Golgari Shaman
Golgari shamans are the spiritual leaders of the Golgari
Swarm. They teach the guild's beliefs about t he cycles of
nature, using their necromantic magic to show how life
sprouts from death.
Golgari shamans paint their faces so they appear
to have extra eyes on their cheeks and chins. They
sometimes use magical mood mark paint (described in
chapter 5) to allow them to communicate by means of
th ese marks. T hey wear clothing adorned with beetle
carapaces, spiderwebs, or shelf fungus.GOLGARI SHAMAN
Medium humanoid (elf), neutral evilArmor Class 14 (hide armor)
H it Points 88 (16d8 + 16)
Speed 30 ft.STR
11 (+O)DEX
15 (+2)CON(^12) (+l)
Saving Throws Con +4 , Wis +6
INT
12 (+l)
WIS
17 (+3)
Skills Arcana +4, Insight +6, Nature +4 , Religion + 4
Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
Languages Common, Elvish
Challenge 5 (l,800 XP)
CHA
16 (+3)
Fey Ancestry. The shaman has advantage on saving throws
against being charmed, and magic can't put it to s leep.
Spel/casting. The shaman is an 8th-level Golgari spellcaster.
Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 14, +6 to
hit with spell attacks). The shaman has the following druid
spells p repare d :
Cantrips (at will): poison spray, shillelagh, thorn whip
lst level (4 slots): cure wounds, entangle, ray of sickness
2nd level (3 slots): pass without trace, ray of enfeeblement,
spike growth
3rd level (3 slots): animate dead, dispel magic, plant growth
4th level (2 slots): blight, giant insect
ACTIONS
Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: + 4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 5 (ld6 + 2) bludgeoning damage, or 6 (ld8 + 2)
b ludgeoning damage if used with two hands.
Fungal Rot. Melee Spell Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
Hit: 9 (2d8) necrot ic damage, and the target must make a DC
14 Constitution saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) poison damage
on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
REACTIONS
Feed on Death. When a creature within 30 feet of the shaman
drops to 0 hit points, the shaman gains 5 (ldlO) temporary
hit points.
C'llAJ nR f> fkll 1\llS \ND I 01 c;
Golgari Lairs
Members of the Golgari Swarm have an intimate con-
nection to their territory. When at least six Golgari
defend their territory together, they can call on the envi-
ronment to aid them. The group must include Jarad Vod
Savo or at least one Golgari shaman, kraul death priest,
undercity medusa, or D evkarin lich. When deter m ining
the difficulty of such an encounter, consider the lair to
be one additional creature of challenge rating 1.LAIR ACTIONS
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties). the Golgari
group takes a lair action, causing one of che follow-
ing effects; the Golgari can't use the same effect rwo
rounds in a row:- If the Golgari can see any sewer openings, they can
cause sewage to overflow. Any creature within 20 feet
of such an opening must succeed on a DC 15 Dexter-
ity savi ng throw or be knocked prone and pushed up
to 20 feet in a straight line away from the opening. - Spore-laden fungi release a cloud that fills a
20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point the Golgari
choose within 120 feet of any member of the group.
The cloud spreads around corners and remains un-
til one of the Golgari dismisses it as an action, the
Golgari group uses this lair action again, or all the
members of the Golgari group die. The area within
the cloud is lightly obscured. Any creature in the cloud
when it appears must make a DC 15 Constitut ion sav-
ing throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on a failed
save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Any creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 10
(3d6) poison damage. - Tendrils of creeping fungi reach out to ensnare
the enemies of the Golgari. The Golgari choose a
15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 60
feet of any member of the group. Each creatur e in
the area that isn't allied with the Golgari group must
succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or become
restrained until the Golgari group uses this lai r action
again, all the members of the group are slain , or no
member of the group is within 60 feet of the effect. A
creature restrained in this way can use an action to
make a DC 15 Strength check, ending the restrained
effect on itself with a success.
REGIONAL EFFECTS
The region containing a Golgari lair is infested with
mosses and strange fungi. This habitat accounts for one
or both of the following effects in the surrounding un-
dercity (the effects don't spread to the surface):
Moss, fungi, and other growth covers every under-
ground surface within half a mile of the lair.
Fungal spores drifting throughout the lair have the
power to animate corpses. Whenever a Small or Me-
dium humanoid dies within the lair, roll a die. On an
odd number, the dead creature rises up as a fungus
drudge (use the zombie stat block in the Monster Man-
ual) ld8 hours later, unless its body is destroyed.
If all the Golgari in the lair die, the r egional effects
fade over ldlO days.