Revenants are corporeal undead formed from the souls of mortals who met an unjust or cruel end, seeking revenge against those who wronged them.

Description

Appearance

Typically, revenants superficially resemble a zombie, except with burning eyes that flare in the presence of those against whom they've sworn vengeance. At first, they reclaim their own mortal body; if that body becomes unavailable, they may occupy the body of another corpse, but the targets of vengeance always recognize the true identity of the soul within.^[1]

One special case of a revenant, Vax'ildan, who returned by the direct intervention of the Raven Queen, returned in his own form despite his body having been reduced to ash, and he did not quite become zombie-like, though his body was cold and pale. A bruise-like mark that had appeared on his chest after his previous resurrection expanded to vaguely take on the shape of a pair of wings. His heartbeat was unnaturally slow and faint, he was apparently still breathing, and he still bled when cut.^[2][3] As it turned out, although he still had the instinct to breathe, he no longer needed air,^[4] nor did he need food,^{[citation needed]} and his hit points slowly regenerated when below half health.^[5]

Abilities

The following is all taken from the Monster Manual (2014), p. 259, but much of it has been demonstrated on-stream.

• Saving throw proficiencies: Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, Charisma
• Damage resistances: Necrotic, psychic
• Damage immunities: Poison
• Condition immunities: Charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, stunned
  • Undead Nature: Does not require air,^[4] food, drink, or sleep.
• Turn Immunity: Immune to effects that turn undead.^[6]
• Regeneration: Regains some hit points at the start of its turn unless it has taken fire or radiant damage in the last round, and its body is only destroyed if it starts its turn with 0 hp and doesn't regenerate.
• Rejuvenation: 24 hours after its body is destroyed, its soul inhabits and animates another humanoid corpse on the same plane and regains all hit points. During these 24 hours, a Wish spell can force the soul into the afterlife instead.
• Vengeful Tracker: Knows the distance to and direction of any creature against which it has sworn vengeance, even on a different plane. Also knows if that creature dies.^[7]
• Actions
  • Vengeful Glare: A creature the revenant can see and against which it has sworn vengeance must make a Wisdom saving throw, and on a failure becomes paralyzed until the revenant deals damage to it or the end of the revenant's next turn. When the paralysis ends, the target is frightened of the revenant for one minute. The target can repeat the Wisdom saving throw (with disadvantage if it can see the revenant) at the end of its turns to end the frightened condition.
  • Fist: Deals bludgeoning damage, and more than doubles the damage if the target is a creature against which the revenant has sworn vengeance. If the target is Large or smaller, can choose to grapple instead.
  • Multiattack: Two fist attacks

Revenants that were spellcasters in life may retain some or all of their spells. The base revenant has leather armor and uses its fists in combat, but if the humanoid wore armor or wielded weapons in life, it may continue to do so.

When the target of the revenant's vengeance dies, or if the revenant fails to kill its target within one year, the revenant crumbles to dust and its soul moves on to the afterlife.

History

Campaign One: Vox Machina

Vax'ildan made a deal to pledge his soul in service to the Raven Queen.^[8] Later, in a battle with Vecna and his top lieutenants, Vax was subsequently slain and his body disintegrated,^[9] but to the surprise of his party, he returned as a quasi-revenant. He had his own body again, but with only faint vital signs, and had some of the abilities of a revenant: he was immune to effects that turn undead, and could discern where Vecna was in relation to himself.^[10] Even after being killed again, he returned.^[11]

A short time after Vecna was banished, the Raven Queen collected Vax'ildan,^[12] and he became a celestial for a period of service as her champion.^[13]

Explorer's Guide to Wildemount

An adventure hook on Darktow Isle involves a revenant named Blue Martitia who wants revenge on a pirate captain for leaving her behind.^[14]

One possible encounter in Eiselcross involves a revenant of an explorer from Balenpost who wants revenge on their murderer, a former team member.^[15]

Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep

In the Netherdeep, formed by Alyxian's powerful yearning, there is a cavern with many graves; in some of the graves are faceless corpses, and if any are removed from the grave, they all animate with the revenant stat block and attack. When reduced to zero hit points, however, they turn into small beads of ruidium rather than reanimate.^[16]

The Re-Slayer's Take

Putridius Festerkin, also known as the Timberblight, is a dark druid revenant and a former member of the Slayer's Take.

Trivia

• The Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn offers alternative resurrection rules, including "Harrowing Return", in which one possible consequence of resurrection is to return as a quasi-revenant filled with hate for the creature that slew you.^[17]
• The Black Snow tribe of undead black dragonborn rising from the corpses of a dozen goliaths of the Herd of Storms who fell to Umbrasyl are described as revenants, though they don't necessarily use that statblock.^[18][19]
• Campaign Two had a running gag about the red weasel Sprinkle surviving many situations in which he should have died. Liam O'Brien once jokingly asked if Sprinkle was a revenant.^[20]
• Gargo, the undead bird that stalked Fresh Cut Grass, was more or less a revenant.^[21]

References

1. ↑ See D&D: Monster Manual (2014), 5^th ed., p. 259.
2. ↑ See "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) from 1:09:02 through 1:15:25.  See also at 1:22:58 and at 1:28:00.
3. ↑ After returning a second time, Vax'ildan is explicitly referred to as a revenant.  See "The Final Ascent" (1x113) at 0:11:39.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} See "The Endless Atheneum" (1x106) at 2:43:23.  See also "Scaldseat" (1x107) from 1:40:47 through 1:41:23.
5. ↑ See "Critical Role: Grog's One-Shot" (Sx26) at 2:56:32.
6. ↑ Vax'ildan, in his quasi-revenant form, saw no effects when Pike Trickfoot attempted to Turn Undead.  See "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) at 1:27:00.
7. ↑ After Vax'ildan's return as a quasi-revenant, he knew the distance to and direction of Vecna.  See "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) from 2:15:43 through 2:18:50.
8. ↑ See "The Sunken Tomb" (1x44) at 4:30:03.
9. ↑ This battle took place in "Race to the Tower" (1x102).
10. ↑ His return happened during the course of "The Fate-Touched" (1x103).
11. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 274.
12. ↑ See "The Chapter Closes" (1x115) at 1:27:43.
13. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, pp. 274–275.
14. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 63.
15. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 122.
16. ↑ See Call of the Netherdeep, p. 167.
17. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, pp. 213–214.
18. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 73.
19. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting Reborn, p. 109.
20. ↑ See "Rumble at Rumblecusp" (2x105) at 1:07:39.
21. ↑ See "4-Sided Dive: Kiss and Tell" (4SDx16) at 1:59:50.

Art:

1. ↑ Depiction of a revenant from Monster Manual (2014), p. 259. This page contains unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Wizards of the Coast Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
2. ↑ Fan art of Vax's return, by Lap Pun Cheung (source). Used with permission.