Saul Cromwell

The **Witching King**, also known as **Saul Cromwell**, is a master necromancer and witch. He is also the sole leader of the Luedras Empire. Due to his extreme mastery of magic, he has been able to keep himself alive well beyond his natural expiration -- though this has caused his body to slowly deteriorate, such as his skin losing its pigment and the dark energy within him beginning to creep out of his physical being. He commands his empire and all his subserviants from the sanctity and comfort of Castle Melkursten, in the cursed lands of Malcurta.

**Armor Class:**20

**Hit Points:**  211

**Speed:**30 ft., fly 45 ft.

**Proficiency Bonus:** +7

**Damage Resistance:** cold, lightning, necrotic, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from magical attacks not made with silvered weapons

**Damage Immunities:** acid, poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks

**Condition Immunities:** charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned

**Senses:** truesight 120 ft., passive perception 22

**Languages:** Abyssal, Celestial, Common, Deep Speech, Draconic, Infernal, Primordial, Undercommon

**Challenge Rating:** 25 (77,500 XP)

## Abilities

### Traits

***Legendary Resistance (3/day):*** If Saul Cromwell fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed instead.

***Magic Resistance:*** Saul Cromwell has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

***Rebirth:*** Saul Cromwell gains a new body in 1d20+4 days, regaining all his hit points and becoming active again. The new body appears within 5 feet of the phylactery.

***Spirit Regeneration:*** Whilst in his lair, Saul Cromwell regenerates 66 hitpoints per round. While not in his lair, he only regenerates 33 HP per round.

***Flight:*** Due to the darkness coursing through him, Saul Cromwell has the innate ability of flight.

***Spellcasting:*** Saul Cromwell is an 20th-level spellcaster. His spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 22, +15 to hit with spell attacks). Saul Cromwell has the following spells prepared:

* Cantrips (at will): acid splash, eldritch blast, fire bolt, poison spray, shocking grasp
* 1st level (at will): burning hands, detect magic, hellish rebuke, thunderwave, unseen servant, witch bolt
* 2nd level (6 slots): blindness/deafness, blur, darkness, detect thoughts, enlarge/reduce, misty step
* 3rd level (5 slots): animate dead, counterspell, dispel magic, fireball, remove curse, time slow
* 4th level (5 slots): banishment, blight, dimension door, polymorph, wall of fire
* 5th level (4 slots): contact other plane, dream, planar binding, scrying
* 6th level (3 slot): chain lightning, circle of death, create undead, disintegrate, globe of invulnerability
* 7th level (3 slot): etherealness, finger of death, plane shift, teleport
* 8th level (2 slot): antimagic field, demiplane, dominate monster, imprisonment
* 9th level (1 slot): power word kill, time stop, true polymorph

### Actions

***Multiattack:***  Saul Cromwell casts two spells and makes one melee attack.

***Spell:*** Saul Cromwell casts up to two spells from his prepared assortment.

***Soulvern:*** Melee Weapon Attack: +17 to hit, reach 7 ft., one creature. Hit: 20 (2d10+10) slashing damage. If a creature is reduced to 0 hitpoints after being smitten with Soulvern, then that creature's soul (if it has one) becomes trapped in the sword, until the soul is expended or freed. Once Soulvern contains four or more souls, Saul Cromwell may use them to replenish 20 (4d10) hitpoints, thus expending the souls.

***Dark Touch:*** Melee Spell Attack: +17 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 16 (3d8+4) necrotic damage, and Saul Cromwell regains hitpoints equivalent to the damaged dealt. The target must succeed on a DC 21 Constitution saving throw or also be paralyzed for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of  turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

### Legendary Actions

Saul Cromwell can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature's turn. Cromwell regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

***Cantrip:*** Saul Cromwell casts a cantrip.

***Dark Touch:*** Saul Cromwell uses his Dark Touch.

***Disrupt Life (Costs 2 Actions):*** Each non-undead creature within 20 feet of Saul Cromwell must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw against this magic, taking 20 (6d6+2) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

## Lair

Saul Cromwell's lair is his private chamber in Castle Melkursten, the de facto capital of the Luedras Empire.

### Lair Actions

When Saul Cromwell is in his lair, he has an opportunity at the beginning of each round to use a lair action. Only 1 action may be chosen at the start of each round, and no action may be used more than once until all of the others are expended.

***Eldritch Power:*** A surge of eldritch power swirls through the lair, causing Saul Cromwell's skin to glow and his hair to become animated. Saul Cromwell gains advantage on all attack rolls and saving throws for the duration of this round, and gains one extra spell or melee attack.

***Shadow Wave:*** Saul Cromwell calls forth evil spirits and apparitions of aberrations and fiends. These apparitions materialize and attack one creature that Saul Cromwell can see within 60 feet of him. The target must succeed on a DC 22 Constitution saving throw, taking 55 (10d10+5) necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a success. The apparitions then disappear.

***Spell Replenishment:*** Saul Cromwell rolls a d8 and regains a spell slot of that level or lower. If he has no spent spell slots of that level or lower, nothing happens.

***Soul Tether:*** Saul Cromwell targets one creature he can see within 30 feet of him. A crackling cord of negative energy tethers Cromwell to the target. Whenever Cromwell takes damage, the target must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, Saul Cromwell takes half the damage (rounded down), and the target takes the remaining damage. This tether lasts until initiative count 20 on the next round or until Cromwell or the target is no longer in the Saul Cromwell's lair.

***Soul Orb:*** The large, glowing orb within the lair makes a loud humming noise, and all creatures other than Saul Cromwell must make a DC 22 Constitution saving throw or take 15 (3d10) necrotic damage, and Saul Cromwell regains hitpoints equivalent to the damaged dealt.

### Regional Effects

Castle Melkursten is the source of the evil and dark magic pulsating throughout Malcurta. The Castle's contents, the Lich Council, and Saul Cromwell himself are some of the causes for the residual magic emitting from the castle.

* Fog obscures the land within 5 miles of the castle.
* Dry thunderstorms rage within 2 miles of the castle. Dry lightning frequently strikes in random locations.
* Water sources within 1 mile of the castle are supernaturally fouled and sludge-like. Any non-evil aligned creatures that drink such water take 5 (2d10) acid damage, and regurgitate it within minutes.
* Perpetual acidic thunderstorms wreak havoc within 2