Dread Guardian
Armor stained in blood and sweat, the party's fighter slams the metal-framed door as their rogue slides a bar to seal it shut. Rifling through their packs they scramble to cover the windows with anything they can find. Anything to keep out the sight of the clear night sky.
A room locked and barred. They can breathe and plan, strategize and prepare. How can it climb a sheer cliff? Chased for hours well past daybreak. It threw a horse at them when they tried to rest.
The floor shudders at the horror's approach. The party turns as one to watch the door explode into splinters. Gemstone eyes glowing in the moonlight, the Dread Guardian has arrived.
Magically Fused Stone & Bone
Horrifying necromantic rituals combined with golem crafting have sealed an undead in magic stone. These rituals are linked to the light of the moon. This connection weakens the undead in sunlight; thus its stone shell. Arcane moonstone gems make them a terror at night.
What undead can be found encased in the statue varies. The stone shell binds the undead to the necromancer. Most corporeal, humanoid undead can be contained. If ever the casing were to be broken, the undead within would regain its senses and act independently once more.
Mages brave enough to use potent undead make alterations to the stonework allowing the grizzly being inside to use the full extent of its powers. Gem-fitted eye sockets for a bodak or mummy, cloth coverings for the lower jaw permit spellcasting, adjustable claws for a wight or boneclaw. The dread guardian is only limited by its creator.
Gemstone Eyes
Bodak and mummies or other undead with a sight-based gaze attack can have their guardian shell modified with gems. These allow the contained undead to use their abilities as normal (with a substantial increase to the creature's CR). They also provide a handsome reward if the party survives.
Vents in the stonework
Using lesser undead like ghasts might encourage the use of vents for their Stench ability. This lowers the AC of the guardian by 1 and reduces its maximum hit points to 95 (10d10+40).
Cloth Masking - Spellcasting
Intelligent undead are severely hobbled by the guardian shell. Their natural spell saves and spell attack bonus is reduced by 3. Any spells they can cast are limited by material components unless they can cast them innately.
Shrouded Gauntlets
Wights or other undead that can make use of abilities with their hands may have one or both stone claws removed in favor of cloth and leather wrappings. This reduces the AC of the guardian by 1 but grants the Life Drain ability or a boneclaw its Piercing Claw and Deadly Reach abilities.
Freed Undead
Those undead that have their guardian shell broken will act independent of their former master. If the undead was intelligent it may be quite vengeful against the mage that sealed them in. A wight or lich may abandon any fight with the party to turn on the foolish necromancer that bound them to slavery.
Broken Shell Abilities. Some undead are barred from using certain abilities until the shell is broken. A boneclaw is incapable of using Shadow Stealth or Shadow Jump ability. A bodak can use its Aura of Annihilation once the shell is broken. The magic binding and protecting the undead also inhibits some of its abilities.
Art by: Georgios Dimitriou
Dread Guardian
Large Construct-Undead, unaligned
- Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 56)
- Speed 30 ft., climb 25 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 20 (+5) 9 (-1) 18 (+4) 9 (-1) 9 (-1) 6 (-3)
- Saving Throws Str +8, Dex +2, Wis +2
- Damage Resistances necrotic, Non-magical attack damage
- Damage Immunities acid, poison
- Condition Immunities exhaustion, frightened, petrified, poisoned
- Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 9
- Languages any language it knew in life, cannot speak while contained
- Challenge 7
Immutable Form. While its shell is intact, the guardian is immune to spells and abilities that would transform it.
Guardian Shell. After the guardian is bloodied (half or less of its max HP), it must succeed on a DC 15 Con save whenever it would take damage. On a failure, it's casing is damage, exposing the undead within.
If the outer casing of the guardian is broken, the undead inside is vulnerable to damage from silvered weapons.
Sunlight Sensitivity. If the contained undead is exposed to daylight (broken shell), it has disadvantage on ability checks, saving throws, and attacks. Attacks made against it have advantage and the undead cannot be healed.
Hastened by Moonlight. If the guardian or undead is exposed to moonlight, it gains +2 to its AC, has advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and can use its claw attack as a Bonus Action.
Actions
Stone Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, 5 ft. range, one target. On Hit: 16 (2d10 + 5) slashing damage. The guardian's attacks count as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistances.
Rock Throw. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 60/120 ft., one target. On Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) bludgeoning damage. If the object thrown is large it deals an additional 2d6 damage. The guardian can throw a large object or creature weighing up to 1,500 lbs.
Charge. The guardian dashes forward in a 20 ft. line. Medium or smaller creatures must succeed on a DC 16 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone, pushed 5 ft. to the sides, and take 16 (2d10 + 5) bludgeoning damage, or half on a save.
Large-sized creatures or larger end the dash movement but still make a save. Huge or larger make the save with advantage. Non-magical objects in the path take double damage.
Reactions
Guard Up. if the shell is broken the undead can take a defensive stance. It can use its reaction to impose disadvantage on a melee attack made against it. If the attack misses, the undead has advantage on its next attack against that creature. Ranged attacks against the exposed undead suffer 3/4 cover until the guardian has used its reaction.