Balthazar

Balthazar
Commander of the Reborn Dead
Voiced by	Roger Ringrose
Stats
Size	Medium
Type	Undead
Race	Undead
Class	Necromancy School Wizard
Balanced Difficulty Stats
Level	8
HP	91
Initiative	+7
Proficiency	+3
Weight	100 kg (200 lb)
Ability scores
STR	10 (0)
DEX	14 (+2)
CON	16 (+3)
INT	20 (+5)
WIS	14 (+2)
CHA	10 (0)
Saving throws
STR	0
DEX	+2
CON	+6
INT	+5
WIS	+5
CHA	0
Resistances (info)
Conditions
Mage Armour Base Armour Class is 13  Undead Ward Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage.  Undead Ward Aura Allied undead within 9m / 30ft are Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing
Features
Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Grave Magic Whenever you deal damage with a spell, deal an additional 1d8Necrotic damage.  Grim Harvest Killing a living creature grants hit points equal to twice the level of spell slot used, or triple if it's a Necromancy spell  Immune to Control Undead This creature is so powerful, it simply cannot be controlled by the magical whim of others.  Legendary Action: Spectral Aspect Once per round, Balthazar can use his Legendary Action to adopt a  Spectral Aspect after being struck.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Turn Resistance Advantage on Saving Throws against any effect that turns undead.
Explorer Difficulty Stats
Level	8
HP	63
Initiative	+7
Proficiency	+3
Weight	100 kg (200 lb)
Ability scores
STR	10 (0)
DEX	14 (+2)
CON	16 (+3)
INT	20 (+5)
WIS	14 (+2)
CHA	10 (0)
Saving throws
STR	0
DEX	+2
CON	+6
INT	+5
WIS	+5
CHA	0
Resistances (info)
Conditions
Mage Armour Base Armour Class is 13  Undead Ward Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage.  Undead Ward Aura Allied undead within 9m / 30ft are Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing
Features
Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Grave Magic Whenever you deal damage with a spell, deal an additional 1d8Necrotic damage.  Grim Harvest Killing a living creature grants hit points equal to twice the level of spell slot used, or triple if it's a Necromancy spell  Immune to Control Undead This creature is so powerful, it simply cannot be controlled by the magical whim of others.  Legendary Action: Spectral Aspect Once per round, Balthazar can use his Legendary Action to adopt a  Spectral Aspect after being struck.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Turn Resistance Advantage on Saving Throws against any effect that turns undead.
Tactician Difficulty Stats
Level	8
HP	118
Initiative	+7
Proficiency	+3
Weight	100 kg (200 lb)
Ability scores
STR	10 (0)
DEX	14 (+2)
CON	16 (+3)
INT	20 (+5)
WIS	14 (+2)
CHA	10 (0)
Saving throws
STR	0
DEX	+2
CON	+6
INT	+5
WIS	+5
CHA	0
Resistances (info)
Conditions
Legendary Resistance Has a +10 bonus to its next 3 Saving Throws  Mage Armour Base Armour Class is 13  Undead Ward Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage.  Undead Ward Aura Allied undead within 9m / 30ft are Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing
Features
Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Grave Magic Whenever you deal damage with a spell, deal an additional 1d8Necrotic damage.  Grim Harvest Killing a living creature grants hit points equal to twice the level of spell slot used, or triple if it's a Necromancy spell  Immune to Control Undead This creature is so powerful, it simply cannot be controlled by the magical whim of others.  Legendary Action: Spectral Aspect Once per round, Balthazar can use his Legendary Action to adopt a  Spectral Aspect after being struck.  Magic Resistance Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Turn Resistance Advantage on Saving Throws against any effect that turns undead.
Honour Difficulty Stats
Level	8
HP	118
Initiative	+7
Proficiency	+3
Weight	100 kg (200 lb)
Ability scores
STR	10 (0)
DEX	14 (+2)
CON	16 (+3)
INT	20 (+5)
WIS	14 (+2)
CHA	10 (0)
Saving throws
STR	0
DEX	+2
CON	+6
INT	+5
WIS	+5
CHA	0
Resistances (info)
Conditions
Legendary Action: Spectral Aspect Balthazar can adopt his Spectral Aspect after being struck.  Legendary Resistance Has a +10 bonus to its next 3 Saving Throws  Mage Armour Base Armour Class is 13  Undead Ward Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing damage.  Undead Ward Aura Allied undead within 9m / 30ft are Resistant to Bludgeoning, Slashing, and Piercing
Features
Alert You gain +5 to Initiative and can no longer be surprised.  Grave Magic Whenever you deal damage with a spell, deal an additional 1d8Necrotic damage.  Grim Harvest Killing a living creature grants hit points equal to twice the level of spell slot used, or triple if it's a Necromancy spell  Immune to Control Undead This creature is so powerful, it simply cannot be controlled by the magical whim of others.  Legendary Action: Spectral Aspect Once per round, Balthazar can use his Legendary Action to adopt a  Spectral Aspect after being struck.  Magic Resistance Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.  Opportunity Attack Automatically attack an enemy moving out of your reach.  Turn Resistance Advantage on Saving Throws against any effect that turns undead.

Balthazar is an Undead necromancer in service to Ketheric Thorm, who can first be encountered in the Gauntlet of Shar during Act Two.

Overview

Background

Balthazar is a necromancer in service to General Ketheric Thorm, sent to the Gauntlet of Shar to retrieve the Nightsong; the source of Ketheric's immortality.

Quests

• Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic
• The Chosen of Shar
• Defeat Ketheric Thorm
• Find the Nightsong

Involvement

Main article: Find Ketheric Thorm's Relic

Balthazar can first be encountered in the Gauntlet of Shar, behind a locked door guarded by his undead servants.

Approaching the door and/or his servants, wherever they are found, will generally trigger a conversation. A combat encounter will always trigger on conclusion of this conversation, where Dark Justiciar Avengers attack both the undead servants and the party. Once this combat resolves, the party may have the opportunity to speak to Balthazar further and learn more about the relic he is searching for. There is also the option to simply attack and kill Balthazar at any time after this encounter. It is also possible to fully avoid contact with Balthazar and his servants until entering the Shadowfell.

When the party did not kill him and crosses the threshold into the Shadowfell the party will meet Balthazar there for a second time. If the party have not yet met Balthazar at this point, he will simply introduce himself and give the party the opportunity to help him finish his mission.

Once the party finally meet Balthazar, they are generally allowed to choose at several points if they want to kill him or help him finish his mission.

If the party help Balthazar obtain the Nightsong and later meet with Ketheric, Ketheric will take the party as prisoners. They will wake up in Balthazar's lab at the Mind Flayer Colony, where Balthazaar prepares to find a way to remove the artefact from the party's possession. Eventually, a fight between the party and Balthazar will break out.

Combat

Balthazar will use a Potion of Speed at the start of his turn to gain Hasted unless you buy it off him during dialogue first (use the Trade button).

Spells and abilities

•  Animate Dead - Cast as a unique Level 6 variant, only when confronted in the Nightsong's Prison, to reanimate an army of skeletons from the surrounding bones.
•  Bone Chill
•  Cloudkill
•  No Rest for the Wicked
•  Ray of Sickness
•  Misty Step

Honour mode

•  The Dead Wastes
•  Legendary Action: Spectral Aspect

Loot

• Circle of Bones

Gallery

• 

  Digital Artbook concept art.

• 

  Digital Artbook concept art.

Related literature

• Stained Book (Thorm Mausoleum)
• Diary of Ketheric Thorm, Vol 2

Tissue and Organ Register

• Unsent Letter
• Ornate Letter

Written by Balthazar

• Attention Acolytes
• Balthazar Personal Notes: 2
• Balthazar Personal Notes: 3
• Balthazar's Notes
• Clasped Book (Moonrise Towers)
• Research Notes (Balthazar)
• Orders from B

Notes

• Balthazar's name (and ribs) were taken from the monk Balthazar, a character from Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal.

External links

• Balthazar (necromancer) on the Forgotten Realms Wiki