ᛋᚹᚨᚱᛏ ᛗᚢᚾᚲᚱ

One of the few constants which the people of the Four Kingdoms and Cornwall have been able to rely upon during the chaos of the past several centuries has been the church, the monasteries, the convents, and the many men and women and enbies who serve it. From them have come life-saving spells and medicines and medical help as well as spiritual succor and a lifetime’s worth of spiritual aid. From them have come the life-and soul-saving priests and monks and nuns and lay people. 

How horrifying it was, then, to learn (usually by the time one was a teenager, if not before then) that there were certain members of the church who were corrupt, vile, and, in fact, wholly in the grip of Scucca, the Devil? That these men and women and enbies practiced evil, not good, and used their temporal power and mundane authority to harm, not to heal? 

The majority of these individuals are the “black monks of Argstow,” who follow Scucca’s orders, gain their infernal powers from Scucca, and do their best to make the world an awful place to live in. 

The black monks look and dress like ordinary monks. It’s only when their eyes light up with infernal flame that one can be sure one is dealing with one of the black monks of Argstow

Medium humanoid, salacious, committed to doing wrong, and generally evil

Armor Class 17 (armor & shield)
Hit Points 104 (16d8+32)
Speed 30 ft, fly 30 ft (hover)

Str 16 (+3) Dex 15 (+2) Con 15 (+2)
Int 12 (+1) Wis 12 (+1) Cha 19 (+4)

Saving Throws CHA +8
Skills Geography +5, Worship +8
Senses passive Perception 11
Condition Immunities charmed, dreamy, poisoned
Damage Immunities necrotic
Languages Old English, Viking
Reaction to immediate hatred and a desire to destroy them utterly—everyone knows or has heard of someone hurt badly by a black monk 
Challenge 9 (5,000 XP)

+2 Leather Armor. (Already incorporated into AC). 

Spellcasting. A black monk is a 13th-level level monk/nun. Its spellcasting ability is CHA (spell save DC 16, spell attack bonus +8). A black monk will have the following spells prepared: 

• Cantrips (at-will): blessed weapon, guidance, light, resistance, sacred flame
• 1st-level (4 slots): bane, cure wounds, holy fire, shield of faith
• 2nd-level (3 slots): bless weapon, blindness/deafness, enhance ability
• 3rd-level (3 slots): dispel magic, holy blow, protection from energy
• 4th-level (3 slots): God’s displeasure, God smote him, holy shout
• 5th-level (3 slots): breath of God, flame strike, holy command
• 6th-level (1 slot): create divine ally
• 7th-level (1 slot): firestorm

ACTIONS

Multiattack: The black monk makes two +2 ravenous unholy long sword attacks per round. 

+2 Ravenous Unholy Long Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft, one target. Hit: 19 (3d8+5) slashing damage + 9 (2d8) necrotic damage.

On a successful hit the black monk can choose to regain the same number of necrotic damage 
done as temporary hit points, or can accumulate the damage inflicted for extra spell slots. The black monk gains 1 spell slot level for every 8 hit points of necrotic damage inflicted. 

So, for example, a black monk who made a successful hit for 19 slashing damage + 16 necrotic damage would regain either two 1st level spell slots (2x8=16) or one 2nd level spell slot. 

The black monk can accumulate the necrotic damage inflicted until they have enough to regain up to a 7th level spell slot. 

MOTIVES

The black monks, devout in the service of Scucca, wish to bring as much misery to as many people as possible while also bringing new worshipers to Scucca. When in doubt, they will choose the latter over the former.

ALLIES

A black monk usually works in company with its fellow black monks, as part of the company of a black bishop, or solo but surrounded by Scucca- and Argstow-worshiping warriors and necromancers.