Large Undead (Cursed, Human), Lawful Neutral
Armor Class 19 Power Armor
Hit Points 115 (10d10 + 60)
Speed 25 ft.
STR
21 (+5)
DEX
16 (+3)
CON
22 (+6)
INT
10 (+0)
WIS
10 (+0)
CHA
10 (+0)
Saving Throws STR +9, CON +10, CHA +4
Skills Athletics +9, Intimidation +4, Perception +4
Damage Resistances Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning
Damage Immunities Necrotic, Poison, Psychic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Nonmagical Attacks that aren't Adamantine or Silvered
Gear Inferno Bolter
Senses Darkvision 60 ft, Passive Perception 14
Languages understands Abyssal, Common, and Infernal but can't speak
Challenge 10 (5,900 XP)
Proficiency Bonus +4
Traits

Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its damage when the rubric marine hits with it (included in the attack).

Immutable Form. The rubric marine is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form.

Keen Senses. The rubric marine has advantage on Perception checks.

Magic Resistance. The rubric marine has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.

Inferno Weapons. The rubric marine’s inferno bolter is a magical weapon. On a hit, it inflicts an extra 3d10 fire damage as noted in the entries below.

Sorcerous Pawn. The rubric marine is controlled by a chaos sorcerer. If the sorcerer controlling the rubric marine dies or is incapacitated, the rubric marine becomes unconscious until another sorcerer assumes control of it.

Actions

ACTIONS

Multiattack. The rubric marine makes two inferno bolter attacks.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 12 (3d4 + 5) bludgeoning damage, and the target must make a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Inferno Bolter. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, range 180/600, one target. Hit: 9 (2d8) piercing damage and 16 (3d10) fire damage. The inferno bolter has infinite ammunition.

Inferno Blast (Recharge 5-6). The rubric marine fires an enchanted bolter round at a point it can see within 60 feet. All creatures within a 20-foot radius of that point must make a DC 18 Dexterity saving throw, taking 33 (6d10) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Description

Rubric marines are the slaves of the Chaos God Tzeentch. Disembodied souls trapped within the armour that they wore in life, they stride silently into battle as the puppets and bodyguards of Tzeentch’s favoured sorcerers.

The Best Intentions. Long ago, the ever-changing Tzeentch "blessed" a legion of space marines with uncontrollable mutations. A sorcerer named Ahriman tried to stop these mutations with a powerful spell. He succeeded, but the cost was dear: many of Ahriman’s brothers were turned to dust, their souls sealed within their power armour, unable to act without a sorcerer's guiding will. These rubric marines, as they are now known, are a source of eternal shame for Ahriman, and the sorcerer is said to scour the multiverse in search of a way to undo his spell.

All is Dust. A rubric marine’s spirit is bound to the dust within its empty armour, and the only way to defeat one is to break its armour open so that all of the dust spills out. Even then, it does not truly die: so long as the dust itself exists, a sorcerer can pour it into a new suit of armour and call the rubric marine’s soul back from the void, giving it unlife once more.

Undead Marionettes. Without a chaos sorcerer’s will to guide it, a rubric marine is effectively an inanimate object. It cannot move or act in any way, not even to defend itself. Once a sorcerer has assumed control of the rubric marine, it becomes able to move, carry out the sorcerer’s commands, and fight of its own accord. But should the sorcerer be killed, the rubric marine will instantly revert to its inanimate state, freezing in place like a statue.

Undying Apathy. Though they appear to be mindless automatons, rubric marines are fully aware of themselves and their surroundings. Their inability to move under their own power, or to feel any sensation, leaves them in a state of despair. Battle is the only thing that stirs them from their melancholy, and in combat they employ all the skill and power they possessed when they were alive, silently cutting down their foes with enchanted bolter and brute strength.

Undead Nature. A rubric marine does not need to eat, sleep, drink, or breathe.

Previous Versions

Name Date Modified Views Adds Version Actions
10/20/2025 2:19:14 PM
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Monster Tags: undeadmonstrosityaberrationAbominations

AshNoxbough

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