The Heroes of Old

[paddyfool]

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Imagine in a generally dark and dangerous setting that there's one particular city which seems blessed and protected. It has the run of minor crime and so forth, but monsters give it a wide berth, armies attempting to march on it meet with disaster, and myths abound of unseen protectors who come to the aid of those in trouble within or near the city bounds (and are occasionally rumoured to act elsewhere). Those in trouble within the city even know that by speaking certain words, they may get aid from unseen sources in time of need; but these words are used cautiously, since misfortune follows those who say them flippantly, or who say them to seek protection from just punishment.
 
It was not always thus; the old records show there was a time when this city was like any other, and indeed was almost destroyed a few centuries back, but for the intervention of a few heroes. But that from that time to this, the city has been safe and remarkably unscathed by the larger troubles of the world. Its rulers have also been unusually well behaved, and not known to indulge in excessive cruelty or corruption; in fact, they have almost shown a nervous habit of making sure they are cleaner than clean.
 
So, basically, the heroes of old never left; they linger on, hidden within/beneath the city as sentient undead. A fate they chose for themselves in the face of a grave threat to the city.
  
Myths abound of their presence; of a dark and terrifying figure who comes only for the worst of villains (the death knight), or of a mysterious unseen presence who comes to protect and save the innocent, and more subtly defeat the wicked (the wizard lich), or whatever you like. But only the most powerful figures in the city know anything of the truth, and only because the Heroes of Old (HoO*) want those in "power" to know that they themselves are under constant scrutiny for signs of misdeeds.

*Apologies for horrible, if easy to type, acronyms.

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At lower level, the party might simply find this city to be a good, safe place to heal up, stock up, and head out.
 At mid-level or higher, the HoO might act as quest-givers etc. in disguise, seeking to assist others along the path of heroism and maybe expand their protective influence to the wider world.
 At high level, a ruler of the city, himself in league with demons, otherwise villainous, or simply embittered about him and his family having been kept at the beck and call of the HoO for generations, might seek out the party and tell them of sinister forces who have secretly taken over the city and have some terrible fate in store for it, and try to get them to seek out and destroy the HoO...
 The HoO would also work as natural high-level antagonists for an evil party. Or if their original altruistic intent has been warped by their undead nature, and maybe the entire city only seems nice and is actually living in fear of them, they could also work as more straight-forward antagonists for a good party.

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NB: this backstory describes only one way this might come about.  Apologies if it's not particularly well-written

The floor of the room is drenched in blood, its walls scorched with fire. Corpses dressed in strange robes lie where they fell, but there is no celebration for the three victors, who are fast learning they came too late. The ritual was already completed before their arrival. Two of them stand in discussion, while the third moves about the room, searching for any item which may lend them some shred of hope or advantage.
 
"How long do we have now?" asks the tallest of the three, his body encased in plate steel.
 
"Barely 4 hours until the eclipse, and the prophecied arrival of the demon lord," replied another, dressed in nondescript garb but wielding the staff of a sorceror.
 
"Whom "none living can withstand". And I doubt the four golems we managed to purchase would do much better either."
 
"No..."
 
"However, I have another idea. Remember when we defeated Sir Kloxan? The similarities of his past and mine have long troubled me, but it gives us an opportunity, since the curse that bound him to undeath might also hold me... "
 
At this, the third, an elegantly dressed individual with a rapier and a cape stops searching, and is about to interrupt; however, the staff-wielder speaks first.
 
"We are of like mind, then. I have researched a means by which I may also stand in defence of the city... and I have prepared a housing for my soul, with only the last step of the ritual required for the transference. I believe there is time enough that we both may be able to..."
 
"NO!" states the third, unable to hold back any longer. "You cannot be serious. Why are you even contemplating doing this to yourselves?"
 
"Because we must, Avernon" replies the first. The second nods agreement.
 
"Amongst all the undead abominations we've fought and destroyed, was there one that you encountered which was not a soulless, inhumane being? How can you trust that what you will become will still wish to stand in defence of the city, and the world?"
 
The second answers him with a degree of barely restrained impatience. "The nature of the Dread Curse should hold Boreanon truer to a course of action than any mortal man. As for my transformation into a lich..."
 
"A WHAT?"
 
"You heard me. In any case, I feel confident that my resolve will hold. My memories should see to that."
 
"You're mad. Both of you."
 
"What other way is there? There's no time to research better alternatives."

The first, Boreanon, interjected at this point with another suggestion. "There may be time to move much of the population outside of the city now, however, if you go to the king immediately. That way, if all flee in different directions, some at least may survive for awhile, whatever becomes of us. More than a few, if there are brave men to protect them."
 
"You say I should run?"
 
"You must. Run, live, and seek help. We will make our preparations, and our stand."
 
...
 
Four hours later. A great winged figure strives against two smaller ones, amidst the remains of four shattered golems. The corpses of the king's guard lie still in formation, slain in the instant of the demon lord's arrival.
 
The two remaining figures wear clothes that smoulder in flame; Boreanon's sword is notched and his armour shows many breaks. But their dead faces are unperturbed, and not all has gone the demon lord's way. It also bears wounds dealt by both Boreanon's sword and Saman's castings.
 
The demon lord steps back, and utters words of power: the other two figures are blasted back against the wall of a nearby building with devastating force, even as a horse gallops in from the other side of the square. Avernon screams a challenge, and the demon lord turns and laughs as he snuffs the life out of man and steed with a gesture. In the distraction, however, the armoured figure rises from where he fell next to the pile of broken bones that was his ally, and his blade plunges deep into the back of the demon lord's torso.

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Saman, Wizard Lich
 Lives in secret beneath the city. Over the centuries, he has crafted a multitude of hidden arcane defences both subtle and otherwise, including a small legion of golems, and a steady trickle of protective wards against demons and weapons to banish them carefully released into market circulation. His personal war against demonkind has stretched out to become a worldwide enterprise, and his hatred of them is the only evident passion in an otherwise largely emotionless persona. Amongst the deepest of his hidden chambers, finely crafted illusions display the most cherished memories of the life he once had; even though he now cares little for the city above him he monitors it and other places of interest via scrying spells, and occasionally intervenes, especially when called upon to do so by Avernon or where demons threaten.  The city, in turn, knows almost nothing of him.  
 
Mechanical thoughts: Not really developed beyond taking the Lich Necromancer from the bestiary, tweaking the spell choices, and giving him some one or two characterful class abilities or feats.

Boreanon, death knight
 Legends of the city tell of a knight who appears out of nowhere to avenge the worst of sins or to stand in defence of the city against invaders, inspiring all who behold him with awe and terror, riding a horselike steel construction and never taking off his helm. His appearances occur most often around the old quarter of the city, to the protection of which his curse binds him most tightly. His life of 400 years before is much more alive in his memory than the events of the present day.  

The curse binds him because he once led a reckless action in a conflict that saw his fellow soldiers decimated, nearly turned a military victory into a defeat, and saw him kicked out of the army.

Mechanical thoughts: Undead type, maybe also the Horror type with monstrous defence, maybe the Lionheart feat line plus Sword Basics and a natural spell from the Power Word line, signature skills in Intimidate, Athletics, Notice and Ride... also, until I flesh out the mechanical steed idea (built by Saman, obviously), a Nightmare might also work.
 
Avernon, ghostly swordsman The man who came back twice for his friends. In life, a roguish swordsman, he maintains much of that character in death.  A usually unseen presence who learns many of the city's secrets while also righting various small wrongs and playing pranks on wrongdoers, before bringing back stories to keep the spark of what was human in Saman and Boreanon alive. Much the most human of the three.  

Mechanical thoughts: the "...And All for One!" class ability, signature skills in Sneak, Impress, Acrobatics, and Notice, the Ghostly template, and Invisibility.

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I considered a fourth hero, in the classic mould of a cleric (particularly tempted by a female cleric who survived the conflict with the demon lord due to the protections of her faith, and lived to a ripe old age before being mummified according to ancient rites to join her friends, to whom she now adopts a kind of motherly role, having lived more than twice their span in years before undeath). Ultimately, I didn't flesh this one out or put it in the backstory because I rather felt the whole thing fit a godless setting better, but I'm also planning to throw in a mechanical interpretation.

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What if, in a points of light setting, a given city's last and most powerful line of protection was a small group of undead heroes from many centuries past?  How might they interact with living adventuring parties in that setting?

This is mainly an effort to build on that premise and set a story to it.

Suggested campaign qualities: Sorcery

[paddyfool]

Critiques and suggestions appreciated (especially on the semi-fleshed out mechanical ideas... I haven't done much NPC building before).

[ludomastro]

I thoroughly enjoyed the concept and would love for the chance to play in that world.

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In a points of light setting, I would imagine that the method of interaction by the Heroes of Old would have a greater impact on how living adventurers deal with it than any other thing. 

"A good lich!?  Surely you jest!" just doesn't happen if said lich is just some stinky old man who whispers amazingly accurate gossip in the ear of the modern adventurers.

[Morgenstern]

I like the premise quite a bit.

It raises some interesting questions about campaign endgame where players might be looking to get 'promoted' to eternal guardians in their own right.

[paddyfool]

Glad you like it!  I hope to do fully fleshed-out NPCs for it tomorrow.

[jameswllorimer]

Colour me interested! I like all the ideas presented, and the setting is brilliantly novel.

[paddyfool]

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Main features of a Death Knight: V. tough, v. scary, undead (skeletal).  May also have superhuman strength, power word spells, and channel negative energy; character traits tend to include honour and implacability.

So, the basic Death Knight template would be: Skeletal (+15) Horror (+5) Monstrous Defense I (+3) Fearsome (+2).  Total: +25.

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Boreanon, Death Knight (Medium Folk Horror Undead Walker — 94 XP): Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 10; SZ M (1×1, Reach 1); Spd 30 ft. ground; Init II; Atk V; Def V; Resilience III; Health IV; Comp III; Skills: Intimidate VII, Ride V; Qualities: damage defiance (edged), damage immunity (bows), fearsome, feat (Lionheart Basics, Lionheart Mastery, Lionheart Supremacy), ferocity, honorable, monsterous defense I, natural spell (Power word: Recall 6, Power word: Stun .
Attacks/Weapons: Boreanon's sword (1d10 lethal damage, 19-20 threat range, keen 4 cavalry)
Mounts and Vehicles: Golem Steed
Gear: Articulated Plate w. Heavy Fittings, Metal Shield, Lance, "Katana"

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Skeletal(T) Boreanon (Medium Folk Horror Undead Walker — 94 XP): TL: 1
Str: 18/+4; Dex: 10/+0; Con: 14/+2; Int: 10/+0; Wis: 10/+0; Cha: 10/+0;
Init: +0=0+0(dex)             Melee: +5=1+4(str)    Fort: +3=1+2(con)
Health: +3=1+2(con) ~ 20/14   Ranged: +1=1+0(dex)   Ref: +1=1+0(dex)
Def: 12=10+2+0(dex)           Comp: +1              Will: +1=1+0(wis)
Size: Medium (1×1); Reach: 1; Speed: 30 ft. ground;
Skills: Intimidate VII (Wis) +8 = 8+0; Ride V (Dex) +6 = 6+0
Qualities: damage defiance (edged), damage immunity (bows), fearsome, feat (Lionheart Basics, Lionheart Mastery, Lionheart Supremacy), ferocity, honorable, monsterous defense I, natural spell (Power word: Recall 6, Power word: Stun .
Attacks: Boreanon's sword (1d10 lethal damage, 19-20 threat range, keen 4 cavalry)
Mounts and Vehicles: Golem Steed
Gear: Articulated Plate w. Heavy Fittings, Metal Shield, Lance, "Katana"

That took longer than anticipated, and he still doesn't feel fully fleshed out.  Critique welcome, more mechanic hashing out coming later this week.  My primary concern is that Power Word (Stun) synergises a little too well with being Undead... maybe swap it out with Power Word (Kill)?

[Mister Andersen]

If you're looking for a way to integrate the 4th hero into the concept, make her the City itself

[paddyfool]

Interesting... I'll consider it, alongside another idea of her having gained immortality by transforming into an Elemental being of light, upheld as a Saint by a sect who themselves are very opposed to the undead (although she herself makes a specific exception for her former friends, and steers the sect away from direct conflict with them).  Partly this is based on another idea of having each character suggest a past with a specific class progression (currently considering Mage 14, Lancer 14, Burglar 4/Swashbuckler 10 and Priest 4 / Force of Nature 10), although only one or two particularly evocative class abilities each would be enough for this.  (Last Stand, for instance, syncs up well with both Boreanon's past and the Power Word: Kill natural spell, and ...All for One! is perfect for Avernon).