The undead were once living creatures, returned to a horrific second life. Undead can be created through necromantic spells, profane curses, or even sometimes through divine decree. Such creatures are rarely bothered by the needs of their former life, instead craving something unique to their new form.
The Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault has twenty-three undead in its arsenal to pair with the multitude of monsters ready for conversion from the Creature Codex and Tomes of Beasts 1, 2, and 3. All these monsters are more narratively interesting and tactically dynamic than their counterparts in similar games.
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The Need to Feed
While the lore for many undead speak to a certain craving, there are few mechanical implications for their hunger. By adding game mechanics to these undead, the Tales of the Valiant framework offers more nuanced foes to challenge the players—but all the more so, to tell more interesting tales for their valiant heroes.
Spooky Apparitions
The old salt is an undead monster ripped from the Tome of Beasts 3—you can also purchase it in miniature form from Kobold Press partner Effin Cool Minis!
This undead humanoid is the corporeal manifestation of vengeance, as in life it sailed the high seas before being falsely accused of a capital crime. After a torturous death by drowning after walking the plank, the old salt dredges itself up from the briny deep, a grueling trek that takes thirteen weeks. Once ashore, it begins hunting the false witnesses and judges who either caused (or sometimes those permitted) its undeserved death.
The old salt doesn’t hunger for flesh or brains—instead, it craves vengeance. The old salt’s appetite is briefly sated when it takes vengeance against one of its accusers. However, it quickly hungers for further vengeance until its name is either cleared or all those who wronged it have perished.
This is the old salt from Tome of Beasts 3, updated for Tales of the Valiant and the Hungry Undead rules!
Old Salt CR 5
Medium Undead
Armor Class 15
Hit Points 117
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Perception 10 Stealth 14
Resistant necrotic
Immune Undead Resilience
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can’t speak
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| +1 | +3 | +2 | +0 | +2 | +0 |
Experienced Sailor. The old salt has advantage on STR (Athletics) checks made to climb while on a sailing ship and on DEX (Acrobatics) checks to maintain its footing while on a sailing ship.
Seaside Rejuvenation. If at least one of the old salt’s accusers is still alive or if the old salt’s name hasn’t been cleared, a destroyed old salt gains a new body in 13 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again as an impulsive old salt. The new body appears on the beach or dock nearest one of its living accusers. If presented with everything it needs to complete its unfinished business, the old salt permanently dies.
Undead Nature. The old salt doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Undead Resilience. The old salt is immune to poison damage, to exhaustion, and to the poisoned condition.
Vengeful Hunger. If the old salt enacts vengeance against a false accuser, it becomes an ascendent old salt for 6 days, reverting to an old salt if it has not enacted subsequent vengeance in that time. If the old salt has not taken vengeance against a false accuser in 13 days, it becomes an impulsive old salt until it takes vengeance, thereby becoming an old salt once more.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The old salt makes two Desiccating Slam attacks.
Desiccating Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 12 (2d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 CON save throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hp maximum to 0.
Wave of Seawater (Recharge 5–6). The old salt throws its hand forward, sending out a wave of seawater in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 DEX save. On a failure, a creature takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and begins choking as its lungs fill with seawater. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t choking. A creature that can breathe water doesn’t choke from failing this saving throw. A choking creature can make a DC 15 CON save at the end of each of its turns, coughing up the seawater and ending the effect on itself on a success.
BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. The old salt can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
Much like America runs Dunkin, so too does the old salt run on vengeance. If it goes too long without reprisal, the old salt is weakened and becomes more sluggish. This causes the impulsive old salt to take risks to feed its yearning for vengeance, although it also takes longer to reform once killed.
Impulsive Old Salt CR 3
Medium Undead
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 81
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Perception 10 Stealth 11
Resistant necrotic
Immune Undead Resilience
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can’t speak
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| +3 | +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 | +0 |
Experienced Sailor. The impulsive old salt has advantage on STR (Athletics) checks made to climb while on a sailing ship and on DEX (Acrobatics) checks to maintain its footing while on a sailing ship.
Seaside Rejuvenation. If at least one of the old salt’s accusers is still alive or if the old salt’s name hasn’t been cleared, a destroyed old salt gains a new body in 33 days, regaining all its hit points and becoming active again as an impulsive old salt. The new body appears on the beach or dock nearest one of its living accusers. If presented with everything it needs to complete its unfinished business, the old salt permanently dies.
Undead Nature. The impulsive old salt doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Undead Resilience. The impulsive old salt is immune to poison damage, to exhaustion, and to the poisoned condition.
Vengeful Hunger. Once the impulsive old salt enacts vengeance against a false accuser, it becomes an old salt again.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The impulsive old salt makes two Desiccating Slam attacks.
Desiccating Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 8 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 CON save throw or its hp maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hp maximum to 0.
Wave of Seawater (Recharge 5–6). The impulsive old salt throws its hand forward, sending out a wave of seawater in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 12 STR save. On a failure, a creature takes 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and is pushed up to 30 ft. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t pushed.
BONUS ACTIONS
Action Surge (1/Day). The impulsive old salt takes another action.
As it feasts on vengeance, the old salt grows in might. Its attacks grow more potent, and the old salt grows more resilient against effects that would turn it. Perhaps most troubling is that even once defeated, the old salt’s form is renewed in a mere day, using the new body to continue to exact revenge.
Ascendant Old Salt CR 7
Medium Undead
Armor Class 17
Hit Points 154
Speed 30 ft., swim 30 ft.
Perception 10 Stealth 16
Resistant necrotic
Immune Undead Resilience
Senses darkvision 60 ft.
Languages understands the languages it knew in life but can’t speak
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| +1 | +5 | +4 | +0 | +2 | +0 |
Experienced Sailor. The ascendant old salt has advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to climb while on a sailing ship and on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to maintain its footing while on a sailing ship.
Seaside Rejuvenation. If at least one of the ascendant old salt’s accusers is still alive or if the ascendant old salt’s name hasn’t been cleared, a destroyed ascendant old salt gains a new body in 1 day, regaining all its hp and becoming active again as an old salt. The new body appears on the beach or dock nearest one of its living accusers. If presented with everything it needs to complete its unfinished business, the old salt permanently dies.
Turn Resistance. The ascendant old salt has advantage on WIS saves against Turn the Profane and similar effects.
Undead Nature. The old salt doesn’t require air, food, drink, or sleep.
Undead Resilience. The old salt is immune to poison damage, to exhaustion, and to the poisoned condition.
Vengeful Hunger. If the ascendant old salt doesn’t enact further vengeance against a false accuser in 6 days, it becomes an old salt again.
ACTIONS
Multiattack. The ascendant old salt makes three Desiccating Slam attacks. It can replace one Dessicated Slam attack with a Wave of Seawater
Desiccating Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 14 (2d8 + 5) bludgeoning damage plus 7 (2d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 15 CON save throw or its hp maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hp maximum to 0.
Wave of Seawater (Recharge 5–6). The ascendant old salt throws its hand forward, sending out a wave of seawater in a 30-foot cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 15 DEX save. On a failure, a creature takes 21 (6d6) bludgeoning damage and begins choking as its lungs fill with seawater. On a success, a creature takes half the damage and isn’t choking. A creature that can breathe water doesn’t choke from failing this saving throw. A choking creature can make a DC 15 CON save at the end of each of its turns, coughing up the seawater and ending the effect on itself on a success.
BONUS ACTIONS
Cunning Action. The ascendant old salt can take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.
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