Quietly, they shambled through rubble and weed past the ruin of Tresendar Manor until, one by one, they appeared at the edge of the escarpment. Silhouetted by the light of the full moon, they gazed down upon the bonfire burning in the town square below.

The revelers must have felt the gaze of the watchers upon them during their harvest celebration as they paused to glimpse up at the silhouettes on high. Slowly, a hush spread through the crowd until the pop and hiss of the bonfire was the only sound to fill the night.

Silence gave way to gasps. Then gasps turned to screams as, one by one, the watchers stepped off the rock face. First one. Then another. Then in scores they plunged bonelessly to the earth below.

Silence filled the night once again.

Then screams echoed between the homes of Phandalin as the silhouettes lurched to their feet and charged toward the town square.

None of the Phandalin modules discusses the height of the hill that Tresendar Manor sits atop, so I think I’ll just fill in the blank and say 70 ft.

Why 70 ft?

The average damage taken from a 70 ft. fall is 21 hp. Zombies have 22 hp.

The entire hoarde goes off the cliff, plunging to the ground, then lurches to their feet with 1 hp remaining; meaning I have set the scene for the characters to battle a zombie horde already at Undead Fortitude’s door.

Some of the dead will be dispatched with a single stroke. Others will be cleaved through one by one with a single mighty cut. And yet others will make the a successful saving throw, and continue to fight on.

This is how the apocalypse will come to Phandalin in my game.

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