Curator of Souls
Curator of Souls
Curator
of Souls
Patreon rewards for
Nerdarchy patrons,
written by Sean McGovern
with art by Nelson Vieira
Nerdarchist Dave here from Nerdarchy. Now you might be asking yourself what is a Nerdarchy? It is a website, YouTube channel, and a Patreon where
we are creating content for Fifth Edition. We play Dungeons & Dragons and other roleplaying games, discuss many aspects of storytelling, worldbuilding
and game mechanics, Game Master and player tips, and even answer viewer questions about your game through our GM 911 series. Collectively, we have
nearly a century of gaming experience and we’ve always loved discussing the RPG hobby — now we’re just doing it in front of a camera! We’ve made thou-
sands of gaming related videos and there’s no end in sight. Then there’s Nerdarchy.com where a virtual army of writers write about gaming and other nerdy
topics. So buckle up your armor, sharpen your sword, and join us in Nerdarchist Ted’s basement!
This free PDF is our way of giving back to the community and showcasing the cool content we’re creating over on our Patreon and what you can expect
to receive if you become a patron. There are five levels to check out.
Going forward, our Patreon rewards will continue to offer the same variety of content, but we are enlisting a rotating selection of professional artists,
writers and designers to re-envision content from our videos into the rewards you’ll receive as a patron. This free package showcases the work of Sean
McGovern, inspired by the Devil’s Museum of the Macabre video from our YouTube channel.
MAGE FORGE: Magic & special items for your Fifth Edition game TERRIBLE TERRAIN: Battlegrounds & encounters for your Fifth Edition game
$2 or more per month $7 or more per month
At this level our magewrights are hard at work at their arcane forges At this level you receive all content from the prior levels plus detailed encoun-
crafting items of an arcane or mundane nature to use in your game every ters ready to use in your game every month.
month.
LOST LORE: Gamemaster & player options for your Fifth Edition game
MONSTER MENAGERIE: Creatures for your Fifth Edition game $10 or more per month
$3 or more per month At this level you receive all content from the prior levels and we’ll create content
At this level you receive content from the prior level and you get to see the to enhance your game world and players’ experience such as traps, hazards, or-
strange and fantastic creatures we’ve gathered for you (at no small amount ganizations, backgrounds, and class options to use in your game every month.
of peril) to use in your game every month.
Visit our Patreon to find out more and discover ways to game with Nerdarchy.
FRIEND OR FOE: Allies & enemies for your Fifth Edition game
$5 or more per month Until next time, stay nerdy!
At this level you receive all content from the prior levels and we’ll introduce
you to a new NPC to use in your game every month. — Nerdarchist Dave
Credits
Written by: Sean McGovern
Editing: Doug Vehovec
Layout: Doug Vehovec
Cover and Interior Art: Nelson Vieira
Product identity: The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Game License version
1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names (characters, place names,
new deities, etc.), dialogue, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, sidebars, and trade dress. (Elements that have
previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)
Open Game Content: Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the material in this Nerdarchy game
product is Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Game License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work
other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.
Using Empusia
Empusia can be used in a number of ways. She
could be a standard villain, an archdevil
who harvests souls and butts heads with
the heroes when she targets people close
to the them. In this scenario, she’d send
her clavinger devils after the group’s souls
and items or try to lure them to a gallery by
trapping a loved one, or turning some of
their magic items into residuum. As a pseu-
do-ally, she could be even more interesting.
As a warlock patron, she would be in regular
contact with the character, granting advice
and direction. Devils hate demons and chaos,
so in some instances the group will be bat-
tling creatures she’s happy to see destroyed.
She also is fond of bards. If a char-
acter gives a legendary performance
in a crucial moment or venue, she
might take notice and try to
entice the character to her side
as a mortal agent. Empusia is a
creature lost in her interests,
fully devoted to cre-
ating hideous works
of art – turning
pain and suffering
into a twisted form
of beauty. She re-
spects other artists
and despises those
she deems too dim
to grasp the intent
behind her works.
Empusia saving throw, taking 22 (5d8) psychic damage and
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil becoming paralyzed for 1 minute on a failed save.
A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end
Armor Class 21 (natural armor) of their next turn to end the effect. Creatures who
Hit Points 253 (22d8+154) succeed on the saving throw take half damage.
Speed 30 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
Legendary Actions
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
20 (+5) 16 (+3) 24 (+7) 18 (+4) 18 (+4) 26 (+8) Empusia can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
from the options below. Only one legendary ac-
Saving Throws DEX +10, CON +14, WIS +11 tion option can be used at a time and only at the
Skills Performance +22, Perception _18 end of another creature’s turn. Empusia regains
Damage Resistances cold, fire, radiant; bludgeoning, spent legendary actions at the start of her turn.
piercing, and slashing that aren’t silvered
Damage Immunities poison Bring Art to Life. Empusia can turn one object that
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, fright- is not worn or carried into an animated ally, using
ened, poisoned the statistics of either a rug of smothering or a
Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 24 flying sword.
Languages all, telepathy 120 ft.
Challenge 22 (41,000 XP) Skin Canvas. One creature within 30 feet of Empu-
sia must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw.
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Empusia fails a saving Failure means that the flesh of their face begins
throw, she can choose to succeed instead. to warp and their skin covers their eyes, blinding
them until the end of their next turn.
Magic Resistance. Empusia has advantage on saving
throws against spells and other magical effects. Operatic Shriek (Costs 2 Actions). Empusia lets
out a sonic blast in a 30-foot cone. Creatures in
Magic Weapons. Empusia’s weapon attacks are magical. the cone must make a DC 18 Constitution saving
throw, taking 22 (5d8) thunder damage on a failed
Actions saving throw, or half as much damage on a suc-
cessful one. Nonmagical objects that aren’t being
Multiattack. Empusia makes three attacks: One worn or carried in the spell’s area also take the
with incisive wit and two claw attacks. damage.
Painting of Respite
Wondrous item, rare Soulweave Garments
This painting is one foot tall and half a foot wide, and is kept Wondrous item; rare
in an ornate iron frame engraved with depictions of leering Empusia will sometimes use a soul to create a coat, dress,
devils. The painting is of a small, sinister cavern lit by a soft red cape, or tunic. If a detect evil and good spell is cast on a character
glow. Anyone who speaks the word “Empusia” can step into the wearing a soulweave garment, they will detect the type of the
painting and enter into a tiny demiplane that looks just like the soul infused in the garment rather than the character.
cave in the painting. It can hold up to 8 medium-sized crea- Garments have different abilities depending on the align-
tures. Anyone inside for more than 12 hours is ejected. ment f the soul used in their creation.
Whoever is in the realm appears in the painting as they were Evil. Resistance to necrotic damage.
dressed when they entered. Neutral. Cast detect thoughts once per long rest.
If the painting is destroyed while inhabited, all within appear Good. Resistance to radiant damage.
in the astral plane, floating among the titanic stone bodies of A paladin or cleric of the same alignment as the garment can
dead gods. free the soul with a greater restoration spell.
Monster Menagerie
Claviger Devil Claviger devil
Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
It is said that when Empusia obtains evil souls, she
often crafts them into claviger devils. The starving Armor Class 14 (natural armor)
artists of the Nine Hells, claviger devils do her bidding Hit Points 71 (13d8 + 13)
for all eternity. Speed 30 ft.
Adorned with a monocle over an eye held fast by
overgrown flesh, and with a pale reddish body covered STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
in glowing animated tattoos of mouths lined with 16 (+3) 14 (+2) 13 (+1) 14 (+2) 12 (+1) 16 (+3)
sharp teeth, these creatures hunger for residuum – raw
magic. Saving Throws WIS +3, CHA +3
Claviger devils have the ability to transform magic Damage Resistances cold; bludgeoning, piercing,
into liquid arcane essence. Devouring it lets them and slashing from nonmagical weapons that aren’t
stave off the hunger for a short time, but thanks to silvered
the endless cruelties of the Nine Hells, claviger devils Damage Immunities fire, poison
eventually become sickened by the residuum and have Condition Immunities poisoned
to expel it. Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 11
Empusia sends her claviger devils into the world to Languages Infernal, Common, telepathy 120 ft.
feed. They return to her, vomiting up the residuum for Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
her to use as material to create more of her diabolical
art objects. Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the
The animated mouths on a claviger devil’s body can claviger devil’s darkvision.
actually be used to store things. Frequently, a claviger Magic Siphon. Any magical item that comes in con-
devil will keep parchment, quills, ink and art supplies tact with the claviger devil has its power siphoned.
in the many infernal compartments. A weapon that deals damage to the claviger devil
Often, corpses are their canvas. They enjoy killing take a permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to
a mortal and then tattooing an infernal image on the damage rolls. If its penalty drops to -5, the weapon
victim’s back or chest. Each claviger devil has its own is destroyed.
motif, including skulls, sigils, poems written in a type of
jagged calligraphy, or landscapes. Actions
Mortals with flesh free of blemishes are the perfect
canvas for one of these fiends. Multiattack. The claviger devil can make two
bite attacks.
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Infernal Howl (Recharge 5-6). Every mouth
tattoo on the claviger devil’s body lets out
an earth-shaking howl. Each creature in a
15-foot-radius sphere of the claviger devil must
make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking
16 (3d10) thunder damage on a failed save, or
half as much damage on a successful one.
Friend or Foe
and he remembers everything up to his death. If slain in the
Sabazios Nine Hells, he is destroyed for good. The phylactery hand is
usually hidden in a secret room in whichever gallery he is
Sabazios is a unique devil who is, for all intents and pur- looking after.
poses, the chief underling of Empusia. He seems old and Sabazios acts as a guide for those who enter one of
somewhat feeble, walking with a stooped gait. He has red, Empusia’s galleries, hobbling about, clutching his staff in
scaled skin and always wears a black bathrobe. His boots are one hand and waving around his lightning finger as he
made of brass and are designed to look like ram’s heads. His describes the works of art in the gallery. His main duty is to
left hand is infused with lighting and the pinky finger on his usher mortals into the waiting traps. He will quietly show
right hand is a serpent. visitors around, reminding them to be quiet (even though
Sabazios holds a staff tipped with a bronze replica of his right they are likely the only living mortals in the entire build-
hand, offering a certain gesture. This staff has powers that work ing). If visitors are loud or touch a work of art, he becomes
only for him. Anyone else holding the staff is wracked with pain enraged and attacks until slain. Once he dies, he reforms in
and terrible energy as long as they are in contact with it. an hour, and returns to the group, calm once more.
Sabazios is not a lich, but he does have a phylactery. Empusia Sabazios is not an overly ambitious devil. He was badly
created a 5 foot tall hand of brass that is linked to Sabazios. If humiliated by Mammon centuries ago and he has been in
Sabazios is reduced to 0 hit points, his body reforms in one hiding ever since. Rumor has it that Sabazios tried to depose
hour in the palm of the hand. He regains all of his hit points Mammon, and that Mammon thrashed him utterly.
It is believed that Empusia has six different art galleries Blasphemous Embrace. This crystal sculpture depicts an
and museums that appear in mortal realms in a complex angel and a succubus locked in an unwholesome embrace.
cycle that take place over hundreds of years. These galler- The interior is filled with swirling souls, giving off a lava
ies are used to attract mortals and their highly-prized souls. lamp type of effect. Anyone who looks at it must make a
Explorers are inevitably struck down by one of her artistic DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 1 minute.
traps, and then their souls are taken by her for use in her They can repeat the save at the end of their turn, ending
vile artistic experiments. the effect on a success.
One gallery is known to appear mainly in the Astral If a creature becomes paralyzed, hideous cackling crones
Plane, targeting small earthmote communities and for the with devil horns appear in a puff of brimstone and attempt
most part avoiding planar settlements. to “embrace” anyone paralyzed. They attempt to strangle
She also welcomes evil visitors who she hopes to impress their victims with their large, reddish clawed hands. Escape
and collaborate with, including drow, mind flayers, drag- DC 13. They have the statistics of ghouls.
ons, liches, and beholders.
Budding Stems. This room has long green stems rising
Touching the artwork. Obviously, touching the art is up from the floor and ending on a bulb. The stems can be
frowned upon. When a creature does so, roll a d4. climbed to reach a balcony that leads to another level of
1. Make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the gallery. Those who climb the long stems are dismayed
the appendage or item touching the art withers and dies (a to find that thorns suddenly spring out and possibly impale
finger, a staff, etc.) Gloves do not protect appendages. them. Creatures climbing the stems must make a DC 13
2. The character is affected as if a flesh to stone spell was Dexterity saving throw or take 1 piercing damage, 6 poison
cast upon them. damage, grabbed (Escape DC 14) and poisoned. As long as
3. The character is affected by a silence spell until they the character is impaled, they remain poisoned and take
take a long rest. another 6 poison damage at the start of their turns.
4. A large, infernal hand reaches out of the art, touching Anyone poisoned finds that their eye turn completely
the character in the same manner. Melee Weapon Attack: black and remain so until the end of their next long rest.
+10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 fire damage. The bulbs at the top blossom into silky black roses.
The infernal pond. There is a painting of a pond on the Graves of the Heroes. The heroes come upon a room
floor. It is painted in such a way as to suggest four people that has a grassy floor. There are beautifully-engraved
were chained to an anchor and have drowned at the bot- tombstones and freshly-dug graves. Each tombstone bears
tom of the pond. the name of one of the heroes, and they feel a strange
In order to get to the next area in the gallery, the char- magical connection wash over them. They notice muffled
acters will have to dive into the pond and swim past the speech in the dirt in voices that sound like their own.
drowned souls through a watery tunnel that leads to the The graves are very shallow, and take 45 seconds (about
next room. The drowned souls have the statistics of ghouls. 6 rounds) for each to be dug up.
Inside each grave is a rotted zombie with the Intelligence
Hall of Scoundrels. This long hallway is lined with ten and personality of one of the heroes. It begs the group not
paintings of lowlifes of many different races. As a creature to kill it. It promises that it can help. For each minute that
walks past one such painting, it spits acid at them. Crea- the zombie remains intact, one max hit point is transferred
from the character to its undead double. Once all max hit blade that sprays blood onto the canvas so that it appears
points have shifted over, the character becomes a zombie, like an abstract expressionist painting. Melee Weapon
and the zombie becomes the living character. Attack: +6 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6+2)
Even if the characters do not dig up the graves, they lose bludgeoning damage. Each blade only activates once.
1 max hit point per minute. The character with the highest Constitution out of those
When the zombies are slain, the characters regain all of struck by the trap has the most intriguing painting. Empu-
the max hit points that they lost. sia bestows upon them her favor in the form of inspiration.
Tryptich of Madness. This room contain a triptych, a Art Class. The group stumbles into a room where ten
massive three-paneled painting depicting three scenes claviger devils are in the middle of art class. The devils will
most vile: assume the group are their models, and will expect the
1. People in a lake of fire, screaming in pain. The people heroes to pose as the devils paint them in truly ghastly
are NPCs and allies close to the heroes, such as parents, situations such as being hanged, being burned, being
siblings, and friends. drowned or being strangled.
2. A loved one of one of the characters impaled on a The devils might catch on that the heroes are not the
spike. A devil watches, laughing. models they claim to be and will let them go if the group
3. Empusia holding the heroes in the palm of her hand, hands over 1d4 magic items.
ready to devour them. As an alternative scenario, the group might walk in on
the devils making a sculpture of mortals being stitched
Any creature who looks at the triptych must make a DC together to form a giant skull or devil face. The sculpture
13 Charisma saving throw or acquire a short-term madness actually has a life of its own, and only cutting the stitching
as follows: “I must create a work of art that encapsulates will free the poor mortals that make up the monster.
the essence of my being.” This work of art can be mulled
over and crafted on the go. It could be a song, a poem, The Basement. The heroes might stumble on a secret
a painting, a dance, whatever. If the character actually hatch that leads to the storage area of works long for-
completes the work of art, they must make a Charisma gotten. This dusty chamber might contain truly foul or
(Performance) check. If they roll 15 or higher, their soul has pathetic monstrosities, including a rogue, forgotten aspect
been linked to Empusia. If they roll less than 15, they feel of Empusia impaled on a column, still alive. She would
compelled to start again. beg the heroes to free her, promising to help them escape
the gallery and even to help them battle against the true
Anyone viewing a triptych can attempt to force their will Empusia.
upon it. A character who succeeds on a DC 12 Charisma Driven half-mad by isolation and torture, the aspect is a
check can change the image in a panel to whatever they brilliant artist that Empusia would be incredibly jealous of
like. Each character can make this check only once per if left on her own to create.
image.
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