Wait, WAIT…hold up. How does Hamun Kost – an evil mage without access to 3rd level spells – control twelve zombies? That makes no sense. And I’m sorry, but if the answer is “you’re the Dungeon Master. You can do whatever you like,” that’s a paddlin’.

To quote the famous Dungeon Master Colonel Nathan R. Jessup:

“Son, we play in a world that has rules, and those rules have to be adjudicated by people with dice. Who’s gonna do it? You Stud McBeefpile? You, Prevagen von Trulicity? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for the Rule of Cool and you curse the Player’s Handbook. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know; that fudging dice, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, *saves lives*. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at taverns, you want me behind that dungeon master’s screen. You need me behind that dungeon master’s screen. We use acronyms like RAW, RAI, RAF. We use these acronym as the backbone of a life spent preparing the next session that only half of you will show up to. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to someone who rises and sleeps under the verisimilitude of the very world that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said “thank you” and stacked your dice into a spire. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up the core rule books and get nerdy. Either way, I don’t give a *damn* what you think you are entitled to!”

Wooo! Okay, I need a minute. Why is it so hot in here? Where was I? Oh yeah.

I know the game designer’s intention was for Dungeon Masters to hand-wave past this whole “but Hamun Kost doesn’t have access to Animate Dead yet” thing, but it drives me up a wall. And so, I spend my time pouring through ancient scrolls and dusty old tomes like Tyranny of Dragons searching for a reasonable explanation for how this can be. And then BOOM.

From the Campaign Overview in Tyranny of Dragons:

In a public area where their appearance could put them at risk, Red Wizards favor deep hoods and scarves to hide their faces. Their undead wight bodyguards are usually nearby—and often invisible.

What can control up to twelve zombies at once? A wight.

A humanoid slain by this (Life Drain) attack rises 24 hours later as a zombie under the wight’s control, unless the humanoid is restored to life or its body is destroyed. The wight can have no more than twelve zombies under its control at one time.

Looks like Mormesk the Wraith isn’t the only wraith in Lost Mine of Phandelver. At least not in my game!

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