The Black Hand

Beyond the goblin wastes, in his stronghold The Tower of Zards, the foul necromancer known only as The Black Hand uses his evil magic to terrorize and enslave the people of Mystra. Bands of walking dead attack wayfarers, armies of corpses clash with forces of the living, and when The Black Hand visits a battlefield even greater horrors arise.

It is said that only heroes who have been granted the boon of the gods at the Temple of Kings will be able to pass the mystical wards and defeat the demon that guards the tower.

Medium undead, lawful evil

Armor Class 16 (natural armor)
Hit Points  49 (9d8)
Speed 30 ft.

Proficiency +4

STR 11 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 12 (+1) INT 18 (+4) WIS 12 (+1) CHA 11 (+0)

Saving Throws Int +7, Wis +4

Skills Arcana +7, History +7

Damage Resistances cold, lightning, necrotic
Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical weapons
Condition Immunities charmed, exhausted, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned

Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages Common, Dwarven, Giant, Draconic, Infernal
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

Spellcasting. The Black Hand is a 9th-level spellcaster. It’s spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). The Black Hand has the following spells prepared:

Cantrips (at will): chill touch, ray of frost, true strike, minor illusion
1st level (4 slots): shield, magic missile, thunderwave
2st level (3 slots): misty step, ray of enfeeblement, hold person, mirror image
3st level (3 slots): fireball, counter spell, vampiric touch
4th level (3 slots): fire shield, ice storm
5th level (1 slot): cone of cold

Actions

Paralyzing Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 7 (2d6 cold damage). The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.


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Banquet of Horrors

jeweledflatwareIn sumptuous banquet hall in the Tower of Zards, the walls are festooned with skeletons in manacles. On a table laid with golden plates, cups, and cutlery, there lay beautiful bejeweled forks bearing a curse. Upon picking a fork up characters are compelled to begin eating themselves. Every round affected characters must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma or Strength saving throw or stab themselves with the ornate fork and eat their own flesh, dealing 1 HP of damage.

The skeletons in manacles will begin a mocking, cruel cackling if anyone picks up a fork and takes a bite of themselves.

If they are incautious, multiple player characters may end up feasting on themselves. The curse can be temporarily interrupted by intoning a solemn prayer to the gods, or through use of a cleric’s turning power. The curse can only be ended permanently by a remove curse spell, or by melting the cutlery down, destroying most of their value. Until such time, any time the cursed PCs eat something, the curse activates again, they find the evil fork inexplicably in their hand, and they must make a Charisma or Strength save every round as described above. This may lead to fatigue or inability to rest if the players don’t eat so as to avoid the curse.


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