Saturday 1 April 2017

A Dungeon Boss And His Goons for Redbrick Dungeons



This is about generating various dungeon boss types and their retinues of elite followers, henchmen, relatives and servants. Mostly for humanoids but could be stretched to others.

Each boss has several types of men in their personal retinue
Each boss has several loyal heroic followers who obey him to the death
Each follower has some regular henchmen goons subject to morale
Each boss might have several special companions including pets, servants, magicians
Bosses are often competitive and may even be traitors to the side.
Some bosses are magical or religious or cult like most are warriors leaders
Where suitable can exchange a boss or follower or henchman humanoid for a human murder hobo adventurer

A boss will allocate his followers and henchmen missions as they see fit such as:
-Form a squad with a follower sergeant and d6+6 henchmen to patrol
-Go on a search and destroy mission of stealth and infiltration alone
-Scout area for trails or scents of intruders possibly with a pet and d4 henchmen
-Follow adventurers trail, take dead and set traps in common passages behind intruders
-Infiltration on enemy possibly by allowing to be captured or pretend to betray boss
-Counter Infiltration looking for spies or saboteurs or traitors
-Guard certain area such as treasure or harem or stores often a d4+3 plus a pet
-Manage construction project or boss around slaves usually a d4+3
-Counter a specific rival boss or adventurer
-Remain with boss as permanent bodyguard

Area Boss
d6 area boss types per dungeon level with one special companion each
1d4 follower each
 with d4 henchmen
A local boss might be a military lieutenant, sub chieftain responsible for a faction of the force on this level. They might even appear with wandering monsters. Some can be quite competent but due to hierarchy of monster politics are kept down or have had their day. These bosses are the busiest but spend 10% of their time relaxing.

Level Boss
One level boss per floor with 
a d3 special companions each
2d4 followers each with d6 henchmen
Typically 5 followers 18 henchmen 2 special companions

A level boss usually commands a whole level and is captain or chieftain in rank. with own retinues. Spend more time managing the level from a single point and busy making important decisions about level staff and resources. Will often have a court with servants, concubines, a throne and a private fancy bed room and food.

Dungeon Boss
One Per Dungeon with d6 special companions each
3d4 followers each with 2d6 henchmenTypically 8 followers 42 henchmen 4 special companions
The dungeon boss spends 90% of the time in the throne room or palace area and 10% of the time visits the courts of level bosses and rarely deals with local bosses or lesser ranks.  The are the commander or high chief or king of the dungeon. They spend time talking to advisers, having sex, feasting, making speeches, performing rituals. holding court, meeting diplomats and other deeds. The Dungeon boss has the best the dungeon has to offer and his retinue get his scraps which are better than the level boss gets.

d20 Experience for boss and retinue
Morale mod applied to boss and his retinue within CHA in battlefield Inches"
1 Puppet and one of companions is the real boss -4 Morale
2-3 Green has just been anointed and is overconfident and naive -2 Morale
4-5 Boss has seen some action and listens to veterans or is talented +1 Morale
6-10 Experienced and ready for anything and is strong +2 Morale
11-14 Veteran and highly professional against adversity +3 Morale
15-17 Elite and incredibly disciplined +4 Morale
18-19 Fanatic willing to fight to the death and 12 Morale
20 Berserk in a fight +2 to hit and damage and can fight in negative HP, 12 Morale

Roll d12 tables as per boss type
Area boss roll d6
Level boss roll d10
Dungeon boss roll d12
Can roll once for all followers all henchmen at once

d12 Boss special qualities1 Brute whose underlings live in fear -1 Morale
2 Wears ancient crown +1 Morale
3 Boss has bonus chest of treasure or loot
4 Strongly allied boss will come to aid
5 Boss has a spies in other boss retinues
6 Boss has a usurper or spy among retinue making plots
7 Made a pact with otherworldly being
8 Beloved of by a god who saves their life, might call a petty god
9 Boss has a d4 scrolls or potions or a old wand
10 Boss has a famous magic item
11 Boss working on major construction project
12 Boss working on secret of magic power

d12 Classic Dungeon boss types
Most are humanoids of same type as clan

1 Warrior concerned with battle and loot and power
2 Warrior protector and idealistic champion of people
3 Warrior dedicated to strict alignment and cosmic struggle
4 Warrior or rogue runs retinue like a bandit gang
5 Cunning sneaky possibly a human rogue runs retinue like a criminal gang
6 A dark human priest or humanoid shaman dedicated to serving evil powers
7 A evil human wizard or humanoid witch seeking power and forbidden lore
8  Has unusual powers like mutations and revels in freak form
9 Has unusual skills not normal for species
10 Has unusual bloodline as per follower and seeks power
11 A shapeshifter living in humanoid form probably for power
12  A plane traveller or spirit in humanoid form such as a demon serving an alignment

d12 Companion Type
1 Servant who cares for masters every need and is highly trusted
2 A food taster who checks and possibly prepares masters food
3 Young apprentice possibly child or younger sibling
4 A pet monster who acts as familiar, mount, guard or tracker
5 A herald who blows a horn and makes announcements and introductions
6 A healer who at least knows first aid with some having healing potions and spells
7 A jester who acts a a fool and entertainer kept for luck
8 A consort who is almost as tough as boss and runs some of the boss duties
9  A flag bearer who carries a standard or banner of boss +1 morale
10 A friend who is almost as good as boss who is always by side giving advice
11 A elder related adviser sage or oracle with some knowing some spells
12 A petty godling, spirit or planar being often disguised

d12 Follower Bloodlines
1 Squat variety of breed as sneaky as a thief but with next lower HD
2 Prehistoric throwback from cave uses bite/clawx2 attack and can throw rocks or darts
3 Large variety +1HP per level more militant with better armour
4 Cunning thief abilities might act as merchant, assassin, scout, trapper or spy
5 Is a spell caster with priest or wizard powers or other class with next lower HD
6 Hybrid ghoul powers gifted by evil to serve, followers are zombies or skeletons
7 Huge version with +2 HD and +1 hit and damage
8 Mutant outcast with bizarre abilities
9 Ogrish version tall +4 HD and +3 damage three yards tall
10 Shapeshifting spirit folk or doppelganger
11 Giant Version with +8 HD and +6 damage 4-6 yards tall
12 Planar hybrid blood of hell's or chaos or the elements or spirits

d12 Henchmen Equipment
1 Savage hunters with darts, dagger, hand axe, bows, in camouflage paint
2 Tribal skirmishers with darts, javelins, ritual body paint, fur, like to chant
3 Barbaric irregular tribesmen with bow, axe, shield and leather
4 Slingers of farmlands with clubs and slings in cloth
5 Archer of town with bow, hand axe and dagger
6 Guardsman of a town spear, hand axe, shield, crossbow, leather
7 Soldier of city with hand axe, shield, polearm, spear, chain
8 Templar holy warrior with  mace, shield, crossbow and chain
9  Knight of a kingdom with sword, shield, plate armour
10 Town duelist dandies with hose, fancy clothes, dagger and sword in cloth
11 Siege artillerists can build or operate, hand axe, crossbow, dagger in leather
12 Gunners with pistol or musket or d4 iron grenadiers plus sword wearing leather

d12 Retinue Field Items
1 Fancy banner carried by henchman +1 Morale while held up -1 if seen dropped
2 Beast of burden or labour than enriches the retinue
3 Hunting beast used for tracking handled by a henchman
4 Waggon with draw beast can carry boss or goods or slave cage
5 Superior weapons including swords, longbows, polearms or martial art weapons
6 Riding beast for the boss with someone acting as a groom
7 Sedan chair where boss carried in open or covered booth with curtains
8 Warbeast or monster requires several henchmen to handle with waggon and cage
9 Carriage pulled by beast operated by follower and several henchmen
10 Chariot used by boss crewed by followers and escorted or carried by henchmen
11 Regal palanquin to carry the boss around on a throne by at least 8 henchmen
12 Waggon with light artillery like ballista, several guns or crossbows or rocket arrows

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