
*art credit: [Harry Osborn](https://www.instagram.com/harryosbornart/)*
### Grave Warden
*Suggested by redditor /u/Dieu_Le_Fera in [this reddit thread](https://redd.it/9oam91).*
Oddities even among the undead, a Grave Warden is an intelligent undead humanoid who moves into a town or settlement that has been wiped out—usually by famine, disease, or war—and assumes a role of stewardship over the place and its deceased residents.
Sometimes the warden might be a former resident who was raised by necromantic magic, or simply a restless spirit, but most often, it is simply a wandering undead who happens
across the dead place.
A grave warden might fancy the location as a domain over which to rule, or they might feel a genuine kinship with those who perished there, and take it upon themselves to become a caretaker of those souls' final resting place.
Regardless of the reason, a grave warden is always very protective of their home, and will defend it to the last. They will typically raise undead hounds to be used as sentries and guards and, as a last resort, even raise the dead citizens themselves to help repel intruders.
\pagebreak
___
___
> ## Grave Warden
>*Medium undead, neutral evil*
> ___
>**Armor Class** 13 (leather armor)
>**Hit Points** 105 (14d8 + 42)
>**Speed** 30 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|:-:|
>|14 (+2)|14 (+2)|17 (+3)|16 (+3)|15 (+2)|12 (+1)|
>___
>**Saving Throws** Str +5, Dex +5, Con +6
>**Skills** Insight +5, Perception +5
>**Damage Resistances** necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
>**Damage Immunities** poison
>**Condition Immunities** exhaustion, poisoned
>**Senses** darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 15
>**Languages** the languages it knew in life
>**Challenge** 7 (2,900 XP)
> ___
>
>***Undead Houndmaster.*** The warden typically keeps 1 to 4 undead hounds. The hounds are completely loyal to the warden, obeying its verbal commands to the best of their ability. On each of the warden's turns, it can use a bonus action to issue a command to one of its hounds within 60 feet of it that can hear it, allowing the hound to immediately move up to half its speed and make an attack against a creature within its reach.
>
>***Spellcasting.*** The warden is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The warden has the following wizard spells prepared:
>
>Cantrips (at will): *chill touch, create bonfire, infestation, prestidigitation, toll the dead*
1st level (4 slots): *cause fear, fog cloud, ray of sickness, shield*
2nd level (3 slots): *blindness/deafness, misty step, ray of enfeeblement*
3rd level (3 slots): *animate dead, bestow curse*
4th level (3 slots): *banishment, blight*
5th level (2 slots): *danse macabre, negative energy flood*
>
>### Actions
>
>***Pitchfork.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. *Hit:* 9 (3d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is within 5 feet of the warden, it must succeed on a DC 13 Strength saving throw or be pushed 5 feet.
>
>***Warden's Lantern.*** The warden swings its lantern in an arc, attempting to blind and burn them. Up to three creatures within its reach that are within 5 feet of each other must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 7 (2d6) fire damage, and is blinded and ignited on a failed save, or takes half as much fire damage, and is not blinded or ignited on a successful one. An ignited creature takes 3 (1d6) fire damage at the start of each of its turns until it uses its action to extinguish the flames.
>
>### Reactions
>
>***Parry.*** The warden adds 2 to its AC against one melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the warden must see the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.
___
___
> ## Undead Hound
>*Medium undead, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 11
> - **Hit Points** 13 (2d8 + 4)
> - **Speed** 40 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|14 (+2)|13 (+1)|15 (+2)|3 (-4)|11 (+0)|6 (-2)|
>___
>**Skills** Perception +2
>**Damage Immunities** poison
>**Condition Immunities** poisoned
>**Senses** darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
>**Languages** —
>**Challenge** 1/2 (100 XP)
>___
>
>***Keen Hearing and Smell.*** The hound has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
>
>***Pack Tactics.*** The 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.
>
>***Undead Fortitude.*** If damage reduces the hound to 0 hit points, it must make a Constitution saving throw with a DC of 5 + the damage taken, unless the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a success, the hound drops to 1 hit point instead.
>
>### Actions
>
>***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit:* 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
>
>
\pagebreak