What Happens When You Die to the Deck of Many Things?

Tags author-davyd-atkins Deck of Many Things

When drawing from the Deck of Many Things, there's not much more of a surefire way to get killed than by drawing the Skull card. When you do, an avatar of death appears in front of you for a battle over your soul. For those unfortunate gamblers who lose this duel, they join the ranks of the Grim Harrow.

Here's a first look at the Undead of the Grim Harrow and the threat they pose to any who dare keep a Deck of Many Things:

Unleash Chaos With The Deck of Many Things Set

Now available, The Deck of Many Things set expands on the legendary Deck of Many Things with new player options, monsters, and more! Included in the set is the 192-page The Book of Many Things, an expanded 66-card Deck of Many Things, and a guidebook for using the cards in new and fun ways. Order your copy today!

Joining the Ranks of the Grim Harrow

Artist: Domenico CavaA skeletal rider on a horse leads an army of undead

When you are slain by the agent of the Skull card, you are denied an afterlife and are doomed to join the ranks of the Grim Harrow.

In the distant past, the souls of those who died to the Skull card rose as evil Undead cursed to aimlessly roam the multiverse. That is until one such victim, a grim champion, began seeking out its kindred and rallying them into a force bent on a single purpose: The destruction of every single incarnation of the Deck of Many Things. This faction became known as the Grim Harrow.

Pushing Up Daisies in the Gardens of Decay

The Grim Harrow operates out of the Gardens of Decay, a demiplane they bloodily seized for themselves. Now, whenever a creature is slain by the Skull card, they appear within the bounds of the Garden, often as a shadow or ghoul, but sometimes as more powerful figures such a death knight, lich, or vampire. It is these powerful victims that are sought out as lieutenants by the grim champions.

What the Grim Harrow Want

The Grim Harrow is made up of many Undead, but they are singular in their goal: Destroy all copies of the Deck of Many Things throughout the multiverse. They hope that with the destruction of the last deck, they will be freed from eternal torment as Undead. As such, they plan harrowing hunts, where Undead are dispatched across the multiverse to chase down any clue, relic, or spell that may help them find a Deck. Should they locate a copy of the Deck, a hunt will be sent forth to destroy it. These hunts are swift and deadly, and if they catch wind of a Skull card being drawn, a grim champion may even lead the hunt in the hopes of destroying a deck.

The Grim Champions

Artist: Domenico CavaA skeletal rider on a horse leads an army of undead

The three grim champions represent the most powerful entities within the Gardens of Decay, each one embodying a facet of death and serving as the leaders of the Grim Harrow. However, they do not act in concert with one another and instead often strive against each other, vying for power and dominance. It is this self-interest and lack of cooperation that acts as the single biggest factor limiting the power of the Grim Harrow and its grim champions.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

One of these champions is Aleron, the Grim Champion of Pestilence. He was a tiefling who never actually drew from the Deck of Many Things. Instead, he leapt to the aid of an ally who had pulled the Skull card and was slain by the avatar of death that appeared for him. His corpse pulled itself from the mire of the Gardens of Decay, rife and ridden with plague and pestilence.

Aleron is a terrible foe to face in a melee. Glowing insects buzz around his fleshless skull in a mockery of a halo, and waves of necrotic energy wash out from him, inflicting the incapacitated condition on any nearby creature that fails a Constitution saving throw.

The champion can also use their Blight Staff or Plague Bolt to inflict necrotic or poison damage, or hurl pestilent spells such as blight, cloudkill, or contagion. Even when it’s not the champion's turn, they can use their legendary actions to launch attacks, cast spells, or pursue enemies across the battlefield. If they’re mounted, they can even command their mount to charge, a truly terrifying prospect.

Using the Grim Harrow in Your Campaign

The Grim Harrow and its champions can make for a great antagonistic force in your campaign, with or without the direct involvement of the Deck of Many Things. Due to the narrow window in which a hunt must be completed, the Grim Harrow and its champions can pose a sudden and devastating threat to the party, sweeping in from out of nowhere and vanishing just as quickly.

Because the Grim Harrow not only seek to destroy the Deck but also uncover knowledge and claim tools to aid in their goals, you can position them as adversaries in a variety of situations. You could have the Grim Harrow cross paths with the party in the depths of an ancient library or temple as both groups seek out ancient lore. Or they could both be in search of a magic item that happens to be powerful enough to destroy the Deck.

Add Some Grim to Your Games

Regardless of how you use them in your campaign, the Grim Harrow is an exciting adversarial group, and the three legendary grim champions represent but a small selection of over 30 monsters that can be found in The Book of Many Things. From campaign ideas to character options, new magic items and deadly foes, this sourcebook will guide you through many ways to highlight the infamous Deck of Many Things at your table and in your games!

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Davyd is a moderator for D&D Beyond. A Dungeon Master of over fifteen years, he enjoys Marvel movies, writing, and of course running D&D for his friends and family, including his daughter Willow (well, one day). The three of them live with their two cats Asker and Khatleesi in south of England.

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