D&D 4E Iron Ring member conversions to 4e f/ B10 Night's Dark Terror

[Magus Coeruleus]

The Iron Ring is a criminal organization with roots in the western part of Karameikos (a nation in Mystara/the Known World of BECMI D&D). A major component of their activity is abduction of people into slavery. Most members are human but can be of any race or profession. At the bottom of the hierarchy are Hounds, former slaves who were brainwashed and tortured to become fearless warriors completely loyal to the Iron Ring.

Hound of the Iron Ring
Medium natural humanoid Level 2 Minion
XP 31
Initiative +2
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion
Immune charm, fear
AC 16; Fortitude 14, Reflex 14, Will 13
Speed 6
Short sword (standard; at-will) ● Weapon: +6 vs. AC; 5 damage
Shortbow (standard; at-will) ● Weapon: Ranged 15/30; +6 vs. AC; 5 damage
Brainwashed: Hounds cannot be influenced by Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Bluff, although they are subject to Bluff-based feinting and diversions.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Traladaran (some also Thyatian)
Skills Endurance +7
Str 12 (+2) Dex 12 (+2) Wis 10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 8 (+0) Cha 8 (+0)
Equipment leather armor, short sword, shortbow, quiver of 30 arrows

A subset of Hounds are trained to attack riverboats by swimming up and boarding them, daggers clenched in teeth, then attacking those on board while supported by Hound bowmen on the shore. They are also used in Iron Ring slaving runs, where they scale the walls of small villages and homesteads as part of a raid.

Sureclimber Hound of the Iron Ring
Medium natural humanoid Level 2 Minion
XP 31
Initiative +1
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion
Immune charm, fear
AC 15; Fortitude 15, Reflex 13, Will 13
Speed 6
Dagger (standard; at-will) ● Weapon: +7 vs. AC; 5 damage
Brainwashed: Hounds cannot be influenced by Diplomacy, Intimidation, or Bluff, although they are subject to Bluff-based feinting and diversions.
Sure Climber A successful Athletics check allows a Sureclimber Hound to climb at normal speed rather than half speed.
Alignment Unaligned
Languages Traladaran (some also Thyatian)
Skills Endurance +7
Str 14 (+3) Dex 10 (+1) Wis 10 (+1)
Con 12 (+2) Int 8 (+0) Cha 8 (+0)
Equipment dagger

Any feedback on these appreciated. See B10 Night's Dark Terror for the original BECMI versions, particularly p.6 and p.PSIV. In balancing
these I looked particulary at the 4e Halfling Stout and Human Rabble, both of which are also Level 2 Minions (human rabble seems to have
some stats off, i.e. 1 pt too low). I also looked at Level 1 Minions to see trends. These Hound stats give high damage for minions of their
level to reflect their ferocity, but have low stats and no real special combat powers (c.f. mob rule, nimble reaction, second chance).
The immunity to charm and fear as well as to being swayed by social skills is meant to reflect their conditioning and should not make them
hugely more significant a threat in a fight. Similarly, the Sureclimber's special ability helps it do it's job but shouldn't
usually make a fight all that much more difficult for players.

I hope later to add some Reavers and Masters (other member types of the Iron Ring).

 

[frankthedm]

Well, Damage seems to be the most valuable thing to a minion.

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Here is my first 4e reaver. In B10, this is just a fighter who is on shore with some hounds who ambush the riverboat and attack with them from the riverbank while the other reaver and hounds work the ship. I thought it would be interesting to make him an archer whose main schtick is to coordinate the Hounds' ranged attacks, sort of a cross between an archer ranger and a warlord, hence Artillery (Leader) monster type.

Huntsman Reaver of the Iron Ring (Human)
Medium natural humanoid
Level 4 Artillery (Leader)
XP 175
Initiative +6 Senses Perception +4
Hound the Quarry aura 5; minion allies in the aura who can see the huntsman reaver’s quarry gain a +1 to attack rolls against it.
HP 42; Bloodied 21
AC 18; Fortitude 15, Reflex 17, Will 14
Speed 6
Long sword (standard; at-will) ● Weapon: +7 vs. AC; 1d8+2 damage
Longbow (standard; at-will ) ● Weapon: Ranged 20/40; +9 vs. AC; 1d10+4 damage
Huntsman’s Quarry (minor; at-will): Once per turn, the huntsman reaver can designate the closest enemy he can see as his quarry; once per round, he can deal +1d6 damage to this quarry on a successful hit; he can have one quarry at a time
Alignment Evil Languages Common
Skills Nature +9, Stealth +11
Str 14 (+4) Dex 18 (+6) Wis 14 (+4)
Con 12 (+3) Int 10 (+2) Cha 12 (+3)
Equipment Hide armor, long sword, longbow, quiver with 20 arrows

I have to say, looking across other Level 4 Artillery or other similar things in general, I really have a hard time knowing whether I'm making this of appropriate difficulty and not too easy/tough for a Level 4 foe. I started with the simple NPC generating method (ranger) and it seemed like it would create a much more powerful (and complicated) monster than MM 4th level things. I mean, this guy would have had AC 20 (10 + 2 (1/2 level) + 6 (Dex Mod) + 3 (hide armor), lots of abilities. That general (not NPC) table in the DMG confuses the hell out of me; I do NOT commonly see Artillery showing attack mods of Level + 7. And why does that table have all sorts of things at x + Level anyway, when in other places the general rule is 10 + 1/2 level + ability mod?

Anyone, enough whining. Any feedback on this guy?

Thanks!

 

[Medriev]

Looks good to me and as I'm about to start Night's Dark Terror, very useful.

Thanks

 

[Magus Coeruleus]

Starting B10 also?...excellent! I just ran the first session last night and can give you some more info that may be of use. I'd like to start a new thread to track the conversions as I finish them and synopses of how they end up working in play as we have our sessions, but I'm not sure if that's better as a thread here or as a blog. What do you think would be the most appropriate way to for that? Note that I'm not being faithful to a straight-up conversion but instituting changes to reflect key differences such as the party consisting not of adventurers hired by the Sukiskyn clan but of clanmembers themselves.

Btw I have an additional type of reaver, Kalanos the boat captain, a skill challenge involving Misha's bear, and a variety of Wolfskull and Redblade goblins, Taras, Irina, Matvey, Alfana, and Novannes as fully statted level 1 PCs, and Pyotr and Darya as simpler statted NPCs. Plus Giant Vampire Bats!