VARIANTS: Peruse the variants list below. Decide what variant this Black Guard will be, and that determines their equipment and behaviors. Choosing a variant keyword restricts the Black Guard to equipment and traits/rules with that keyword.
Man-At-Arms: Common unit with a shield, two javelins that it will prioritize throwing, and a shortsword it will employ once javelins are spent. The most common Black Guard unit. Very low mental fortitude.
Maceman: Burly unit with hardier armor and a mace. Will be extremely aggressive and target the most passive or most damaged targets. Better physical and mental fortitude, but disarming can be a risk due to the one weapon.
Pikeman: Common unit with a pike, and a backup shortsword. Will remain near other friendly combatants and attempt to harass with their pikes. Poor mental fortitude, but can reroll failed opportunity attacks.
Swordsman: Skilled unit with half-plate, a longsword and a backup shortsword. Wildcard, can and will do whatever seems most tactically sound. Better physical and mental fortitude, but weak to electric damage. More effective and versatile attacking.
Man-At-Arms Modifier: -2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, +1 AC
Man-At-Arms Trait: [Coward's Way Out] Enemy suffers -1 to Opportunity Attacks against this unit.
Maceman Modifier: +2 HP, +1 AC
Maceman Trait: [Cruelty] Can reroll 1s on damage dice. +1 to hit if the target is already wounded.
Pikeman Modifier: -1 Wisdom, -1 Intelligence
Pikeman Trait: [Battlefield Control] When adjacent to a friendly unit, +1 to hit on Opportunity Attacks. Advantage to all attacks if the target is mounted.
Swordsman Modifier: +1 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence, +2 HP, +2 AC
Swordsman Trait: [Multiattack] Can make two melee attacks with its longsword or shortsword, depending on which is wielded at the time.
Swordsman Trait: [Weakness: Electricity] Takes double electric damage.
Man-at-Arms:
Javelin. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. (1d6 piercing damage)
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 3 ft., one target. (1d6 slashing/piercing damage)
Javelin Throw. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 30/120, one target. (1d6+1 piercing damage)
Armament: 2 Javelins. Shield. Shortsword.
Maceman:
Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 3ft., one target. (1d6 piercing damage)
Armament: Mace.
Pikeman:
Pike. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 6 ft., one target. (1d10 piercing damage)
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 3 ft., one target. (1d6 slashing/piercing damage)
Armament: Pike. Shortsword.
Swordsman:
Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target., (1d8 slashing/piercing damage)
Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 3 ft., one target. (1d6 slashing/piercing damage)
Armament: Longsword. Shortsword.
Description
Lowliest soldiers of the Black Legion. Faceless, forgotten, and many. Their boots break the silence of conquered streets.
The Black Guard are the bottom rung of the Black Legion's hierarchy. They are not elite knights or cunning agents—these are the faceless grunts, the nameless watchers who keep order with cudgel and glare, posted in occupied towns, haunted crossroads, and shattered city gates. Where their betters make war, the Black Guard are left behind to maintain the illusion of peace.
These soldiers are often criminals, debtors, or broken men offered a single coin and a black tabard in exchange for their freedom—and their name. When inducted, their past is erased. They are given cheap armor, a weapon, and a command: obey.
Black Guards are rarely brave. They are bullies, not warriors. When they have numbers, they bark orders, strike with impunity, and terrorize townsfolk with impersonal brutality. But when isolated or outnumbered, their fear is palpable. They know they are expendable. Most dream not of promotion, but of escape. Some die trying. Others simply disappear in the night, often chased down by fellow guards seeking to earn their next plate of armor.
Some among the higher echelons of the Black Legion consider the Black Guard a self-correcting problem: weaklings weed themselves out, leaving only the most loyal, desperate, or deranged.
Appearance and Equipment
The uniform of the Black Guard is a patchwork of scavenged gear and institutional cruelty:
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Armor: Darkened chainmail with stiff blackened leather atop, often cracked from exposure and lack of care. It offers just enough protection to maintain authority, but not enough to encourage survival. Their gear is often hand-me-downs from dead superiors or hastily forged en masse.
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Plate Bits: A single blackened plate, no matter how small—a pauldron, a thigh guard, even a lone kneepad—is considered a mark of honor, signifying a kill or a deed worthy of minor recognition. Some plate pieces still bear the bloodstains or sigils of past wearers, ground off or scorched away.
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Helmets: Most wear featureless helms with slitted visors or sacks with stitched eyeholes. Identity is a sin in the Black Legion; the Black Guard are not people, only functionaries of oppression.
Previous Versions
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7/21/2025 2:33:26 AM
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