D&D’s Grim Harrow will remind Witcher fans of the Wild Hunt

Crossing the realms in search of The Deck of Many Things, the Grim Harrow is an intriguing new antagonistic faction for D&D.

The Deck of Many Things is seeing a huge overall in D&D’s soon-to-release book of the same name. Far from the unbalanced campaign-ender it once was, the Deck can now be modified to suit many purposes at your table. 

While the Deck may now be a desirable addition for many adventuring parties, a new threat has emerged for players looking to claim the Deck’s power for themselves.

The Grim Harrow is an undead group, similar in design and purpose to The Witcher’s Wild Hunt, sworn to track down and destroy every known copy of the Deck across all reality. 

The Grim Harrow: A Deck-destroying faction. 

WOTC/Domenico Cava

While the updated Deck of Many Things functions as a story and inspiration tool for DMs, all of its old in-game functions remain intact, albeit with a little expansion and adjustment. The Grim Harrow is a result of one of these adjustments, an interplanar faction based on the Avatar of Death summoned by the Deck’s Skull card. 

Any character that loses their battle with the Avatar of Death is immediately killed and conscripted into the Grim Harrow. Overconfident NPCs and even player characters may find themselves bound to this dire legion, with their rescue and release serving as an excellent plot hook or campaign kick-off. 

The Harrow’s Home: Gardens of Decay 

Though the Grim Harrow hunts copies of the Deck and their owners, they are not eternal wanderers. The Grim Harrow have made their home in a demiplane known as the Gardens of Decay, where those slain by the Harrow are immediately transported upon death.  

Within the bounds of the Gardens, the slain do not rise as they once were in life, but as various undead creatures, from Ghouls to Liches. 

Hunted by the Harrow 

The Grim Harrow’s status as Deck-hunters allows them to serve as an excellent antagonistic force in any one-shot or campaign utilizing the Deck of Many Things. As their lore and nature are intrinsically tied to the deck, a campaign that already includes it will require very little additional prep to include the Harrow.

Though the Grim Harrow are fearsome, their fixation on the deck putting them at odds with players, their ultimate goal is not necessarily an evil one. These undead simply wish to be free to pass on and hope that by permanently destroying the deck they will be free of their bond to it. 

Whether the Grim Harrow are presented as outright villains or tragic antagonists, they make for one of the most intriguing additions in The Book of Many Things, expanding the Skull card’s role in the game significantly. 

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