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Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath
huge fiend, chaotic evil
Armor Class: 19 (natural armor, 22 with the Wand of Orcus)
Hit Points: 510 ()
Speed: 40 ft, fly 40ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 27 | +8 | +8 |
| DEX | 17 | +3 | +3 |
| CON | 25 | +7 | +16 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| INT | 22 | +6 | +15 |
| WIS | 22 | +6 | +15 |
| CHA | 26 | +8 | +17 |
Skills: Arcana +13, Perception +13
Damage Resistances: Cold, Fire, Lightning
Immunities: Necrotic, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks, Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses: Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 23
Languages: All, Telepathy 120 ft.
CR: 30 (155,000 XP); PB +9
Traits
Wand of Orcus: The wand has 7 charges, and any of its properties that require a saving throw have a DC 25 save. While holding it, Orcus can use an action to cast , , or . Alternatively, he can expend 1 or more of the wand’s charges to cast one of the following spells from it: (1 charge), (1 charge), or (2 charges). The wand regains charges daily at dawn.
Undead Horde: While holding the wand, Orcus can use an action to conjure undead creatures whose combined average hit points don’t exceed 500. These undead magically rise up from the ground or otherwise form in unoccupied spaces within 300 feet of Orcus and obey his commands until they are destroyed or until he dismisses them as an action. Once this property of the wand is used, the property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Magic Resistance: Orcus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons: Orcus’s weapon attacks are magical.
Master of Undeath: When Orcus casts or , he chooses the level at which the spell is cast, and the creatures created by the spells remain under his control indefinitely. Additionally, he can cast even when it isn’t night.
Soul Reaping Aura: All living creatures within 30 feet of Orcus must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the start of their turns. On a failed save, a creature takes necrotic damage, and Orcus gains temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points by this ability immediately rise as zombies under Orcus’s control, acting immediately after him in combat.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Orcus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Defy Death (1/Day): If Orcus would be reduced to 0 hit points, his current hit point total instead resets to 510 hit points, he recharges his Undead Horde ability, and he regains any expended uses of Legendary Resistance. Additionally, Orcus can now use the options in the “Mythic Actions” section for 1 hour.
Actions
Multiattack: Orcus makes two Wand of Orcus attacks and one tail attack.
Wand of Orcus: Melee Attack Roll: +20, reach 10ft. Hit: (24) Bludgeoning damage plus (24) Necrotic damage.
Tail: Melee Attack Roll: +17, reach 10ft. Hit: (21) Bludgeoning damage plus (17) Poison damage.
Innate Spellcasting: Orcus’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 25, +17 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: (17th level), ,
3/day each: , ,
1/day each: ,
At will: (17th level), ,
3/day each: , ,
1/day each: ,
Legendary Actions
Orcus 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. Orcus regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Tail: Orcus makes one tail attack.
A Taste of Undeath: Orcus casts (17th level).
Move: Orcus moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Creeping Death (Costs 2 Actions): Orcus chooses a point on the ground that he can see within 100 feet of him. A cylinder of swirling necrotic energy 60 feet tall and with a 10-foot radius rises from that point and lasts until the end of Orcus’s next turn. Creatures in that area are vulnerable to necrotic damage.
Mythic Actions
If Orcus' Defy death trait has activated in the last hour, he gains access to the following Mythic Actions. It can use 3 Mythic Actions per round, but only one can be used at the end of another creature’s turn.
Cast a spell: Orcus can cast a spell.
Bone Storm (Costs 3 Actions): Orcus creates a whirl of bone and debris centered on himself. All creatures within 60 feet must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw and take 27 () bludgeoning damage and 27 () necrotic damage, or half as much on a success. The storm lasts until the start of Orcus' turn and while it rages the area within the storm is difficult terrain and all ranged attacks are made with disadvantage.
Lair Actions
Orcus makes his lair in the fortress city of Naratyr, which is on Thanatos, the layer of the Abyss that he rules. Surrounded by a moat fed by the River Styx, Naratyr is an eerily quiet and cold city, its streets empty for hours at a time. The central castle of bone has interior walls of flesh and carpets made of woven hair. The city contains wandering Undead, many of which are engaged in continuous battles with one another.
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Orcus can take one of the following lair actions; he can’t take the same lair action two rounds in a row:
Deadly Utterance: His utterance causes one creature of his choice to be subjected to . Orcus needn’t see the creature, but he must be aware that the individual is in the lair.
Grasp of the Dead: Orcus causes skeletal arms to rise from an area on the ground in a 20-foot square that he can see. They last until the next initiative count 20. Each creature in that area when the arms appear must succeed on a DC 25 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the arms disappear or until Orcus releases them (no action required).
Undead Servants: Orcus causes up to six corpses within the lair to rise as skeletons, zombies, or ghouls (all appear in the Monster Manual). These Undead obey his telepathic commands, which can reach anywhere in the lair.
Pulse of Decay: Orcus releases a wave of necrotic energy that ripples through the lair. Each non-undead creature within 120 feet of him must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes necrotic damage and cannot regain hit points until the start of Orcus’s next turn.
Regional Effects
The region containing Orcus’s lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects. If Orcus dies, these effects fade over the course of days.
Blighted Wasteland: Within 10 miles of Orcus’s fortress, all plant life withers and dies, no matter its resilience. Trees stand as skeletal husks, grass turns to brittle ash, and flowers crumble into dust. Even magically sustained plants lose their vitality, becoming lifeless mockeries of what they once were. This desolation seeps into the soil, making the land incapable of sustaining life for centuries. The air is thick with the scent of decay, and creatures entering the area feel an unnatural chill that gnaws at their resolve.
Undead Beasts: Dead Beasts periodically animate as Undead mockeries of their former selves. Skeletal and zombie versions of local wildlife are commonly seen in the area. The air is filled with the stench of rotting flesh.
Eerie Silence: Within 10 miles of Orcus’s fortress in Thanatos, an unnatural stillness pervades the air. No natural sounds can be heard, only an eerie silence interrupted by faint, ghostly moans.
Necrotic Veins: The land surrounding Naratyr is corrupted, causing rivers of black ichor to snake through the landscape. Any creature other than Orcus or his undead minions that touches this ichor takes necrotic damage and must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or have its maximum hit points reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt until it finishes a long rest.
Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath
huge fiend, chaotic evil
Armor Class: 19 (natural armor, 22 with the Wand of Orcus)
Hit Points: 510 ()
Speed: 40 ft, fly 40ft.
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| STR | 27 | +8 | +8 |
| DEX | 17 | +3 | +3 |
| CON | 25 | +7 | +16 |
| Mod | Save | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| INT | 22 | +6 | +15 |
| WIS | 22 | +6 | +15 |
| CHA | 26 | +8 | +17 |
Skills: Arcana +13, Perception +13
Damage Resistances: Cold, Fire, Lightning
Immunities: Necrotic, Poison; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks, Charmed, Exhaustion, Frightened, Poisoned
Senses: Truesight 120 ft., Passive Perception 23
Languages: All, Telepathy 120 ft.
CR: 30 (155,000 XP); PB +9
Traits
Wand of Orcus: The wand has 7 charges, and any of its properties that require a saving throw have a DC 25 save. While holding it, Orcus can use an action to cast , , or . Alternatively, he can expend 1 or more of the wand’s charges to cast one of the following spells from it: (1 charge), (1 charge), or (2 charges). The wand regains charges daily at dawn.
Undead Horde: While holding the wand, Orcus can use an action to conjure undead creatures whose combined average hit points don’t exceed 500. These undead magically rise up from the ground or otherwise form in unoccupied spaces within 300 feet of Orcus and obey his commands until they are destroyed or until he dismisses them as an action. Once this property of the wand is used, the property can’t be used again until the next dawn.
Magic Resistance: Orcus has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.
Magic Weapons: Orcus’s weapon attacks are magical.
Master of Undeath: When Orcus casts or , he chooses the level at which the spell is cast, and the creatures created by the spells remain under his control indefinitely. Additionally, he can cast even when it isn’t night.
Soul Reaping Aura: All living creatures within 30 feet of Orcus must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw at the start of their turns. On a failed save, a creature takes necrotic damage, and Orcus gains temporary hit points equal to half the damage dealt. Creatures reduced to 0 hit points by this ability immediately rise as zombies under Orcus’s control, acting immediately after him in combat.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Orcus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.
Defy Death (1/Day): If Orcus would be reduced to 0 hit points, his current hit point total instead resets to 510 hit points, he recharges his Undead Horde ability, and he regains any expended uses of Legendary Resistance. Additionally, Orcus can now use the options in the “Mythic Actions” section for 1 hour.
Actions
Multiattack: Orcus makes two Wand of Orcus attacks and one tail attack.
Wand of Orcus: Melee Attack Roll: +20, reach 10ft. Hit: (24) Bludgeoning damage plus (24) Necrotic damage.
Tail: Melee Attack Roll: +17, reach 10ft. Hit: (21) Bludgeoning damage plus (17) Poison damage.
Innate Spellcasting: Orcus’s spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 25, +17 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: (17th level), ,
3/day each: , ,
1/day each: ,
At will: (17th level), ,
3/day each: , ,
1/day each: ,
Legendary Actions
Orcus 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. Orcus regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
Tail: Orcus makes one tail attack.
A Taste of Undeath: Orcus casts (17th level).
Move: Orcus moves up to his speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Creeping Death (Costs 2 Actions): Orcus chooses a point on the ground that he can see within 100 feet of him. A cylinder of swirling necrotic energy 60 feet tall and with a 10-foot radius rises from that point and lasts until the end of Orcus’s next turn. Creatures in that area are vulnerable to necrotic damage.
Mythic Actions
If Orcus' Defy death trait has activated in the last hour, he gains access to the following Mythic Actions. It can use 3 Mythic Actions per round, but only one can be used at the end of another creature’s turn.
Cast a spell: Orcus can cast a spell.
Bone Storm (Costs 3 Actions): Orcus creates a whirl of bone and debris centered on himself. All creatures within 60 feet must make a DC 25 Dexterity saving throw and take 27 () bludgeoning damage and 27 () necrotic damage, or half as much on a success. The storm lasts until the start of Orcus' turn and while it rages the area within the storm is difficult terrain and all ranged attacks are made with disadvantage.
Lair Actions
Orcus makes his lair in the fortress city of Naratyr, which is on Thanatos, the layer of the Abyss that he rules. Surrounded by a moat fed by the River Styx, Naratyr is an eerily quiet and cold city, its streets empty for hours at a time. The central castle of bone has interior walls of flesh and carpets made of woven hair. The city contains wandering Undead, many of which are engaged in continuous battles with one another.
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Orcus can take one of the following lair actions; he can’t take the same lair action two rounds in a row:
Deadly Utterance: His utterance causes one creature of his choice to be subjected to . Orcus needn’t see the creature, but he must be aware that the individual is in the lair.
Grasp of the Dead: Orcus causes skeletal arms to rise from an area on the ground in a 20-foot square that he can see. They last until the next initiative count 20. Each creature in that area when the arms appear must succeed on a DC 25 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the arms disappear or until Orcus releases them (no action required).
Undead Servants: Orcus causes up to six corpses within the lair to rise as skeletons, zombies, or ghouls (all appear in the Monster Manual). These Undead obey his telepathic commands, which can reach anywhere in the lair.
Pulse of Decay: Orcus releases a wave of necrotic energy that ripples through the lair. Each non-undead creature within 120 feet of him must make a DC 25 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes necrotic damage and cannot regain hit points until the start of Orcus’s next turn.
Regional Effects
The region containing Orcus’s lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects. If Orcus dies, these effects fade over the course of days.
Blighted Wasteland: Within 10 miles of Orcus’s fortress, all plant life withers and dies, no matter its resilience. Trees stand as skeletal husks, grass turns to brittle ash, and flowers crumble into dust. Even magically sustained plants lose their vitality, becoming lifeless mockeries of what they once were. This desolation seeps into the soil, making the land incapable of sustaining life for centuries. The air is thick with the scent of decay, and creatures entering the area feel an unnatural chill that gnaws at their resolve.
Undead Beasts: Dead Beasts periodically animate as Undead mockeries of their former selves. Skeletal and zombie versions of local wildlife are commonly seen in the area. The air is filled with the stench of rotting flesh.
Eerie Silence: Within 10 miles of Orcus’s fortress in Thanatos, an unnatural stillness pervades the air. No natural sounds can be heard, only an eerie silence interrupted by faint, ghostly moans.
Necrotic Veins: The land surrounding Naratyr is corrupted, causing rivers of black ichor to snake through the landscape. Any creature other than Orcus or his undead minions that touches this ichor takes necrotic damage and must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or have its maximum hit points reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt until it finishes a long rest.
Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath
Orcus looms as a haunting figure of blighted majesty, his bloated form bearing the marks of undeath’s relentless corruption. His sickly, pallid flesh stretches over sharp bone and swollen decay, a grotesque testament to his nature as the harbinger of rot and ruin. His horns arc wickedly, framing a visage of utter malice, while his eyes burn like smoldering coals, promising doom to all that yet cling to life. In his clawed hands, he wields the infamous Wand of Orcus, a relic of unparalleled necrotic power, steeped in the essence of oblivion.
Orcus is not a cunning schemer like other demon lords, nor does he revel in chaotic destruction for its own sake. Instead, his ambitions are cold and singular: to snuff out all life and transform the cosmos into a still, necrotic wasteland under his dominion. His hatred for the living is matched only by his disdain for other demon lords, whom he views as petty squabblers unworthy of his attention. Orcus's undead armies are uncountable, and his influence seeps into the fabric of reality wherever death's shadow falls.
Behavior and Tactics
Orcus is the very embodiment of death’s inevitability and takes grim pleasure in the hopeless struggles of mortals. He is patient and calculating, never rushing to expend his power unnecessarily. Every decision he makes is cold and methodical, each action serving his grand design to unmake all life. Orcus rarely engages in battle directly, preferring to let his undead legions sow chaos and despair in his name. When forced into direct combat, he moves with terrifying efficiency, every blow of his wand and every pulse of necrotic energy designed to crush his foes both in body and spirit.
In the rare moments when Orcus speaks to mortals, his words carry the weight of finality. He may bargain with mortals, offering forbidden knowledge or unholy power, but his gifts always come with an insidious cost. Those who strike a pact with the Prince of Undeath often find themselves losing pieces of their soul, their free will, or even their very mortality.
Dominion of Decay
Thanatos, the Abyssal layer over which Orcus reigns, mirrors its master in every grim detail. It is a world of death incarnate, its skies gray and lifeless, its air heavy with the stench of rot. His fortress city, Naratyr, stands as a chilling monument to his power—a sprawling metropolis of bone and sinew, where the streets are littered with undead minions locked in eternal mock battles for their master’s amusement.
In Thanatos, Orcus’s will is absolute. Undead beasts roam freely, their grotesque forms twisted into mockeries of life, while the very land seems to wither under his gaze. Across the multiverse, his cultists and necromancers toil ceaselessly to expand his influence, spreading his dark gospel wherever the light of life still flickers.
Eternal Rebirth
Orcus's essence is inextricably tied to undeath and his Abyssal domain of Thanatos. If Orcus is slain outside of Thanatos, his body and spirit dissolve into a miasma of necrotic energy. Over the course of 100 years, this energy coalesces within the depths of his fortress in Naratyr, where his form gradually regenerates until he is fully restored.
If Orcus is slain within Thanatos itself, his resurrection is far slower, requiring 1,000 years for his essence to reform. During this time, Thanatos grows eerily quiet, its skies dark and lifeless, as if the plane itself mourns his absence. However, even during this extended slumber, Orcus's influence persists through his undead followers and devoted cultists, who carry out his will, preparing the world for his inevitable return.