5 Iconic Villains You'll Find in Vecna: Eve of Ruin

Tags author-mike-bernier vecna

Releasing May 21, Vecna: Eve of Ruin will take your party on a race across the multiverse to foil Vecna the god-lich's plot! As you attempt to stop one of D&D's most infamous villains from enacting a multiverse-shaking ritual, your party will visit iconic locations and encounter a cast of legendary characters steeped in D&D history.

While Vecna may be the big bad of this adventure, there are other infamous villains who will be making an appearance. Let's take a look at some of the bad guys included in Vecna: Eve of Ruin.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Curse of Strahd, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, and Tomb of Annihilation. If you don't want to spoil any surprises for these adventures, I suggest avoiding content hidden behind the "Spoiler" buttons.

Get Your Adventure Started With Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye

Vecna: Nest of the Eldritch Eye is a prequel adventure to Vecna: Eve of Ruin for 3rd-level characters. This one-shot sets up Eve of Ruin by introducing your party to Neverwinter and the Whispered One's cultists. 

To get your introductory adventure, preorder a digital copy of Vecna: Eve of Ruin. Nest of the Eldritch Eye is now available for those that have preordered, and can be purchased separately after Eve of Ruin drops on May 21! 

A Vast Villainous Venture

Vecna: Eve of Ruin commemorates 50 years of Dungeons & Dragons with an epic adventure that brings players face-to-face with fan-favorite characters and locations across the multiverse.

We've already done a deep dive on Vecna and covered the archmages who will be lending their magical might to your party's cause, so now it's time to unveil which of the infamous villains from D&D's past will be making an appearance as multiversal calamity looms. While your party won't necessarily confront these villains in direct combat, their iniquitous influence will be felt throughout the realms you traverse. 

Acererak, the Insidious Architect

Artist: Martin MottetAcererak the lich in tattered black robes sitting upon a skeletal throne.

Acererak is a lich with a fondness for trapping adventurers in danger-filled dungeons and harvesting their souls to feed his spirit jar. He's been the insidious architect behind dozens of tombs throughout the multiverse, but his most famous work is recognized as D&D's deadliest dungeon: the Tomb of Horrors.

When he's not constructing dungeons filled with death traps, Acererak ventures across the planes in search of powerful magical artifacts to place into his tombs as a lure for adventurers.

It is said that Acererak was born as a Cambion in the Greyhawk setting of Oerth. At a young age, he was rescued from an angry mob by the one and only Vecna and became one of the few spellcasters to have studied directly under the archlich's tutelage.

Eventually, Acererak followed his master on the path to undeath. As with most liches, Acererak is cruel, power-hungry, and vindictive. But, unlike his former master, Vecna's ex-apprentice doesn't crave godhood. Instead, he's more than happy to fill his immortal life tormenting adventurers in his carefully constructed tombs.

What Has Acererak Been Up To?

Acererak was most recently seen in the adventure Tomb of Annihilation and is the architect behind the meatgrinder dungeon, the Tomb of the Nine Gods.

He tried to create an evil god by using a necromantic device called a Soulmonger to feed souls to an Atropal he found adrift in the Negative Plane. Acererak stashed the Soulmonger in the Tomb of the Nine Gods, which placed a death curse across Toril and started collecting the souls of those who succumbed to it.

If the Soulmonger had collected enough souls to transform the Atropal into a god, Acererak would have unleashed it on the mortals and immortals who opposed him. Luckily, the device was destroyed, and Acererak was defeated—though, as a lich, he'll inevitably be back.

Kas, the Betrayer

ARTIST: Robson MichelKas in dark red armor adorned with gold trim and a rubies in the breast plate.

Kas was a fallen paladin who worked his way up through the ranks of Vecna's armies during his campaign to conquer Oerth. Eventually, Kas's cruelty, malice, and loyalty led Vecna to appoint him regent of his forces. When Vecna turned his gaze toward the multiverse, it was Kas who enacted the will of Vecna across his Oerdian kingdom.

To demonstrate Kas's authority, Vecna forged him a sword that was as ruthless and cruel as its master. It was said that so long as Kas wielded this dark blade, he could not be defeated in battle. 

But without Vecna's knowledge, the blade urged Kas to supplant his master, leading to Kas's legendary betrayal at Vecna's fortress. The ensuing battle saw both Kas and Vecna defeated; all that was left of the combatants were the Eye and Hand of Vecna, and the Sword of Kas.

Though Vecna's body was destroyed, his consciousness lived on, traveling the multiverse until he was powerful enough to reconstitute his form. Kas, on the other hand, was trapped in Tovag, a Domain of Dread, and has become its Darklord.

What Has Kas Been Up To?

Kas continues to be fueled by his hatred of Vecna. While in Tovag, Kas ceaselessly musters troops and builds his armies. He then sends them into the Mists that surround his realm, believing that Vecna lies just beyond. None of his troops return, and thus he starts anew in an endless cycle.

Lord Soth, the Cursed Knight

Artist: Svetlin VelinovLord Soth in ornate plate with glowing red eyes behind his helmet.

Lord Soth is one of the most evil forces you'll find in the Dragonlance setting.

Long ago, he was a Knight of Solamnia—a valiant knight in gleaming armor who had vowed to protect the realm. He was given a chance to prevent the devastation of Krynn in an event that became known as the Cataclysm, but his pride and vanity got in the way.

He failed his task to confront the Kingpriest of Istar, and the gods smote a fiery mountain down on Krynn, causing destruction on a calamitous scale.

When the fires from the Cataclysm finally died, Lord Soth arose as a Death Knight—an Undead creature forsaken to wander the world, immortal, angry, and alone.

Since the Cataclysm, Lord Soth has operated on his own agenda. He has amassed an army of living and Undead followers and commands them from his fortress, Dargaard Keep.

What Has Lord Soth Been Up To?

In Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, war has come to Krynn once more. Takhisis, the Dragon Queen, sought to conquer the realm and gathered her forces of dragons, draconians, humans, and dark powers—chief among them was Lord Soth.

Though her attempt to destroy the city of Kalaman was thwarted, the conflict still rages on. Lord Soth, while sometimes an ally of Takhisis, isn't sworn to her command. Instead, he pursues his own goals and only joins the Dragon Queen when their interests align.

Miska the Wolf-Spider

Artist: David Auden NashMiska the wolf-spider showing off his spider legs, wolf heads, and armored upper torso.

Eons ago, primal beings of Chaos and gods of Law warred for control of the cosmos. One of the primordials, the Queen of Chaos, had a lieutenant who commanded Chaos' troops to numerous victories. This lieutenant was a demon lord known as Miska the Wolf-Spider.

When you're a Huge demon with armored spider legs, four clawed arms, and two wolf heads that drip poison, it can safely be assumed that you'll be a dangerous foe. But, the deadliest thing about Miska is his cunning mind. As the commander of the primordial armies, Miska led the forces of Chaos on a successful campaign and had the forces of Law on the brink of destruction.

In a last-ditch effort to prevent catastrophe, seven Wind Dukes of Aaqa wove their power into a magical artifact called the Rod of Law and used the item to imprison Miska in the plane of Pandemonium. Though it completed its task, the rod shattered into seven parts, which were flung across the multiverse. The histories now speak of this item as the legendary Rod of Seven Parts. It can bestow powerful abilities to those who wield even a single piece.

What Has Miska Been Up To?

Miska has been trapped in Pandemonium for eons and continues to bide his time and build his army of spyder-fiends for the day he is released upon the multiverse once again.

Strahd von Zarovich, the Tyrannical Vampire

Artist: Martin MottetStrahd the vampire in luxurious red grab wearing a black cape.

In life, Strahd von Zarovich was a formidable figure who became known as a conqueror. After the demise of his father, King Barov, Strahd led his army through bloody conflicts, ultimately defeating his family's enemies and establishing the valley of Barovia.

He became fearful of dying the way his father did, so he made a pact with dark forces in exchange for immortality. But as the years passed, his soul grew twisted and corrupted. Eventually, he killed his brother Sergei in a fit of jealous rage when a young Barovian woman chose the warmer Sergei over him.

This act sealed Strahd's pact with the Dark Powers, and he transformed into a vampire. Realizing Strahd had become a monster, his people turned against him, but Strahd slew them all before they could escape. His vile acts doomed all of Barovia, which was swept away to the far corners of the multiverse, where it became a Domain of Dread.

Now immortal and trapped within the borders of his own domain, Strahd preys upon the souls of travelers who find themselves lost in the Mists that surround Barovia. Sometimes, he's able to lure in a formidable party of adventurers with whom he distracts himself from his unending imprisonment.

What Has Strahd Been Up To?

Curse of Strahd details the vampire's cyclical plight. He is trapped in Barovia, forever tormented by his inability to escape.

While he may come off as an edge lord with a flair for the dramatic, Strahd is not a foe to be trifled with. He defeated the legendary archmage Mordenkainen and cannot truly be vanquished as long as the Dark Powers continue to torture him.

The End Is Nigh!

In Vecna: Eve of Ruin, your party will have to wade through some pretty dangerous foes to even reach their final showdown with the all-powerful lich-god Vecna. They'll be lucky to get through any of these conflicts in one piece—let alone all of them. Do they have what it takes to save the multiverse?

The book releases on May 21. You can preorder the digital and physical copy of Vecna: Eve of Ruin in the D&D Beyond marketplace today! Or get your copy early by visiting select stores participating in the Local Game Store Early Access Program.

When Vecna: Eve of Ruin releases on D&D Beyond, Master-tier subscribers will be able to access the book's monster tokens and maps in D&D Beyond Maps. This official virtual tabletop only requires the DM to have a subscription, and it allows you to prep and run your sessions with a couple of clicks, so you can focus on the fun!

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Text reads, Adventurers wanted! Join the D&D Discord today!

Mike Bernier (@arcane_eye) is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his partner, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.

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