 |
| Ok maybe not quite this grand |
After the raid on the bugbear cave, Ivy has found herself in charge of a decent-sized - if badly equipped and largely unwilling - warband. Her adventuring party forms the core of it, consisting of:
Ivy Almyr, Fighter 4
Ambrosius Blackcloak, Cleric 3
Nogi of Firedeep, Dwarf 2
Mothclaw, Orc 1
Added to this are the former prisoners of the bugbears:
One 4th-level Fighter
Two 1st-level Fighters
A 2nd-level Dwarf
Two 1st-level Elves
1 Bugbear
3 Hobgoblins
2 Orcs
1 Goblin
1 Kobold
A more detailed write-up for Ivy’s warband follows. To fit with my loose ideas for how the Caves of Chaos interact with the town, none of them are people with connections to Eveningstar. To prevent an angry 9th-level wizard riding down on them with her knights in tow, the bugbears avoided the town and limited their raids to the Stonelands and the Briarwood. All of Eveningstar’s farms constructed close enough to Starwater Gorge to make for easy pickings were destroyed years ago (at least until Trigg bought and started renovating one).
 |
| No, that's still too impressive |
Fighter 4 HP 31 AC 20 XP: 8,317 Morale 11
Str 16, Dex 11, Con 13, Int 11, Wis 9, Cha 12
Gear: sword +2 (Blackstar), shield +1, helm +1 (cursed), leather, mail, hand-axe +1, scroll of protection from undead
Treasure: 2,001 gp, 77 sp, garnet (500 gp), bracelet (700 gp), jeweled dagger (800 gp), tapestry (900 gp)
Born Ivy Almyr, a shieldmaiden of the woodmen. Tall, with thick, curly brown hair. Having donned the cursed, raven-winged helm of King Rivior her mind is an uncomfortable mixture of honorable adventurer and mad bandit-king. The combined entity resolves this by believing that she is the rightful queen of Eveningstar, but that she should be a just one who rewards “fealty with love, valour with honour, oath-breaking with vengeance”.
Ambrosius
Cleric 3 HP 14 AC 21 XP: 4,933 Morale 10
Str 12, Dex 13, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 14
Gear: snake sceptre, shield +1, leather, mail +1, helm, amulet of protection, scroll of detect magic, scroll of hold person
Treasure: 510 gp, gold ring w/ black gem (1,400 gp)
Description: like a warrior-monk Rasputin. Wears verdigris bronze armor decorated with serpent forms.
Expectations: Believes he knows how to influence King Rivior (his cult bound the king’s spirit into a wight, after all), and sees Ivy as his path to power, especially since the PCs’ destruction of his undead army, human followers, and the cursed chalice has robbed him of his most potent tools.
Nogi of Firedeep
Dwarf 2 HP 16 AC 10 XP: 3,081 Morale 9
Str 13, Dex 4, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 5, Cha 9
Gear: great-axe, helm
Treasure: 239 gp, 52 sp, gold rings (100 gp), firedrop earrings (100 gp)
Wounds: lost eye, horrible scar
Slayer’s Oath: Nogi receives +2 on saves vs Death. Each permanent wound he receives gives him +2 HP
Description: red-haired, like most dwarves of Firedeep, and tattooed in traditional Slayer fashion. Clumsy with drink.
Expectations: seeks death in battle, preferably against a troll. Terrified of Ivy.
Mothclaw
Orc 1 HP 8 AC 18 XP: 653 Morale 8
Str 15, Dex 14, Con 9, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 5
Gear: sword, shield +1, mail, helm, hand-axe +1
Sunlight Weakness: –1 to hit in daylight
Under-Boss: “Groups are led by an orc with 8 hit points. The leader gains a +1 bonus to damage rolls. Leaders have defeated other orcs in combat to gain their position.”
Description: a clever orc, well-liked by his subordinates.
Expectations: Ivy is a deadly fighter and has rewarded him richly for his service, which to his mind is exactly how a warlord should behave.
Heinryk the Hero
Fighter 4 HP 24 AC 10 XP: 10,000 Morale 10
Str 18, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 8
Gear: none
Battle Rage: +2 to hit humanoids. 1-in-6 chance to strike at allies. Must pass a Morale check to stop fighting.
Bear-Sark: Heinryk has damage reduction 1 while fighting.
“A seeming wild-man, with mighty muscles, shaggy hair and beard, and staring eyes”. Calls himself Heinryk the Hero. Heinryk is a mighty man of the North, on a Quest to seek his Fortune.
Expectations: everyone should recognize that he is a Hero, and naturally deserves to be in charge and to have the best treasure. Heroes only serve Kings and Queens, other people are either Followers, Foes, or wise Sages. Can’t resist doing battle with Monsters.
As they are the same level, Heinryk will likely challenge Ivy for leadership of the warband as soon as she shows any sign of weakness.
Robart
Fighter 1 HP 6 AC 10 XP: 175 Morale 5
Str 6, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 9, Cha 10
Gear: none
Robart was mustered out as part of a peasant levy on the losing side of a war. Since fleeing the battlefield he has been a tramp, a poacher, a merchants’ guard, and mostly recently a bandit. Robart knows he’s getting old and tries not to show it or slow her down. His best memories involve teaching young Delgert to take care of caravan horses.
Expectations: you can’t expect much more than a master who will give you a hot meal and a few coins for steady work, so it’s best to keep your head down.
Delgert
Fighter 1 HP 6 AC 10 XP: 75 Morale 6
Str 14, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 10, Cha 14
Gear: none
Delgert was born on the road and grew up among merchant caravans. Taking care of her father is her primary concern. Tall, strong, and pretty, Delgert looks like the kind of woman that would cause dissolute aristocrats to give long, uncomfortable speeches on the attractions of “hearty peasant women”.
Expectations: you can’t trust anyone who isn’t family to do right by you.
Dorben
Dwarf 2 HP 12 AC 10 XP: 2,200 Morale 5
Str 10, Dex 12, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 9
Gear: none
Dorben was captured by goblins as a young dwarf and has spent most of his life as a slave, laboring in mines and forges. He is angry and cynical, having been traded or stolen by a number of different orc and goblin warleaders over the course of a long and unhappy life. He is a grudging worker, his pride in his craft competing with a desire to prevent his masters from benefitting from it.
Expectations: one master is much like another.
Drunvir
Elf 1 HP 7 AC 12 XP: 58 Morale 5
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 14, Wis 6, Cha 7
Spells: Cure Light Wounds
Gear: none
Reedle
Elf 1 HP 6 AC 12 XP: 61 Morale 7
Str 12, Dex 16, Con 9, Int 7, Wis 5, Cha 13
Spells: Protection From Evil
Gear: none
Drunvir and Reedle are a mated pair of wild elves from the Stonelands. The wild elves live in hidden watchposts, keep herds of ponies and shaggy goats, and live much like the tribes of goblins that they occasionally fight and trade with. Reedle does not speak common or goblin, so Drunvir has to translate for her.
Expectations: a good leader is brave, clever, keeps their people safe, and rewards them with treasure, merriment, and food.
Harg
Bugbear HP 14 AC 12 Morale 9
Gear: none
Beaten and enslaved after an unsuccessful attempt to murder the bugbear chief. Harg hates his former clan-mates and is happy to serve a new master who will put a weapon into his hand and give him meat to eat.
Expectations: a good leader provides his followers with plenty to eat and slaves who will do the work for his loyal warriors.
Dedbane, Golgob, Wolfeye
Hobgoblins HP 6 AC 10 Morale 6
Gear: none
These three hate the idea of serving alongside elves and dwarves and resent taking orders from an orc captain. They also expect to be given prisoners to torment.
Expectations: a war-leader rewards his followers with plunder and prisoners to torment.
Urskrag, Luggog
Orcs HP 5 AC 10 Morale 8
Gear: none
Fugitives from Ivy’s destruction of the orc clans who formerly inhabited the Caves who were then captured by the bugbears. They take their change in fortune philosophically. It’s not unusual for one orc war-leader to attack another clan and absorb the survivors, and they are encouraged by the presence of Mothclaw, who they trust and who has obviously done well out of the new arrangement.
Expectations: a war-leader should be fearsome in battle and reward his followers with plunder, meat, and drink. The weak work for the strong.
Rangrop
Goblin HP 3 AC 10 Morale 5
Gear: none
Rangrop is used to being kicked around by orcs and hobgoblins, but the prospects of survival for a lone goblin are not good. By his lights, the way to survive is to either make yourself useful to the boss or hope to go unnoticed.
Expectations: do what you have to, get what you can.
Keek
Kobold HP 2 AC 11 Morale 3
Gear: none
Keek doesn’t want to be here and is frightened of everything. She will try to sneak away at the earliest opportunity if not carefully watched.
Expectations: anything larger than a kobold will probably try to kill and eat you at some point. Only safe with other kobolds. Failing that, get underground. |
| That's more like it |
No comments:
Post a Comment