Dag's Dicount Henchmen: Spearman

[martinl]

"Dag, what's with the ugly militia trooper? I know we've hired some pretty basic fighters for wizard-sitting duty in the past, but town militia? Shouldn't we let them keep their guys so they have enough troopers to collect Argua from the Orange Dragon at two in the morning?"

"Sure Yvor, we probably should, but this guy got a discharge and banishment for stabbing the Duke's heir to death in an unfortunate bit of confusion about the difference between real highwaymen and nobility having a little bit of a lark. He's not even allowed to sleep inside the city walls."

"A real hardcore killer eh? All right. You think you can handle the dungeon?"

"I'd like to try sir!"

"Good. Let's see what you can do."

Rigby the Simple

61-point Human Spearman

Rigby Gumm was kicked in the face by an ox when he was very young, leaving him addled, disfigured, and though misadventure he does not remember, on the street. It is pure luck that he was taken in by a recently widowed militia sergeant as a manservant before he starved. His duties were not that onerous, and he had plenty of time to watch his benefactor drill militia troopers in the proper use of the spear, and practice the moves he saw with his broom late in the night. Soon his master was using him as a sparring partner for recruits, then for veterans, then for the weaponmaster himself. Something in the boy just seemed to take to it.

None the less, Rigby was undeniably simple, and too easily fooled and tricked to send out into the harsh streets of Town. The elderly sergeant kept him from harm, and from meaningful experience, for over 20 years. When he passed, Rigby had to find some way to make money. More than enough militia vets knew and trusted him that he had little trouble getting a job as a "heavy" weapons expert sent into encounters where the regulars needed skilled back up. This worked relatively well for all involved until a political scuffle demanded a scapegoat. Some goats are extra-easy to scape, and Rigby is one of them.

So now Rigby is drummed out and banished (not allowed to sleep in the town walls) and looking to redeem himself. He's not exactly sure what he did wrong, but he is going to make up for it and preferably become a hero in the process. Or die trying, he can definitely die trying.

ST 13 [30]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 9 [-20]; HT 11 [10]
Damage 1d+1/2d+1; BL 34 lbs.; HP 14 [2]; Will 9 [0]; Per 9 [0]; FP 11 [0].
Basic Speed 5.00 [-5]; Basic Move 5 [0]; Move 4
Dodge 7 ; Parry 14 (Spear); Block 9 (Does not include DB2 shield)

Advantages
Hard to Kill 3 [6]
Sacrificial Parry [1]
Sig Gear (Elbalon) [1]
Sig Move (rapid strike to torso deceptive 2 (-6 to hit, -2 to defenses, 2 times) [1]
Striking ST 2 [10]
Weapon Bond (Elbalon) [1]
Weapon Master Spear [20]

Disadvantages and Quirks
Appearance Ugly [-8]
Clueless [-10]
Gullibility [-10]
Honesty [-10]
Truthfulness [-5]

Wants to Hero[-1]
Loves cute things [-1]
Spends almost all spare time practicing with spear [-1]
Despises Bullies [-1]
Seems fearless but is actually clueless [-1]

Skills
Climbing – 9 [1]
Crossbow-10 [1]
First Aid - 9 [1]
Knife-10 [1]
Hiking-10 [1]
Shield (Buckler) – 12 [4]
Singing – 11 [1]
Spear-20 [40]
Swimming - 11 [1]
Wrestling -10 [2]

Equipment

$1500, 67.7 lbs (Light Encumbrance)

Armor: $600, 40 lb (DR 0 face, 5 head, 7 skull, 2 elsewhere)
*Boots (heavy leather foot armor)
*Re-enforced Leather Gloves (heavy leather hand armor)
*Quilted Gambeson, kilt, & cap. (Heavy cloth armor, Body, Arms, Legs, head)
*Light Segmented Plate Helmet
Backpack, Small, (holds canteen, personal basics) $60, 3lbs.
Belt Knife 2d-2Cut (C,1)/1d imp(C) $30, 0.5 lb
Canteen. Full. 1 qt. Water. $10, 3lbs
Coins. $50
Elbalon – Balanced, Fine, Dwarven Long Spear $660, 5 lbs (Sig gear with Weapon Bond)
*One Handed - Skill 22, 1d+6 imp (Reach 2,3)
*Two Handed - Skill 22, 1d+7 imp (Reach 2,3)
Medium Buckler (DB2) $60, 15 lb
Personal Basics. $5, 1 lb
Pouch (has coins). $20, 0.2 lb

Notes:
Rigby is unusually useful for a 62 point hireling. His ability to sacrificial parry at 14 for reach 2 and 3 from the second rank (and then do it again at 12 and then 10, thanks to weapon master) is a really handy protective umbrella. Stabbing stuff really good is nice too, and Rigby is skilled enough to go for chinks, eyes or other tricky targets when fighting high DR, or add a hefty deceptive attck vs strong defenses. He is a but squishy, especially vs missiles, but he can stand in the second or third rank and still contribute, mitigating this somewhat.

Persnickity folks might note that Rigby pushed a lot of character build envelope. He has -68 points in disads (-25 from stats, -43 from regular disads), but after character creation disads can easily go over the limit (and it if REALLy bothers you, you can make him a half ogre, keep or improve the stats above, and be legal). He put more than 3x as many points into spear as he did into everything else, which is perfectly legal but weird (and I only stopped at DX+10 because I personally consider that the max lvl to assign to a plausible human NPC). He has several elite fighter advantages while being a 62 point militia puke, AND he has $1500 worth of gear (which he paid for with a CP), which is normally not an NPC thing.

All of that on the table however, I don't think he's a terrible henchman. In part because I think his disads make the PCs lives more interesting (with him you have the choice of behaving in a really upright manner or engaging in lots of fun but almost guaranteed to succeed fast talk), in part because defense back up for PCs is needed in many many cases, in part because he's easy to neutralize, and in part because if the players are ok with a Will 9 NPC with powerful melee options in their back ranks ... I can make that work for me any way I want.

[lachimba]

He has more than the permitted disadvantage limit

[JackShadow]

I really like this guy. I'll probably try to fit him in my current game, maybe as an NPC if not a Hireling. Great background and a good character.

Thanks.

[martinl]

Originally Posted by lachimba

He has more than the permitted disadvantage limit

1. That limit is for PC build. You point value is affected by your whole list of disads. PCs can TAKE more than the disad limit, the extra disads just lower their point value. NPCs can have any disad list the GM deems acceptable, and they all count against the NPCs point value.

2. This is already noted.

3. It is also noted that if this bothers you the same stats are possible with a Half-Ogre with the std disad limit. I am just a little tired of Half-Ogre DF builds. I know Sweetums gets around, but it is getting a little ridiculous.

[Flyndaran]

It's also cliche to make the dumb guy be a member of the dumb race.
A little variation is nice even in DF.

If I ever get to play DF, I'm going with my Half Ogre Scholar.

[sir_pudding]

Shouldn't he have Social Stigma? Banned from town is a serious disadvantage equivalent to Social Stigma (Savage).

[zuljita]

Originally Posted by martinl

I am just a little tired of Half-Ogre DF builds. I know Seetums gets around, but it is getting a little ridiculous.

They are just too good a deal to ignore.

[martinl]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Shouldn't he have Social Stigma? Banned from town is a serious disadvantage equivalent to Social Stigma (Savage).

Banned from sleeping inside the town walls could be a disad, but it doesn't change the way he interacts with the PCs significantly, so I left it off.

[lachimba]

Originally Posted by martinl

1. That limit is for PC build. You point value is affected by your whole list of disads. PCs can TAKE more than the disad limit, the extra disads just lower their point value. NPCs can have any disad list the GM deems acceptable, and they all count against the NPCs point value..

I doubt many GMs allow PCs to take above the disadvantage limit in DFRPG. Perhaps you can direct me to where this is written in DFRPG? I havent noticed that.

Regardless I think it is a bad idea.


As for NPCs the Henchmen templates have significantly LESS for disadvantages.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by martinl

Banned from sleeping inside the town walls could be a disad, but it doesn't change the way he interacts with the PCs significantly, so I left it off.

Well significantly they need to make arrangements to meet him out of town, he might be available to characters who have encounters while roughing it, they may end up having to pay him in goods rather than cash, combined with Honesty he won't find it easy to take wounded PCs to the temple for healing, he won't be available for town encounters, or dungeons with town entrances (like the one that comes in the box set)..

Although I guess "sleep inside" was literal and he isn't actually outlaw during waking hours? In which case, yeah that's less significant.