Orcus

Traits

Wand of Orcus

The wand has 7 charges, and any of its properties that require a saving throw have a save DC of 18. While holding it, Orcus can use an action to cast animate dead, blight, or speak with dead. Alternatively, he can expend 1 or more of the wand's charges to cast one of the following spells from it: circle of death (1 charge), finger of death (1 charge), or power word kill (2 charges). The wand regains 1d4 + 3 charges daily at dawn.

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.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day)

If Orcus fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

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 animate dead or create undead, 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 create undead even when it isn't night.

Actions

Multiattack

Orcus makes two Wand of Orcus attacks.

Wand of Orcus

Melee Weapon Attack: +19 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) bludgeoning damage plus 13 (2d12) necrotic damage.

Tail

Melee Weapon Attack: +16 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 21 (3d8 + 8) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage.

Legendary action uses: 3. The creature can use one option at the end of another creature’s turn and regains spent uses at the start of its turn.

Legendary actions

Tail

Orcus makes one tail attack.

A Taste of Undeath

Orcus casts chill touch (17th level).

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 have vulnerability to necrotic damage.

Innate Spellcasting

Orcus's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 23, +15 to hit with spell attacks). He can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:

At will: chill touch (17th level), detect magic

1/day: time stop

3/day each: create undead, dispel magic

Lair actions

On Initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Orcus can take a lair action to cause one of the following effects; he can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• Orcus's voice booms throughout the lair. His utterance causes one creature of his choice to be subjected to power word kill. Orcus needn't see the creature, but he must be aware that the individual is in the lair.
• Orcus causes up to six corpses within the lair to rise as skeletons, zombies, or ghouls. These undead obey his telepathic commands, which can reach anywhere in the lair.
• 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 23 Strength saving throw or be restrained until the arms disappear or until Orcus releases their grasp (no action required).

Regional effects

The region containing Orcus's lair is warped by his magic, creating one or more of the following effects:

• 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 becomes filled with the stench of rotting flesh, and buzzing flies grow thick within the region, even when there is no carrion to be found.
• If a humanoid spends at least 1 hour within 1 mile of the lair, that creature must succeed on a DC 23 Wisdom saving throw or descend into a madness determined by the Madness of Orcus table. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw can't be affected by this regional effect again for 24 hours.

If Orcus dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d10 days.

Madness of Orcus

If a creature goes mad in Orcus's lair or within line of sight of the demon lord, roll on the Madness of Orcus table to determine the nature of the madness, which is a character flaw that lasts until cured. See the 8 for more on madness.

Madness of Orcus

d100	Flaw (lasts until cured)
01–20	"I often become withdrawn and moody, dwelling on the insufferable state of life."
21–40	"I am compelled to make the weak suffer."
41–60	"I have no compunction against tampering with the dead in my search to better understand death."
61–80	"I want to achieve the everlasting existence of undeath."
81–00	"I am awash in the awareness of life's futility."