The Drowned

They Do Not Need to Breathe

I swear on my life, we sank the boat. They shouldn’t be here. They shouldn’t be here.

Many years ago, when the first signs of the Blight appeared, the people of Faulmoor sought ways to contain it. They thought water would be its tomb.

They were wrong.

The Drowned are the remains of those who were thrown into Faulmoor’s rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, weighted down with chains or cast overboard from doomed vessels. Some were criminals, some were the infected, some were simply sacrifices in the name of survival. But rather than finding peace in the depths, they rose again.

They do not float. They do not drift. They remain beneath the surface, waiting, their bodies bloated and split from prolonged decay. Their mouths hang open, endlessly dripping with blackened water, their movements eerily slow—until they strike.

The Drowned are not creatures you fight in the open—they are creatures you never fight at all. If they drag you into deep water, you will not escape. The key to survival is staying out of their reach. Never fight them while in or near deep water, and never assume that still waters are empty. They are slow and sluggish on dry land—lure them ashore if you must engage. Once out of the water, they become vulnerable to fire, which dries them out and weakens them. If caught, do not struggle directly against their grip—instead, strike their arms or fingers to break free before they pull you under. Above all, if you hear water moving when the wind is still, leave immediately.

The worst part of the Drowned is that they never let go. When they take hold of a victim, they do not claw or bite—they drag them down, deeper and deeper, until their thrashing stops. Their fingers clamp like iron, their bodies press downward, and their victims are left to drown in the same fate they once suffered.

Should you ever need to cross the waters of Faulmoor, do so quickly, and with fire on hand. The dead are waiting below, and they are always hungry.

Stat Block

Medium Undead, unaligned

Damage Resistances: Fire
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Poisoned, Exhaustion
Senses: Darkvision 60 ft., Passive Perception 8
Challenge: 1 (200 XP)

Traits

• Aquatic Predator:
  Advantage on attack rolls while in water; can breathe underwater indefinitely.
  
  

• Dragging Grasp:
  If a Drowned hits with its Slam attack, the target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be grappled and pulled 5 feet toward water or deeper into it.

Actions

• Waterlogged Slam:
  Melee Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Damage: 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage, and target must succeed on DC 12 Strength saving throw or be grappled (escape DC 12).