Monarch NPCs

By David Eber.

Apropos of nothing this weekend I had a rush of creativity concerning the Four Monarchs (well, ok, the fact that I played Feng Shui this weekend for the first time in weeks may have had something to do with it). Specificaly, I wrote-up stats for the Four Monarchs mooks and started working on some sorcery paths unique to spellcasters in the service of the Monarchs. Note that my write-ups are different from those in the rules (specifically, the Thunder Knights in MFD; they're also different from Patrick O' Duffy's write-ups on the subject). For those who don't play, the characters are all based on cards from Shadowfist.

P.S. Any similarity to William Timmins' Path of the Living Shadow is completely coincidental. I was working on this last night, and only saw that write-up today.

Darkness Priest(ess)

Attributes:
Bod 4, Chi 2 (Mag 5, For 0), Mnd 7, Ref 5
Skills:
Sorcery 7, Seduction 7, Intrusion 6
Schticks:
Sorcery: Fertility (Observe Chi, Steal Chi)
Fu: Friend of Darkness

Notes: You may replace the Schticks listed with Eyes of Darkness and Cloak of Darkness from the Darkness Sorcery schtick. Although both men and women serve Ming I, there are more priestesses than priests. Neither are meant to be combatants.

Description: These followers of the Queen of the Darkness Pagoda dress in the garb of Aztec priests and priestesses (i.e. leopard skins, wooden masks, feathers and beads, etc...) They are all attractive men and women, usually (though not always) of South American Indian descent.

Thunder Warriors

Attributes:
Bod 7, Chi 0, Mnd 4, Ref 6 (4)
Skills:
Martial Arts 8, Intimidation 8
Weapons:
Greatsword (13)
Armor:
Platemail (+3/-2)
Unique Schtick: Hard to Kill
The heavy armor and unusually high Toughness (for a mook) of Huan Ken's warriors makes them harder to kill than most mooks. As a result, Thunder Warriors only go down on an attack with an Outcome of 6 or more. Naturally, an assualt rifle or Schticks in Carnival of Carnage will lower this number. If combined together this number could concievably drop down to 3 (e.g. 1 schick in COC with an AK-47 or 2 schticks with a M-16).

Exceptional Thunder Warriors may be taught the Path of the Thunderous Storm.

Fire Warrior

Attributes:
Bod 6, Chi 1 (For 0), Mnd 4, Ref 6 (5)
Skills:
Martial Arts 7, Intimidation 7, Drive (Fire Sled), 7
Weapons:
Scimitar (10 + 1)
Armor:
Chainmail and Sheild (+2/-1)
Schticks:
Damage Immunity (Fire)
Unique Schtick: Searing Steel
The armor and weapons of the Fire Warriors are magically enchanted by Li Ting's sorcerers to glow with molten heat. Their scimitars do an additional +1 damage that is not reduced by Toughness. Further, any character who hits a Fire Warrior barehanded suffers 1 wound point of damage which is also not reduced by Toughness. A character attacking a Fire Warrior may make called shots on the unarmored parts of their bodies and avoid this damage by taking the standard -2 stunt penalty. Characters who are immune to fire damage are also immune to this extra damage.

Ice Warrior

Attributes:
Bod 6, Chi 1 (For 0), Mnd 5, Ref 4, Ref 6
Skills:
Guns 7, Intimidation 7, Martial Arts 6
Weapons:
Ice Rifle (13+1**/5/30)
Schticks:
Damage Immunity (Cold)
Unique Schtick: Ice Rifle
These assault rifles are made out of magical ice by Pui Ti's sorceresses. Not only do these weapons do their usual damage, but the magical cold they emanate also does an additional 1 point of damage which cannot be reduced by Toughness. Even touching one of these guns barehanded will do a point of damage for each shot they are touched, and this damage also cannot be reduced by Toughness. Characters who are immune to cold damage are also immune to this extra damage.

Ice Healer

Attributes:
Bod 4, Chi 2 (Mag 5, For 0), Mnd 7, Ref 5
Skills:
Sorcery 7, Medicine 7
Schticks:
Sorcery: Heal (Heal Wounds, Cure Diseases, Poison Antidotes)
Creature: Damage Immunity (Cold)

Notes: Ice Healers are not combatants. They may use their medicine skill to heal characters from any juncture (but they cannot cure arcanowave mutation or arcanowave induced injuries).

Some Ice Healers may have the Ice Sorcery schtick.

Last modified: July 31st, 1997; please send comments to durrell@innocence.com.