Minor Archetypes (9e)

Minions

Minions are individual enemies that are tougher than mooks (see below) but nowhere near the level of the major archetypes. They are the bandit leaders, the giant spider, the lumbering cave troll, to be used by the major archetypes as effective troops to engage and occupy the party.

Minion health is rated in terms of dice hits rather than hit points. Successful attacks made against a minion count as one hit, and those attacks that do double damage dice counts as two hits. When a minion reaches zero hits, it's out of the combat, either dead or unconscious.

Brute

Damage Die	d10
Bonus	+7
Dice Hits	7
Dodge	15

• Frenzy: The brute can eliminate 5 hit points of mooks and gain double damage dice on its attack for that turn.
• Unbreakable: The brute cannot suffer from Fear or Stress.

The brute is the uncontrollable animal, the wild-eyed berserker, that does not discriminate between friend and foe when it charges into battle.

Champion

Damage Die	d12
Bonus	+6
Dice Hits	5
Dodge	18

• Bold: The champion gains double damage dice against enemies retreating from melee.
• Empowering: Mooks gain 1 Armor while at least one champion is still alive.

The champion is the blackguard, the brutish warchief, which inspires the scum under its command to push harder and fight for longer.

Fanatic

Damage Die	d8
Bonus	+5
Dice Hits	2
Dodge	17

• Craven: The fanatic can retreat from melee combat without provoking an attack.
• Servile: Any nearby major archetype engaged in melee can safely retreat, leaving the fanatic engaged in melee with that enemy instead.

The fanatic is the henchman, the cowardly lickspittle, which will sacrifice itself for the safety of its dark master, but scuttle away to save its own miserable hide whenever possible.

Lurker

Damage Die	d8
Bonus	+7
Dice Hits	2
Dodge	19

• Ambush: When the lurker makes an attack while hidden, it deals double damage dice.
• Skulking: The DC for hiding during combat is halved, and making ranged attacks does not reveal the lurker's position.

The lurker is the creeping assassin, the shadowy predator, that lunges out unexpectedly to sow fear and chaos.

Ringleader

Damage Die	d6
Bonus	+4
Dice Hits	3
Dodge	17

• Driving: Mooks gain a +1 attack bonus while at least one ringleader is still alive.
• Motivate: As a standard action, the ringleader can grant a mook a basic attack against an enemy in range.

The ringleader is the slave driver, the mob's agitator, who drives the weak-minded scum into a vicious frenzy.

Mooks

Mooks are general cannon fodder with very low hit point values, but make up for their relative weakness by lumping together in one collective hit point pool. For instance, 20 mooks with a hit point value of five would have a total pool of 100 hit points. Each time that pool takes five damage, a mook is taken out, until eventually there are none left.

Each separate bunch of mooks is treated as a singular enemy. If a character is engaged in melee with a mook, they are capable of hitting all the mooks in that group with their melee attacks. On its turn, a group of mooks can attack all enemies it can reach with one standard action, to represent their strength in numbers.

While mooks can be quite vicious, their main purpose is to bog down the party and, if necessary, be used as resources by minions and the major archetypes.

Mob

Damage	5
Attack	+5
Value	7
Dodge	14

• Organized: A mob cannot suffer from Fear unless bloodied.

The mob takes solace that there is strength in numbers, relying on the odds being in their favor to keep fighting.

Pack

Damage	6
Attack	+6
Value	5
Dodge	16

• Teamwork: When a pack hits an enemy, they gain combat advantage over that enemy on their next attack.

The pack is animalistic and cunning, picking off the weaker targets, separating them from the herd, and moving in for the kill.

Swarm

Damage	4
Attack	+5
Value	1
Dodge	17

• Insidious: Swarms ignore up to 10 points of Armor on enemies.

The swarm is a force of nature that flows like water, covering its prey and surging through the smallest of gaps to find vulnerabilities.

Vermin

Damage	4
Attack	+5
Value	4
Dodge	16

• Grasping: Any enemy engaged in melee with vermin grants combat advantage.

The vermin is opportunistic, seeking to weigh down and tire out its targets with ceaseless harassment.