Monsters: Blackheart Plague

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# Blackhearts
Aeons ago, there was an age of light and purity; the gods were welcomed into every home, champions were the subject of songs, and peace was abundant. Darkness was almost unheard of, driven to the brink by crusaders long ago. While many thought that their empire had finally won in the eternal war between primordial forces, in truth, the darkness was regrouping, forming a weapon that was almost unstoppable.

One morning, when a hunter was returning to his village after stalking a deer, he found a tree that had a large slash down the middle. Dark sap, almost like blood, was oozing from this wound, and the tree itself was starting to twist and rot. The grass around the tree was black and jagged, and the soil below had an almost mud-like quality to it. What was more off-putting was a flock of birds perched on the tree. Their eyes glinting, and their bodies almost melted into the branches.

Hurrying home, the hunter found the villagers had a similar look to the tree; dead, dripping with a black substance, with parts of them twisted or bent in odd ways. The last thing he heard was an inhuman screech as he was ran though from behind with a blade made from splintered arm bones.

As more and more stories came in about people staggering towards towns and trailing dark blood, with nature itself becoming corrupted. Due to the dark blood that spilled from their corpses, these monsters, and the plague that created them, were called Blackhearts. Soon, the name became known quite well, as fear and panic soon overtook the world. No clerics could purge it. No warriors could hold it back. Soon enough, it reached a great city, and the people saw true death in its purest form.

The Blackhearts that had gathered at the walls began to meld into each other, mixing into a soup of blood and flesh that soon began to speak with a thousand voices, reaching over the city wall like a giant worm and flooding into homes. Soon, this entity was at the peak of the city, with the memories and knowledge of every citizen available to it. The great dark mind stared across the land and felt pride in the ruin that it had caused, watching the towers and castles in the city crumble under the might it had brought.

Weeks of carnage turned to months, with even the gods themselves fleeing from this unknowable monster that had now swept across countless people. It was only through countless experiments that a crack of light began to drive back this force, and even then, this force was too prevalent to fully destroy. Instead, it was sealed in a vault of pure light so that nothing could get out to feed, and nothing could get in to get eaten.

The time will come, though, when these monsters are unleashed upon the world again. Whether it be a hundred years after their defeat, or three, or even a thousand. And when it happens, no one will be able to run.

> ##### Art Credit
>
> ["Insomnia Monsters"](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4bBqVY) by Jordy Knoop
>
> ["Mutant Zombie Sjetches"](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/PGE0r) by Rudy Siswanto
>
> ["Insomnia Gravelord"](https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BmYdY6) by Jordy Knoop

### Infection
There are several ways a creature can become a Blackheart. Mainly through coming into contact with the black blood that they all exude; at the DM's discretion, hitting a creature with a melee attack could cause a creature to touch the blood depending on how much armour or coverage they are wearing. The blood is thick and soaks into fabric quickly; wearing clothes and no other protection will do little to help. Ingesting the blood is another way to become infected.

One infected, there is only one way to prevent the change, which either requires *greater restoration* to be cast on a creature before it turns, or to use a *wish* spell to convert them back if they have already turned. Otherwise, while turning can be delayed, it can never be halted. Abilities that give immunity to disease may slow the spread, but never halt it.

An infected creature must make a DC 5 Constitution saving throw at the first dawn after they are infected. On a success, it resists the transformation. On a fail, it succumbs and turns into a Blackheart over the course of one hour. If a creature has an ability that makes them immune to normal disease, it has advantage on the saving throw. Every dawn, the DC for the saving throw increases by 1, meaning that the transformation is inevitable once the DC reaches high enough.

If a creature expends a Legendary Resistance to succeed on a saving throw against the plague, it ceases to be infected but permanently loses a use of its Legendary Resistance.

\pagebreak

### Blackheart Template

All creatures that are not constructs, undead or oozes are susceptible to infection and are able to turn. Use this template to modify the stats of creatures so that they better represent the plague and how it spreads.

***Ability Score Modifications.*** The creature's Strength and Constitution scores increases by 2, its Dexterity score decreases by 5, to a minimum of 3, and its Intelligence and Charisma scores decrease by 10, to a minimum of 3.

***Alignment Change.*** The Blackheart is unaligned.

***Condition Immunity.*** The Blackheart is immune to the charmed, exhaustion, frightened and poisoned conditions. All other condition immunities are removed.

***Creature Type Change.*** The creature's type becomes undead.

***Damage Immunity.*** The Blackheart has immunity to necrotic and poison damage. Any other immunities are removed.

***Damage Resistance.*** The Blackheart has resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage. Any other resistances are removed.

***Death Burst.*** When it reaches 0 hit points, the Blackheart detonates at initiative count 1 on the next round. The distance and damage of the area depends on the creature's size, but deals necrotic damage no matter the size.. All creatures in the area must make a Constitution saving throw (The DC is equal to 8 + the creature's Constitution modifier + the creature's proficiency bonus), taking half damage on a successful save.

| Size  | Radius | Damage |
|:---:|:-----------:|:-----:|
|  Tiny  | 5 ft. | 1d6
|  Small  | 5 ft. | 2d6
|  Medium  | 10 ft. | 3d6
|  Large  | 10 ft. | 3d8
|  Huge  | 15 ft. | 4d8
|  Gargantuan  | 15 ft. | 5d8

***New Action: Bite.*** If the creature has a bite attack, any creature hit by it must make a Constitution saving throw (using the Death Burst DC) or become infected, in addition to the attack's other effects. The bite deals piercing damage as a Blackheart.

***Langauge Change.*** The Blackheart knows and understands no languages.

***Loss of Self.*** The creature loses proficiency with all tools, armour and other things that the creature knew in life, but not weapons, although the Blackheart is visibly clumsy when wielding a weapon.

***Speed Change.*** The creature's speed decreases by 10 feet, to a minimum of 5 feet.

***Spellcasting.*** The creature loses the ability to learn or cast spells.

***Violent Form.*** The Blackheart loses the benefits of wearing armour and instead gains Natural Armour that turns its Armour Class into 10 + the creature's Constitution Modifier.

\columnbreak

___
> ## Blackheart Hill Giant
>*Huge undead, unaligned*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 15 (natural armour)
> - **Hit Points** 115 (10d12 + 50)
> - **Speed** 30 ft.
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|23 (+6)|3 (-4)|21 (+5)|3 (-4)|9 (-1)|3 (-4)|
>___
> - **Skills** Perception +2
> - **Damage Resistances** bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks
> - **Damage Immunities** necrotic, poison
> - **Condition Immunities** charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned
> - **Senses** passive Perception 12
> - **Languages** -
> - **Challenge** 5 (1,800 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Death Burst.*** When it reaches 0 hit points, the giant detonates at initiative count 1 on the next round. The distance and damage of the area depends on the creature's size. All creatures within 15 feet of the giant must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw, taking 4d8 necrotic damage on a successful save or half that on a failed save.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The giant makes two greatclub attacks.
>
> ***Greatclub.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +9 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. *Hit:* 19 (3d8 + 6) bludgeoning damage.
>
> ***Rock.*** *Ranged Weapon Attack:* +9 to hit, range 60/240 ft., one target. *Hit:* 22 (3d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage.

\pagebreak

## Blackheart Hivemind
An amalgamation of consciousness, thoughts and minds, a hivemind is created through necessity for direction; Blackhearts may be savage, but they have no minds to think, or to strategize. When enough flesh and mind has been fused into a single pile, the thoughts coalesce into something that only seeks the consumption of all living things.

A hivemind is connected to every Blackheart spawned from it and is able to infect regular undead and transform them. It has basic intelligence and can be reasoned with, although it is the lucky man that leaves an encounter with a hivemind as himself.

___
___
> ## Blackheart Hivemind
>*Gargantuan undead, lawful evil*
> ___
> - **Armor Class** 21 (natural armour)
> - **Hit Points** 495 (30d20 + 180)
> - **Speed** 0 feet
>___
>|STR|DEX|CON|INT|WIS|CHA|
>|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|
>|27 (+8)|7 (-2)|26 (+7)|9 (-2)|12 (+1)|5 (-3)|
>___
> - **Saving Throws** Strength +13, Constitution +12
> - **Damage Resistances** bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage by nonmagical weapons
> - **Damage Immunities** necrotic, poison
> - **Condition Immunities** exhaustion, poisoned, prone
> - **Senses** blindsight 25 feet, tremorsense 60 feet
> - **Languages** Common
> - **Challenge** 17 (18,000 XP)
> ___
>
> ***Conversion.*** If a hivemind hits an undead with a bite attack and it is not a Blackheart, it becomes infected with the Blackheart plage.
>
> ***Death Burst.*** Upon reaching 0 hit points, the hivemind explodes in a 20-foot radius. Any creatures in that area must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, taking 42 (12d6) necrotic damage on a failed save and half that on a success.
>
> ***Turn Immunity.*** The hivemind is immune to effects that turn undead.
>
> ***Tentacles.*** When the hivemind hits a creature with a slam attack, it can make a grapple attempt (escape DC 21). The hivemind has four tentacles and can't make grapple attempts if all four tentacles are grappling a creature.
>
> ### Actions
> ***Multiattack.*** The hivemind makes three slam attacks. If it is grappling at least one creature, it can also make one bite attack against each grappled creature.
>
> ***Slam.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +13 to hit, 15 foot reach, one target. *Hit* 19 (3d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
>
> ***Bite.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +13 to hit, 10 foot reach, one target that the hivemind is grappling. *Hit* 28 (3d12 + 8) piercing damage.
>
> ***Necrotic Breath (Recharge 5-6).*** The hivemind exhales dark energy in a 30 foot cone. Creatures in the area must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 40 (5d12+7) necrotic damage on a failed save, and half that on a success.