Composition of an Elite City Guard Unit?

[ColonelHardisson]

Back when Enemies & Allies was released, there was a bit of discussion about the "generic" city guards presented in the book. While they are good for run-of-the-mill policing, Piratecat pointed out that it would've been cool to see an elite unit put together to handle adventurer-types when they got rowdy. You know, a group that was intended to handle a PC-class party or magical monsters.

So, anyone have any thoughts on this? I don't necessarily want to just have this be a thread to post NPC parties (that's what the Rogue's Gallery is for), but a thread for people to toss out some ideas of what needs to be considered for such a group. Any takers?

 

[Crothian]

Well, I think it would first depend on the alinmnet of the City. Good aligned I see as these elite gaurds being good are detain and capture. PErhaps the ability to do large amounts of subdual. Evil places would be vicious and be able to deal real damage.

Over all, I think they need good saves all around. Most important, though, is a good will save. They also would need a good Sense motive.

I'm not sure what else. An adventuring party can be so many things asd can monsters. It's hard to decide what would be the most versatile for all the siutuations that could come up.

 

[Limper]

Ranger/Rogues would make some spiffy Elite Guards. If you do away with that restriction against taking your own race (as favored enemy) making you evil, it makes a very frightning combo. If the city in question is evil add Assassin levels and have em Geased to serve the rightful ruler of the city.

Eats for cerebral quandry.

 

[EOL]

I think that the key word for an Elite Guard Unit would be the same as that for an adventuring party: balance Since this Elite guard unit would never be facing the same opponent from one day to the next, they'd have to have all the bases covered.

As I think about it, as un-glamourous as this might be, I think key to the elite group would be overwhelming response, just as it is in the modern day, so communication spells and items would be very important as well as the ability to rapidly travel someplace. The state generally has far more resources then even the really powerful adventurers and the key is to bring as many of those resources to bear as possible.

 

[RogueJK]

Since we can't expect the city guard to be able to outfit their men, even their elite guards, with enough magic items to match those used by an adventuring party, they'll have to find other ways to level the playing field. Some examples might be equipping the group with one or more Rods of Negation. Or having a Wizard or Cleric who is high enough level to cast Antimagic Field.

They will also need to have a way of seeing through the various disguises, illusions, and transmutations. Goggles of True Seeing might be a good choice.

Even if they aren't able to compete with the higher level magic users, summoning lots of smaller creatures and having them grapple the caster will help to prevent the magic users from walking all over the guards.

Most big cities tend to have Adventurer's Guilds where retired adventurers go to swap stories and write their memoirs. Perhaps when a powerful group of adventurers goes rampaging through the town, the retired ones strap on their armor, dust off their holy symbols, and grab their spellbooks in order to help get the newcomers under control.

There's also the really powerful people for the larger cities to fall back on: the Wiz20 who runs the Mage Academy, the Clr18 who heads the Temple of Bosk, and the Rog19 Guildmaster of the local thieves guild. I'm sure they wouldn't take it too kindly if a group of people comes in and decides to run amok through their city.

Utimately, I don't think it's possible for most cities to have a group of city guards who are able to handle a party of high level adventurers. The system kinda breaks down when the PCs get into the higher levels, but the average person is still just a Com1, and the average city guard is only a War1. They'll probably have to rely on outside help if the situation ever occurs (which it shouldn't very often...)

Sorta like the Gotham City police flashing the Bat Signal every time a supervillain gets out of control.

 

[Ace]

IMC level 1 in any class is a beginer, level 2 is mature, level 3 is experienced and so on.

An Elite guard unit, I would say 30 men.

Three units of 8 each from 4th to 6th level mainly fighters but with some rogue levels maybe 2/4 rog/ftr.

each would have chainshirt (mw), club , shortsword and buckler(mw).

Each would also have a crossbow but it would not normally be carried

Each unit would have a Seargeant 2-3 levels higher typically ftr4/rog3/guard officer 1-2 (make up a cool PRC)

The unit seargeant would report to a leutenant who would be a couple of levels higher than the seargeant. Those levels would either be Guard officer or maybe Aristocrat or Noble.

Each Unit would be supported by a special services detachement with 2 wizards (5th level or more) 2 rangers, urban varient (with Watch Detective PRC) and 2 priests (level 7 or so).

Magic items would not normally be issued but would be available in amounts appropriate the campaign. If there is plentiful magic then magic weapons and or armor would be issued instead of MW.

Likely magic items include +x weapons and armor, healing potions and wands of hold person, cure light, light and other spells

Also there will almost certainly be communication magic so if Emerikol the Chaotic comes riding through the unit can call for serious back up.

Hope this helped

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Wow. I'm genuinely impressed so far - a lot of great ideas and food for thought. I thought this thread would likely sink out of sight without a peep. Thanks, guys! Please continue. This all helps a lot.

 

[Blood Jester]

What? No tear gas???

Add one (or two) wands of Stinking Cloud for crowd control please.

 

[arwink]

Tends to vary a bit IMC. Most major governments and orgnisations will have something along this line, usually a team of four to twelve individuals of varying levels and class abilities, but usually united along some theme.

The only one the PC's have encountered so far belonged to an evil dragon temple, and consisted of a trio of priests, a golem, a half-dragon carrion crawler, a ranger/priest, a mage and a psion. Basically I just treated the attackers like an adventuring party, working out how two or three of them would work together in combat and planning out the first few actions they were all likely to take.

 

[DM with a vengence]

An Elite Guard Squad, all characters level 4-6 as presented

2x Scout-Rogue, Hide and Move Silently, lots of special gear.
2x Sniper-Fighter with archery feats
4x Assault-Fighters with Heavy Flails and Improved Disarm
1x Medic-Cleric, Cure X Wounds, Buffs, Hold Person
1x Support-Wizard, Message, Invisability and Silence (Covert Ops), Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Dispel Magic and Damaging Spells
1x Information and Negotiations-Bard, Diplomacy, Bluff, Gather Informations and limited spells to support goals. Follows main assault with bardic music.

Disarm can be a surprisingly effective tactic, because after all, how many +2 Greatswords does your fighter carry?