Malus Thorm

Shar's Scalpel
Malus Thorm
Stats
Level 7
STR 14 (+2) DEX 18 (+4) CON 14 (+2) INT 14 (+2) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 8 (-1)
Race	Undead, formerly an elf.
Type	Undead
HP	276; 358TTactician
AC	18
Movement Speed	9m / 30ft
Size	Medium
Weight	100kg
Proficiency Bonus	+3
Initiative	+4
Passive features
Legendary Action: Wail of LossHHonour  Magic Resistance  Multiattack: Wounded  Opportunity Attack  Turn Resistance
Resistances
Character information
Location	House of Healing
Additional information
Voice actor	Sean Baker
Model

Malus is a unique intelligent Undead, the master surgeon of the House of Healing and twisted follower of Shar. Having somehow kept his personality despite being in the Shadow-Cursed Lands, he believes graceful pain and calculating mutilation are the key to truly embracing the ideals of his dark faith. At his depraved hospital, he tirelessly works to train his Undead Nurses to hone such skill, yet their hollowed state leaves them lacking in ability beyond being dutiful assistants.

“	The objective of the scalpel, sisters, is to soothe, for a scalpel, indeed, is an extension of Shar. See how the patient reacts when I but stroke the right nerve. Hear its comfort. Hear the melody of mercy. Pray, sister, show us the extent of your beneficence.	„
	— Malus Thorm instructing the Undead Nurses in their "medical practice."

In life, he directed a shift in the House's purpose from tending to the sick and injured among the populace of Reithwin to exclusively serving the Dark Justiciars of Ketheric Thorm's army, as he believed keeping the latter healthy would help them serve Shar while the rest were better off left to her oblivion.

He plays a role in the quest Wake up Art Cullagh, being an obstacle, holding the Battered Lute which is a clue for that quest.

Spoiler warning! This section reveals details about the story of Baldur's Gate 3.

Arriving at the House of Healing and gaining entry to the surgery theater, Malus will be busy educating his undead nurses on a poor 'patient'. While cordial at first seeing you as a new student, preaching his view of Absence being the way to understanding Shar. After mutilating the 'patient' he will urge to do the same to you. Beyond attacking to defend yourself, there are a mix of Skill Checks that can be done instead:

• A Investigation of DC 14 will lead to you pointing out the nurses aren't skilled enough for surgery.
• A Religion of DC 14 will let you use the ways of Shar to counter Malus own views.
• A Persuasion of DC 16 will suggest the nurses aren't ready and just make you sick instead of 'curing' you.

If any of these checks are successful, Malus will ask how to train the nurses properly, leading to two differing Persuasion checks with a DC 21.

• Suggest that Malus offer himself up to be practiced on by the nurses, which he gleefully accepts. After a bloody scene in which they blindly hack away at his body, the nurses will become passive, and the master surgeon very much dead.
• Convince Malus to have the Sisters test their skills against each other, leading to a bloody brawl between them.

If the player has first read the Surgery and Physiology: A Sharran's Primer book in the room behind Malus, two additional options are available, both of which are instead DC 18, and both of which result in the nurses killing Malus:

• [INTIMIDATION] I have read your treatise. Initiate the final lesson, or die by my hand. (DC 18)
• [PERSUASION] ‘Only with sacrifice is mastery gained.’ For the sisters to learn, you must submit. (DC 18)

If the nurses were convinced to fight each other, the mad surgeon will press to tend to you next. He can be attacked, proving much easier to defeat without the support of his nurses. Alternatively, he can be convinced to do the work for you:

• A final Persuasion (DC 21) check, requesting that Malus perform the procedure on you
• Deception (DC 21) with advantage for Sorcerer or Cleric, asking that Malus bless you with the blinding procedure

Awed by your diligence, Malus will happily make an example of himself, stabbing and killing himself through the eye.

Attacks and abilities

 Claws

• Lash out with deadly claws, dealing 2d4+4Slashing damage.
• Action

 Request Surgical Instrument

• Request a tool for advanced surgery.
• Bonus action

Grants  Surgeon's Chosen onto one of the undead nurses, having them lend a unique Instrument of Loss for him, allow Malus to perform powerful and debilitating attacks. The surgical tools are the following:

•  Instrument of Loss: Bonesaw -  Bloody Bonesaw
•  Instrument of Loss: Syringe -  This Won't Hurt A Bit
•  Instrument of Loss: Trepan -  Terror Trepan
•  Instrument of Loss: Leech -  Lethal Leech

 Bloody Bonesaw

• Hack at a target, dealing 8d8 + Dexterity ModifierSlashing damage, and possibly  Slow it.
• Action

 This Won't Hurt A Bit

• Jab a foe with a syringe, dealing 8d8 + Dexterity ModifierPiercing damage, and  Poison them.
• Action

 Terror Trepan

• Bore into a foe's brain, dealing 8d8 + Dexterity ModifierPiercing damage and  Frighten them.
• Action

 Lethal Leech

• Suckle a foe with hundreds of piercing teetch, dealing 8d8 + Dexterity ModifierPiercing damage, making them  Bleed.
• Action

 Lovely Assistant

• The Surgeon reanimates the corpse of one of his nurses.
• Bonus action

Notable loot

• Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet
• Battered Lute

Gallery

• 

  Concept model by Nikolai Chugunov

• 

  Model

Related literature

• Surgery and Physiology: A Sharran's Primer - Malus Thorm.

External links

• Malus Thorm on the Forgotten Realms Wiki