Dungeons & Dragons Undead Warlord Miniature

This is a highly detailed miniature of an Undead Warlord.

This model was created by MZ4250 who makes amazingly accurate models of the Monster Manual creatures and provided by Commercial License.

In Dungeons & Dragons, an Undead Warlord is a formidable and thematic villain or high-level monster, typically used by Dungeon Masters to challenge experienced adventuring parties. As the name implies, this creature is both undead and a warlord—meaning it retains the martial prowess and tactical intellect it had in life, now combined with the unnatural resilience and horror of undeath. Undead Warlords are often former kings, generals, or champions who were resurrected through necromantic means or cursed into eternal existence. Their unholy transformation might be the result of a dark pact, a failed attempt to evade death, or the will of a powerful necromancer or evil deity.

An Undead Warlord usually commands legions of undead, instilling discipline among mindless skeletons and zombies through sheer presence and supernatural influence. Unlike typical undead who shamble forward with little strategy, a Warlord coordinates assaults, lays traps, and adapts tactics mid-battle. This makes them a particularly dangerous opponent, as their intelligence and charisma often match their martial capabilities. Mechanically, an Undead Warlord might be custom-built by a DM or appear as a template applied to a warlord-like creature. It may include abilities such as aura effects that bolster nearby undead, necrotic damage attacks, and resistances to conventional weapons. Many versions also possess legendary actions or lair abilities, making them suitable as a campaign’s central antagonist.

Narratively, the presence of an Undead Warlord in a campaign usually signals a region in turmoil. They may rule over a blighted kingdom, raise armies from ancient battlefields, or seek vengeance against the world of the living. Their goals can be as simple as conquest or as complex as enacting a centuries-old vendetta. Adventurers may need to uncover the warlord’s history to find a weakness, disrupt their army’s cohesion, or destroy the artifact keeping them alive. An Undead Warlord is not just a powerful foe but a story anchor, combining dark fantasy, military threat, and mythic storytelling in one chilling figure.