Full release version! Version 5.0.2!
5e Spells Compatible!
Animate Dead PlusPlus Add-On!
Invocations Expanded Add-On! 
9 Languages Supported! 

You are a cultist under a pact with a monstrous dracolich necromancer known as the Dread Overlord. Under his banner, you aim to spread his maleficence and terror over all lands. In return for your service, boundless power over death itself and the promise of eternal life await. Command the very souls of the dead and raise powerful Greater Undead in His profane name! 

Playstyle and Compatibility Warning

This is a melee-focused warlock subclass with a very unique Soul Harvest mechanic. Capture the souls of your enemies to protect you in a soulshield or do your bidding! 

Not particularly balanced, but not overpowered either. Except the Level 12 capstone spell--that one is pretty busted. :)

COMPATIBILITY WARNING! Does not play well with other warlock subclass mods usually. Thankfully, there's a fix via the Compatibility Framework which can be installed and loaded after to ensure the subclass mods work together. If you're having trouble seeing Dread Overlord in the options in your new game, trying loading Dread Overlord last in your modlist, test, then work your way up until you find the mod that overwrites it.

5E SPELLS COMPATIBLE! As of Version 4.1, it is compatible with 5e Spells (via Compatibility Framework). See below load order.

ANIMATE DEAD PLUS PLUS ADD-ON AVAILABLE! If you're running Animate Dead Plus Plus, use the add-on in the optional files to nerf the interaction between the two mods. Changes Summoner of the Damned's Animate Dead to use Warlock Spellslots.

INVOCATIONS EXPANDED ADD-ON AVAILABLE! If you're running Invocations Expanded, use the add-on in the optional files to re-add Andras the Infernal Skeletal Hound to the Pact of the Chain feature.

LOAD ORDER!

- ImprovedUI (Optional)
- 5e Spells (Optional)
- UnlockedLevelCurve (Optional)
- UnlockedLevelCurve5eSpellsPatch (Optional)
- !!! Community Library (Required) !!!
- Supported Subclass Mods
- !!! DreadOverlord !!!
- AnimateDead Plus (Optional)
- AnimatedDead Plus Add-Ons (Optional)
- DreadOverlord - Animate Dead Plus Plus Add-On (Optional)
- Invocations Expanded (Optional)
- DreadOverlord - Invocations Expanded Add-On (Optional)
- Valkrana's Spellbook (Optional)
- !!! CompatibilityFramework (Required) !!!
- Other Mods

Dread Overlord Expanded Spell List

• Spell Level 1: Inflict Wounds, Fog
• Spell Level 2: Blindness, Phantasmal Force
• Spell Level 3: Spirit Guardians, Bestow Curse
• Spell Level 4: Phantasmal Killer, Death Ward
• Spell Level 5: Contagion, Cloudkill
  

Starting Weapons (New Characters and Multiclass)  
  

• Bone Staff: 1d6/1d8 versatile quarterstaff that allows user to use their Spellcasting Ability for weapon Attack Rolls. Has the Cult Indoctrination passive, adding +1 to Spell DC and Spell Attack Rolls when wielded by a Dread Overlord warlock. Has the Topple weapon action. 
• Skull Flail: 1d8 one-handed flail that allows user to use their Spellcasting Ability for weapon Attack Rolls. Has Tenacity, allowing user to use their Reaction to add Charisma Modifier as Bludgeoning damage on a missed attack. Has the Concussive Smash and Heartstopper weapon actions.
• Ritual Sickle: 1d6 one-handed sickle that allows user to use their Spellcasting Ability for weapon Attack Rolls. Has Opening Attack and Lacerate as weapon actions.
  

Multiclassing and Origin-Friendly Features

• Necromancy Wizards: Wizards with the feature Undead Thralls now apply their bonuses to Skeletal Warlocks, Skeletal Giants, Shadow Wraiths from Invoke Spirit: Haunt, and zombies created by Night of the Living Dead. Undead Thralls feature also provides +1 to Minion Points. 
• Druids: Druids can now cast Shillelagh without using a Bonus Action after igniting their weapon with Necrotic Armaments. Circle of Spores Druids are now able to apply Inflict Curse/Night of the Living Dead via Halo of Spores.
• Oathbreaker Paladins: Paladins now apply Inflict Curse/Night of the Living via Spiteful Suffering.
• Monks and Tavern Brawlers: The dark fire from your Necrotic Armaments now extends to your unarmed attacks, dealing additional damage.
• Barbarians:  The dark fire from your Necrotic Armaments now extends to your thrown weapons, dealing additional damage.
• Savage Attacker (Feat): Damage from Necrotic Armaments now benefits from Savage Attacker!
• Vampire Bites: Astarion's vampire bites now benefit from Necrotic Armaments if you have an ignited weapon.
• Gale: Gale has natural affinity for the bone staves from the Dread Overlord, gaining the benefits of it without being a Dread Overlord warlock.
  

 Profane Blessings (In-Game Progression and Mini-Quests)

• Profane Blessing: Corrupted Armor: Fell power has laid claim to necromantic artefacts along the way to Baldur's Gate. One of them is rumored to be a heavy armor that will allow Dread Cultists to command the souls of the dead without restriction. 
  

  

 

• Profane Blessing: Corrupted Grimoire: Fell power has laid claim to necromantic artefacts along the way to Baldur's Gate. One of them is rumored to be a powerful cursed tome. Find it, decode it, and your patron will reward you with profane knowledge.
  

 

• Profane Blessing: Prelude to the Deathsong: Fell power has laid claim to necromantic artefacts along the way to Baldur's Gate. Your patron desires the fabled and ancient Deathsong scattered throughout the lands. 
  

 

• Profane Blessing: The Deathsinger: Fell power has laid claim to necromantic artefacts along the way to Baldur's Gate. Your patron desires the fabled and ancient Deathsong scattered throughout the lands. 
  

 

• Profane Blessing: Corrupted Necromancy: Fell power has laid claim to necromantic artefacts along the way to Baldur's Gate. Relieve an uppity mummy from his cherished staff. This profane blessing is for spellcasting-focused necromancers! A must-have! 
  

 

• NEW! Profane Blessing: Cursed Wedding: Fell power has laid claim to necromantic artefacts along the way to Baldur's Gate. One of them is a wand of undead summoning.
  

  
The necromancer warlock harvesting the souls of his slain enemies.

Features

Level 1 Feature - Dread Cultist: As a cultist trained by the Order of the Dracolich, you are proficient with flails, maces, scimitars, sickles and shields. You may call upon the Dread Overlord's power to ignite your weapon with his dark fire with the cantrip Necrotic Armaments at-will.

• Necrotic Armaments: Imbue your melee weapon with necrotic energies for 10 turns, turning it magical and unable to be disarmed. It deals 1d4 necrotic damage at level 1, scaling with additional die at levels 5 and 10. Flails, maces, scimitars, and sickles wielded in the offhand are also ignited by your patron's dark fire.
  

Level 1 Feature - Forbidden Lore: You have access to profane knowledge. Add +1 to any roll made with Arcana or History. In addition, fell lore has taught you how to curse enemies with Night of the Living Dead with Necrotic damaging cantrips, spells, and weapon attacks, dooming them into undeath upon dying. You have access to the Libor Mortis and can peruse its pages.
 

• Create Crawling Claws: You may now create a pair of claws from each corpse. Gain the ability to create 2 more claws at levels 5, 9, 13, and 17. These crawling claws deal 1d4 Slashing + Necrotic damage equal to your Proficiency Bonus and can move very fast. It also cannot be slowed by Difficult Terrain or magic, and cannot be Restrained. You can raise 2 from humanoid corpse and 4 from beasts!
• Inflict Curse: Toggleable passive allowing you to choose when to empower your cantrips, spells, and weapon attacks with the Night of the Living Dead curse.
• Minion Points: Number of undead that can be raised via Night of the Living Dead is now limited to 1 per Short Rest for the most part. A few AOE spell and weapon attacks may sometimes raise multiple zombies bypassing the limit.
• Reclaim Undead: A new level 1 cantrip to reclaim the zombies created by Night of the Living Dead. Destroys them instantly while restoring Minion Points. You can reclaim as many zombies as you want above the maximum.
• Crawling Claws and the Zombies from Night of the Living are AI-controlled and have Ravenous Undead passive that gives them advantage on Attack Rolls against cursed or hexed creatures. (Night of the Living Dead is considered a curse for this purpose.)
  

  
  
  
Level 1 Feature - Invoker of Spirits: Soul Harvest: You may harvest the souls of the dead and bind them in a Shield of Souls for protection or invoke the spirits' wrath against your enemies. You may bind a maximum of 1 additional soul to your soulshield, which increases the protection your soulshield provides. As long as you have a Captured Soul available, you may invoke this spirit to Spook your enemies, protect allies via a ghostly Apparition, or will a vengeful Phantasm to strike at your enemies. 

• Shield of Souls: You can command the souls of the dead to surround you in a protective soulshield, initially adding 1 to your Armor Class until Long Rest. Wearing Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor restricts your ability to capture and command additional souls.
• Commit Corpse:  You may bind additional spirits to your shield via Commit Corpse which provides an additional 1 to your Armor Class. Maximum 1 soul at levels 1 to 5. Binding additional souls over your maximum overcharges your shield, boosting resistances to physical damage for 3 turns. Harvesting souls beyond your maximum now empowers your soulshield and unlock additional bonuses to your spirit invocations! Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor restricts your ability to control your soulshield. You may use this spell while in combat.
• Souls of the Dead: The spirits swirling around you screaming in terror can be silenced via a toggle.
•  Invoke Spirit: Spook: Release a spirit from your soulshield to distract your enemies allowing you to retreat to safety. Consumes the spirit. Empowered: Doubles movement speed (aka Dash).
•  Invoke Spirit: Apparition: Beckon a spirit to protect an ally, temporarily increasing their Armor Class for a short time. Provides 2 AC to an ally for 3 turns. Consumes the spirit. Empowered: Reduces all incoming damage by 1.
• Invoke Spirit: Phantasm: Will a vengeful phantasm to strike at an enemy, dealing unavoidable 1d6+1 necrotic damage on hit.  Consumes the spirit. Empowered: Doubles damage dealt by each phantasm.
  

Level 3 Feature - Unholy Pacts: As part of your pact with the Dread Overlord, you gain special bonuses based on the pact boons you choose.

• Pact of the Chain: Gain the ability to summon an infernal skeletal hound with a brutal bite and terrifying howl. Andras the Devil Dog has Pack Tactics and heals on Short Rests.
• Pact of the Blade: Weapons ignited by Necrotic Armaments now applies Bone Chilled status for 1 turn.
• Pact of the Tome: Undead minions around you gain necrotic damage to their unarmed and weapon attacks while your weapon is ignited by Necrotic Armaments.
  

  
  
Level 5 Feature - Summoner of the Damned: Animate Dead + Skeletal Warlock: You know the spell Animate Dead and can cast it at-will. You also gain the forbidden knowledge to summon a Greater Undead such as a Skeletal Warlock once per Long Rest. The Skeletal Warlock is a spellcaster that has access to leveled spells and can recharge its spell slots once per Short Rest. It can cast Bone Chill and Nells' Ray of Sickness at-will. It can cast Sleep, Ray of Enfeeblement, Scorching Ray using it's 2nd level Warlock spell slots. The Skeletal Warlock can afflict enemies with Night of the Living Dead with its Bone Chill and weapon attacks.

• Skeletal Warlocks now cast an improved version of Ray of Sickness, called Nells' Ray of Sickness (named after NellsRelo of Compatibility Framework) which cannot miss. If used against undead, it ignores resistances and immunities to Poison damage, striking true.
• Skeletal Warlocks now have Devil's Sight eldritch invocation, allowing them to see in magical darkness.
• Skeletal Warlocks now gain health equal to the warlock's class level. In addition, zombies created from Night of the Living Dead now gain additional health equal to twice the warlock's class level.
  

ANIMATE DEAD PLUS PLUS ADD-ON AVAILABLE: If you're running Animate Dead Plus Plus, use the add-on in the optional files to nerf the interaction between the two mods. Changes Summoner of the Damned's Animate Dead to use Warlock Spellslots.

Level 5 Feature -Unholy Pacts: As part of your pact with the Dread Overlord, you gain special bonuses based on the pact boons you choose.

• Pact of the Chain: Andras the Devil Dog gains additional movement speed. What a speedy boy!
• Pact of the Blade: If you have Vampiric Touch active, your weapon becomes vampyric allowing you to heal from your weapon attacks.
• Pact of the Tome: To compensate for their loss of a full spell (since this subclass already gives Animate Dead already), Pact of Tome Warlock unlock Undead Commander's Strike which can be used once per Long Rest. For 10 turns using your Bonus Action, you may command 5 undead or fiend minions (including your party members') to use their Reaction to make a melee attack. Greater Undead like the Skeletal Giant and Skeletal Warlock, and minor undead from Night of the Living Dead will use their weapon or base unarmed attacks. Every other undead or fiend summon will get a 2d6+Unarmed Ability Modifier as an attack. Cannot be used on Crawling Claws or Ghost Dogs, unfortunately!
  

Level 5 Feature - Minion Points: You may now raise an additional zombie, a total of 2 per Short Rest. A few AOE spell and weapon attacks may sometimes raise multiple zombies bypassing the limit. Zombies' Slam attack now do 2d6.



Level 6 Feature - Unholy Vigor: Necrotic energies empower you. You gain resistance to Necrotic damage and whenever you use Necrotic Armaments, you gain immunity to Necrotic damage during the duration of the spell. While Necrotic Armaments is active, your attacks against undead ignore resistances and immunities against Necrotic damage.

Level 6 Feature - Invoker of Spirits: Improved Soul Harvest: You may bind an additional soul up to 2 maximum. You gain improved versions of Spook, Apparition, and Phantasm and may now command the spirits to Haunt your enemies or harass them with a mischievous Poltergeist. You may now harvest multiple corpses at once and during combat with Reap the Dead. Your Shield of Souls now gives 2 AC initially.

• Reap the Dead: Harvest multiple corpses in a small area even during combat. Can potentially overfill your soulshield.
• Invoke Spirit: Improved Spook: Release a spirit from your soulshield to distract your enemies allowing you to retreat to safety. May Frightened nearby enemies upon a failed Charisma Saving Throw. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Doubles your movement speed and applies Slow to enemies upon a failed Charisma Saving Throw.
•  Invoke Spirit: Improved Apparition: Beckon a spirit to protect an ally, temporarily increasing their Armor Class for a short time. Bonus increased to +4 AC for 3 turns. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Reduces all incoming damage by 2.
•  Invoke Spirit: Haunt: Command angry spirits from your shield to haunt your enemies as shadow wraiths. Summons shadow wraiths per soul. Consumes the spirits, because obviously. Empowered: Shadow Wraiths are hastened.
• Invoke Spirit: Poltergeist: Unleash mischievous spirits against your enemies, potentially moving objects and enemies away from you. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Deals 4d8 Bludgeoning damage (or half that with Saving Throw) to enemies.
•  Invoke Spirit: Improved Phantasm: Will 2 vengeful phantasms to strike at enemies, dealing unavoidable 1d8+2 necrotic damage on hit for a total of 2d8+4 necrotic damage.  Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Doubles damage dealt by each phantasm.
  

Level 7 Feature - Summoner of the Damned: Army of the Dead: Animate Dead should now scale at every second level starting at level 7 through level 19, adding two more minions to the maximum number of possible minions for Skeletons and Zombies. Additional Ghouls and Flying Ghouls are unlocked (+2) at every second level starting at level 11 through level 19. Still requires corpses, though. If you're using Animate Dead Plus Plus and the Add-On, this bonus does not kick in until level 13 since the Animate Dead Plus Plus already has a built-in spell progression capping at level 6.

Level 8 Feature - Summoner of the Damned: Skeletal Giant: Your command of Greater Undead grows, allowing you to raise a fearsome Skeletal Giant once per Long Rest. A massive melee attacker, the skeletal giant hits with Phenomenal Power with its ancient maul and can shatter the ground in an area of effect. Unlocks Ghouls and Flying Ghouls for Animate Dead, both can be cast at-will. (FOR ANIMATE DEAD PLUS PLUS ONLY: Ghouls and Flying Ghouls are unlocked at level 9 instead.) In addition, Skeletal Warlocks gain their own maxed Shield of Souls though they may not capture additional souls nor command the souls with invocations. Skeletal Warlocks also gain the ability to cast Slow once per Long Rest without using a spell slot and gain bonuses to their spellcasting.

 Level 8 Feature - Unholy Pacts: As part of your pact with the Dread Overlord, you gain special bonuses based on the pact boons you choose.

• Pact of the Chain: Andras the Infernal Skeletal Hound has learned enough necromancy from its summoner to summon its own minions! Once per combat, it can Summon Ghostly Dogs to fight alongside him. These Ghost Dogs deal 2d6 Necrotic bites and can teleport with Ghostly Step. They cannot be controlled. As these are Andras's summons, they do not gain the benefits of Undead Thralls or other bonuses from the warlock and cannot be made to follow orders via Undead Commander's Strike. Andras also gains Best Friends Furever, summoning two Ghost Dogs to come to Andras's aid at the start of combat.
• Pact of the Blade: Blade pactholders gain +1 to their melee weapon attack rolls.
• Pact of the Tome: The Dread Overlord gifts you a new weapon, the Bone Staff of Corruption. A very rare quarterstaff with +2 enchantment, bonus to Spell Save DC and Spell Attack of +3, and ranged weapon attack. 
  

UPDATED! Level 9 Feature - Minion Points: You may now raise an additional zombie, a total of 3 per Short Rest. A few AOE spell and weapon attacks may sometimes raise multiple zombies bypassing the limit.

UPDATED! Level 10 Feature - Pact of Eternal Life: Shroud de Aeternus Vitae: Surround yourself with a vampiric shroud that strips the vitality of nearby enemies to heal your wounds. The shroud deals 1d6 necrotic damage to enemies and heals you for 1d6 per enemy drained.

UPDATED! Level 10 Feature - Dark Empathy: Your vampiric shroud is attuned to the life around you. You may activate this dark empathy to extend the range of your shroud and embrace your allies in its dark tendrils, sharing half of its healing with them for 10 turns. After 10 turns, you must recharge for 30 turns before your vampiric shroud is able to be used again. UPDATE! The damage from the shroud is reduced to 1d6 and healing to 1d4 while Dark Empathy is active.

Level 10 Feature - Hide Shroud: Your vampiric shroud's dark tendrils can be retracted out of combat. Toggle off to hide the visual effects.
  

  
Level 10 Feature - Invoker of Spirits: Greater Soul Harvest: You may bind an additional soul up to 3 maximum. You gain greater versions of Spook, Apparition, Phantasm, Haunt, and Poltergeist. You may now wrench the souls from the mortal husks of your weakened enemies with Reap the Dying. Your Shield of Souls now gives 3 AC initially.

• Reap the Dying: Executes low-health enemies in a wide area as your rip the souls from their bodies once per Short Rest. Can potentially overfill your soulshield.
• Invoke Spirit: Greater Spook: Release a spirit from your soulshield to distract your enemies allowing you to retreat to safety. May Frightened nearby enemies in a larger area upon a failed Charisma Saving Throw. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Doubles your movement speed and applies Slow to enemies upon a failed Charisma Saving Throw.
• Invoke Spirit: Greater Apparition: Beckon a spirit to protect an ally, temporarily increasing their Armor Class for a short time. Bonus increased to +6 AC for 3 turns. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Reduces all incoming damage by 3.
• Invoke Spirit: Greater Haunt: Command angry spirits from your shield to haunt your enemies as shadow wraiths. Summons shadow wraiths per soul. The wraith gain the use of Shadow Teleport and Darkness Cloak, which creates small pools of darkness. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Shadow Wraiths are hastened.
• Invoke Spirit: Greater Poltergeist: Unleash mischievous spirits against your enemies, potentially moving objects and enemies in an incredible distance away from you. May knock enemies Prone. Consumes the spirits. Empowered: Deals 6d8 Bludgeoning damage (or half that with Saving Throw) to enemies.
• Invoke Spirit: Greater Phantasm: Will 3 vengeful phantasms to strike at enemies, dealing unavoidable 1d10+3 necrotic damage on hit for a total of 3d10+9 necrotic damage. Consumes the spirits.  Empowered: Doubles damage dealt by each phantasm.
  

UPDATED! Level 11 Feature - Summoner of the Damned: Create Undead: You know the spell Create Undead and may cast it at-will. You may also summon the Greater Undead Hungering Darkness. It's a powerful wraith-like summon that can spawn Shadow Tendrils per turn. These tendrils of darkness can lash out at foes and embrace them in darkness.

In addition, Skeletal Warlocks gain their own maxed Improved Shield of Souls though they may not capture additional souls nor command the souls with invocations. Skeletal Warlocks also gain an additional 2nd Level spell slot, and gain bonuses to their spellcasting, the ability to cast Death Ward once per Long Rest without using a spell slot. It can cast Bone Chill on a second target or twice on the same target. Undead created by the curse Night of the Living Dead gain Undead Fortitude, allowing it to resist a second death except by Radiant damage or Critical Hits. 

UPDATED! Level 14 Feature - Profane Intervention: Aspect of the Dread Overlord: You may call upon your patron to aid you in battle. An aspect of the Dread Overlord intervenes, dealing damage in a wide area and itself until it is spent.

• Night of the Living Dead: The aspect's attacks afflicts enemies with Night of the Living Dead, which curses them to rise again as an undead minion in the service of the Dread Overlord. The aspect cannot be controlled nor are the undead minions spawned by the aspect. 
  

• Dread Ward: The necromancer and their allies within a large range of the aspect are endowed with unholy vigor, gaining resistances to weapon and necrotic damage.
  

• Aura of Despair: Enemies within a large range of the aspect are stricken with despair, suffering Disadvantage on Attack Rolls and Saving Throws. 
  

NEW! Level 14 Feature - Form Phylactery: Turn your minion into walking phylacteries. They will absorb all damage you would take. Lasts for 10 turns after which the bound minions are destroyed..
  
NEW! Levels 13-20 Features - Additional bonuses to Minion Points/Create Crawling Claws and Summoner of the Damned: Army of the Dead have been built out up to level 20. Enjoy your glorious army of the undead!



Dread Overlord Credits

Inspired by the awesome necromancer class in Zebedee LPMUD. Vrall, Enigma, and Savoy for creating the class and the themes. Rest in peace Thy the Wraith.