in 
  that area must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving 
  throw, taking 21 (6d6) fire damage on a failed save, 
  or half as much damage on a successful one. 
  Pseudonatural Form. As a bonus action, the 
  pseudonatural hell hound creature assumes its 
  true form, that of a flaming sphere wreathed in 
  embers and red lightning, shimmering with it and 
  filled with horrific visions, While it is in this form, 
  all attack rolls against the pseudonatural hell 
  hound made by creatures who can see it are at 
  disadvantage. In addition, while it is in its true form, 
  the pseudonatural hell hound has advantage on 
  Charisma (Intimidation) checks and disadvantage 
  on all other Charisma checks. It can use another 
  bonus action to change back.  
  Reactions 
  True Form. When the pseudonatural hell hound 
  takes damage, it can assume its true form as a 
  reaction. 
  
   
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  Rom 
  The rom are a race of subterranean, undead giants 
  that withdrew from the surface world in the distant 
  past. They are sullen, malicious, and angry 
  creatures, attacking any who disturb their final 
  dwelling places or cairns. Rom are all male, with 
  tall, muscular physiques—similar to humans in 
  proportion—and dark, ashen-grey skin. They have 
  sunken, glassy eyes, long, curling fingernails, and 
  are either bald or have thinning, bone-white hair. 
  They stand about 17 ft.’ tall, retaining the 
  supernatural strength they possessed in life. They 
  speak with sad, resonant voices. All are talented 
  singers, poets, and musicians. 
  Cursed by Tragedy. Rom are thought to be all that 
  remains of an ancient race of giant herdsmen. They 
  lived in the hills and on the plains where their giant 
  cows could graze, some practicing a limited form of 
  agriculture. They were a quiet, peace-loving people 
  whose end came when their wives produced only 
  male children; there were no further generations. 
  Shaking their fists at the sad destiny Fate had 
  passed upon them, they built enormous stone 
  cairns for themselves, fashioned out of monolithic 
  granite slabs. Entire clans of rom descended into 
  their self-made tombs, burying themselves alive. 
  However, so great was their collective self-pity and 
  anger at Fate, that their existence persisted beyond 
  death. 
  Inspiring Hosts. The giants are known to receive 
  brave visitors during the night, who politely knock 
  on the entrance to the tombs and humbly request 
  hospitality for the evening. The rom are a musical 
  and poetic race. Brave bards who have visited with 
  them for only a short while are said to have been 
  inspired to compose a masterful, if tragic, song or 
  epic poem. 
  Death to Trespassers. Those who brashly intrude 
  on the giants during the night, or who break into a 
  cairn during the day, will be immediately attacked 
  by the rom present in the tomb (usually 8 or fewer). 
  They will throw any corpses outside as a warning to 
  others against further unwarranted intrusions.  
  Regional Effects 
  The granite cairns of the rom can still be found 
  today, towering over the plains or nestled among 
  the hills. They are shunned by all forms of animal 
  and insect life. Nearby vegetation appears stunted 
  and lacks its usual color. All is quiet near these 
  tombs during the day, but at night, one can hear a 
  loud lamentation rising from within the cold, stone 
  cairns, a plaintive cry against Fate. 
  • 
  At night, within a mile of a rom cairn, their 
  haunting dirges can be heard. Any creature in 
  this area at night that can hear must make a 
  DC 11 Wisdom saving throw unless their 
  Intelligence is 2 or lower. On a failure, the 
  character feels a heartbreaking sadness, a 
  despair that makes their efforts seem 
  meaningless. Until they leave the area, they 
  have disadvantage on death saving throws and 
  Dexterity checks for initiative, and they gain 
  the following flaw: “If all this beauty ends in 
  tragedy, what’s the point of living at all?” A 
  creature can repeat its saving throw every time 
  it finishes a long rest, ending the effect on 
  itself on a success. A creature that makes a 
  successful saving throw against this effect is 
  immune to it for 24 hours. The dirge has no 
  effect on constructs and undead. 
  • 
  Any beast or humanoid with an Intelligence of 
  2 or lower that comes within a mile of a rom 
  cairn becomes frightened, and will not 
  willingly move closer to the cairn. 
  • 
  No plant life grows naturally within 500 ft. of a 
  rom cairn. 
   
   
  
   
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  Rom 
  Huge undead, lawful evil 
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 172 (15d12+75) 
  Speed 40 ft. 
   STR   DEX   CON    INT    WIS    CHA 
   26 (+8) 10 (+0)  21 (+5)  11 (+0)  14 (+2)   18 (+4) 
  Skills Animal Handling +6, Intimidation +8, 
  Persuasion +8, Perception +6 
  Damage Resistances necrotic 
  Damage Immunities cold, poison 
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, 
  frightened, paralyzed, poisoned 
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 16 
  Languages Common, Giant 
  Challenge 9 (5,000 XP) 
  Pack Tactics. The rom has advantage on an attack 
  roll against a creature if at least one of the rom’s 
  allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally 
  isn’t incapacitated. 
  Sleepless. Magic cannot cause the rom to sleep. 
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The rom makes two claw 
  attacks. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +12 
  to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 17 (2d8+8) slashing 
  damage plus 4 (1d8) necrotic 
  damage, and the target’s 
  Strength score is reduced by 
  1d4. The target dies if this 
  reduces his Strength to 0. 
  Otherwise, the reduction 
  lasts until the target 
  finishes a short or long 
  rest.  
  Rock. Ranged Weapon 
  Attack: +12 to hit, 
  range 60/240 ft. one 
  target. Hit: 30 
  (4d10+8) damage. 
  Frightful Presence. 
  Each creature of 
  the rom’s choice 
  that is within 120 
  feet of the rom 
  and aware of it 
  must succeed 
  on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or become 
  frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat its 
  saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending 
  the effect on itself on a success. 
  Dolorous Dirge. (Recharge 6). As a bonus action, 
  the rom sings a song of loss in its haunting voice, a 
  mourning ballad that pierces the hearts of even 
  hardened veterans. This dirge has no effect on 
  constructs and undead. Any other creature within 
  30 feet who can hear the rom must make a 
  Charisma saving throw (DC 16) or have its speed 
  reduced by half for as long as the rom keeps singing. 
  The rom must use a bonus action to continue this 
  effect each round. A creature can repeat its saving 
  throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the 
  effect on itself on a success. 
  
   
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  Zakharan Kraken 
  Zakharan Kraken are an albino race of air- 
  and water-breathing squid-like creatures 
  that dwell in the dark depths of the ocean. 
  Either they or their ancestors came to 
  Zakhara from a distant blackness beyond 
  the stars in the most ancient of ancient 
  times, and the Zakharan Kraken believe 
  themselves to be the eldest species of 
  creature yet living.  
  Elder Things. Before the darn of recorded 
  time. Zakharan Kraken were smaller and 
  lived in shallow coastal waters, where 
  human worshippers served them and 
  brought them sacrifices. Some upheaval in 
  nature—or possibly a battle with forces of 
  good—made the surviving monsters retreat 
  to the depths. Although their number 
  dwindled to a mere handful, the survivors 
  grew huge and powerful. Zakharan Kraken 
  now seek to kill good creatures and to 
  devour all life smaller than they.  
  Sailors’ Doom. Zakharan Kraken often 
  attack ships to drag them down. Larger 
  than the largest squid, a Zakharan Kraken 
  can drag vessels up to 60 ft. long under the 
  waves. Larger ships are dragged to a halt 
  in five rounds. If a Zakharan Kraken can 
  grasp the ship with six or more tentacles 
  for three consecutive rounds during an 
  attack, the vessel suffers damage as if it 
  had been rammed. It then takes on water, 
  and within 2d4 rounds the ship will have lost 
  enough buoyancy so that the Zakharan Kraken can 
  easily drag it under.  
  Lone Hunters. Zakharan Kraken are aggressive 
  hunters, able to battle even large sperm whales and 
  win. They are solitary creatures except during 
  mating season, which coincides with the monsoons. 
  At this time the Zakharan Kraken gather in the 
  deepest trenches of the ocean, where they leave 
  their eggs to hatch. Zakharan Kraken prey on 
  whales, giant squid and octopi, and occasionally 
  young zaratan. They especially hate the aboleth, 
  whom they consider unnatural upstarts. They even 
  disdain the more common krakens found in the 
  warmer seas of the north, who they see as imitative 
  parodies created by the young gods of distant 
  Faerun. They have no natural enemies, though 
  some legends say that rocs will eat young Zakharan 
  Kraken basking near the surface of the ocean, and 
  the marid hunt them for sport.  
  Lairs of the Zakharan Kraken 
  Zakharan Kraken maintain air-filled grottos, 
  underwater caverb complexes where they keep and 
  breed human slaves to serve and feed them. The 
  Zakharan Kraken stock these undersea dungeons  
  by using wind and weather to bring vessels to the 
  area. 
  Ambitious Zakharan Kraken make pacts with 
  sahuagin or ixitxachitl, agreeing not to destroy 
  them in exchange for their servitude and tribute. 
  These Kraken use their servants to strike against 
  shipping and coastal cities. 
  Lair Actions 
  On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the 
  Zakharan Kraken takes a lair action to cause one of 
  the following magical effects. 
  • 
  Once per minute, a Zakharan kraken can 
  cause its lair to fill with water or with air, as 
  it chooses. When this happens, creatures 
  within 30 feet of the Zakharan kraken must 
  roll a DC 23 Dexterity saving throw. 
  
   
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  Creatures that fail this save are knocked 
  prone and, if they are Huge or smaller, they 
  are pushed up to 20 feet away from the 
  Zakharan kraken. On a success, a creature 
  is only pushed 5 feet away and is not 
  knocked prone. If the lair is filling with 
  water (instead of air), creatures who fail the 
  save also take 28 (8d6) bludgeoning damage 
  (half that damage on a successful save). 
  Once a Zakharan Kraken makes this 
  decision, its lair remains filled with air or 
  water until it chooses to use this ability 
  again or until it dies (at which point nature 
  takes its natural course). 
  • 
  Creatures within 60 feet of the Zakharan 
  Kraken have vulnerability to lightning and 
  psychic damage until initiative count 20 on 
  the next round. 
  • 
  The Zakharan Kraken chants its own 
  blasphemous scriptures in a pre-primordial 
  language, blasting the minds of those 
  around it. All creatures within 120 feet of 
  the Zakharan Kraken that are able to hear 
  must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving 
  throw, taking 13 (3d8) psychic damage on a 
  failed save, or half as much damage on a 
  success. 
  Regional Effects 
  In the area around a Zakharan Kraken’s lair, the 
  insanity of the Far Realm bleeds into reality, 
  warping both the landscape and the minds and 
  bodies of those who  dwell there. Even if the 
  Zakharan Kraken dies, these effects take a year and 
  a day to fade completely. 
  • 
  Humanoid children born within 10 miles of 
  the Zakharan Kraken’s lair gain the 
  Amphibious trait (able to breathe both air 
  and water) and have oddly narrow heads, 
  with small, flat noses and bulging, frog-like 
  eyes (a look known as “the kraken’s taint”). 
  • 
  1 in 100 humanoid children born within 10 
  miles of the Zakharan Kraken’s lair is born a 
  water genasi (per the Elemental Evil Player’s 
  Guide) and also has “the kraken’s taint” as 
  described above). 
  • 
  1 in 1,000 humanoid children born within 
  10 miles of the Zakharan Kraken’s lair is 
  born a sahuagin, regardless of its parent’s 
  race. 
  • 
  The Zakharan Kraken can alter the weather 
  at will in a 10 mile radius centered on its 
  lair. This effect is otherwise identical to the 
  control weather spell. 
  • 
  Deep cultists (a new monster appearing in 
  this document) and their followers are 
  attracted to this area, where they dwell in 
  hastily constructed shrines, seeking to 
  worship and serve the Zakharan kraken and 
  recruit others to do the same. 
  • 
  Humanoids and beasts that take a long rest 
  within 10 miles of the Zakharan Kraken’s 
  lair have brutal nightmares. When they 
  finish a long rest, they must make a DC 11 
  Wisdom saving throw or recover 1 less hit 
  die than normal.  
  Zakharan Kraken 
  Gargantuan aberration, chaotic evil 
  Armor Class 18 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points 482 (28d20 + 196) 
  Speed 20 ft., swim 60 ft. 
   STR   DEX   CON    INT    WIS   CHA 
    30(+10)  11(+0)  25 (+7)  22 (+6)  23 (+6)  20 (+5) 
  Saving Throws Str +17, Dex +7, Con +14. Int +13. 
  Wis +13 
  Damage Resistances acid 
  Damage Immunities lightning; bludgeoning, 
  piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks 
  Condition Immunities frightened, paralyzed 
  Senses blindsight 10 ft., truesight 120 ft., passive 
  Perception 16 
  Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, Primordial, 
  telepathy 120 ft. 
  Challenge 24 (62,000 XP) 
  Innate Spellcasting. The Zakharan Kraken’s 
  innate spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 
  21). It can innately cast the following spells, 
  requiring no material components: 
  At will: druidcraft, create/destroy water, faerie fire, 
  shape water*, vicious mockery 
  1/day each: bane, conjure animals, control water, 
  control weather, dissonant whispers, water 
  breathing, control winds*, maelstrom* 
  (“*” = spell appearing in the Elemental Evil Player’s 
  Guide). 
  Amphibious. The Zakharan Kraken can breathe air 
  and water.  
  Disturbingly Alien. The Zakharan kraken’s 
  appearance is so terrifying and otherworldly that all 
  attack rolls against it made by creatures who can 
  see it are at disadvantage. In addition, the 
  Zakharan Kraken has advantage on Charisma 
  (Intimidation) checks and disadvantage on all other 
  
   
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   32 
  Charisma checks aqainst creatures that are not sea 
  creatures or aberrations. 
  Freedom of Movement. The Zakharan Kraken 
  ignores difficult terrain, and magical effects can’t 
  reduce its speed or cause it to be restrained. It can 
  spend 5 feet of movement to escape from 
  nonmagical restraints or being grappled. 
  Siege Monster. The Zakharan Kraken deals double 
  damage to objects and structures.  
  Telepathic Insight. If a creature within 30 ft. 
  communicates telepathically with the Zakharan 
  Kraken, it must make a Charisma saving throw (DC 
  23). If the creature fails the save, the Zakharan 
  Kraken magically learns one 
  fact or secret about that 
  creature.  
  Actions 
  Multiattack. The Zakharan 
  Kraken makes three tentacle 
  attacks, each of which it can 
  replace with one use of Fling.  
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: 
  +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 23 (3d8 + 10) 
  piercing damage. If the target 
  is a Large or smaller creature 
  grappled by the Zakharan 
  Kraken, that creature is 
  swallowed, and the grapple 
  ends. While swallowed, the 
  creature is blinded and 
  restrained, it has total cover 
  against attacks and other 
  effects outside the Zakharan 
  Kraken, and it takes 42 
  (12d6) acid damage at the 
  start of each of the Zakharan 
  Kraken’s turns. If the 
  Zakharan Kraken takes 50 
  damage or more on a single turn from a creature 
  inside it, the Zakharan Kraken must succeed on a 
  DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the end of that 
  turn or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which 
  fall prone in a space within 10 feet of the Zakharan 
  Kraken. If the Zakharan Kraken dies, a swallowed 
  creature is no longer restrained by it and can 
  escape from the corpse using 15 feet of movement, 
  exiting prone.  
  Tentacle. Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 
  30 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (3d6 + 10) bludgeoning 
  damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 18). 
  Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained. The 
  Zakharan Kraken has ten tentacles, each of which 
  can grapple one target.  
  Fling. One Large or smaller object held or creature 
  grappled by the Zakharan Kraken is thrown up to 
  60 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. If 
  a thrown target strikes a solid surface, the target 
  takes 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet 
  it was thrown. If the target is thrown at another 
  creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 18 
  Dexterity saving throw or take the same damage 
  and be knocked prone.  
  Lightning Storm. The Zakharan Kraken magically 
  creates three bolts of lightning, each of which can 
  strike a target the Zakharan 
  Kraken can see within 120 
  feet of it. A target must make 
  a DC 23 Dexterity saving 
  throw, taking 22 (4d10) 
  lightning damage on a failed 
  save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one.  
  Legendary Actions 
  The Zakharan Kraken can 
  take 3 legendary actions, 
  choosing from the options 
  below. Only one legendary 
  action option can be used at 
  a time and only at the end of 
  another creature’s turn. The 
  Zakharan Kraken regains 
  spent legendary actions at 
  the start of its turn.  
  Tentacle Attack or Fling. 
  The Zakharan Kraken makes 
  one tentacle attack or uses 
  its Fling.  
  Lightning Storm (Costs 2 
  Actions). The Zakharan 
  Kraken uses Lightning Storm.  
  Ink Cloud (Costs 3 Actions). While underwater, 
  the Zakharan Kraken expels an ink cloud in a 60‐
  foot radius. The cloud spreads around corners, and 
  that area is heavily obscured to creatures other 
  than the Zakharan Kraken. Each creature other 
  than the Zakharan Kraken that ends its turn there 
  must succeed on a DC 23 Constitution saving 
  throw, taking 16 (3d10) poison damage on a failed 
  save, or half as much damage on a successful one. 
  A strong current disperses the cloud, which 
  otherwise disappears at the end of the Zakharan 
  Kraken’s next turn.  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Jeremy Forbing/Jeremy Forbing - Al-Qadim Archetypes - Scimitars Against The Dark.pdf