Skip to content
CharGen Icon
Create
The Barrow Bell-Warden - AI-generated fantasy Monster

The Barrow Bell-Warden

Long before the land was called De Gylleneåsarna, the jarl Hroth Vargsson swore that his people would guard the burial hills and leave the dead undisturbed. In return, the dead would hold back a winter darkness beneath the mountains. Hroth chose to die beneath the hills and become the first Bell-Warden. Centuries later, his descendants broke the oath, stripped gold from the tombs, and altered the surviving records. The current quest-giver descends from the family that ordered the desecration. The second NPC, an occult scholar or hedge-priest, knows that the Bell-Warden's command was never to destroy the living. It was to expose the lie and ensure that the oath was honestly renewed.

Back to Generator
Create your own Monster
LargeUndead(Oath-bound undead)CR Major boss, high difficulty with investigation-based weaknessesLawful neutral, corrupted by grief and betrayal

The Barrow Bell-Warden

undeadbosslegendaryhorrorbarrowguardianmythictragic antagonist
HP168AC+8SPD30 ft., burrow 20 ft. through loose earthCR10 (5,900 XP)HistoryIntimidationPerceptionReligion
STR
20
DEX
14
CON
18
save
INT
12
WIS
16
save
CHA
16
save
Undead Nature. The Bell-Warden has advantage on saving throws against effects that turn undead. It does not need to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe.
Oath-Bound Existence. The Bell-Warden cannot be compelled to break a promise it has personally made. If it knowingly breaks one, it loses this trait and becomes vulnerable to psychic damage for 1 minute.
The Second Toll. The first time the Bell-Warden is reduced to 60 hit points or fewer, it does not die. Instead, its bell splits open, it ends all conditions affecting it, and Phase Two begins.
Broken Promises Feed It. When a creature within 60 feet knowingly breaks a promise made in the dungeon, the Bell-Warden gains 10 temporary hit points and can immediately use Funeral Advance without spending a legendary action.
Oath-Eater's Judgment. The Bell-Warden's attacks deal an extra 7 () necrotic damage to creatures frightened by it or carrying the quest-giver's ancestral seal.
Barrow Hearing. The Bell-Warden can hear through the burial earth and knows the location of every living creature within the lair unless that creature is behind a consecrated barrier.
Lair Actions. At initiative count 20, the Bell-Warden chooses one effect: one barrow door opens and releases a Barrow Dead; spectral chains erupt from a 20-foot square and create difficult terrain until the next round; or the bell tolls softly and each creature that has lied in the dungeon must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or lose its reaction until the next round.
Multiattack. The Barrow Bell-Warden strikes with its grave-maul and can use Bell of the Broken Oath as a bonus action.
Grave-Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 14 () bludgeoning damage plus 7 () necrotic damage. If the target is frightened, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
Bell of the Broken Oath. The Bell-Warden causes the cracked bell fused to its ribcage to toll. Each creature of the Bell-Warden's choice within 30 feet must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 18 () thunder damage, becomes frightened for 1 minute, and cannot regain hit points until the end of its next turn. On a successful save, it takes half damage and suffers no other effect. A frightened creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Raise the Bound Dead. The Bell-Warden summons burial chains from the ground at a point it can see within 60 feet. Each creature within a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 13 () necrotic damage and is restrained by spectral chains for up to 1 minute. A restrained creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. The chains vanish if the Bell-Warden is incapacitated.
March Through Stone. The Bell-Warden moves up to its speed without provoking opportunity attacks. During this movement, it can move through creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. Each creature it moves through must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 10 () necrotic damage. If it ends its movement inside an object, it is shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and takes 5 force damage.
Punish the Broken Word. When a creature the Bell-Warden can see within 30 feet breaks a promise made in the dungeon, the Bell-Warden makes one Grave-Maul attack against that creature if it is within range, or moves up to half its speed toward it without provoking opportunity attacks.
Return to the Stone. When the Bell-Warden takes damage from an attack, it reduces the damage by 10 and moves up to 10 feet toward the Oath-Stone. It can use this reaction three times per day.
Grave-Maul. The Bell-Warden makes one Grave-Maul attack.
Funeral Advance. The Bell-Warden moves up to half its speed without provoking opportunity attacks.
Answer the Bell (Costs 2 Actions). One creature frightened by the Bell-Warden must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, it takes 9 () psychic damage and must use its reaction, if available, to move up to its speed toward the Oath-Stone.
Open the Barrow (Costs 3 Actions). The Bell-Warden causes one sealed barrow door within the lair to burst open. One Barrow Dead rises from within and acts immediately after the Bell-Warden in the initiative order. This action cannot be used if all six barrow doors are open.
1st level
Silent ImageIllusion— The Bell-Warden creates an illusory image of the ancient betrayal in a 30-foot cube for up to 10 minutes. Creatures in the area can recognize the vision as an illusion with a successful DC 16 Intelligence check.
2nd level
Zone of TruthEnchantment— The Bell-Warden targets one creature within 60 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw or be compelled to speak one sentence of truth about its reason for entering the dungeon.
3rd level
Animate DeadNecromancy— The Bell-Warden targets up to three corpses or piles of bones within 60 feet, animating them as undead servants under its control for 1 hour.
4th level
Bestow CurseNecromancy— The Bell-Warden marks one creature within 60 feet as a betrayer. The target must succeed on a DC 16 Charisma saving throw or become frightened and have disadvantage on saving throws against the Bell-Warden until the end of the Bell-Warden's next turn.
Visual sheet

Turn The Barrow Bell-Warden into a sheet

A high-res, share-ready sheet you can post or print.

Gallery

No images yet. Click to add.

Relationships