CHAOS WARRIORS
The blessed soldiers of the chaos gods, warriors, champions and knights are mighty stalwarts in battle. Driven by fanatic bloodlust and desire to please their masters, they wield weapons most dire and don armor black as night. The most powerful chaos knights and champions array themselves in darkly ensorceled armor and weaponry, and decorate their hideous forms with battle trophies hewn from their dying foes. Warriors of chaos who most gloriously exemplify the carnage and bloodthirst of the dark gods are granted boons of physical mutation or even elevated to demonhood. (More on mutations and demonhood in a post later this week.)
Warriors and champions of chaos seek glory in battle, gaining +1 to melee attacks and damage rolls. Champions may possess a chaos magical item (25% chance, see below). Chaos knights and exalted champions receive a +2 bonus to melee attacks and damage, in addition to any magical accouterments bestowed upon them (75% chance for knights, 100% chance for exalted champions). Only chaos knights and exalted champions ride steeds into battle.
Groups of 4 or more warriors are typically commanded by a champion, although champions often guard chaos sorcerers or other dark dignitaries. Knights usually command 2 or more champions, but may also be encountered singly or as guards for demons or exalted champions.
Chaos Warrior: HD 2; AC 5[14]; Atk 1 battleaxe (1d8+1) or bastard sword (1d8+1); Move 9; Save 16; CL/XP 3/60; Special: +1 to attacks and damage with melee weapons.
Chaos Champion: HD 4; AC 3[16]; Atk 1 two-handed sword (1d10+1) or halberd (1d10+1); Move 9; Save 13; CL/XP 5/240; Special: +1 to attacks and damage with melee weapons.
Chaos Knight: HD 6; AC 2[17] with shield; Atk 1 lance (2d4+3, mounted) or 1 heavy mace (1d6+3, mounted) or 1 two-handed sword/great axe (1d10+2, on foot); Move 9; Save 11; CL/XP 7/600; Special: +2 to attacks and damage with melee weapons. A knight with a magic item should probably be CL/XP 8/800.
Exalted Champion: HD 8; AC 2[17] with shield; Atk 1 lance (2d4+3, mounted) or 1 heavy flail (1d6+3, mounted) or 1 two-handed sword/great axe (1d10+2, on foot); Move 9; Save 8; CL/XP 11/1,700; Special: +2 to attacks and damage with melee weapons; only hit by magic weapons or spells; always has 1 magic weapon and 1 magic armor or shield.
Chaos Steed: HD 4; AC 5[14]; Atk 1 bite (1d6), 2 hooves (1d4); Move 15; Save 13; CL/XP 4/120; Special: Battle-steady (+1 to attacks). An exalted champion's steed may also breath fire or poison gas once per three rounds in lieu of its bite attack (1 target within 10', save or suffer 2d4 damage). CL/XP 5/240 for exalted champion's steed.
CHAOS MAGIC WEAPONS & ARMOR
The following items are magical but do not necessarily add to attack or damage rolls, or provide a bonus to AC (see the descriptions). For brevity, the term warrior is used in place of champion, knight and exalted champion. If any of these items are recovered and used by good or neutral PCs, the dark sorceries imbued within them should cause serious harm, if not death. PCs should not be messing with dark chaos powers. In fact, finding the means to destroy chaos magical devices should be an engaging adventure unto itself. Surely one that garners some in-game favors from the local do-gooders and some mad bonus expees!
Armor of Damnation: No AC bonus, but any successful attacks against the warrior must be re-rolled. The re-roll stands whether a hit or miss.
Armor of Tortured Souls: +2 AC bonus against normal (non-magical) attacks.
Berserker Weapon: The warrior gains an extra attack with his melee weapon.
Blood Weapon: Upon a successful hit, the victim of this weapon must make a saving throw. Failure indicates the attacking warrior gains 1d4 hit points (cannot rise above maximum).
Chaos Runeshield: Does not confer an AC bonus, but on any successful hit against the warrior with a magic weapon that weapon is negated of all magic properties for 1 turn.
Hellfire Weapon: In addition to normal damage this weapon deals d6 fire damage.
Rending Weapon: All wounds inflicted by this weapon bleed for 1 extra damage point per round until a curing spell is cast upon the victim.
Spelleater Shield: Shield grants the warrior 25% magic resistance.
[Edit: Cleaned up descriptions (I should stop writing these at 6 in the morning!), adjusted attacks and CL/XP for knight and exalted champion.]
35% Power
9 hours ago
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5 comments:
Are you sure you want to give them 2 attacks on foot? These guys are already pretty deadly.
I'd probably limit the Attack 2 guys to Khornate champs (berserkers) or wielders of a berserker weapon. Have the berserker stand out from the rest of the war band.
See reply above, it applies to both post. :-)
One thing I wanted to avoid, actually, was making chaos creatures tied to a specific god (Khorne, Nurgle, etc.) in my "conversions." Making them as generic as possible while still maintaining some warhammer flavor is what I was after essentially.
I agree there's no need to tie specific gods/powers to the minions of Chaos. I was thinking more of what "attacks" represent.
Only a high level fighter would have "multiple attacks." Since your strongest Chaos Champ has only 8HD, the only reason for him to gain multiple attacks is by being exceptionally fast/ferocious. I think they're already tough by the HD (to hit %) and damage you've assigned to them. I would use the multiple attacks only to distinguish a chaos warrior marked as a berserker. "Oh, this one gets TWO attack rolls" is more noticeable when all the other guys only get one.
By the way, I think the AC, HD, and damage you've assigned based on "Chaotic rank" are spot on for an S&W campaign. I will certainly steal these write-ups if I ever run an OD&D game!
Good point about attacks vs. hit die/level. I guess I had "monster attacks" in mind choosing numbers as opposed to PCs/human types. Maybe I'll change knights/exalted champs to 1 attack with heavy mace while riding (as an option instead of lance), but on foot they haul out a 2-handed sword or some such for greater damage.
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