The time has come for Epic Monsters to tackle the final harbinger of the Last Judgment, that herald who more than any others signifies the end: Death!
Whatever victors might emerge from the mayhem of the apocalypse are laid low by the last herald. Death does not deign to engage in the deceits and subterfuge employed by the other harbingers—instead it shuffles off mortal coils without compunction, whether by its own hand or through its similarly undead servants.
Design Notes: The other harbingers (Strife, War, Famine) dip their toes into the magic pool but Death is fully submerged and has the full spellcaster treatment. With its vampire or mummy lord lackeys and permanent hit point reductions it presents a very dangerous encounter that should put a scare into even the most experienced adventurers. GMs shouldn’t hesitate to play up the spellcasting aspect of Death—have it pop into and out of the Ethereal Plane on its nightmare mount, diminish the party’s hit points with spells and undead minions in preparation for a devastating power word kill, and let this final harbinger of the Last Judgment really have its maximum impact. Let’s do the numbers! According to the DMG the right number for Death is 23.5 while the Blog of Holding says 20.16. That averages a bit under 22 but we’re bumping it up a CR because Death comes packaged with an extra badass horse and some not inconsiderable undead servants as well as some unconventional mobility in combat (thanks to those nightmare mounts). Plus there’s all the maximum hit point reductions to keep in mind.
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 225 (30d8+90)
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover), mounted 60 ft. (fly 90 ft.)
Saving Throws Con +10, Int +10, Wis +9
Skills Arcana +17, History +17, Insight +9, Perception +9, Religion +17
Damage Resistances cold, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages all
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Death fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Death has advantage on saving throws made against spells and other magical effects.
Nightmares. Death can use a bonus action to summon a nightmare that is under its control.
Spellcasting. Death is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Death has the following spells prepared:
Turn Resistance. Death has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces Death to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to the damage taken. On a success, Death drops to 1 hit point instead.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Death uses its Frightful Presence and attacks twice with Reap.
Reap. Melee Spell Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d6+8) magical slashing damage plus 28 (8d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic taken. The target dies if this attack reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The reduction lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
Animate Servants (Recharge 6). Death conjures 1d4 vampires or a mummy lord each in an unoccupied square within 30 feet.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Death’s choice that is within 60 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Death’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Death 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. Death regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cast Spell (Costs 1 to 3 Actions). Death casts a spell of up to 6th level. Every 2 spell levels cost 1 legendary action (cantrips cost 1 legendary action).
Reaper (Costs 2 Actions). Death makes one reap attack.
Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of Death must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failure by 5 or more, a creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic taken. The creature dies if this attack reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The reduction lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, "Come." I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with predatorilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.
—Revelation 6:7–8
Whatever victors might emerge from the mayhem of the apocalypse are laid low by the last herald. Death does not deign to engage in the deceits and subterfuge employed by the other harbingers—instead it shuffles off mortal coils without compunction, whether by its own hand or through its similarly undead servants.
Design Notes: The other harbingers (Strife, War, Famine) dip their toes into the magic pool but Death is fully submerged and has the full spellcaster treatment. With its vampire or mummy lord lackeys and permanent hit point reductions it presents a very dangerous encounter that should put a scare into even the most experienced adventurers. GMs shouldn’t hesitate to play up the spellcasting aspect of Death—have it pop into and out of the Ethereal Plane on its nightmare mount, diminish the party’s hit points with spells and undead minions in preparation for a devastating power word kill, and let this final harbinger of the Last Judgment really have its maximum impact. Let’s do the numbers! According to the DMG the right number for Death is 23.5 while the Blog of Holding says 20.16. That averages a bit under 22 but we’re bumping it up a CR because Death comes packaged with an extra badass horse and some not inconsiderable undead servants as well as some unconventional mobility in combat (thanks to those nightmare mounts). Plus there’s all the maximum hit point reductions to keep in mind.
Death
Medium undead, neutral evilArmor Class 19 (natural armor)
Hit Points 225 (30d8+90)
Speed 30 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover), mounted 60 ft. (fly 90 ft.)
STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
20 (+5) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 17 (+3) | 15 (+2) | 25 (+7) |
Skills Arcana +17, History +17, Insight +9, Perception +9, Religion +17
Damage Resistances cold, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages all
Challenge 23 (50,000 XP)
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Death fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Magic Resistance. Death has advantage on saving throws made against spells and other magical effects.
Nightmares. Death can use a bonus action to summon a nightmare that is under its control.
Spellcasting. Death is a 20th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 22, +14 to hit with spell attacks). Death has the following spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will): chill touch, eldritch blast, mage hand, prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, false life, inflict wounds, shield, thunderwave
2nd level (3 slots): detect thoughts, invisibility, mirror image, ray of enfeeblement
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, bestow curse, counterspell, dispel magic
4th level (3 slots): blight, confusion, dimension door
5th level (3 slots): cone of cold, scrying
6th level (2 slot): circle of death, harm
7th level (2 slot): finger of death, plane shift
8th level (1 slot): feeblemind
9th level (1 slot): power word kill
Turn Resistance. Death has advantage on saving throws against any effect that turns undead.
Undead Fortitude. If damage reduces Death to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to the damage taken. On a success, Death drops to 1 hit point instead.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. Death uses its Frightful Presence and attacks twice with Reap.
Reap. Melee Spell Attack: +14 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (3d6+8) magical slashing damage plus 28 (8d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic taken. The target dies if this attack reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The reduction lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
Animate Servants (Recharge 6). Death conjures 1d4 vampires or a mummy lord each in an unoccupied square within 30 feet.
Frightful Presence. Each creature of Death’s choice that is within 60 feet of it and aware of it must succeed on a DC 22 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to Death’s Frightful Presence for the next 24 hours.
LEGENDARY ACTIONS
Death 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. Death regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Cast Spell (Costs 1 to 3 Actions). Death casts a spell of up to 6th level. Every 2 spell levels cost 1 legendary action (cantrips cost 1 legendary action).
Reaper (Costs 2 Actions). Death makes one reap attack.
Disrupt Life (Costs 3 Actions). Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of Death must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failure by 5 or more, a creature’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic taken. The creature dies if this attack reduces its hit point maximum to 0. The reduction lasts until removed by the greater restoration spell or other magic.
