Thralls

The Burned Man

First Post
Here´s an old idea I made some time ago: (I was building on the inital Soulless concept)

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Thralls

Once the mist was released upon the world and the various fiends no longer had the war with the mortal races to keep them united, they broke down into fighting amongst themselves. This infighting nearly finished what the Celestial host and the mortal armies were unable to do, by the time the Fiend Lords were able to stop the fighting the number of fiends left on the world was a fraction of the original host that invaded the world.
So the fiends came to take advantage of the lands and the peoples that lived within them, making of them their slaves, their chattel, their Thralls.

The Broken Peoples – The Mortals

In the Broken lands untold millions of mortals toil as serfs, slaves and chattel under their fiendish masters, burned, chained and infested.
Promising specimens are given more preferential treatment but are never made to forget their place, these are the Corrupted. The twisted desires of the fiends also result in countless progeny, half-fiends, the Spawn and the Corrupted form a middle class within the fiendish societies.

The Burned

A burned is a mortal slave of the demon lords of the Burned Lands. As such they have all been branded with symbols of abyssal might, binding their flesh and souls to their master. The enchantments dulls the mind of the slave while increasing their endurance. The mind of the burned becomes corrupted and his baser instincts become stronger, while his morals and higher faculties are weakened.

Creating a Burned

Burned is a template which can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the “character”)

Special Attacks: A burned retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following.
Frenzy(Su): Can rage once per day as a 1st level barbarian
Special Qualities: A burned retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following.
Devotion (Su): Acts towards his master as if under the influence of a charm person spell.
Soul Skin (Su): Upon death the slaves soul is tied to its branding. The branding functions as a soulbind spell upon the soul of the deceased slave. The skin containing the branding can then be cut for easier transport.
Saves: as base character
Abilities: Con +2, Int –4, Wis –2, Cha -2
Skills: as base character
Feats: as base character.
Climate/Terrain: found throughout the Broken Lands, predominantly in the Burned Lands
Organisation:
Challenge Rating:
Alignment: Any Chaotic
Advancement: Same as the base creature

Sample Burned

Here is a sample Burned. A 1st level commoner armed with a club. They are used as expendable shock troops by the demon warlords.

Burned Human Commoner
Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d4+1 (4 hp, 6 hp when raging)
Initiative: 0
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 10 (8 when raging)
Attacks: Club +1 melee (+3 when raging)
Damage: Club 1d6 (1d6+2 when raging)
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft.
Special Attacks: Frenzy
Special Qualities: Devotion, Soul Skin
Saves: Fort +1 , Ref 0 (+2 when raging), Will -1 (+1when raging)
Abilities: Str 11 (15 when raging), Dex 11, Con 13 (17 when raging), Int 7, Wis 9, Cha 9
Skills: Climb +2, jump +2
Feats: Weapon Proficiency (club), Weapon Focus (club)
Challenge Rating:
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Combat

The burned shock troops work themselves into a blinding rage and then storm the enemy.

Frenzy (Su): The entombed can rage once a day as a 1st level barbarian.

The Chained

The chained are the property of the devils of the Basalt Cities. All slaves have collars, either around their necks, ankles or wrists, all linked together with chains. These chains contain enchantments that make the slaves more obedient and efficient, and upon death they bind the soul of the slave.

Creating a Chained

Chained is a template which can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the “character”)

Special Attacks: A chained retains all the special attacks of the base creature.
Special Qualities: A chained retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following.
His Masters Voice (Su): Acts towards his master as if under the influence of a dominate person (DC 20).
Work Ethic (Su): +2 racial bonus on one skill
Chained Soul (Su): Upon death the slaves soul is tied to its chains. The chains function as a soulbind spell upon the soul of the deceased slave. The chains and manacles can then be used to transport the soul or the body can be destroyed, most often by fire, and the chained spirit is forced to obey the owner.
Saves: as base character
Abilities: Cha -6
Skills: as base character
Feats: as base character.
Climate/Terrain: found throughout the Broken Lands, predominantly in the Land Of The Chained
Organisation:
Challenge Rating:
Alignment: any Lawful
Advancement: as base character

Sample Chained

Here is a sample Chained. A 1st level warrior. They are used as expendable shock troops by the Lords of the Basalt Cities.

Chained Human Warrior
Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d8 (5 hp)
Initiative: 0
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 11 (+1 padded armour)
Attacks: Spear +2 melee
Damage: Spear 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft.
Special Attacks: --
Special Qualities: His Masters Voice, Work Ethic (climb), Chained Soul
Saves: Fort +2 , Ref 0, Will 0
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 5
Skills: Climb +5, jump +3, Swim +2
Feats: Weapon Focus (spear)
Challenge Rating:
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Combat

Chained warriors follow the orders of their masters to the death Which is often their fate.

The Many – Infested

The many are the obedient servants of the Queen Of The Rattling Races. They have been warped by the alien nature of their mistress, and are now more like insects than mortal. All of the many are infested with parasites, these parasites alters the bearer and upon the death of the slave store the soul of the deceased. Almost all infested are females, except for the male drones of the Matriarchs.

Creating an Infested

Infested is a template which can be added to any humanoid creature (referred to hereafter as the “character”). The characters type changes to “vermin”.

Special Attacks: An infested retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following.
Vermin: Immune to mind-influencing effects.
Hive Mind (Ex): All infested within 50 miles of their Matriarch or the Queen are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. In one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No one in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Poison (Ex): An infested produces a poison (DC 10+½ HD, 1d3 Dex) which it can apply to its weapons by cutting itself.
Special Qualities: An infested retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following.
Soul Parasite (Su): Upon death the infested soul is consumed by a parasite. The parasite function as a soulbind spell upon the soul of the deceased slave. The now fat parasite can be collected and stored.
Saves: as base character
Abilities: -2 Str, +4 Dex, -4 Con
Skills: as base character
Feats: as base character.
Climate/Terrain: found throughout the Broken Lands, predominantly in the Land Of The Many.
Organisation:
Challenge Rating:
Alignment: any Neutral
Advancement: as base character

Sample Infested

Here is a sample Infested. A 1st level rogue armed with a dagger and a . They are used as expendable shock troops by the Queen and her Matriarchs.

Infested Human Rogue
Medium-Size Humanoid
Hit Dice: 1d6+2 (2 hp)
Initiative: +4 (+4 improved initiative)
Speed: 30 ft
AC: 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Chitin Armour)
Attacks: Dagger +0 melee, shortbow +2 ranged
Damage: Dagger 1d4-2, Shortbow 1d6
Face/Reach: 5 ft by 5 ft/5 ft.
Special Attacks: Hive Mind, Poison, Sneak Attack +1d6
Special Qualities: Vermin, Soul Parasite
Saves: Fort +2 , Ref 0, Will 0
Abilities: Str 7, Dex 15, Con 7, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Balance +6, Hide +6, Intuit Direction +4, Listen +4, Move Silently +6, Search +4, Spot +4, Tumble +6
Feats: Improved Initiative
Challenge Rating:
Alignment: Neutral Evil

Combat

Strike from shadow. Leave only death.

Vermin: Immune to mind-influencing effects.
Hive Mind (Ex): All infested within 50 miles of their Matriarch or the Queen are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. In one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No one in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Poison (Ex): An infested produces a poison (DC 10+½ HD, 1d3 Dex) which it can apply to its weapons by cutting itself.

The Corrupted

Apply the fiendish template in the MM page 213-214.

The Spawn

Apply the half-fiend template in the MM page 215-216.

The Soulless

Without the energies from their native plane, the fiends had no way to rebuild their numbers, but they still had access to the same thing that created new fiends in the first place, souls. Using the souls of their dead slaves they found a way to replenish their numbers. These souls could in some cases be corrupted and transformed, purified from all morality and “goodness”, until only pure evil remained.
Once the receptacle had been purified, it could then be placed inside a either specially prepared crafted body or that of a corpse allowing the now fiendish soul to animate and take over the body. Because the purification ritual involves places rich with the essence of the Dying Gods, once inserted the new fiend mutated and the body it was placed in changes to match it's new fiendish nature. No two of the soulless have the same features, but they all are roughly humanoid in shape.

Soulless Qualities:

Deathless (Ex): Because of how the soulless are created, when reduced to 0 hp, they do not die. Instead they become exhausted and at -5 hp they become disabled. It is not uncommon to see masses of twitching, writhing bodies of the soulless on the battlefield after a battle waiting for a fiend to come by and collect their souls. The receptacle has 5 hp.
Darkvision (Ex): 60 ft.
Resistances (Ex): Cold and Fire resistance 5

Combat

The soulless are rather unimaginative fighters, their favourite tactic is to swarm over their foes attempting to defeat them with sheer numbers, rather than any combat tactic of their own design. The soulless can be somewhat effect at simple group tactics when commanded by a more powerful fiend.
The soulless themselves will fight to the death, they have been dead once and it holds no fear for them. Ironically, many believe part of the soulless mindless lack of fear is that they wish to die again, hopefully this time to be freed from the eternal nightmare the fiends have placed them in.

Soulless, Generic

A generic soulless from the Border.

Medium Outsider (Evil)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30ft
AC: 15 (+5 natural)
Attacks: 2 claws +2 melee.
Damage: claw 1d4
Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Soulless qualities, damage reduction 5/silver, SR 5, deathless
Saves: Fort +3 Ref +3 Will +3
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 11 , Wis 10, Cha 5
Skills: -
Feats: -
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4), swarm (6-15), or mob (10-40)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: none
Alignment: Any Evil
Advancement: 3-6 HD (medium)

Although they posses several spell-like abilities, the soulless in their never ending lust for combat and death, often forget they have the abilities to use.

Spell-Like abilities (Sp): At will - darkness, scare and telekinesis; 1/day - stinking cloud. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 2nd level sorcerer (save DC10 + spell level).

Soulless, Burning

The Burning soulless of the Burned Lands. They mimic their Burning God in shape and nature. Burning flesh in tatters, ever healing only to serve as fuel for an endless fire anew. Metal shrapnel nailed to the flesh serves as protection.

Medium Outsider (Evil, Fire)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9)
Initiative: +0 (+2 when raging)
Speed: 30ft
AC: 15 (+5 natural), 13 (when raging)
Attacks: 2 claws +2 melee. (+4 melee when raging)
Damage: claw 1d4 (1d4+2 when raging) and 1d4 fire damage
Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, heat, frenzy
Special Qualities: Soulless qualities, SR 5, fast healing 2, deathless
Saves: Fort +3 Ref +3 Will +3
Abilities: Str 11(15 when raging), Dex 11, Con 11 (15 when raging), Int 11 , Wis 11, Cha 5
Skills: -
Feats: -
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4), swarm (6-15), or mob (10-40)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: none
Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 3-6 HD (medium)

Combat

The burning soulless will first pummel their foes with produce flame. Following this initial assault they will cast fire shield and work into a rage before engaging their enemy hand to hand.

Spell-Like abilities (Sp): At will – burning hands and produce flame; 1/day – fire shield. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 2nd level sorcerer (save DC10 + spell level).
Frenzy (Ex): The soulless can rage as a 2nd level barbarian.
Heat (Su): The soulless generates an internal heat causing its mere touch to deal 1d4 additional fire damage. Its metallic weapons will also conduct this heat.


Soulless, Chained

The Chained soulless of the Basalt Cities. Covered by swirling chains and sharp hooks they seek to bind their enemies and then tear them apart, flesh and soul.

Medium Outsider (Evil, Law)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 30ft
AC: 18 (+8 natural)
Attacks: 2 chain rakes +2 melee.
Damage: Chain rake 1d8
Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/ 10ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, twirling chains
Special Qualities: Soulless qualities, damage reduction 5/+1, SR 5, deathless
Saves: Fort +3 Ref +3 Will +3
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 11 , Wis 11, Cha 5
Skills: -
Feats: -
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Solitary, gang (2-4), swarm (6-15), or mob (10-40)
Challenge Rating: 2
Treasure: none
Alignment: Always Lawful Evil
Advancement: 3-6 HD (medium)

Combat

The Chained soulless will cast true strike, followed by a twirling chains assault on a target. It will then cast hypnotic pattern with its chains, followed by a melee.

Spell-Like abilities (Sp): At will – true strike and hypnotic pattern; 1/day – black tentacles. These abilities are as the spells cast by a 2nd level sorcerer (save DC10 + spell level).
Twirling chains (Ex): once a day the chained soulless can extend his reach to 30 ft or he can perform an attack on all within 5 f of him.

The Mandible Lords

Unlike the fiends of the West and the South, or even the lesser fiends of the Border, the insect-like daemons of the North use the souls of the dead for a quite different purposes. They use them to create insects with souls. The new race of the Queen which shall replace that the mortals as the dominant form of life.

Larvae Qualities:

Vermin: Immune to mind-influencing effects.
Hive Mind (Ex): All mandible lords and other members of the hive within 50 miles of their Matriarch or the Queen are in constant communication. If one is aware of a particular danger, they all are. In one in a group is not flat-footed, none of them are. No one in a group is considered flanked unless all of them are.
Inhuman Speed (Ex): The mandible lord functions as under the influence of a haste spell.
Pre-natural awareness (Ex): The mandible lord gains a +2 insight bonus to his AC and reflex saving throws, and a +4 racial bonus to spot and listen checks.
Scent (Ex): can detect creatures by scent

Mandible Lord, Larvae

The new-born larvae of the Matriarch, or of the Queen herself, have a vaguely humanoid shape. Their body is covered with a larvae like skin and they are yet to form an exoskeleton.

Medium-Size Vermin (Evil)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (15 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30ft
AC: 19 (+3 Dex, +4 haste, +2 insight)
Attacks: 2 claws +4 melee.
Damage: Claw 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Larvae qualities
Saves: Fort +8 Ref +5 Will 0
Abilities: Str 17, Dex 17, Con 17, Int 7 , Wis 13, Cha 13
Skills: -
Feats: -
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Solitary with retinue of 4-10 of 1st level infested warriors or group of 2-3 of giant soldier ants.
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: none
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: 3-6 HD (medium)

Combat

When engaged in combat with lesser forms of life, the mandible lord will summon swarms and unleash an insect plague. If forced into melee, it will use contagion and poison, and its claws.

Spell-Like abilities (Sp): At will – summon swarm, contagion and poison; 1/day – insect plague. These abilities are as the spells cast by a druid of the equivalent level (save DC 10 + HD + wisdom bonus)

Mandible Lord, Mature

The mature mandible lords are truly fearsome creatures, their presence fills mortals with fear, the fear of the prey before the predator.

Large Vermin (Evil)
Hit Dice: 7d8+42 (74 hp)
Initiative: +7 (+4 improved initiative)
Speed: 40ft. fly 40 ft
AC: 30 (+12 natural, +3 Dex, +4 haste, +2 insight, -1 size)
Attacks: 2 claws +4 melee.
Damage: Claw 1d4+3
Face/Reach: 5 ft x 5 ft/ 5ft
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Larvae qualities; lord of vermin
Saves: Fort +11, Ref +7, Will +5
Abilities: Str 27, Dex 17, Con 23, Int 13 , Wis 17, Cha 15
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Initiative
Climate/Terrain: Any land or underground
Organisation: Solitary with retinue of 6-12 of 2nd level infested barbarians or group of 3-6 of giant soldier ants.
Challenge Rating:
Treasure: none
Alignment: Always Neutral Evil
Advancement: by fighter class.

Combat

When engaged in combat with lesser forms of life, the mandible lord will summon swarms and unleash an insect plague. If forced into melee, it will use contagion and poison, and its claws.

Spell-Like abilities (Sp): At will – summon swarm, contagion and poison ; 3/day – insect plague and giant vermin; 1/day – creeping doom . These abilities are as the spells cast by a druid of the equivalent level (DC 10 + HD + wisdom bonus)
Lord Of Vermin (su): Can command all insects within 300 ft. All insects must succeed with a will save (DC 10 + HD + wisdom bonus) or obey the mental commands of the mandible lord.
 

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Leopold

NKL4LYFE
i did like these. These give the demons a way to move through an area and their fiendish presence 'infect' the enemy. Have these gone through the wringer as far as being 'balanced'?
 

GreyOne

Explorer
Burned Man, nice to see you again.

I like these a lot, though I only quickly perused them. I like how you've given each thrall race a connection to their specific type of fiendish master.
 


LRonKnieval

First Post
That goes for me too Robert,
Good to see back in action. I remember looking over the thralls before. I think the concept is great. Perhaps a little more detail on the regions they come from would make them really come alive.
How each thrall functions with regard to their creators, more on how they are created , reagion to region, Thrall masters, thrall pens. Is there a thrall market, do the recoginize former aquaintences once they have been changed, are they like cult members or are they rebellious? can a character who has become a thrall be rescued and saved (like an afflicted lycanthrope) Can thralls be mixed.. etc. in anycase the potential is there for a lot of lush setting material.
 

The Burned Man

First Post
this was developed from the Soulless submission adn the general idea for how societies function in the Broken Lands.

Mortals are chattel.

"I think the concept is great. Perhaps a little more detail on the regions they come from would make them really come alive."

They are already formed along region. Just read about the Broken Lands and youll find they are built around each region and in most cases around one of the Three.

"How each thrall functions with regard to their creators, more on how they are created"

They are slaves and chattel in the west and south, while totally dehumanized in the north.

"Thrall masters, thrall pens. Is there a thrall market, do the recoginize former aquaintences once they have been changed, are they like cult members or are they rebellious?"

Devotion (Su): Acts towards his master as if under the influence of a charm person spell.

His Masters Voice (Su): Acts towards his master as if under the influence of a dominate person (DC 20).

Pretty much cult-like.

Of course there are Thrall markets. Thats what mortals are food, workforce and currency, whether it be flesh or soul...

A thrall-master Prestige Class for fiends would be nice:)

"Can a character who has become a thrall be rescued and saved (like an afflicted lycanthrope) Can thralls be mixed.. etc. in anycase the potential is there for a lot of lush setting material."

Sure, why not. Propably not easy and normal Thrall will have been thralls most of their lives so they might still worhship their masters even without the magic.

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Basically I see the fiendish territories as a very ruthless class-society with powerful fiends (fiendlords, fiends with divine rank, now that D&Dg is out) ruling over lesser fiends who rule over servitors (half-fiends, fiendish mortals, reths and other creations such as the soulless), with "normal" mortals (thralls) at the bottom of the ladder.

Observe that most "people" living in the Broken Lands will be mortals (serfs or thralls or similar beings).
 

Leopold

NKL4LYFE
I would also ventrue to say that not 100% of all 'humanoids' are thralls. I would say that some have forsaken the kessel lands and become servants of the fiendlords and their vassals starting 'kingdoms' under the fiends. For those that remain would be seeking revenge upon those that had abandoned them..
 

The Burned Man

First Post
I actually adressed this.


Thus the fiends came to be as nobles and the mortals their serfs, slaves bound to the land.


see

http://www.d20reviews.com/Daemonforge/broken/brokoverview.htm

The Border – Land Of The Broken

Geography

The axis of the world is Mount Barakus. It is the point from which all of creation came to be. The lands surrounding it were once the most prosperous and blessed of all the nations of the World. People from the South, the North, the West and the East came to found nations here. Among its forests and fields, rivers and lakes, rolling hills and misty swamps, they all prospered.

Now it is a blasted and shattered land. Here the last and most savage of all battles were fought between the fiends and the mortals. The land itself was wrecked and despoiled by the magic of the combatants. This was over one and a half thousand years ago. A thousand years later the land was ravaged anew as the wrath of the fiercest patron fell upon the land, and five Lords were slain by his hands. Now anarchy reigns in the territory as fiend turns against fiend seeking to replace the slain Lords.

Population

The Broken is how all the mortals are known across all the Broken Lands, but above all it describes the peoples of the Border. Unlike the nations of the West, theNorth and the South who were laid to waste by the fiends, the nations of the Border survived in a twisted sense. As the mists descended the senseless slaughter of the conquered mortals did not cease, but it did abate as the fiends came to value the conquered as a valuable resource. Many mortal realms and territories bowed to fiendish masters, pledging their loyalty in exchange for mercy. Thus the fiends came to be as nobles and the mortals their serfs, slaves bound to the land. Ever they suffer, either at the hands of their dark nobility or by the actions of the highland patrons whose armies seek to incorporate the borderlands under their rule. Looked upon with contempt by both the conquerors and the unconquered.
 

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