Heigan the Unclean

"I see endless suffering... I see torment... I see rage... I see everything." - Heigan the Unclean.

Heigan the Unclean was once a human like any other, but after taking up with the Lich King and the Scourge he quickly turned into a monster of a man. His expertise with manipulating the plague gave him a position of priviledge within the Scourge, one he used to unleash terrifying creations upon humanity. The Plaguelands are now as such in no small part due to Heigan's twisted contributions.

Being so close to such concoctions changed him over time, causing him to grow in size and strength beyond the weak man he used to be. He now stands far taller than any normal human, clad in dark purple and red robes and bearing the goat-skull helm that marks him as a necromancer. Despite his proximity to caustic liquids, he still retains a massive white beard, though it is unkempt and he clearly pays little attention to his appearance, so obsessed is he with the pain of the world.

Lair

Heigan lairs in a room in the Plague Quarter of Naxxramas where he concocts new plagues and new plague-enhanced monsters for the Lich King. Included in Appendix A are two example maps (gridded and non-gridded) that can be used, with the party typically entering from the northern tunnel.

Heigan's platform is in the north-eastern corner, and is only slightly raised above the rest of the room. It can be climbed onto/off of without expending any extra movement.

Lair Actions

Heigan only has a single lair action, which activates on initiative counts 20 and 10 (losing ties).

Plague Eruption. Heigan causes a plague eruption in one of the four quadrants of the map, starting at the southmost and then cycling through each quadrant back and forth. Creatures stood in a quadrant when it erupts can use their reaction to make a DC15 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, they can move up to their movement speed to try to escape the quadrant before it erupts. On a fail, they take 2d8 poison and 3d8 acid damage. After Heigan's Plague Cascade mythic trait activates, Plague Eruption changes to instead cycle a single safe quadrant, with the other three erupting. The damage dice also increase from d8s to d12s.

Tactics

Encountered outside of his lair, Heigan is much less threatening, as his power is primarily centred around his Lair Actions causing problems for the encountering party. When encountered outside of his Lair, Heigan is most likely going to attempt to flee rather than engage, only fighting at a last resort and using his abilities to slow and dissuade the party from following.

When fought in his lair, at the end of the first round after Heigan is engaged, both the tunnels into his lair and his platform are fill with a poison gas. Creatures that enter this area or end their turn there take 5d8 poison damage (no save, and bypasses immunity per Heigan's Virulent Concoctions feature). These poisons dissipate after Heigan is defeated.

Heigan favours targeting creatures at range with his Decrepit Fever over those in melee, and will try to position himself to best disrupt enemy spellcasters with his Spell Disruption Aura. He enjoys toying with creatures, and once his Plague Cascade trait activates will make ample use of his Eye Tentacles to block enemy movement so they take damage from Plague Eruption.

After Heigan's Plague Cascade mythic trait activates and he teleports to his platform, he will spend one turn there Dodging as he 'channels' the power of the plague to case additional plague eruptions, before returning to the fray in melee.

Reward

Defeating Heigan in his lair rewards the party with a Robe of the Evil Archmagi, a Periapt of Health, and a roll on the CR11-16 Treasure Hoard table.

Image credit: Ron Lemen

Heigan the Unclean

Large Humanoid, Chaotic Evil

  • Armor Class 18 (natural armour)
  • Hit Points 220 (21d10+105)
  • Speed 40ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
13 (+1) 14 (+2) 20 (+5) 19 (+5) 17 (+3) 19 (+4)
  • Saving throws Dex +7, Con +10, Int +10, Wis +8
  • Skills Arcana +15, Religion +10, Medicine +8, Insight +8
  • Damage Resistances nonmagical bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing damage, necrotic.
  • Damage Immunities Poison, Acid
  • Condition Immunities Charmed, Frightened, Poisoned
  • Senses passive Perception 13
  • Languages Common
  • Challenge 16 (15000 XP)

Plague Cascade. If Heigan is reduced to zero hit points, his current hit points are instead reset to 110 hit points. He regains any expended uses of Legendary Resistance. When the trait activates, Heigan immediately teleports to his platform (see Tactics section). Additionally, he can now use the options in the "Mythic Actions" section for 1 hour. Award the party an additional 15000XP for defeating Heigan after his Plague Cascade activates.

Virulent Concoctions. Heigan treats Immunity to Poison and Acid damage as Resistance instead when he deals damage to other creatures.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Heigan fails a saving throw, he can choose to succeed on it instead.

Spell Disruption Aura . Creatures within a 15ft radius of Heigan that attempt to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action roll a d20. On a roll of 11 or higher, the spell doesn't take effect until the creature's next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can't the spell is wasted.

In addition, any spells cast within 15ft of Heigan cause the caster to take necrotic damage equal to the level of the spell slot expended (minimum 1).

Actions

Plague Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 5 (1d10 + 5) poison damage. A creature damaged by this must make a successful Constitution saving throw (DC18) or be unable to regain hit points for 1 minute.

Bonus Actions

Decrepit Fever (Recharge 5-6). Heigan chooses a creature he can see. They must succeed on a DC18 Constitution saving throw or be infected by Decrepit Fever. While infected they take 2d8 poison damage at the end of each of their turns, and their maximum hit points are reduced by the same amount. They may then make a new Constitution saing throw to end the effect. It may also be cured with a Lesser Restoration, Disepl Magic, or similar spell. As a magical disease, Decrepit Fever can infect even those immune to diseases normally, though they have advantage on the saving throws.

Legendary Actions

Heigan can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. Heigan regains spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.

Move. Heigan moves up to his movement speed. This movement does not provoke Opportunity Attacks.

Plague Touch. Heigan uses his Plague Touch on one creature within range.

Decrepit Fever (Costs 3 Actions). Heigan instantly recharges his Decrepit Fever and uses it on a target creature.

Mythic Actions

If Heigan's Plague Cascade trait has activated in the last hour, he can use the options below as legendary actions.

Mana Burn. Heigan targets a creature within range and rolls a d8. If the creature has spell slots, they lose a spell slot of the rolled number (or the next highest, if they lack one of that level) and take necrotic damage equal to twice the spell slot level.

Call Eye Tentacle (Costs 2 actions). Heigan summons 3 eye tentacles around the arena. Only one of them should be within Mind Flay range of another creature, with the other two not in immediate range.

Eye Tentacle

Small Aberration, unaligned

  • Armor Class 5
  • Hit Points 13 (3d8)
  • Speed 0ft
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
1 (-5) 1 (-5) 10 (+0) 1 (-5) 3 (-4) 1 (-5)
  • Damage Immunities poison, acid
  • Condition Immunities blinded, deafened, frightened
  • Senses blindsight 30 ft. (blind beyond this radius), passive Perception 6
  • Languages None
  • Challenge 0 (10 XP)

Heigan's Construct. An eye tentacle will never target Heigan with their Mind Flay. They are also immune to the damage of his Plague Eruption lair action.

Reactions

Mind Flay. When a creature moves within 15ft of an Eye Tentacle it blasts them with a psionic strike, dealing 1 psychic damage and reducing their movement speeds by 20ft for so long as they remain within 15ft of the tentacle. Creatures who take no damage due to immunities or resistances do not have their speed reduced.

Appendix A: Maps