Mummy Lord

Deep within the most ancient and treacherous tombs, the Mummy Lord lies as a powerful and malevolent undead being. Once a mighty ruler or high priest in life, the Mummy Lord has transcended the limitations of mortality, gaining enhanced powers and an insidious influence over the forces of undeath.

The Mummy Lord, much like its lesser counterpart, is a preserved corpse, adorned in wrappings and bearing the ravages of time. However, it possesses an air of regal authority, with ornate decorations and relics adorning its form. Its eyes, burning with an unholy light, hold a cunning intelligence that far surpasses that of a mere Mummy.

Unlike regular Mummies, Mummy Lords possess potent magical abilities that allow them to exert control over both the physical and spiritual realms. They can wield dark spells, commanding the forces of necromancy and enchantment to manipulate their surroundings and assault their enemies. Mummy Lords are also known to have control over the undead, able to summon skeletal or mummified minions to do their bidding.

The Mummy Lord’s curse is far more potent than that of a regular Mummy. Its mere presence saps the life force of those nearby, weakening and draining vitality. Additionally, its touch carries a powerful curse that can afflict victims with mummy rot, a debilitating affliction that slowly consumes its victims with a wasting disease. The Mummy Lord’s curse is difficult to remove and can persist even beyond the grave.

Mummy Lords typically dwell in tombs and crypts that reflect their former position of power and influence. These ancient structures are filled with traps, puzzles, and guardians, making them formidable obstacles for those who dare to disturb the Mummy Lord’s domain. Intruders are met with an unyielding determination to protect their sanctums and retain their hold over their precious artifacts and forbidden secrets.

Encountering a Mummy Lord is a daunting prospect, as their enhanced powers and strategic brilliance make them formidable adversaries. To face a Mummy Lord is to confront an ancient evil that has defied death itself, embodying the darkest aspects of necromantic power and the eternal thirst for control and dominion.

Mummy Lords represent a pinnacle of undead power and ancient curses. They embody the perils of tampering with the forces of undeath and the dangers of arrogance and ambition in the pursuit of immortality. Whether encountered as the final guardian of a tomb or as a figure pulling the strings behind a larger scheme, Mummy Lords add an element of dread and ancient malevolence to the realms of adventure and exploration.

Special Abilities

Magic Resistance

The mummy lord has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Rejuvenation

A destroyed mummy lord gains a new body in 24 hours if its heart is intact, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the mummy lord’s heart.

Spellcasting

The mummy lord is a 10th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 17, +9 to hit with spell attacks). The mummy lord has the following cleric spells prepared:

– Cantrips (at will): sacred flame, thaumaturgy
– 1st level (4 slots): command, guiding bolt, shield of faith
– 2nd level (3 slots): hold person, silence, spiritual weapon
– 3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, dispel magic
– 4th level (3 slots): divination, guardian of faith
– 5th level (2 slots): contagion, insect plague
– 6th level (1 slot): harm

Actions

• Multiattack: The mummy can use its Dreadful Glare and makes one attack with its rotting fist.
• Rotting Fist: Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (3d6 + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 21 (6d6) necrotic damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be cursed with mummy rot. The cursed target can’t regain hit points, and its hit point maximum decreases by 10 (3d6) for every 24 hours that elapse. If the curse reduces the target’s hit point maximum to 0, the target dies, and its body turns to dust. The curse lasts until removed by the remove curse spell or other magic.
• Dreadful Glare: The mummy lord targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. If the target can see the mummy lord, it must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw against this magic or become frightened until the end of the mummy’s next turn. If the target fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it is also paralyzed for the same duration. A target that succeeds on the saving throw is immune to the Dreadful Glare of all mummies and mummy lords for the next 24 hours.

Legendary Actions

• Attack: The mummy lord makes one attack with its rotting fist or uses its Dreadful Glare.
• Blinding Dust: Blinding dust and sand swirls magically around the mummy lord. Each creature within 5 feet of the mummy lord must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the end of the creature’s next turn.
• Blasphemous Word (Costs 2 Actions): The mummy lord utters a blasphemous word. Each non-undead creature within 10 feet of the mummy lord that can hear the magical utterance must succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of the mummy lord’s next turn.
• Channel Negative Energy (Costs 2 Actions): The mummy lord magically unleashes negative energy. Creatures within 60 feet of the mummy lord, including ones behind barriers and around corners, can’t regain hit points until the end of the mummy lord’s next turn.
• Whirlwind of Sand (Costs 2 Actions): The mummy lord magically transforms into a whirlwind of sand, moves up to 60 feet, and reverts to its normal form. While in whirlwind form, the mummy lord is immune to all damage, and it can’t be grappled, petrified, knocked prone, restrained, or stunned. Equipment worn or carried by the mummy lord remain in its possession.

Lair Actions

1. Sandstorm: On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the mummy lord can summon a swirling sandstorm within its lair or a chamber it occupies. The sandstorm covers a 60-foot radius and lasts until the start of the mummy lord’s next turn. Visibility is reduced to 5 feet within the storm, and creatures ending their turn within it take 10 (3d6) slashing damage from the abrasive, whirling sands.
2. Curse of Despair: The mummy lord targets one creature it can see within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be cursed with despair. While cursed in this way, the creature cannot regain hit points, and saving throws to end the effect have disadvantage. This curse lasts until the mummy lord uses this lair action again or until the curse is lifted by a remove curse spell or similar magic.
3. Animate Servants: The mummy lord can animate the dead within its lair. Up to two corpses it can see within 60 feet of it rise as zombies under the mummy lord’s command. These undead remain animated until they are destroyed or until the mummy lord dismisses them (no action required).

Mummy Lord Regional Effects

• Plague of Insects: Swarms of biting or stinging insects fill the area within 1 mile of the mummy lord’s lair. These insects are a nuisance but do not cause actual harm. However, they can affect visibility and concentration, making spellcasting and precise tasks difficult without protection.
• Withering Decay: Plant life within 1 mile of the mummy lord’s lair withers and dies, and bodies of water become stagnant and foul. This decay does not harm creatures, but it can make finding fresh food and water in the area difficult.
• Whispers of the Dead: The mummy lord can communicate telepathically with any creature within 1 mile of its lair. This communication is usually ominous, filled with threats or warnings, and can be used to demoralize the mummy lord’s enemies or lure the unwary into traps.

Proficiencies

• Saving Throw: CON +8
• Saving Throw: INT +5
• Saving Throw: WIS +9
• Saving Throw: CHA +8
• Skill: History +5
• Skill: Religion +5