PLANE SHIFT: INNISTRAD©2016 Wizards of the Coast LLC. MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, their respective logos,
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Written by James Wyatt
Cover art by Adam Paquette
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Contents
The World of InnistradLife on InnistradCreatures of the NightThe Coming of Emrakul
Curse of Innistrad

Humble the Brute

DaarkenIntroduction

Clouds of purple and red shroud the sky above the forbidding mountains of the Geier Reach, never allowing
the sun’s full light to shine on the ground below. The
jagged spires of Maurer Estate jut up from the peaks,
keeping silent watch over the isolated valley. Stoicand enduring, the people of Stensia huddle in theirstone-crafted villages—Shadowgrange, Krezk, Lammas—built against the mountainsides. Wisps of thickfog twine amid the trunks of black pines in the Somberwald, thick bogs suck dead trees slowly down into
their murky depths, and dusky pastureland provides
scant sustenance to flocks of scrawny sheep.
The lord of this bleak, remote part of Stensia’s
outland valleys is Strefan Maurer, who drank angel’s
blood alongside Edgar Markov and Olivia Voldaren
centuries ago. His bloodline is small and mostly irrelevant to the larger world, but in the outland valleys ofStensia, he is the ultimate master. Avacyn and Sigarda
offer scant hope to his grim subjects. Abandoned bytheir angels and hunted by vampires, all the Stensians
can do is endure the unending dusk.
•••
By the time Plane Shift: Zendikar saw the light ofday, the game and story of Magic: The Gathering had
moved on from Zendikar and started the tale of Shadows over Innistrad. I had already finished writing The
Art of Magic: The Gathering—Innistrad, at the sametime that Curse of Strahd, a horror-themed adventure
for Dungeons & Dragons, was on the shelves. All thismeant that I turned my attention pretty quickly to thenext installment, Plane Shift: Innistrad!
The starting point for this document was The Art
of Magic: The Gathering—Innistrad. Consider thatbook to be a useful resource in creating your Innistrad
campaign, but not strictly necessary. An abundance oflore about Innistrad can be found on the Magic website. This document is designed to help you turn thebook’s adventure hooks and story seeds into a resourcefor your campaign with a minimum of changes to thefifth edition D&D rules.
This document also contains guidelines for adapting the Curse of Strahd adventure to set it in Innistrad.
With a bit of creative improvisation, these tips should
get you on your way.
—James Wyatt
The game mechanics in this supplement are usable in yourD&D campaign but are not fully tempered by playtests anddesign iterations. For these reasons, material in this supplement
is not legal in D&D Organized Play events.
Humble the Brute

DaarkenGhost Quarter

Peter Mohrbacher

The WorldOn the plane of Innistrad, horrors stalk the shadowsand scratch at doors in the night. Humanity is beset on
all sides: vampires thirst for human blood, werewolves
live for the thrill of the hunt, the restless spirits of thedead haunt the living, and no corpse is safe from reanimation at the hands of cruel necromancers or cunningscientists. Only their grim determination—and theirstaunch faith in the protection of their patron archangel, Avacyn—has allowed humans to survive in thisnightmarish realm.
Horrors of the Night
The people of Innistrad are surrounded by monsters.
Almost without exception, anything that is not human,
whether it’s a rat or an angel, is a potential enemy.
Even the traditional allies of humanity—from angels
and gryffs to herons and hounds—are unreliable atbest, as the madness that grips the angels seems toseep into every living thing. And at the same time, humanity’s age-old enemies grow ever more dangerous.
The specific horrors that the people of Innistradfear most are all reflections of humanity’s darker
nature. Werewolves are a living embodiment of thesecret rage and violence that hide in the human heart.
Vampires are the bodily manifestation of carnal
desire, hedonistic cravings, and bloodlust. Zombies
and geists—the restless spirits of the dead—paint theeventual future of all people in the starkest terms, underlining the grim truths of human mortality. Demons
are the unholy inversion of humanity’s spiritual longings—the shadow side of the angels’ brightness.
Still, the most dreadful creatures of Innistrad lurk
within human towns and cities, pursuing their twisted
schemes and unholy desires in the heart of civilization.
These are the humans that have been consumed by
Innistrad’s darkness. Sinister cultists give themselves
over to demons and other dark forces. Depraved necromancers raise the dead to do their bidding. Obsessive scholars pry into secrets best left hidden. Crazed
scientists toy with forces of life and death in theireffort to create artificial life or harness the energy thatremains in the spirits of the dead. And even among thecommon folk—on Innistrad as on every plane—some
simply give in to selfish desires and violent rage, killing with knife and garrote rather than sorcery.

Demonic Taskmaster

Chris Rahn

Goldnight Commander

Chris Rahn

Defenders of Humanity
Humanity is not without protectors in this nightmare
land, and the foremost of those have always been theangels. Led by the glorious archangel Avacyn, the hostsof angels is few in number but has long stood with thepeople of Innistrad to face the horrors of the night.
Except in rare cases where the angels directly involve themselves in combat with monsters, their poweris mediated through the Church of Avacyn, which
serves as both spiritual and temporal authority in thefour provinces of Innistrad. The priests of the church
perform ritual blessings on the faithful and theirhomes to ward off evil, and the church’s soldiers andinquisitors have long hunted vampires and werewolves
that prey on the people in their charge.
But that was before Avacyn went mad. Without
warning, the searing fury of the archangel—usually reserved for the greatest foes of humanity—was
turned on villages full of seemingly innocent peo-

ple. Angels under Avacyn’s leadership impaled theinnocent on their spears and scoured the earth withcelestial fire. Convinced that the sins of humanity had
brought down Avacyn’s wrath, the church took up thearchangel’s cause and sought to purge all sin throughinquisition and execution.
With even the angels and the church turned against
humanity, few were left to take up arms against
Innistrad’s evils. Here and there, renegade cathars
disobeyed the mandate of the church and continued
to hunt vampires and werewolves instead of punishing the innocent. But increasingly, the common
folk—farmers with their pitchforks, smiths with theirhammers, and retired soldiers taking battle-wornswords down from above the mantle—discovered newreserves of strength and resiliency to stand against thehorrors of the darkness, even when those horrors wereparish priests and holy knights.

Gavony TownshipPeter Mohrbacher

People of Innistrad

Innistrad’s population is mostly human, and player
characters in an Innistrad campaign should be human in most circumstances. However, the humans of
Kessig are different in many respects from those of
Gavony, and Nephalia’s urban culture is very distinct
from the shadow-draped land of Stensia. Diversity
among player characters comes not from race, butfrom each character’s home province.
Human characters on Innistrad have the following
traits. If you use these human traits, do not use thevariant human traits presented in the Player’s Handbook. As well, in campaigns that use feats, charactersshould not be allowed to choose feats that duplicate
any provincial traits.
Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens
and live less than a century.
Alignment. Humans tend toward no particularalignment.
Size. Humans vary widely in height and build,from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardlessof your position in that range, your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice (see “Languages” on the next page).
Provincial Origin. Choose one of the four provinces of Innistrad as the place of origin for your character.
GavonyWhether safe behind the walls of the High City of
Thraben or out in the moors with little more than shuttered windows, barred doors, and grim determination
to stand against the horrors of the night, the humans ofGavony are the most well-rounded people of Innistrad.
Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores eachincrease by 1.
Kessig
For the Kessiger, life is work. Kessigers are farmers,
millers, weavers, and stonemasons, living close to theland and working hard for every meal. This makes
them self-reliant, pragmatic, and plainspoken.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Wisdom scores each increase by 1.
Forest Folk. You have proficiency in the Survival
skill.
Fleet of Foot. Your base walking speed is 40 feet.
Sure-Footed. When you use the Dash action, difficult terrain doesn’t cost you extra movement on thatturn.

Diregraf Escort

Ryan Pancoast

Spring Attack. When you make a melee attack
against a creature, you don’t provoke opportunity
attacks from that creature for the rest of your turn,whether you hit or not.
Nephalia
Beneath an ever-present shroud of fog billowing infrom the sea, the people of Nephalia maintain a semblance of normalcy, buying and selling goods fromacross Innistrad in their bustling markets, setting out
to sea in tiny fishing boats, or tilling the soggy earth inwaterlogged fields.
Ability Score Increase. Your Intelligence and Charisma scores each increase by 1.
Breadth of Knowledge. You gain proficiency inany combination of four skills or with four tools ofyour choice.
Stensia
Countless generations of hardship and proximity to
the vampire strongholds—leading to lost children andneighbors—have taught Stensians to guard their hearts.
They are proud and fervent in their beliefs but seembrusque or even cold to the people of other provinces.
Ability Score Increase. Your Strength and Constitution scores each increase by 1.
Daunting. You have proficiency in the Intimidation skill.
Tough. Your hit point maximum increases by 2,
and it increases by 2 every time you gain a level.

Classes Overview
Characters of any class can be found in Innistrad,
though some classes are rarer than others. The organizations and character types noted below are describedin more detail on the following pages.
Barbarians are not a common sight in Innistrad.
Some cathars draw on the power of divine fury (seethe Lightning Mauler card in Avacyn Restored). The
remotest regions of the Somberwald, the Ulvenwald,
and the Geier Reach might also be home to more traditional barbarians.
Bards are also rare on Innistrad. A springsage—
an Avacynian archmage dedicated to healing andrenewal—could conceivably be a bard.

Clerics populate the ranks of the church hierarchy
and many cathar orders.
Druids can be found as springsages or as the“witches” known as forcemages, who make pacts withnature spirits.
Fighters fill all the usual roles on Innistrad, as
soldiers, cathars, militia captains, town guards, and soon.
Monks are rare. A monk is probably a member ofthe church hierarchy, and in fact is most likely to be amonk in the church’s definition—a wandering priest.
Paladins fill many of the cathar orders. As theangels’ madness and Emrakul’s rise change the face ofInnistrad, the Order of Saint Traft becomes the homeof many “heretic” cathars who choose to follow theirown conscience rather than the increasingly insane
dictates of the church.
Rangers are particularly common in Kessig, where
they operate as hunters, trappers, or guides in the Ulvenwald, or as cathar members of the Quiver of Kessig.
Rogues are most common in Thraben and thecities of Nephalia, engaging in smuggling, thievery,
corpse trading, and other unsavory lines of work.
Sorcerers are rare. A spearsage (one of the archmages of Goldnight) could be a sorcerer, especially if
you use the favored soul variant presented in Unearthed
Arcana. A sorcerer might also be a necro-alchemist or acultist of some sort.
Warlocks are found primarily in cults of madness(with a Great Old One as patron),demon cults such as the Skirsdag,or witches’ covens. A warlock
who belongs to the Skirsdag
might be a respected member ofthe church hierarchy, feigning theblessings of Avacynian clergy.
Wizards are often Avacynianarchmages, but can also take up
more sinister vocations—ghoulcallers, skaberen, necro-alchemists, mad scientists, and cultists.
Languages
Innistrad is not a world with avariety of languages, unlike mostD&D settings. The people who
inhabit the world all speak thesame tongue, and the most common monsters—including vampires, werewolves, and geists—
speak it as well, since they were once human.
Ordinarily, all humans learn an additional language, and many backgrounds give access to languages as well—so the easiest way to deal with these
extra languages is to ignore them. Humans speak only
Common. If a background gives access to a language,
the character can choose a tool proficiency instead.
Alternatively, you can diversify the languages ofInnistrad. Perhaps the Common tongue is the languageof the church, used to facilitate communication amongpeople in different provinces, even as each province
has its own language or dialect. Characters mightalso be able to learn Demonic (spoken by demons anddevils), Draconic (spoken by dragons), or Primordial(spoken by elementals).

The Church of Avacyn

The Avacynian faith is a complex system of beliefs
and magical practices intended to protect the humansof Innistrad from the predations of the plane’s monsters. Over the centuries, layers of belief and ritual
have accreted to this basic core, but as long as Avacyn
remained present and sane in the world, the wards ofthe church remained strong, preventing the utter extinction of the human race.
Player characters in an Innistrad campaign arelikely to be associated with the Church of Avacyn
in some capacity. Clerics,
druids, fighters, paladins,
rangers, and wizards mightserve as cathars, inquisitors, or archmages within
the broad organization of
the church.
Church Hierarchy
The church is headed by the
Lunarch Council. Consisting of bishops and catharsof the highest ranks, thecouncil continues to struggle
to come to terms with themadness of Avacyn and herangels.
Bishops are the leadersof the spiritual and temporal affairs of the church.
Elders govern the parishes
that make up each province,
combining the administrative responsibilities of a mayor with the religious
authority of a minor bishop. Priests attend to the needsof the people at parish churches, village chapels, andcrossway altars. All priests have the ability to perform
magic, though some are more powerful than others.
Most of them focus on the protective blessings thatmake up the rituals of the church.
Monks are wandering priests, not connected to a
specific location. Some feel called to minister to thoseisolated people living beyond the reach of a parish
priest, but others take up the life of a monk because
they disagree with their superiors in the hierarchy.
Some are wild-eyed fanatics or heretical teachers, butmany are quiet, peaceful souls with firm convictions
that set them apart from the church.
A player character cleric is probably referred to asa monk in the church hierarchy, having the freedom
to move around with no responsibility to any congregation. The acolyte background is ideal for sucha character. A cleric’s choice of domain might reflecta connection to one of the archangels subservient to
Avacyn. The Knowledge domain is particularly associated with Bruna and Flight Alabaster, the Life domain
is strongly connected to Sigarda and the Host of Herons, and the War domain is tied to Gisela and Flight
Goldnight.

Silverblade Paladin

Jason Chan

Cathars
Cathars are the soldiers of the Avacynian church, but“soldiers” is a broad term encompassing everythingfrom crime-solving investigators to mounted paladins.
Some cathar orders are so independent as to be virtually separate sects of the church, while others aretightly bound to the hierarchy of the faith:• The elite cavalry of Innistrad, the Gavony Riders,are extensively trained in mounted combat withswords and lances.
• The mausoleum guards are the rank-and-filesoldiers of the cathars, wielding little magic but
making up for it with their numbers.
• Midnight duelists patrol the streets, particularly
at night, on the lookout for thieves, vampires, andcorpse traders.

Demolish• Moor chaplains are battlefield faithful who wield
magic and weapons with equal skill. Their magic
focuses on healing and protection, so they don’t
usually fight on the front lines.
• Cathars of the parish-blades serve as escorts along
the crossways and protect the cathedral in Thraben. They are an elite military force that assembles
at the bishops’ command.
• The Quiver of Kessig is an order recently split off
from the parish-blades. Its members specialize inarchery and long-range defense, and often guard
town walls and church roofs against spirits, vampires, specters, demons, and other flying attackers.
Cathar characters might be clerics (especially moor
chaplains), fighters or paladins (especially Gavony
Riders, mausoleum guards, midnight duelists, or parish-blades), or rangers (in the Quiver of Kessig). The
soldier background works well for cathars.
Avacynian Archmages
The Avacynian archmages are gifted spellcasters with
the inborn ability to channel some of the divine powerof the archangels. Each lineage of the archmages prac-

Raymond Swanland

tices unique techniques passed down from master tostudent for generations, ultimately tracing back to thearchangels and Avacyn herself.
Spearsages, the archmages of Goldnight, use powerful and aggressive spells associated with the sun,channeling blinding rays of holy light and powerfulprayers to bolster their allies’ speed and courage.
Moonsages, the archmages of Alabaster, are concerned with preserving the Blessed Rest, preventing
humans from returning as zombies. They use preventative and warding spells, banishing the undead to thevoid and making sure graves remain sealed.
Springsages, the archmages of Herons, are healers
who use their magic to aid individuals, whole villages,
and even the land itself. They act much like wandering priests or monks, traveling the remote reaches tominister to the people and heal the sick.
Avacynian archmages might be clerics, wizards,or (in the case of the springsages) druids. The favoredsoul sorcerer presented in Unearthed Arcana could
also work for an archmage, and the sage background isideal for such characters.

Inquisitor Background

Historically, inquisitors were cathar detectives who investigated crimes both mundane and supernatural. They
were known for traveling to remote parishes plagued by
unexplained murders, and for exposing werewolves living among normal humans. During Avacyn’s absence,
when the archangel was trapped within the demonic
prison known as the Helvault, the inquisitors led a seriesof brutal forays into Kessig and the Gavony Moorland.
They executed suspected lycanthropes with little or no
proof, and punished accused heretics in unsanctioned
trials. With Avacyn’s madness, this savage form of inquisition has become the norm, and inquisitors who still
pry into dark mysteries have become a minority.
Skill Proficiencies: Investigation, Religion
Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools, one set of artisan’s
tools of your choice
Equipment: A holy symbol, a set of traveler’s clothes,and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Feature: Legal Authority
As an inquisitor of the church, you have the authority
to arrest criminals. In the absence of other authorities,
you are authorized to pass judgment and even carryout sentencing. If you abuse this power, however, yoursuperiors in the church might strip it from you.
Suggested Characteristics
Inquisitors are often driven by zeal, plagued withsuspicion, and haunted by self-doubt. They are all too
susceptible to human failings, and their judgment is
not always divinely inspired.
d8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Personality Trait
It will all go smoothly if everyone just does as I say.
Despair is an extravagance we can ill afford.
I know the writings of Saint Raban backward and forward.
I try to see the bright side in the very worst situations.
It helps me feel better when others show sympathy orappreciation for the horrors I’ve endured.
I prefer to face evil with a strong group of friends in front of me.
I want to see the wicked burn for the evil they’ve brought on us.

8

I feel the sin being purged from me as I help cleanse the world.

d6
1

Ideal
Honesty. The smallest deception paves the way to grievous sin.
(Lawful)Piety. Devotion to the angels and the rites of the church is all thatkeeps the world from destruction. (Good)
Order. The laws of Avacyn are meant to preserve the social
order—everything in its proper place. (Lawful)
Humanity. Human life is to be cherished and preserved against
the horrors of the night. (Good)
Knowledge. The path to holiness comes through understandingof the world. (Any)Punishment. It is better for the innocent to suffer than for the
guilty to escape their due. (Evil)

2
3
4
5
6

d6
1
2
3
4
5
6
d6
1
2
3
4
5
6

Moorland Inquisitor

David Palumbo

Bond
Thraben is the heart of the world. The cathedral must stand even
if the hinterlands are lost.
One day, I will claim vengeance against the monster that took myfamily from me.
My weapon is all I have to remember my beloved mentor by.
The geist of my beloved speaks to me sometimes.
My dear sibling is now a werewolf.
A small crossways chapel is my spiritual home.
Flaw
I am troubled by the wild rage and bloodlust that lurks in my own
heart.
I have come to believe that I executed an innocent person.
I enjoy the prestige of my position more than service to the angels.
I drink to forget the horrors I’ve seen.
I might have made a promise to a demon that I can’t keep.
I’ll do whatever grim task must be done, for my soul is alreadylost.

Moonmist

Werewolves

Driven by their passions, their supernatural hunger,
and the cycle of the moon, werewolves shed their tenuous humanity to embrace the savage predator within. They live along the boundary between humanity
and supernatural evil, between civilization and thewilds, between light and utter darkness. Gathering inwild packs or hunting alone under the silver moon,
werewolves embody the urge to violence, the rebellion
against social mores and the chains of conscience, andthe hunting instinct that lives within the human heart.
The Nature of Lycanthropy
Lycanthropy—the condition that turns humans into
werewolves—is a supernatural curse that causes thevictim’s spiritual essence to become mingled with thewild essence of nature, symbolized by the wolf. The
lycanthrope can be thought of as possessing two souls,
or a single soul split between two essences that constantly battle for control. When the wild wolf essencetriumphs, the werewolf change occurs. This might explain why werewolves hunt humans so often; the wolf
essence desires to destroy the human side and triumph

Ryan Yeeover humanity, and does so symbolically through brutal murder.
A Tenuous Hold on Humanity. A person afflictedwith lycanthropy is forever in doubt of his or her own
urges and instincts. In human form, a werewolf feels
the pull of the wolf’s essence even while fully engaged
with human society. All lycanthropes feel the war of
emotions in their hearts, and as the moon grows full,conscience, religion, and personal restraint wield lessand less influence. The full moon makes the change
inevitable, but any strong emotion or traumatic experience can also trigger the transformation.
Werewolves in either form seem to be able to tella human-form lycanthrope by scent. Indeed, humans
who are mysteriously spared during werewolf rampages are often suspected of being werewolves themselves.
A Natural Killing Machine. Werewolves in canid
form are beings of unparalleled savagery and strength.
Their bodies are perfectly engineered for slaughter,with jaws capable of snapping bone and claws sharp
enough to rip the entrails from a beast many times

their size. Their minds are explosions of instinct andadrenaline, fed supernatural awareness from theirheightened senses yet cognitively blind to almost everything but the kill. They can walk upright for manual dexterity or lope on four limbs for speed. Their howl
is said to release the wolf’s spirit within, a harrowing
sound that fogs the air and chills the night. Werewolves in canid form cannot speak human languages,
but seem to be able to communicate with each other onmatters of hunting, dominance, and social hierarchy,
as canines do in the wild.
If a werewolf dies in canid form, it changes back tohuman form, a process called death reversion.
Transmitting the Curse
The exact means by which a person is subjected tothe curse of lycanthropy is unknown and clouded bysuperstition. It’s likely that the curse can be imposedby a variety of different means—including intentional participation in a ritual meant to invoke the curse.

Werewolf (Krallenhorde)
Medium humanoid (human, shapechanger), chaotic evil

Armor Class 11 in human form, 12 (natural armor) in canid form
Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)
Speed 30 ft. (40 ft. in canid form)
STR
15 (+2)DEX
13 (+1)CON
14 (+2)

INT
10 (+0)WIS
11 (+0)CHA
10 (+0)Skills Perception +4, Stealth +3
Damage Immunities bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing fromnonmagical attacks not made with silvered weapons
Senses passive Perception 14
Languages Common (can’t speak in canid form)
Challenge 3 (700 XP)
Shapechanger. The werewolf polymorphs into a wolf-humanoid canid
form, or back into its true human form. This change is dictated by
the moon, but can also be induced by trauma or strong emotion.
Its statistics, other than its AC, are the same in each form. Any
equipment it is wearing or carrying isn’t transformed. It reverts to itstrue form if it dies.
Keen Hearing and Smell. The werewolf has advantage on Wisdom(Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Actions
Multiattack (Canid Form Only). The werewolf makes two attacks:
one with its bite and one with its claws or spear.
Bite (Canid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage.
Claws (Canid Form Only). Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one target. Hit: 7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
Spear (Human Form Only). Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to
hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing
damage, or 6 (1d8 + 2) piercing damage if used with two hands tomake a melee attack.

Bound by Moonsilver

Joseph Meehan

Sometimes, it seems that a werewolf howlpack chooses a victim; certainly, most victims share a common
experience of being called to join the pack.
Werewolf Howlpacks
Werewolves are often lone hunters, stalking and killing humans as singular monsters in towns and villages. But some werewolves form loose social groups
in the wild, called howlpacks. The population of any
howlpack waxes and wanes like the moon, gaining andlosing members as individual lycanthropes enter orleave their canid state. Some werewolves seem to becontinually drawn back to a familiar howlpack, returning to it time after time as they drop their human guiseto reenter the wild.
Howlpacks can be tiny hunting parties of just a
few werewolves or massive hordes of over a hundred
beasts. They are typically led by single alphas (maleor female) that dominate the pack. Alphas must often
defend their power by defeating challengers in combat.
Howlpack Traits
The basic werewolf statistics represent a member of theKrallenhorde, Innistrad’s largest howlpack. Werewolves of otherpacks might have additional abilities such as the following.
Vildin Rampage (Canid Form Only). When the werewolf reduces acreature to 0 hit points with a melee attack on its turn, it can take abonus action to move up to half its speed and make a bite attack.
Mondronen Wounded Fury. While it has 10 hit points or fewer, thewerewolf has advantage on attack rolls. In addition, it deals an extra
7 (2d6) damage to any target it hits with a melee attack.
Leeraug Blood Frenzy. The werewolf has advantage on melee attackrolls against any creature that doesn’t have all its hit points.

Vampires

The vampires of Innistrad form a civilization thatstands alongside and in direct competition with humanity, presenting the greatest danger to human lifeon the plane. Like werewolves, vampires were originally human, and they view themselves as successors
to the weak human race—even as they grudgingly
recognize that they require humans to feed upon.
Vampires are the embodiment of self-indulgent desire,pursuing hedonistic cravings that humans suppress outof a sense of morality and propriety. In their stately
manor houses, sprawling courts, and towering castles,
four great family lines of vampires show varying degrees of aggressiveness toward their human prey.
The Nature of Vampirism
Vampirism on Innistrad is an anointing that persists
and is perpetuated by magic—not a curse or a disease,
but a physical state that the vampires somewhat euphemistically call a “condition of the blood.”
Vampire Appearance. Vampires have distinctive
eyes, appearing as pools of gold or silver surroundedby black. Their hair is often black but can also be deep
purple, dark magenta, burgundy, or even dark bluegreen. Some vampires wear wigs for variety, novelty,
or to disguise themselves more easily among humans.
They have pale skin that is cool to the touch. Theircanine teeth are slightly pronounced at all times, andthey extend significantly when they bite to feed. Vampires also tend to have long and slightly curved fingernails.
Vampiric Glamer. Many vampires learn aunique form of mind-affecting magic that enables
them to move among humans undetected. Called theglamer, this power alters what nearby humans thinkthey’re perceiving, as opposed to true illusion magicthat masks the subject’s appearance. As such, particularly strong-willed humans can sometimes shake
off the effects of the glamer to see a vampire’s true
form.
Vampire Vulnerabilities. Weapons cut from living
wood are particularly effective against vampires,
though any weapon can harm or kill them. A vampire
can’t cross running water that shows the reflection of
the moon, and water blessed by Avacyn (holy water)burns vampire flesh like acid. A vampire’s reflection insilver (including a silver-backed glass mirror) appears
as the vampire would have looked without the vampiric condition—neither its true appearance nor its glamer, but a normal human, flaws and all. For that reason,
Markov Dreadknight

Cynthia Sheppard

vampires go to great lengths to avoid mirrors, and thepresence of silver in any form is unsettling to them.
The Unquenchable Thirst. A vampire needs toconsume the blood of living humans for sustenance. At
a minimum, during any given cycle of the moon, a vampire must drink as much blood as an average adult human contains (about five liters). Without enough blood,the vampire dries and shrivels, eventually crumbling todust. Given the opportunity, most vampires will happily
consume more blood than they strictly need.
Typically, a vampire drinks so much blood from a

Vampire Neonate
Medium undead, neutral evil

Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
Hit Points 82 (11d8 + 33)
Speed 30 ft.
STR
16 (+3)DEX
16 (+3)CON
16 (+3)INT
11 (+0)WIS
10 (+0)CHA
12 (+1)

Saving Throws Dex +6, Wis +3
Skills Perception +3, Stealth +6
Damage Resistances necrotic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashingfrom nonmagical attacks not made with living wood weapons
Senses darkvision 60 ft.; passive Perception 13
Languages Common
Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)
Regeneration. The vampire regains 10 hit points at the start of its
turn if it has at least 1 hit point. If the vampire takes radiant damage
or damage from holy water, this trait doesn’t function at the start ofthe vampire’s next turn.

Actions
Multiattack. The vampire makes two attacks, only one of which canbe a bite attack.
Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit:
8 (2d4 + 3) slashing damage. Instead of dealing damage, the vampire
can grapple the target (escape DC 13).
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one willing creature,or a creature that is grappled by the vampire, incapacitated, or
restrained. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic
damage. The target’s hit point maximum is reduced by an amountequal to the necrotic damage taken, and the vampire regains hit
points equal to that amount. The reduction lasts until the target
finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point
maximum to 0.
Vampiric Glamer. The vampire obscures its form with mind-affecting
magic that makes others perceive it as a beautiful human of thesame size and shape. The illusion ends if the vampire takes a bonus
action to end it or if the vampire dies. A creature that can see thevampire can take an action to visually inspect it, ending the mental
effect on itself and seeing the vampire’s true form with a successful
DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check.
Aura of Silence. The vampire shrouds itself in a cloak of silence toa radius of 2 feet. Within that radius, the effect is the same as thesilence spell.

human that the victim dies, but sometimes the vampire
is interrupted and the human survives and recovers.
Such survivors are often met with suspicion and fear,
but they never become vampires unless an actual
exchange of blood has occurred—which is always
a deliberate act on the vampire’s part. These survivors are often plagued by unsettling (and sometimes
disturbingly erotic) dreams, but they suffer no otherlasting consequences.
Vampire Personality. The selfish and arrogant
vampires view humans as cattle in comparison to theelegance and sophistication of vampire society. Of
course, that “sophistication” consists mostly of treachery and debauchery, where grudges and betrayals area source of amusement. The vampires’ endless revels,
feasts, romances, and intrigues are rife with decadence and hedonism. They overindulge in everything,including sex, food, drink, entertainment, sleep, andscheming.
Vampire Bloodlines
Innistrad’s ancient history speaks of a human alchemist
and healer named Edgar Markov, who sought to preserve his own life and the lives of his family. As old age
began to claim him, he despaired of finding an alchemical solution and turned to black magic. Not long after,
the demon Shilgengar appeared to Markov and revealed
a means by which he could achieve immortality: a dark
ritual that involved drinking an angel’s blood.
The vampires of Innistrad are all descended fromtwelve ancient sires—the congregation that participated in Markov’s blasphemous ritual. Of these twelve
bloodlines, four constitute the vast majority of Innistrad’s vampires: Markov, Voldaren, Falkenrath, andStromkirk.
Elder Vampires
The basic vampire statistics represent a “neonate”—a newly
spawned vampire. Older vampires can learn powerful magic ofmany different kinds, and might have any of the following traits andabilities.
Shapechanger. The vampire has the Shapechanger trait of thevampire in the Monster Manual, as well as the shapechanger tag.
Some vampires can turn into bat form, some can assume mist form,
and a few can choose either form.
Charm. The vampire has the Charm action of the vampire in the
Monster Manual.
Flight. The vampire has a flying speed of 30 feet.
Gorger. The vampire has advantage on melee attack rolls, but attackrolls against it have advantage.
Spellcasting. The vampire has the spellcasting abilities of a wizard
or cleric.

Geists

Innistrad is filled with the ghosts of the human dead.
These spirits, called geists, take many forms. Some areprotective ancestors, some are simply lost between lifeand death, and others are vengeful creatures bent on
resolving conflicts they couldn’t in life. While Avacynstood as guardian over Innistrad, she and the angels
of Flight Alabaster ushered the spirits of the departed
into the Æther, where they rejoined the essence of theplane. In her absence—and now her madness—many
spirits cling to the world of the living, unable or unwilling to find their way to the Blessed Sleep.
Geists exist in the space between the material andimmaterial realms. Although their nature and substance are fundamentally insubstantial, allowing themto pass through walls or disappear entirely from view,
they can affect the material world in a variety of ways.
Some can make themselves solid for a brief time, or
can solidify parts of themselves or items they hold—typically long enough to slash open a throat with aweapon or claws. Others operate at the level of themind, instilling deadly fear within the living or twisting their senses. Victims believe so strongly in the illu-

sory harm being inflicted on them by a geist that they
actually suffer injury. Some geists can affect temperatures, using cold to numb or freeze the living—particularly when humans get lost on the moors or wander
too far into bogs. Some use psychokinetic power towrap brambles, chains, spikes, or glass around themselves, then wield those objects against the living.
Geists have always been a presence on Innistrad.
Some manifest on the plane only because of a grudge
or regret powerful enough to disturb the Blessed Sleepof the body to which they were connected. Others
linger because of a strong desire to protect their living
kin, or because of some obsession forcing them tocontinue a duty they performed in life.
Ghostly Possession. Most geists have the ability totake control of corporeal bodies, including those still
inhabited by the living. To possess a living person, ageist must overpower its victim’s will, making it mucheasier to inhabit a corpse or a zombie. As long as thepossession lasts, the geist has complete control overa living victim, which is forced to watch its body act
without any ability to stop it.
Bygone Bishop

Jason A. Engle

Geist-Honored Monk

Clint Cearley

Geist

Medium undead, any alignment

Armor Class 11
Hit Points 45 (10d8)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft.
STR
7 (−2)DEX
13 (+1)CON
10 (+0)INT
10 (+0)WIS
12 (+1)

CHA
17 (+3)

Damage Resistances acid, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning,piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities cold, necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, grappled,
paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses darkvision 60 ft.; passive Perception 11
Languages any languages it knew in life
Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
Ethereal Sight. The geist can see 60 feet into the Ethereal Plane when
it is on the Material Plane, and vice versa.
Incorporeal Movement. The geist can move through other creaturesand objects as if they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force
damage if it ends its turn inside an object.

Actions
Withering Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one
target. Hit: 17 (4d6 + 3) necrotic damage.
Etherealness. The geist enters the Ethereal Plane from the Material
Plane, or vice versa. It is visible on the Material Plane while it is in the
Border Ethereal, and vice versa, yet it can’t affect or be affected byanything on the other plane.
Possession (Recharge 6). One creature that the geist can see within
5 feet of it must succeed on a DC 13 Charisma saving throw or bepossessed by the geist; the geist then disappears, and the target isincapacitated and loses control of its body. The geist now controls
the body but doesn’t deprive the target of awareness. The geist
can’t be targeted by any attack, spell, or other effect, except ones
that turn undead, and it retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom,Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It
otherwise uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t gain
access to the target’s knowledge, class features, or proficiencies.
The possession lasts until the body drops to 0 hit points, the geist
ends it as a bonus action, or the geist is turned or forced out by aneffect like the dispel evil and good spell. When the possession ends,
the geist reappears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the body.
The target is immune to this geist’s Possession for 24 hours after
succeeding on the saving throw or after the possession ends.
The geist can instead target the corpse of a creature, effectively
using its own life force to animate the corpse as a zombie. The
animated corpse uses zombie statistics and returns to death if thegeist ends the possession.

Mana Connection. As creatures of pure spirit,
geists are partially sustained by the mana that flows
through the plane of Innistrad. Thus, each geist is
closely associated with one or more colors of mana,
and its nature and attitude are shaped by the characteristics of that mana. The effects of possession by a geist
likewise depend on the geist:• Most white-aligned geists are benevolent, sheltering spirits, and they generally possess the living
for their own protection.
• Blue-aligned geists are prone to performing repetitive actions—knocking, arranging things in patterns, stacking objects, making marks, and so on.
When they possess the living, they often induce
this same kind of obsessive behavior.
• Black-aligned geists hate the living, hungering
eternally for life, power, or the settling of a wicked grudge. The victims they possess are forced tocommit terrible crimes of violence and murder,
and are often left injured, permanently crippled,or dying. These geists might be represented by the
shadow, specter, will-o’-wisp, or wraith statistics
in the Monster Manual.
• Human spirits motivated by fury sometimes returnas red-aligned geists called poltergeists. Use thespecter statistics from the Monster Manual withthe poltergeist variant for these creatures.
• Rarely, human spirits return as benevolent greenaligned geists. Similar to white geists, these spirits
protect homes nestled in the forest and keep watch
over orchards and groves.
Geist Powers
Geists are as varied as the humans they were in life. In addition to thetraits and actions all geists possess, an individual geist might have anyof the following special characteristics.
Intangible Virtue. A living creature possessed by a white-aligned
geist gains immunity to the charmed and frightened conditions,and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage fromnonmagical attacks. While the creature is possessed, the geist canallow it to take control of its body, but the geist can regain control at
any time (no action required).
Horrifying Visage. Black-aligned geists can make themselves terrible
to behold, even when they are possessing the living. Each non-undead
creature within 60 feet of the geist that can see it must succeed
on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. If
the save fails by 5 or more, the target also ages 1d4 × 10 years. A
frightened target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each ofits turns, ending the frightened condition on itself on a success. If atarget’s saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the target
is immune to this geist’s Horrifying Visage for the next 24 hours. The
aging effect can be reversed with a greater restoration spell, but only
within 24 hours of it occurring.

Necro-Alchemists

Some bizarre and eccentric scientists
use geists—the spirits of the dead—as
an energy source to conduct strange
experiments on living creatures andfuel crazed technological inventions.
Necro-alchemists sometimes call themselves geistmages, but different practitioners identify themselves in different
ways. What all have in common, however, is their use of elaborate contraptions
to capture, bind, and draw the energy
from geists.
This technology is often employed
to power sprawling laboratories. But
some necro-alchemists have managed tobind geists to smaller containers, including tubelike canisters that are strapped
to the back and attached to weapons thathurl lightning. At their best, necro-alchemists use their technological advances to fight the crazed angels. However,even the most true-hearted geistmages have been
known to capture the spirits of fallen allies to recharge ageist-lightning weapon that has run out of fuel.
Necro-alchemists are best described using themage statistics in the Monster Manual, with the assumption that their spellcasting is facilitated by the useof geist-powered devices.

Skaberen

Skaberen, also called stitchers, are scientist-mages whocreate artificial forms of life. The true goal of a skaberen is to create real life, an undertaking which usually
produces a malformed “offspring” for the practitioner.
This offspring is a skaab—a constructed zombie.
Skaabs are assembled from disparate body parts
and animated through scientific means. Most skaabs
are more or less humanlike, but creative stitchers havecrafted winged skaabs similar to the drakes of otherworlds, towering giant skaabs, and unrecognizable
horrors.
Skaberen go through an elaborate process to gather
body parts, bind them together, infuse the stitchedbody with vital fluid, and plant a vital force in its unliving flesh. Some skaberen even use necro-alchemy tofuel their laboratories, leading to even more confusion
in terminology.
Skaberen usually ply their trade in remote and inhospitable places, since they are viewed as blasphem-

Laboratory Maniac

Jason Felix

ers by the church of Avacyn. They often become obsessed hermits who surround themselves with ancient
scrolls and books, phials of rare noxious liquids, glass
jars full of pickled organs, anatomical charts for bothhumans and beasts, rune-engraved skeletal remains,and small anvils and hammers for inscribing brass andcopper plates.
Some skaberen might be mere commoners, or
perhaps cultists. The most powerful among themmight be mages (using geist-powered devices), but thetrue power of most skaberen is in their creations (flesh
golems), not their own magic.
SkaabsThe most basic skaabs are simply flesh golems, as described in the
Monster Manual. But the aspiration of every skaberen is to produce
a truly unique masterpiece, a goal that might see a stitcher create
golems with one of the following special characteristics.
Armor Plating. Increase the skaab’s Armor Class to 14 and increase its
challenge rating to 6 (2,300 XP).
Six Arms. The skaab’s multiattack action allows it to make three slamattacks. Increase its challenge rating to 6 (2,300 XP).
Three Heads. The skaab has advantage on Wisdom (Perception)
checks and on saving throws against being blinded, deafened,
stunned, and knocked unconscious. (Its challenge rating
doesn’t change.)
Skaab Goliath. This skaab has three heads, six arms, and armor
plating. Increase its challenge rating to 7 (2,900 XP).
Winged Skaab. The skaab has a flying speed of 30 feet.

Ghoulcallers

Ghoulcallers are necromancers—mages who use black
mana to call forth the dead from graveyards. Theserisen dead are called ghouls, or the unhallowed. The
ghoulcaller fills the fragile mind of his or her creation
with a single driving purpose, which the ghoul carries out to the best of its ability using whatever skills
it has. The result is a grotesque parody of life: risen
blacksmiths attempting to “reforge” their opponents,
fallen warriors rasping incoherent battle cries, undead
murderers reawakening their deadly slyness, and fallen
mages trying to weave spells that often result in somehorrible distortion of their original purpose.
The clergy of Avacyn perform rituals on the final
resting places of the dead to ensure the Blessed Sleep,
but during Avacyn’s time in the Helvault, ghoulcallers
had an easier time in their work. In this present age of
Avacyn’s madness, not only are necromancers easily
able to plunder the graves of the fallen, but ghouls seemto arise spontaneously from graves across Innistrad.

The zombies in the Monster Manual describe themost common ghouls of Innistrad. More powerful
necromancers might raise unhallowed dead with thestatistics of ghasts, ghouls, mummies, or wights.
Ghouls also include zombie animals, often animatedby necromancers to serve as familiars—most commonly cats, rats, and snakes. These creatures have thestatistics of the small animals in the Monster Manual,with the addition of the zombie’s Undead Fortitude trait.
LichesLiches are powerful necromancers who fuse themagic of the ghoulcaller with the arcane science of
necro-alchemy, preserving themselves in hideous unlife while retaining their sentience and magical power.
One lich is known to reside in the Nephalian town ofHavengul, but others might exist that are more skilled
at hiding their presence. The lich in the Monster Manual can represent these undead necromancers.
Unbreathing Horde

Dave Kendall

Demons

Demons are the dark counterparts of angels—malevolent creatures of raw black mana. Some were once
humans who sold their souls for power, and all areutterly corrupt and evil. As creatures of pure mana,
demons can never be truly destroyed. When a demon dies, its essence is scattered for a time, but thatessence eventually coalesces into a new form. The
power of Avacynian magic keeps the essence of slaindemons from creating new demonic forms as quickly as was common in Avacyn’s early days. To fightagainst such magic and extend their influence into themortal world while keeping out of easy reach of theangels, demons make pacts with cultists and witches,
bending those humans to their sinister will.
As it did during Avacyn’s absence, the most prominent demon cult on Innistrad exists within the highest
levels of the hierarchy of Avacyn’s church. The influence of the Skirsdag Cult is strong within the LunarchCouncil, and that influence has whipped the church intoa murderous frenzy in response to the angels’ madness.
The terrible inquisition that has arisen as a result has
proven as great a threat to Innistrad as the angels themselves. Throughout it all, the demons remain hidden,
but their reach is greater than it has ever been.
Virtually any demon, devil, or yugoloth in the
Monster Manual can stand in for a demon of Inn-istrad. The greatest demons, such as Griselbrand,
Ormendahl, and Withengar, are mighty beings on
par with the demon princes described in the Out of
the Abyss adventure. When any demon is destroyed,
it gains a new body after somewhere between ninety-nine days and ninety-nine years.
DevilsDevils are infernal perpetrators of malicious mischief. They make up the personal armies and entourages of the demons—those creatures’ selfish desires
and urges made flesh. Cruel and gleefully sadistic,
devils have no regard for the safety of themselves
or others. They delight in destruction, mayhem, andpain.
Devils stand about three or four feet tall and havefaces full of needlelike teeth. Most have ruddy or deep
red skin, one or two back-sweeping horns, and long,whiplike tails. However, their morphology varies fromindividual to individual. Devils are agile and makepassable fighters, but they do their best destructive
work by sabotaging things of value and inciting violence in others.
Devils are best represented by the smaller demonsand devils presented in the Monster Manual—dretches,
imps, lemures, manes, quasits, and spined devils.
Reaper from the Abyss

Matt Stewart

Cults and Witches

Welcome to the FoldDavid PalumboWith the madness of the angels, a variety of newcults sprang up across Innistrad. Some were directcontinuations of the demon cults that had proliferated during Avacyn’s absence, but others were entirely
new—centered on madness and revering monsters that
had arisen in response to the angels’ madness. Manysuch cults can be traced to the activity of Nahiri—thestoneforging Planeswalker known as the Lithomancer.

Cults of Madness
Many of the cults that once followed demons saw
their patrons destroyed when Avacyn emerged fromthe Helvault. The people who belonged to those cults
were not so quickly restored to church and community, and many of them remain disgruntled, rebellious,
or insane. Nahiri has played on their discontent andgiven them new masters to serve. Some revere her,
especially in Stensia, believing that she is an ancientvampire. Others offer sacrifices to the monsters of theworld—including those in Nephalia who worship themonstrous kraken-like Kralmar.
Many of these cults gather around spires of twisted
stone (called cryptoliths) that Nahiri has raised fromthe ground across the provinces. The true purpose of
these stones—redirecting the ley lines of mana flowing through the plane—is lost on the cultists, but theredirection of mana has caused the madness of the angels, who are formed of raw mana. Whether this was
Nahiri’s intent or simply a side effect of some greaterplan remains a mystery. Many cultists view the angels’madness as a sign of the dawning of a new age, believing that the angels are purging those who are unworthy
to be present when some unknown apocalypse occurs.
Followers of Nahiri’s cults are physically as wellas mentally warped. Theirfeatures twist into bestial or
fishlike forms, as if they might
be regressing through millionsof years of evolution. Someeven grow tentacles or tails,
transforming into slimy horrors
resembling octopuses or amphibians.
Demon Cults and Witches
Not all the demons were killed
when Avacyn escaped theHelvault, and some of theircults remain intact. The mostimportant of these is the Skirsdag, which hides within thevery hierarchy of the church
in Thraben. Once dedicated tothe archdemon Griselbrand,
the Skirsdag is now led by
Ormendahl the Reaper, a demon who survived the angelic
purge by hiding in caverns
deep beneath the cathedral. With the madness of
Avacyn, the Skirsdag gains increasing influence
over the Lunarch Council, adding violent zeal to thechurch’s inquisition.
The distinction between a demon cult and a witch’s
coven is subtle. Cultists worship demons, but witches derive actual magical power from them, forging
contracts similar to those that gave the Planeswalker
Liliana Vess her magical power.
These cultists can be represented in the game using the statistics for cultists or cult fanatics. The cultsof madness might include yuan-ti purebloods or kuotoa (in the most advanced cases of corruption). Demoncultists could be acolytes or priests, and witches could
be mages or druids (particularly in the case of theforcemages, who derive their power from nature spirits
rather than demons).

Balefire Dragon

Dragons and Wurms

Dragons are extremely rare on Innistrad, mostly confined to the remotest parts of the Geier Reach in Stensia. Most of these dragons are brutal fire-breathers thatprey on any creature that strays into their territories,
making them best represented by the red dragons in
the Monster Manual.
A few dragons are known to favor more monstrous
prey, hunting vampires and flying into Kessig to feast
on werewolves. Known as moonveil dragons, these
extremely rare creatures have shimmering, transparent

Eric Deschamps

wings that gleam in the moonlight as they hunt. The
sight of one is considered an inspiring good omen by
those who fight the evils of the world. Use the brassdragon statistics for a moonveil dragon.
Wurms are enormous serpentine creatures thatburrow through the ground, consuming corpses.
Fortunately quite rare, they are thought to be physicalmanifestations of corrupted green mana. The purple
worm in the Monster Manual can represent thesemonstrosities.

Constructed Creatures

Many of the evils that plague humanity on Innistradarise from within humanity itself, and among themost terrible of these are creatures built by humanhands. Some of these are animated by the magic of
necro-alchemists or witches, but others are inhabitedand given life by hostile spirits or other malign forces. These include gargoyles and scarecrows, haunted
dolls and suits of animated armor, stone golems
formed of gravestones and mausoleums, and homunculi created by stitchers and necro-alchemists.

Creepy Doll

Elementals

Elementals are manifestations of the forces of nature,and on Innistrad that generally means sinister forces.
They arise from the twisted woods—the Ulvenwald
and the Somberwald—that hide some of Innistrad’s
most fearsome monsters, or spawn from the fierychasms that seethe like cauldrons of hate in the midstof the land. Like geists, elementals are closely associated with specific colors of mana.
Green-aligned elementals usually take on gnarledhumanoid shapes made up of wood stalks and twisting vines, best represented as treants,
blights, shambling mounds, or awakened trees and awakened shrubs. Others
are nature spirits and spirit animals. Someof these are relatively benign, including
beautiful nature spirits (dryads) wrappedin vine and thorn. Cold-burning geistflames made of unnatural fire (will-o’wisps) seem unconcerned with human
life, but often lead travelers through thewoods and bogs into danger. Malignkindercatches (green hags) steal children
from the forest villages of Kessig.
Red-aligned elementals are fiery beasts(hell hounds) or spirits (fire elementals)
that haunt places like Ashmouth or Devil’s
Breach.

Matt Stewart

Creepy Doll

Scissors. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7(2d4 + 2) slashing damage.

Tiny construct, lawful evil

Armor Class 12
Hit Points 21 (6d4 + 6)
Speed 40 ft.
STR
6 (−2)DEX
14 (+2)CON
13 (+1)INT
12 (+1)WIS
11 (+0)CHA
10 (+0)Skills Stealth +4
Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing fromnonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed,
poisoned, unconscious
Senses darkvision 60 ft.; passive Perception 10
Languages speaks and understands the languages known by its creator
Challenge 2 (450 XP)
False Appearance. While the creepy doll remains motionless, it isindistinguishable from an ordinary, inanimate doll.

Actions
Multiattack. The creepy doll makes one attack with its scissors anduses Psychic Assault.

Psychic Assault. The creepy doll targets one creature it can see within
10 feet of it that has a brain. The target must succeed on a DC 12
Intelligence saving throw or take 11 (2d10) psychic damage. Also on a
failure, roll 3d6. If the total equals or exceeds the target’s Intelligence
score, that score is reduced to 0. The target is stunned until it regains
at least one point of Intelligence, as from the greater restoration spell orsimilar magic.
Body Exchange. The creepy doll initiates an Intelligence contest withan incapacitated humanoid within 5 feet of it. If it wins the contest,
the creepy doll’s spirit inhabits the target’s body while the target’s
spirit is placed into the creepy doll’s body. The creepy doll controls thetarget’s body completely. It retains its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom,Charisma, and immunity to being charmed and frightened. It otherwise
uses the possessed target’s statistics, but doesn’t gain access to thetarget’s knowledge, class features, or proficiencies. The target retains
its alignment, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma while inhabiting thecreepy doll’s body.
The body exchange lasts until the doll’s spirit is forced out by magic.
(The dispel evil and good spell will accomplish this, though the doll is
not one of the creature types whose possession that spell normallyends.) The body and the doll must be within 5 feet of each otherfor such an effect to work. The target is immune to this doll’s Body
Exchange for 24 hours after winning the Intelligence contest or after theexchange ends.

Angels

Avacyn was the archangel of Innistrad,
revered across the plane as the source ofhope, of protection, and of the Blessed
Rest—a peaceful eternity of slumber inthe grave. She offered the faithful magicalwards against vampires and werewolves,a tranquil oblivion rather than the damned
fate of a tormented spirit or undead abomination, and a distant hope that someday,
their descendants might live in an Innistrad
free from all the horrors of darkness.
Traditionally, three groups of angels
known as flights or hosts served Avacyn, eachunder the leadership of a lesser archangel.
Flight Alabaster
The practical and sympathetic angels of
Flight Alabaster were instrumental inmaintaining Avacyn’s wards against thesupernatural evils of Innistrad. They preferred the useof spells to weapons, and engaged in battle only when
they had exhausted other options. As a result, angels ofother flights sometimes dismissed them as overly sentimental. Alabaster angels aided priests and cathars inmaintaining the protective wards on city walls and at
holy sites throughout the plane, and also aided Avacyn
in conducting the spirits of the dead to their ultimate
fate, dissolving into Innistrad’s Æthereal essence. The
leader of Flight Alabaster was Bruna, called the Lightof Alabaster.
Host of Herons
The Host of Herons comprised the angels of birth,rebirth, and purity, whose magic was said to ward
humans against harm in life. This was always thesmallest flight of angels, and its primary function was
the scouting and tracking of werewolves and othermarauding monsters. Sigarda led the Host of Herons,
wielding a scythe shaped like the head of a heron.
Flight Goldnight
Flight Goldnight was an army of soldier-angels focused on the martial strength of the church. These angels were characterized by pragmatism and strict observance of church law. They were strategists in battle
and skillful leaders during armed conflicts, cultivatinga martial mindset that made them more than willing totake up arms when the need arose. The leader of Flight
Goldnight was Gisela, called the Blade of Goldnight or
the Blade of the Church.

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Jason Chan

Angelic Flights
The angels of Innistrad share the statistics of the angels in the
Monster Manual. Avacyn can be considered a solar, the three lesser
archangels are planetars, and the angels that make up the three hosts
are devas. However, angels of the different flights have certain uniquecharacteristics.
Alabaster Wards. Angels of Flight Alabaster can use their Innate
Spellcasting to cast protection from evil and good at will, and dispel eviland good once per day.
Heron Protection. Whenever an angel of the Host of Herons ora friendly creature within 10 feet of it makes a saving throw, thecreature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to the angel’s
Charisma modifier. The angel must be conscious to receive or grant
this bonus.
Goldnight Menace. As an action, an angel of Flight Goldnight can
strike fear into the hearts of its enemies. Each creature of the angel’s
choice that is within 120 feet of it and is aware of it must succeed ona Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. The DC
for this saving throw is the same as for the angel’s Innate Spellcasting
trait. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its
turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving
throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune tothat angel’s Goldnight Menace for the next 24 hours. A deva with thisfeature has a challenge rating of 11.
Moonsilver Spear. An angel of the Flight of Moonsilver wields a spear
made from a shard of the Helvault. Hit points lost to this weapon’sdamage can be regained only through a short or long rest, rather thanby regeneration, magic, or any other means. Once per turn, when theangel hits a creature with an attack using this weapon, it can wound
the target. At the start of each of the wounded creature’s turns, ittakes 1d4 necrotic damage for each time the angel has wounded it,
and it can then make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, ending theeffect of all such wounds on itself on a success. Alternatively, thewounded creature, or a creature within 5 feet of it, can use an action
to make a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check, ending the effect of suchwounds on it on a success.

The Madness of Avacyn
When the Eldrazi titan Emrakul first approached Innistrad, Avacyn perceived her influence as a contagion thatmust be expunged from the world. However, unable toidentify the source of that contagion, Avacyn was driven mad, lashing out instead at every living thing. She
led the angels in a vain effort to purge this corruption
from the plane, viewing the humans they once protected
as part of the maddening illness. The different flights ofangels even began to war against each other, drasticallyreducing the number of angels on the plane.
Wielding fiery swords and clad in full armor, thesoldier-angels of Flight Goldnight became the scourgeof all mortal life on Innistrad. None could predict what
would trigger their violent judgment or where theywould strike next. The angels of Flight Alabaster had
always been at the forefront of the church’s efforts toroot out and punish demon cultists, necromancers, andother heretics. With Emrakul’s approach, they grew atleast as mad as Avacyn herself. Their fervent obses-

sion drove the forces of the Lunarch Inquisition, thechurch’s efforts to root out sin among the human populace. The angels prodded the church to ever greaterand more desperate action.
Amid the chaos, Avacyn created a new angelic
flight to serve as her honor guard. Armed with moonsilver spears forged from shards of the broken Helvault, these angels of the Flight of Moonsilver served
as sentries and guards at Thraben Cathedral, and flew
alongside Avacyn into battle against any perceived
threat to Innistrad.
Only Sigarda and the Host of Herons remained unaffected by Avacyn’s madness, perhaps because they
were the angels of purity. The survivors of this hostretreated to their old haunt in Gavony’s remote parish
of Videns to maintain a safe distance from Avacyn.
Angels that have gone mad can cast flame strike
once per day using their Innate Spellcasting trait. Additionally, the extra damage from their Angelic Weapons is half fire damage and half radiant damage.
Fiery Temper

Johannes Voss

Rise of Emrakul

Emrakul is the largest and most fearsome of the three
Eldrazi titans imprisoned on Zendikar. She causes silent horror wherever she soars, embodying desolation,
emotional and physical distance, the chill of the void,and the terror of being alone. Thus, in many ways, she
is perfectly at home on Innistrad.
Emrakul’s initial approach to Innistrad pressed on
the minds of that plane’s inhabitants, straining theirsanity. Her full manifestation then amplified that effect. Cultists who bordered on mad obsession descended into gibbering adulation of their Eldrazi idol, andscholars who pried into dark secrets fell catatonic withthe full realization of the alien horror they studied.
Emrakul arrived on Innistrad without her broodof drones and other spawn, so she immediately began warping the native creatures of the plane—both
natural and unnatural—in her own monstrous image.
Beings transformed into Emrakul’s spawn manifest-

ed fleshy lattice structures, distorted symmetry, andtentacles ending in knobby, vestigial digits. Those who
had already begun their descent into corruption before the Eldrazi’s arrival were warped almost beyond
recognition, but even those who fought against themadness during her approach were susceptible to thelife-warping affects of her presence.
Emrakul’s arrival set a new series of horrific eventsin motion, as humans and monsters alike found theirvery existence threatened by this blasphemous horror.
Emrakul’s Madness
The story of Shadows over Innistrad and Eldritch Moonis shaped by Emrakul’s arrival and the madness thatspreads across the plane around the Eldrazi titan. A
D&D campaign set on Innistrad can ignore this aspectof the story and focus instead on the themes of more
traditional Gothic horror. But if you do want to addelements of Emrakul’s madness to your campaign, use
the Sanity score rules in chapter 9of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Allow characters to make Sanity
checks to interpret the effects of
Emrakul’s corruption, and Sanity
saving throws to resist the effectsof the spreading madness.
Mental corruption is not the
only effect of Emrakul’s presence on Innistrad, however. Particularly after the Eldrazi titan
fully emerges into the plane, themadness she brings is accompanied by physical mutation as
well. Rather than unleashinghordes of spawn upon the world
as the Eldrazi did on Zendikar, Emrakul causes the living
creatures of Innistrad to transform into her spawn, becoming
warped and horrible fusions ofnormal and Eldrazi flesh. This
physical transformation firsttakes hold of humans whoseminds have already been touchedby the Eldrazi’s approach, withmental obsession often manifesting in physical expression.
But Emrakul’s physical presence
affects every living thing nearby.
Emrakul, the Promised End

Jaime JonesA creature or character whose Sanity score is below 10 can begin to manifest signs of physical corruption, which progresses in stages.
Distorted (Sanity 8–9). Even before Emrakul’s
arrival, some cultists and those who pried too deep
into dark secrets begin to change. In this early stage,physical proportions shift, with one or more of thecreature’s limbs or some part of the face growing
larger, almost always asymmetrically. Noticeable
skin blemishes can also appear, most often as boils or
clumps of cauliflower-like growths (though these do
not yet resemble the lattice of Emrakul’s flesh). Creature statistics are unchanged.
Deformed (Sanity 6–7). In the second stage, a creature can develop a dead or bulging eye, huge tumorous
growths, curled hands or feet, violent palsy, oozing
secretions from the skin or eyes, raw red patches on
the skin, and similar deformities. Patches of lattice-likegrowths often appear on the skin. In some cases, particularly in Nephalia, cultists begin to manifest distinctly
fishlike features—goggling eyes, scaled or slimy skin,webbing between the fingers or toes, or gill-like flaps on
the face or neck. Creature statistics remain unchanged.
Disfigured (Sanity 4–5). In the third stage, thelips shrink away from the teeth, which can rot andfall out. Fingers and toes sometimes fuse together orstart transforming into tentacles. Bleeding sores erupt
on the skin, or bulbous growths can appear under theskin. Cultists in Nephalia often grow finlike protrusions or pincerlike hands.
At this stage, creatures might manifest improved
natural armor or weapons, or simple benefits such as
the Amphibious trait of a bullywug, the Blind Senses
of a grimlock, Chameleon Skin like a troglodyte, theSlippery trait of a kuo-toa, or the Spider Climb trait ofan ettercap.
Misshapen (Sanity 2–3). In the fourth stage, acreature’s flesh often rots away or grows out of control, either leaving muscle and bone visible beneath orconcealing features beneath masses of fleshy lattice orbulbous growths. Bone structure can alter radically,
creating additional limbs or turning existing limbs
into bizarrely jointed tentacles. Extra eyes can appear
in unexpected places, or the head can transform into
something resembling a fish or octopus.
At this stage, a corrupted creature might begin totransform into an entirely different creature. A human
could effectively become any of the creatures mentioned
above, or some other vaguely humanoid monster such asa kenku, a lizardfolk, a sahuagin, or a yuan-ti.

It That Rides as One

DaarkenMonstrous (Sanity 1). The most warped creatures
are barely even recognizable. Some become little morethan a mass of writhing tentacles, or lose their physicalcoherence entirely. Two or more creatures can fuse
together, joined by fleshy lattice. The “lucky” ones retain a basically humanoid shape, but otherwise appear
completely monstrous, with twisted faces, extra limbs,
horny growths, jointed tentacle extrusions, and so on.
Such a creature might effectively become an Eldrazilike monster such as an aboleth, a chuul, a cloaker, agibbering mouther, or a mind flayer.

Curse of Strahd

Ben OliverCurse of Innistrad

Innistrad’s ancient history speaks of a human alchemist and healer named Edgar Markov, who sought topreserve his own life and the lives of his family. As
old age began to claim him, he despaired of findingan alchemical solution and turned to black magic. Notlong after, the demon Shilgengar appeared to Markov and revealed a means by which he could achieve
immortality: a dark ritual that involved drinking anangel’s blood.
The vampires of Innistrad are all descended fromtwelve ancient sires—the congregation that participated in Markov’s blasphemous ritual. Of these twelve
bloodlines, four constitute the vast majority of Innistrad’s vampires: Markov, Voldaren, Falkenrath, andStromkirk. Three of the others have died out completely, while five are so few in number as to be irrelevant.
One of those nearly irrelevant lines is that of Strefan
Maurer, who rules a remote region in Stensia’s outland
valleys.
This chapter offers suggestions for situating theregion of Barovia, which is detailed in the Ravenloft
adventure Curse of Strahd, within the plane of Innistrad. The changes range from the merely cosmetic(changing the Balinok Mountains to the Geier Reach,for example) to more thorough reimaginings of Ravenloft elements foreign to Innistrad, such as dusk elves,were­ravens, and the enigmatic Vistani.
Much of the description of Barovia presented
in chapter 2 of Curse of Strahd applies to Innistradgenerally and to the outland valleys of Stensia inparticular. Some elements do not apply, including
the mists of Ravenloft­. No magical barrier imprisonspeople in the outland valleys, or even on Innistrad asa whole. Planeswalkers, at least, can leave the plane,and high-level spellcasters native to Innistrad might
be able to glimpse realms beyond the Blind Eternities
through their magic.
The description of the dour people of Barovia applies to Stensians as a rule. However, all Stensians havesouls, and those souls are not trapped on Innistrad.
ForestJames PaickStrahd von Zarovich—Strefan Maurer

The history of Strefan Maurer runs parallel to that ofStrahd von Zarovich. After his father’s death, Strefan studied magic and forged a pact with the demon
Shilgengar in return for the promise of immortality.
After murdering his brother Sergei and drinking his
blood, Strefan journeyed to Markov Manor and consulted with Edgar Markov. Together, they worked with
Shilgengar to create the twelve bloodlines of vampires
on Innistrad. Maurer Estate (Castle Ravenloft) was not
spirited away to a demiplane—it was already on Innistrad, itself a place of nightmares. And Strefan is nottrapped here, so he is not seeking a successor in hopesof escaping. Newcomers to his domain do attract his
attention, though, as the possibility of meeting a newconsort is always on Strefan’s mind.
Strefan’s statistics are unchanged from the statistics of Strahd in the Curse of Strahd adventure, exceptthat he lacks the Vampire Weaknesses feature. Instead,
Strefan has the weaknesses shared by Innistrad vampires (see that earlier section).
Falkenrath Noble

Slawomir Maniak

Lands of Barovia—
Outland Valleys

The region shown on the map in the Curse of Strahd adventure covers most of the outland valleys, the dales of
the Geier Reach that are farthest from Gavony and Kessig. Only place names within the region need updating;the rest of the region’s geography is unchanged. The
Balinok Mountains are the Geier Reach, the Svalich
Woods are the Somberwald, Lake Zarovich is Maurer
Lake, and the Old Svalich Road is Somber Road.
Two passes cross the Geier Reach to connect theoutland valleys with the wider world. Hofsaddel is themore often used, a wide and well-trodden pass mostly ignored by the vampires. The Somber Road runs
through this pass, but it is a long and circuitous route.
By contrast, Needle’s Eye is a narrow, treacherous, anddeadly path haunted by vengeful geists. It is a more
direct path, but it runs perilously close to the demonic
gateway known as Ashmouth, so humans use this pass
only in the most dire need.
The lore known to the people of Stensia is different
in detail but similar in substance to what is presented
in the Curse of Strahd adventure.

Mountain

Andreas Rocha

Strefan the Fiend
The people of Stensia and the outland valleys know
the following about Strefan Maurer and vampires ingeneral:• Strefan Maurer is a vampire, and he dwells in
Maurer Estate. No one is welcome at the estate.
• Strefan the fiend is a curse placed on the landbecause of some forgotten sin committed by theancestors of the people of Shadowgrange. (Thisis untrue, but the people of the outland valleys
believe it.)• Vampires have three supernatural characteristics
that are shared across all bloodlines: agelessness,superhuman strength (mostly an exaggeration),and an aura of silence that emanates from themat will to a radius of two feet. Elder vampires canlearn powerful magic of many different kinds,such as flight, a hypnotic gaze, or the ability totransform into other forms such as that of a bat ora mist.
• Weapons cut from living wood are particularly
effective against vampires, though any weapon canharm or kill them. A vampire can’t cross runningwater that shows the reflection of the moon, andwater blessed by Avacyn burns vampire flesh likeacid. The holy symbols of Avacyn, blessed in theproper rituals of the church, can fill a vampire witha paralyzing fear and a desire to flee.

The Outland Valleys
The people of the outland valleys know the following
facts about their homeland:• Many strangers have been drawn to the outland
valleys over the years, but they all die or disappear
eventually.
• Wolves, dire wolves, and werewolves prowl theSomberwald, and hungry bats fill the skies atnight.
• The village of Shadowgrange sits at the east endof the valley. Its burgomaster is Kolyan Indirovich.
• The town of Lammas lies at the heart of the outland valleys. Its nominal leader is Baroness Lydia
Petrovna, but the town is presently controlled by
the inquisitor Seeta.
• The fortified village of Krezk lies at the west endof the outland valleys and is built around an oldabbey. The village burgomaster is named Dmitri
Krezkov.
• Wine is the lifeblood of the outland valleys—for
some, it is the only reason to keep living. Taverns
here get their wine from the Wizard of Wines winery near Krezk.
• A mad wizard of great power haunts the foothillsof Mount Baratok. He is an outsider and no friendof the vampire’s.

Beliefs and Superstitions
The people of the outland valleys have deep-rooted
religious beliefs and superstitions that they pass downfrom one generation to the next:• Avacyn and her angels watch over the people ofStensia just as they do over the rest of Innistrad.
But Sigarda and the Host of Herons have a special
love for Stensia.
• Spirits drift along the Old Somber Road toward theMaurer Estate in the dead of night. These phantoms
are all that remain of Strefan’s enemies, and thisdamnable fate awaits anyone who opposes him.
• The Bitterhearts (Innistrad’s version of Ravenloft’s
Vistani) serve Strefan the fiend.
• Never harm a raven, lest ill fortune befall you!

Village of Barovia—
Shadowgrange

Little changes about this peaceful village as it is described in the Curse of Strahd adventure, except thatthe religious trappings found in the church use theiconography of the church of Avacyn and the arch-

Bitterheart Witch

Karl Kopinski

angel Sigarda. The holy symbol seen in the office is
not a sunburst but Avacyn’s Y-shaped collar, looking
slightly distorted because of the angels’ madness. The
priest Donavich prays to the angels, not the gods.
The books found in the church office are called
Hymns to the Heron (chants to Sigarda) and The Bladeof Truth: The Uses of Logic in the War Against Demonic Heresies, as Fought by the Lunarch Andreas.

Vistani—Bitterhearts

Madam Eva’s people are the Bitterhearts, represented on
cards like Bitterheart Witch (from the original Innistradset) and Wakedancer (from Dark Ascension). They aredescended from a people whose village was swallowed
up in the chasm of Ashmouth. To ensure their survival,
they made a pact with a demon and took up a nomadic
existence. Of course, not all Bitterhearts are witches.
Some have taken up a life of banditry, some serve Strefan directly, and some remember their people’s ancientdevotion to the Demonlord of Ashmouth.
As with the other people of the outland valleys, thelore known by the Bitterhearts is mostly the same asthat known by the Vistani in Curse of Strahd.

Bitterheart Lore—Strefan
The Bitterhearts have their own beliefs about Strefan,
their world, and their place in it:• Strefan comes from a royal bloodline. He died centuries ago yet endures as one of the undead, feastingon the blood of the living. The people of the outland
valleys refer to him as “Strefan the fiend.”• Strefan has taken many consorts, but he has known
only one true love: a peasant girl named Tatyana.
(The Bitterhearts don’t know what happened toher.)• Strangers aren’t welcome at Maurer Estate without
an invitation.
Bitterheart Lore—The Outland Valleys• Strefan conquered this land centuries
ago. He uses wolves, bats, and othercreatures to spy on all of his realm.
• The Stensians are a simple, frightenedpeople.
• The Old Somber Road passes throughStrefan’s domain. Three settlements
lie on the road like beads on a string:Krezk to the west, Lammas in the heartof the valley, and Shadowgrange to theeast. Strefan has spies in each settlement.
• An old windmill stands along the roadbetween the village of Shadowgrange
and the town of Lammas. It should be
avoided at all costs. (The Bitterhearts
refuse to say more.)• It is wise to stick to the road. Wild druids, wayward geists, and packs of wolves and werewolves
haunt the Somberwald.
Bitterheart Lore—Beliefs and Superstitions• Some Bitterheart women are blessed with prescience. Of all the great Bitterheart fortune-tellers,none compares to Madam Eva. If knowledge ofthe future is what you seek, Madam Eva will tell
you your fate.
• A prescient Bitterheart can’t see her own future or
the future of another Bitterheart. It is the burden of
the Bitterhearts’ great gift that their own fates can’tbe divined.
• Bitterheart curses are potent, but they are invokedwith great caution. Bitterhearts know that to curse
one who is undeserving of such punishment canhave grave consequences for the one who utterssuch a curse.

• Ravens carry lost souls within them, so killing one
is bad luck. (There is no truth to this legend.)

Vallaki—Lammas

In this town on the shores of Maurer Lake, the Lunarch
Inquisition has taken fierce hold. A half-crazed inquisitor named Seeta has come from Thraben to the remotereaches of Stensia to root out evil and cultivate thehappiness that should come from faithful devotion to
Avacyn. A small demon cult does hide in the shadowsof the town, led by Lady Fiona Wachter. No one in thevillage harbors any notion of escaping Innistrad, butthey are desperate to stave off the anger of the angels.

Lunarch Inquisitors

Wayne Reynolds

Lammas also harbors the rebellious Blade of theInquisitors, Rem Karolus, who is staying at the Blue
Water Inn and goes by the name Rictavio. (People
speaking of him do not describe pointed ears, since
he is and appears fully human.) Rather than a saber-toothed tiger, he has a captive nettle swine (a giantboar). Rictavio’s journal describes “oddities” that canbe attributed to the approach of Emrakul:• A woman in Wollebank whose mouth has grownlarge and powerful enough that she can chew
through iron chains.
• A giant carnivorous plant with a remarkable singing voice.
• A pair of twins in Silbern who had grown so closethat they actually fused together, with lattice-likeflesh binding them to each other.
• A woman, seen only from afar, who wore strange
clothes and had ears like a rabbit’s.

Local lore about Heron’s Light Hold (Argynvostholt) is that an angel died there long ago.
Saint Andral’s Church is dedicated to Avacyn. The
inquisitor Seeta has taken up residence in the church,demanding hospitality from Father Lucien, but she
spends most of her time in the town square. There,
several guillotines are set up for the punishment ofheretics. Use the description of baron Vargas Vallakovich in Curse of Strahd to guide your roleplaying of
Seeta. Baroness Lydia Petrovna is the nominal ruler of
the town, but she has effectively ceded her authority to
Seeta and the Lunarch Inquisition.
The wereravens in the Blue Water Inn are membersof the Keepers of the Feather—an order of witches tied
to a benevolent raven spirit. The dusk elves among the
Bitterhearts are vampires of the Dusken family line.

Argynvostholt—
Heron’s Light Holdmadhouse. The abbey is named for an ancient saint who
fought demons alongside the host of Avacyn. For all his
bravery and zeal, Traft was betrayed by a demon andslain, and his spirit never entered the Blessed Sleep.
The approach of Emrakul has filled the abbey tooverflowing, and physical corruption commensuratewith the growing madness has transformed unfortunate victims into creatures akin to the mongrelfolkof the Curse of Strahd adventure. The abbess of themadhouse is an angel who once fought alongside Saint
Traft, and who has descended into utter madness since
the ancient saint’s death.

Tsolenka Pass—The Needle’s Eye
The Needle’s Eye traverses the Midland Range toconnect Stensia’s outland valleys and inland valleys.
Its proximity to Ashmouth means it is haunted bydemons, including the vrocks atop the gatehouse wall.
Far worse, replacing the roc of Mount Ghakis, is theDemonlord of Ashmouth, a terrible and ancient fiend.
It uses the statistics of a horned devil, except that it
uses a battleaxe instead of a fork.

This ancient hold was constructed by a group of knights
called the Order of Heron’s Light (replacing the adventure’s Order of the Silver Dragon), led by the archangel
The Ruins of Berez
Sigarda herself. Sigarda was not slain in the ancientAn ancient crone here is dedicated to destroying theconfrontation with Strefan, but after her knights were
Keepers of the Feather, the witches that inhabit the
all killed, she abandoned the valleys. Though she does
Wizard of Wines.
not physically appear, she does try to influence theadventurers to help the knights find peace. Rather than a Van Richten’s Tower—
silver dragon, the hold uses imagery of herons.

Rem Karolus’s Tower

Krezk

This fortified village is dominated by the Abbey ofSaint Traft (replacing Saint Markovia), which is a

Sigarda, Host of Herons

Chris Rahn

The legendary monster hunter Rem Karolus, called theBlade of the Inquisitors, has become more interested in
hunting angels than werewolves. But his protégé Kastinne (replacing the adventure’s Ezmerelda)
carries on his work while she searches forher mentor. After a demon killed her children and imprisoned their souls, Kastinne
left her home among the Bitterhearts andadopted the lifestyle of a wandering monk.
Swearing a vow that most called mad, she
descended into the ghastly network of caves
below Stensia, bent on killing the demon
and liberating her children’s souls. Against
all odds, she emerged triumphant from thecaverns to take up a life of demon hunting. She has trained and worked with Rem
Karolus ever since.
The dragon that appears if characters
fail to correctly open the door to Karolus’s
tower is a balefire dragon, but with thestatistics of a young blue dragon.

Tovolar’s Magehunter

Anthony Palumbo

dwelled in Stensia long before thecurrent inhabitants came across themountains and built their villages.
The yew spirit is the source of theblights (including the tree blights
sometimes called lumberknots)that plague the valleys.

Werewolf Den

The werewolves are a branch of
the Mondronen howlpack, whopractice dark forms of blood
magic.

Rahadin and theDusk Elves—The
Dusken Line

The Wizard of Wines andWereravens

The Martikov family who run this winery made a pactwith a raven spirit of the Somberwald and became
forcemages, forming the nucleus of the Keepers of the
Feather. These witches stand on the side of humanity
against the horrors of Innistrad, and against Strefan
Maurer specifically. Their pact gives them magicalpower, supplemented by their extensive knowledge of
herbalism.
The druids and blights here come from Yester
Hill.

Innistrad has no dusk elves, so
their role in the adventure is played
by a line of vampires called theDuskens, named after their longlost progenitor Irska Dusken. Strefan killed Irska centuries ago andscattered the Duskens. Some were subjugated, whileothers went to live among the Bitterhearts.
Rahadin has been serving the Maurer family formany years, and even helped Strefan subjugate the restof his line. He appears human rather than elflike, anddresses in red finery rather than wearing black armor.

The Amber Temple—
The Moonsilver Temple

This ancient structure predates any of the known
peoples and cultures of Innistrad. The good-aligned
wizards who built it anticipated the Helvault by entrapping semidivine evil forces in silver-lined prisons.
Everywhere in the temple that amber is described,
use silver instead. Both the arcanaloth and the deathslaad here are various forms of Innistrad demons.

Yester Hill

Led by an elder named Rimheit, a group of druids andberserkers dwells atop this hill, revering an ancientyew spirit that inhabits a Gulthias tree. These people
Nearheath Stalker

Michael C. Hayes

Creeping Fog. Since there are no mists to transport characters to Stensia’s outland valleys, this hookdoesn’t apply if you are running Curse of Strahd in
Innistrad.

Creatures and Encounters

Use these guidelines to adapt creatures and encountersthroughout the adventure.
Barovian Scouts. The first time the player characters encounter these Somberwald trappers, the groupis led by a man named Paulin (whom the players mightrecognize from flavor text on a handful of cards in theoriginal Innistrad block). He leaves them with somewords of wisdom: “Bury your dead deep. The boars
are hungriest while the corpse is still warm.” (At yourdiscretion, you can also replace berserkers with a likenumber of giant boars in a random encounter.)James Paick

You can adapt the adventure hooks found in Curse of
Strahd as follows.
Plea for Help. Arrigal is one of the Bitterhearts,and neither his clothing nor his accent are particularly
outlandish. He comes to the adventurers when they arein the inland valleys of Stensia, perhaps in Silbern or
Wollebank. The people there know that these Bitterhearts come from the outland valleys. The hook isotherwise unchanged.
Mysterious Visitors. The scene described here
takes place in Wollebank in the inland valleys. Insteadof Lady Morwen, the characters dine with Deigenhard,
the mayor of Wollebank. Deigenhard
is familiar with the Bitterhearts andbelieves they are little more than bandits, so he asks the player charactersto get them moving on their way.
If the adventurers follow the Bitterhearts to the outland valleys, they
travel northwest along the Somber
Road, through the pass of Hofsaddel.
Werewolves in the Mist. Werewolves are spilling out of the Somberwald into the inland valleys andthreatening the shepherds and farmers there. The adventurers get information based on their affiliations
with organizations on Innistrad (asopposed to the player factions of the
D&D Adventurers League). If thecharacters are closely associated withany of these organizations, they cangain the information and benefits associated with thecorresponding player factions:• In place of the Harpers, use the parish-blades—
specifically the Stensian branch, casually called
the roadwatchers.
• Instead of the Order of the Gauntlet, use theknight-inquisitors of Saint Raban. Taking theirname from the legendary investigator and slayer of
werewolves, this order of cathars serves as inquisitors in the classic sense—not slaughtering the
populace, but investigating mysteries and secrets.
They are detectives, investigators, and delvers into
enigmas best left untouched.
• Rather than the Emerald Enclave, use a groupof springsages, the archmages of Herons, which
includes a number of druids.

• Instead of the Lords’ Alliance, use the Quiver of
Kessig, who are experts at hunting werewolves.
Eravien (a human Kessiger, not a half-elf as inCurse of Strahd) tells the adventurers that the
werewolves are a branch of the Mondronen howlpack, which practices dark forms of blood magic.
• In place of the Zhentarim, use a criminal syndicate
connected with Lord Mayor Herzag of Havengul,
a corrupt merchant who allows the illicit underground to flourish for his own personal gain.
The characters’ travels in pursuit of the werewolves lead them through the Hofsaddel pass. No fog
engulfs them, but they emerge in the outland valleys.

Harrowing Journey

Adventure Hooks

Wayward Disciple

Twins of Maurer Estate

Darek Zabrocki

Bluto. Found on Maurer Lake, Bluto has gone madunder the influence of the approach of Emrakul. He
has devoted himself to an aquatic being he believes
lives in the depths of the lake—something akin to the
Gitrog monster or the squidlike Kralmar worshiped bycoastal cults in Nephalia. Bluto has gill-like flaps on
his neck. At your discretion, you could introduce anencounter with the creature he worships, which might
be something like a giant crocodile.

Kev Walker

Mad Mage of Mount Baratok. You can use Mordenkainen as written in Curse of Strahd. Or, in a
twisted nod to the storyline of Shadows over Innistrad,
this mad planeswalking mage could be Jace Beleren.
Create a different list of spells for Jace, focusing on
mind-altering and illusion magic.
Mongrelfolk. The statistics of these misshapen
creatures are the same, but in appearance, they resemble the corrupted, malformed creatures warped by the
influence of Emrakul. Rather than claws, they might
attack with tentacles (dealing bludgeoning damage) or
extra mouths (dealing piercing damage). No magic canrestore a mongrelfolk to its previous form.
Vampire Spawn. Use the vampire neonate statistics in this document whenever the adventurers
encounter vampire spawn, rather than the vampire
spawn statistics in the Monster Manual. The first time
the adventurers encounter exactly two vampire spawn,
they meet the infamous twins of Maurer Estate, two
young girls named Ruby and Carmine. The two enjoy
pretending to be helpless young girls, lost and alone, inorder to get close to their prey.
Wereravens. Use the wereraven statistics in theadventure, except that the beak attack cannot transmit
lycanthropy (since the witches of the Keeper of the
Feather are not lycanthropes). Wereravens also havethe spellcasting ability of the druid presented in the
Monster Manual.