Six Enemies for a Thursday
almost 2 years ago
– Thu, Feb 09, 2023 at 06:56:58 AM
Hello Good Doggos,
This is the first of two previews from our upcoming manuscript section covering enemies in the Realms of Pugmire. We've looked at Rival Species before, and we'll have a few more listed today that can appear as potential enemies. But we'll also see some other threats, some that do not have the potential to maybe become friends.
And just like there are degrees for the word "enemy" in this situation, there are also degrees of danger. Today we'll look at some of the threats that would frighten those adventurous dogs just starting out, and on Sunday we'll look at some enemies that pack a bigger punch and would terrify even the most seasoned hero.
Enemies
The inhabitants of Pugmire can encounter a number of different enemies during their adventures, rivals from other species and nations, strange beasts, and even the terrifying Unseen. Not all of them will be willing to resolve their differences through civil discussion, if they are able to at all.
Stat Blocks
Enemies have their own character sheets, which look a little different from the ones player characters use. We call these stat blocks, since they’re usually a small chunk of text to communicate the important information. Here’s what they contain:
Level and Tags: All enemies have an opponent level (OL for short). This acts like player character levels — the higher the opponent level, the more powerful the enemy. Generally, a single character with the same level as an enemy will have a moderately difficult time defeating that enemy in combat. In addition, enemies will have a list of tags that other rules reference.
Enemies sometimes have certain tags to tell you about their dangerousness beyond their level. Enemies with the minion tag are meant to be fought in swarms or mobs. Likewise, enemies with the legendary tag are even more dangerous than other enemies with the same level. These are meant to be single opponents for your group of adventurers. All other characters just have the enemy tag.
Defense: Enemies will usually add their Agility to their defense, like player characters do. If they are adding anything else to their defense as well, like armor of a monster’s tough hide, that’s listed next to the Defense.
Stamina Points, Speed, and Experience Bonus: These all act just like they do for player characters.
Attributes: Like player characters, enemies have attributes in Agility, Might, Vitality, Cunning, Intellect, and Presence. These act the same way they do for player characters, including adding their attributes to appropriate checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, and tests.
Attack: Here are the default attacks the enemy can do, with their attack roll modifier (already calculated) and damage if they successfully hit.
Morale: When in the final moments of a fight, usually when most of their stamina points are gone or when they’re the last person standing from their group, enemies sometimes have to make a morale test to see if they remain in the fight. Creatures with the enemy tag will each have a situation in which they will have to succeed on a test, difficulty 15. If they succeed, they can continue to fight without making another morale test. On a failure, the enemy cuts and runs.
Enemies with the legendary tag automatically succeed on morale tests, even those spells or tricks force them to make, while minions always fail.
Tricks: Finally, enemies can have tricks, just like dogs, cats, rodents, and the other residents of Pugmire, although their tricks are often special to them. These tricks can be used as often as the description states they can be used, which requires an action unless otherwise stated. Some common tricks are:
- Darkvision: The ability to see in the dark.
- Immune: The enemy loses no stamina points when they would be damaged by a particular type.
- Low-Light Vision: The ability to see in dim light but not darkness.
- Resistant: The enemy loses only half, rounded down, but a minimum of 1 stamina point, when they would be damaged by a particular type.
- Scent: Acts like Darkvision, but used via the sense of smell instead of sight.
- Weak: The enemy loses twice the amount of stamina points when they would be damaged by a particular type.
Badgers
To the outside observer, the badger clans appear to be utterly destructive. They’re believed to be nothing more than anarchists who live brutal and short lives and die bloody deaths. Outsiders assume they have a completely insular culture, siding with their most hated enemy over any given dog or cat.
But these outside observations aren’t the whole truth. In reality, badgers simply value their survival over everyone else’s. Further, they have a deep connection to the wilds and nature of the world around them. They believe that the spirits of the wild places removed Man from the face of the world, leaving it for the Badgers.
Badger clans break down along species lines like weasels and ferrets. They use weapons carved from woods and scavenged metals when not outfitted with equipment they took from their enemies. While there is as much inter-clan conflict as there is with the other cultures around them, there are rumors a Badger King known as Kibu the Red works to unite them into an organized force. In particular, Kibu claimed he would return a gift the badger clans had lost, and soon after all badgers were able to speak and understand the common language of dogs, cats, and rodents. A few still prefer to use their original language, particularly when they want to exclude outsiders, but the miscommunications that used to occur between badger clans and outsiders have been less frequent as of late.
Headsplitter (OL 2; Enemy)
The bruisers of the clan, headsplitters are the bulk of the military force of any given clan. Their armor is usually piecemeal and strapped together from items taken from the bodies of their fallen opponents and adorned with a map of scars and still yet healing wounds.
- Defense: 14 (scale mail)
- Stamina Points: 20
- Speed: 30 ft
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +0, Might +2, Vitality +3, Cunning +0, Intellect -1, Presence -1
- Skills: Intimidate
- Attack: Handaxe (+4 melee or +2 ranged, 1d6+2 edged)
- Morale: +1; at 5 or fewer stamina points, and if they are the last badger remaining
- Tricks: Darkvision
- Battle Frenzy: The headsplitter makes two handaxe melee attacks with one action.
- Vicious: As a supplemental action, the headsplitter can move up to their speed toward a hostile creature that they can see.
Slasher (OL 1; Minion)
The rabble of the clan, Slasher are the rank and file of their warriors. Headsplitters and thorns take time to train, thorns and wildspeakers have gifts given to them by the wilds, but slashers are any badger of fighting age and equipped with whatever armor and weapons they can get their claws on.
- Defense: 12 (leather armor)
- Stamina Points: 1
- Speed: 30 ft
- Experience Bonus: +1
- Attributes: Agility +0, Might +2, Vitality +2, Cunning +0, Intellect -1, Presence -1
- Skills: Intimidate
- Attacks: Handaxe (+3 melee or +1 ranged, 1d6+2 edged)
- Morale: n/a
- Tricks: Darkvision, automatically fails tests
- Vicious: As a supplemental action, the slasher can move up to their speed towards a hostile creature they can see.
Cult of Labo Tor
Though most rodents eke out a living in the margins of society, there are a few who have found a different purpose. They seek out unusual artifacts of Man for study, claiming an understanding of Man’s intent that dogs are unwilling to hear. They venerate Labo Tor, the first of their kind who led the cult through The Maze of Ignorance to their revelations. The dogs follow the Code of Man, but the Cult believes the Old Ones worshipped the 100 Theories. To become like them, the self-described White Mice must experiment on lesser beings to satisfy the Theories. Only then can they be rewarded by Labo Tor with divine power.
Cult member can be identified by the bleached white patches of their fur (often hidden under clothing). Those members who practice magic wear stitched-together patchwork white robes with spell formulae scrawled all over the surface.
Assistant of Labo Tor (OL 2; Minion)
These laboratory assistants are still at the start of their exploration of the 100 Theories. But they have at least mastered the use of pain as a study tool.
- Defense: 14 (leather armor)
- Stamina Points: 1
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +3, Might +0, Vitality +1, Cunning +0, Intellect +0, Presence -1
- Skills: Intimidate, Notice, Sneak, Traverse
- Attack: Bite (+2 melee, 1d6 stabbing), rapier (+5 melee, 1d8+3 stabbing), or small crossbow (+5 ranged, 1d8+3 stabbing)
- Morale: n/a
- Tricks: Darkvision, automatically fails tests
- Intense Pain: If the cultist rolls a triumph on a successful attack, the target is Paralyzed as well as damaged. The condition lasts until the target makes a successful Cunning test (difficulty 14).
Smoldering Chemist (OL 2; Enemy)
These cultists specializing in creating noxious brews that often explode, but sometimes result in something far more spectacular.
- Defense: 14 (leather armor)
- Stamina Points: 23
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +2, Might +0, Vitality +0, Cunning +1, Intellect +1, Presence -1
- Skills: Intimidate, Notice, Sneak, Traverse
- Attack: Bite (+2 melee, 1d6 stabbing), flask smash (+2 melee, 2d6 blunt), or thrown flask (+4 ranged, 2d6+2 blunt)
- Morale: +2; at 6 or fewer stamina points
- Tricks: Darkvision
- Chaos Flask: Once per battle, the cultist can choose to ignore the 2d6 blunt damage of a flask attack and instead roll 1d6 on the chart below to see what damage she does on the attack.
- 1 2d8 corrosive
- 2 2d8 electric
- 3 2d8 fire
- 4 2d8 ice
- 5 2d8 poison
- 6 Reroll twice and apply all results
Demons, Minor
The minor demons of the Unseen are amongst the most terrifying monsters that heroic citizens must face. Some are simply horrific, biting and rending their opponents in a violent fury, while others are more devious and manipulative. It’s unclear why the Unseen revel in violence and the destruction of society, but they will stop at nothing to accomplish it.
Demon Hound (OL 3; Enemy, Unseen)
Demon hounds are canines possessed by lesser spirits of the Unseen. The process causes their fur to fall out, their bones to turn into spikes, and makes their eyes glow a sickly orange. These twisted, demonic monsters often roam the outskirts of civilization, looking for citizens to torment and eat.
- Defense: 15 (bone spikes)
- Stamina Points: 33
- Speed: 40 ft., fly 60 ft.
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +2, Might +3, Vitality +2, Cunning +2, Intellect -3, Presence -2
- Skills: Notice, Search, Survival
- Attack: Bite (+5 melee, 1d12+3 stabbing damage)
- Morale: +0; at 8 or fewer stamina points
- Tricks: Darkvision, Scent, Resistant to all blunt, edged, and stabbing damage except attacks with silver weapons, weak against holy damage and any attack with a silver weapon.
- Bay: All creatures within a 300-foot spread must succeed on a Cunning test (difficulty 15) or become Scared for 2d4 rounds. Characters with the Deaf condition are immune to this effect. Regardless of the result of the test, an affected creature is immune to the same hound’s bay for a full day.
Friends of Man
For some dogs, the hostilities of the War of Dogs and Cats never ended and no cat is to be trusted. They believe that Pugmire is for dogs and dogs only. Intensely paranoid, these dogs look to target defenseless cats, or else commit crimes against other dogs and plant evidence that cats did it. Little do they know that their leaders are possessed, servants of the demon The Protector.
Conspiracy Collaborator (OL 2; Enemy)
The goals of the Friends can’t be met with just direct violence and lies. No, some members of the society exist in all levels of Pugmire society, lying in wait until they can serve their group and, at least to them, their nation.
- Defense: 14 (leather armor)
- Stamina Points: 25
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +1, Might -1, Vitality +0, Cunning +0, Intellect +1, Presence +2
- Skills: Bluff, Know Culture, Search, Sense Motive, Sneak, Persuade
- Attacks: Dagger (+3 melee or ranged, 1d4+1 stabbing) or small crossbow (+3 ranged, 1d8+1 stabbing)
- Morale: +4; at 6 or less stamina points and if there are no other Friends of Man active
- Tricks: Darkvision
- Silvered Tongue: When talking to other dogs, the collaborator has a boon on Presence (Bluff, Sense Motive, and Persuade) checks.
Lodge Master (OL 4; Enemy)
Each cell, or lodge, of The Friends of Man are largely independent of each other, their members not knowing those of any other lodge. Lodges are controlled by lodge masters, strategists in red robes who understand dog culture and what would push the public to strike out against cats.
- Defense: 16 (leather armor)
- Stamina Points: 42
- Speed: 30 ft
- Experience Bonus: +3
- Attributes: Agility +1, Might -1, Vitality +0, Cunning +1, Intellect +1, Presence +2
- Skills: Bluff, Know Culture, Know History, Know Religion, Notice, Search, Sense Motive, Sneak, Persuade
- Attacks: Rapier (+4 melee, 1d8+1 stabbing), or crossbow (+4 ranged, 1d10+1 stabbing)
- Morale: +5; at 13 or less stamina points and if there are no other Friends of Man active
- Tricks: Darkvision
- Silvered Tongue: When talking to other dogs, the lodge master has a boon on Presence (Bluff, Sense Motive, and Persuade) checks.
Giant Ants
Out in the wilderness, there are legends of giant, dog-sized insects that live and work in alien, underground labyrinths. It is unclear whether there’s a wide variety of giant insects in the world, but there are certainly monstrous ants that have claimed some areas as their own.
Drone (OL 2; Minion)
These giant ants are mindless and relentless. Terrifying for the average dog, but more of a nuisance for experienced adventurers.
- Defense: 14 (chitinous exoskeleton)
- Stamina Points: 21
- Speed: 30 ft. (climb 20 ft.)
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +0, Might +3, Vitality +2, Cunning +1, Intellect -3, Presence +0
- Skills: Traverse
- Attack: Bite (+5 melee, 2d4+3 stabbing)
- Morale: n/a
- Tricks: Darkvision, automatically fails tests
- Grab: To use this ability, a giant ant must do damage with its bite attack. A giant ant may choose to inflict the Immobile condition at the time it hits with a bite.
- Acid Sting: A giant ant has a stinger and an acid-producing gland in its abdomen. If it successfully makes an opponent Immobile, it can attempt to sting each round as a +5 melee attack. A hit with the sting attack deals 1d4+3 points of stabbing damage and 1d4 points of corrosive damage.
Queen (OL 6; Legendary)
A colony of giant ants is led by a Queen, which is a terrifying monstrosity for even a well-prepared group of soldiers.
- Defense: 18 (chitinous exoskeleton)
- Stamina Points: 180
- Speed: 50 ft. (climb 40 ft.)
- Experience Bonus: +4
- Attributes: Agility +0, Might +3, Vitality +3, Cunning +2, Intellect -3, Presence +0
- Skills: Traverse
- Attack: Bite (+7 melee, 2d12+3 stabbing)
- Morale: n/a
- Tricks: Darkvision
- Grab:To use this ability, a giant ant must do damage with its bite attack. A giant ant may choose to inflict the Immobile condition at the time it hits with a bite.
- Acid Sting: A giant ant has a stinger and an acid-producing gland in its abdomen. If it successfully makes an opponent Immobile, it can attempt to sting each round as a +7 melee attack. A hit with the sting attack deals 3d12+3 points of stabbing damage and 3d10 points of corrosive damage.
- Hive Mind: As a reflexive action, the queen may command any giant ant within 5 feet of it to take all damage she suffers from a single attack, in her stead.
Servitors
Cats and dogs live in a world after Man has left it. For whatever reason, the Old Ones left behind masterworks for the uplifted, but often times, these relics are guarded by masterwork creatures as well, otherwise known as servitors. These are only a few of their most common forms.
Ancient Sentinel (OL 2; Enemy)
Clad entirely in metal, they stand in ruins of what were once Man lived. Those who are the most fervent of the Church try to recover these servitors to install them into their churches because of their connection to the Old Ones.
- Defense: 14 (metal shell)
- Stamina Points: 26
- Speed: 30 ft
- Experience Bonus: +2
- Attributes: Agility +0, Might +5, Vitality +5, Cunning +1, Intellect -3, Presence -3
- Skills: Intimidate, Notice, Search, Traverse
- Attacks: Slam (+7 melee, 1d8+5 blunt)
- Morale: Automatically succeeds due to One Track Mind trick
- Tricks: Darkvision
- One Track Mind: Ancient Sentinels are immune to being Charmed, Frightened, and Possessed, and automatically succeeds on morale tests.
Anointer (OL 1; Enemy)
Found around temples of life, these servitors speak in a garbled version of the language of the Old Ones, asking what they can do to help. Their arms are anointing apparatuses, but instead of the blessings they usually are filled with, whatever is in them is horribly toxic to the uplifted.
- Defense: 13 (metal shell)
- Stamina Points: 20
- Speed: 30 ft.
- Experience Bonus: +1
- Attributes: Agility -1, Might +3, Vitality +3, Cunning +3, Intellect -2, Presence -3
- Skills: Heal, Intimidate, Notice, Search, Traverse
- Attacks: Anointer Claws (+4 melee, 1d4+3 stabbing)
- Morale: Automatically succeeds due to One Track Mind trick
- Tricks: Darkvision
- One Track Mind:The anointer is immune to being Charmed, Frightened, and Possessed, and automatically succeeds on morale tests.
- Toxins: When a creature who doesn’t have the Unseen or Undead tag gets hit with an attack by the anointer, that creature must succeed on a Vitality test (difficulty 13). On a failed test, the creature becomes Sickly until they complete a rest.
We'll have another peek ahead of the manuscript with Six Enemies on a Sunday, which will show some major demons, some undead, some monsters, and more!