Converting Greyhawk monsters

[freyar]

Simpler is better here, I think. Since they're going to start getting undead steeds (didn't we decide that?), Handle Animal is less important. So just go with Intimidate, Ride, and cross-class Listen, Spot.

 

[Cleon]

So just go with Intimidate, Ride, and cross-class Listen, Spot.

That makes good sense.

 

[Shade]

Updated.

Environment: Any?

Challenge Rating: +1?

Treasure: Standard?

Level Adjustment: +3?

Organization is going to be a bit complicated...

Habitat/Society: The current composition of the fiend knights, in addition to their leaders, is approximately 80 cavalry, 20 of whom ride undead steeds, the other 60 riding normal heavy warhorses. Treat the undead steeds as heavy warhorses with immunity to sleep, charm and hold spells. These troops have heavy lances, again with a 5% chance per level for a magical lance, and they employ footman.s flails in addition to twohanded weapons.

The 120 heavy infantry each carry a long spear and a variety of polearms in addition to other weaponry. They have a 2% chance per level for a magical polearm.

The current composition of the fiend-knights, in addition to their leaders, is:

Approximately 80 cavalry, 20 of whom ride undead steeds (treat as heavy warhorses with immunity to sleep, charm and hold spells), the other 60 riding normal heavy warhorses. These troops have heavy lances, again with a 5% chance per level for a magical lance, and they employ footman's flails in addition to two-handed weapons. There are 120 heavy infantry, each of whom possesses long spears and a variety of pole arms in addition to other weaponry. They have a 2% chance per level for a magical pole arm.

The makeup of any unit the knights are leading is detailed below. They always lead troops of veteran to elite status, and will always have a varying number of personal guards (5-15% of listed troop numbers) of levels 2nd through 4th. These retainers are said to be the handpicked troops of OverKing lrvid himself, which he entrusts to the knights to send on special missions of raiding, spying, etc.; thus, they gain +1 on all morale checks during such missions. They generally come armored as the type of unit they are assigned to, but the 4th-level retainers are typically bedecked with +1 weapons and armor.

Unit composition
35% cavalry, as follows:
10% light horse scouts with swords, spears, leather or studded leather armor, target shields.
15% medium horse with swords, lances, chain hauberks, kite shields.
10% heavy horse with lances, bastard swords, full plate or plate mail, kite shields.

50% infantry:
10% light skirmish type with assorted light swords, axes, maces, no shields.
20% medium foot with long swords, spears, maces, chain hauberk, no shields.
10% heavy foot with bastard swords, long spears, assorted pole arms, chain mail, and shields.
10% armored foot with halberds, pikes, assorted pole arms, full plate or plate mail, no shields.

15% Missile:
5% light archers with short bows, spears, short swords, leather jerkins.
3% light crossbowmen with light crossbows, short swords, axes, leather jerkins.
2% longbowmen with longbows, swords, leather armor.
5% horse archers with composite bows, swords, studded leather armor, target shields.

Some popular or notable units include the following:

Heavy Foot regiment: Symbol is a bronze baboon, and the mode (color) of dress is colored saffrons, chocolates, and bone white. This regiment is known as the “howlers” when they go into combat, for they howl and scream, causing many a non-battle-ready foreign unit to retreat in dismay.

Medium Horse regiment: Symbol is a tan horse, and dress is black and aquamarine. This unit is known for expertise with the javelin while either mounted or dismounted. Their nickname is the “bolters,” for they are hard to keep from charging into a fray once the battle has been joined.

Horse-Archer regiment: Symbol is two silver arrows crossed upon the colors of ebony and scarlet. These warriors are very accurate with their composite bows and are called the “pointers,” for they always lead the way on campaigns and skirmish missions.

 

[freyar]

I think your suggestions generally look good.

As for org, why don't we simplify a bit? Something like solitary, company, brigade, army? (Or whatever order those are supposed to be in.) Then just X 4th level, X 8th level, etc. Of the 4th level ones, half can be cavalry, half infantry in the larger units. Does that work? Just don't need quite so much detail.

 

[Cleon]

Updated.

Environment: Any?

Challenge Rating: +1?

Treasure: Standard?

Level Adjustment: +3?

That looks OK. I'd worry the Level Adjustment was too high, but LAs are a very inexact science.

Organization is going to be a bit complicated...

I think your suggestions generally look good.

As for org, why don't we simplify a bit? Something like solitary, company, brigade, army? (Or whatever order those are supposed to be in.) Then just X 4th level, X 8th level, etc. Of the 4th level ones, half can be cavalry, half infantry in the larger units. Does that work? Just don't need quite so much detail.

Well if we fit them to traditional rankings the Captain would command a company, the Colonel a Batallion or Regiment, the General a Brigade or Division and the Marshall an Army.

The numbers involved would be too big to be run though, It'd end up with entries like "brigade (12th level fiend knight generals plus 5 8th level fiend knight colonels and 20-40 4th level fiend knight captains and 100-200 2nd to 4th level fighters and 1000 to 2000 1st fighters)"

Besides, the typical Organization entries don't include the larger units - they don't have "tribal army" in the Orc entry, after all!

How about something like this:

Organization: Solitary, patrol (1-4 plus 5-20 2nd to 4th level fighters; 1d% (round down) mounted on warhorses), lance (2-20 mounted on undead steeds or warhorses), troop (2-20 mounted on undead steeds plus 10-100 2nd-4th level fighters mounted on warhorses) or host (as troop plus 100-1000 1st to 3rd level human, orc or hobgoblin warriors)

 

[Shade]

As for org, why don't we simplify a bit? Something like solitary, company, brigade, army? (Or whatever order those are supposed to be in.) Then just X 4th level, X 8th level, etc. Of the 4th level ones, half can be cavalry, half infantry in the larger units. Does that work? Just don't need quite so much detail.

How about something like this:

Organization: Solitary, patrol (1-4 plus 5-20 2nd to 4th level fighters; 1d% (round down) mounted on warhorses), lance (2-20 mounted on undead steeds or warhorses), troop (2-20 mounted on undead steeds plus 10-100 2nd-4th level fighters mounted on warhorses) or host (as troop plus 100-1000 1st to 3rd level human, orc or hobgoblin warriors)

Hmm...I like where this is heading, but I feel like we need to include the higher-level ones. Also, let's drop the species deliniation and just go with "humanoid warriors".

 

[freyar]

Ok, rather than full armies, we can have the higher level ones and their "entourage" of somewhat lower-level guards and aides-de-camp. How about that?

 

[Shade]

Ok, rather than full armies, we can have the higher level ones and their "entourage" of somewhat lower-level guards and aides-de-camp. How about that?

Sounds good. Wanna write it up?

 

[Cleon]

Hmm...I like where this is heading, but I feel like we need to include the higher-level ones. Also, let's drop the species deliniation and just go with "humanoid warriors".

I think we'll need to elaborate a separate organization for each "rank" of fiend knights, probably including a command staff and honour guard for the high ranking ones. We can also add a bit about their army units in the actual description.

Ok, rather than full armies, we can have the higher level ones and their "entourage" of somewhat lower-level guards and aides-de-camp. How about that?

Sounds like we're on a similar wavelength, although I'd like to leave in an organization with lots of low-level cannon fodder. They may make little difference mechanically, but it just feels wrong to have a Marshall without an army.

Something like:

Captain: Solitary, patrol (1-4 plus 5-20 2nd to 4th level fighters; 1d% (round down) mounted on warhorses), lance (2-12 mounted on undead steeds plus 10-40 2nd-4th level fighters mounted on warhorses) or host (as lance plus plus 50-100 1st to 3rd level humanoid infantry)

Colonel: Solitary, command staff (1 plus 1-4 fiend knight captains on undead steeds, and 1-3 4th level spellcasters and 4-16 2nd to 4th level fighters mounted on warhorses), troop (1 plus 2-8 fiend knight captains on undead steeds plus 2-5 4th level spellcasters and 20-80 2nd-4th level fighters mounted on warhorses) or host (as troop plus 100-300 1st to 3rd level humanoid infantry)

General: Solitary, command staff (1 plus 1-3 fiend knight colonels and 2-8 fiend knight captains on undead steeds, and 1-4 8th level spellcasters and 3-12 8th level fighters mounted on warhorses), troop (1 plus 1-4 fiend knight colonels and 2-20 fiend knight captains on undead steeds plus 2-5 8th level spellcasters and 50-150 2nd-4th level fighters mounted on warhorses) or host (as troop plus 300-1000 1st to 3rd level humanoid infantry)

Marshall: Solitary, command staff (1 plus 1-3 fiend knight generals mounted on nightmares, and 2-16 fiend knight colonels on undead steeds, and 1-4 12th level spellcasters mounted on nightmares, and 5-20 fiend knight captains on undead steeds), troop (1 plus 1-4 fiend knight generals mounted on nightmares, and 2-20 fiend knight colonels and 20-200 fiend knight captains on undead steeds, plus 2-5 12th level spellcasters mounted on nightmares, and 150-500 2nd-4th level fighters mounted on warhorses) or host (as troop plus 1000-3000 1st to 3rd level humanoid infantry)

 

[freyar]

Those get very long, though. Could we shift some of the bigger ones into the flavor text. Like, for the marshall, "Marshalls often lead troops, a command staff plus a general's troop, ..."?