Surrender Knight
Fiend · Crown of Despair
T4d10Sovereign
A tall figure in unmarked grey plate armor carrying a straight sword of black glass. Its visor is open, revealing a tired human face with eyes that have seen too much. It speaks softly: "There is no need for this. You can stop." And it means it.
Tier 4 · Role Sovereign · Pool Vigor 9 / Vitality 26 · AC 14 · ATK +7 · Save DC 17 · Dmg d10
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Mind | 16 | +3 | d6 |
| Sense | 22 | +6 | d12 |
| Heart | 20 | +5 | d10 |
| Cunning | 18 | +4 | d8 |
| Fate | 8 | -1 | -d3 |
Passives
Ashen Blade
The black glass sword ignores magical bonuses to AC; enchanted armor counts only as its base.
Demoralization Aura
Creatures who surrender to the knight are released unharmed but are weakened for a full day, hollowed by the certainty that fighting was always pointless.
Maneuvers
Shield Wall
Raises its guard behind the grey shield: until the start of its next turn it gains +2 AC and advantage on all saves.
Declarations
Declared in the enemy tactical window and resolved at the start of its next turn. Any Vitality it loses first forces the disruption roll: on a 1 the telegraph is lost.
Offer of Peace
Sheathes its sword and extends an open hand. Each enemy within 30 ft makes a Heart save (DC 17) or drops its weapons and kneels, genuinely certain that fighting is pointless, until it takes damage. The knight always offers this before it attacks.
Reactions
Merciful Parry
When a melee attack hits the knight, it may parry so the hit deals only 1 Vigor damage, saying quietly that this is not necessary. The attacker makes a Heart save (DC 17) or is weakened for 1 round.
Tactics
GM tactics
Always offers Offer of Peace first. Fights defensively, using Shield Wall and Merciful Parry to survive while wearing down opponents' will. Wears down groups by repeating Offer of Peace until it lands. Turns the party's most determined fighter aside with quiet certainty rather than force. Accepts surrender at any point. Never pursues fleeing enemies -- the demoralization it inflicts is the real weapon.
Running it
Rules
- Shield of Tier + Heart mod over a Vitality pool of 10 + 4 x Tier. Full Vigor at combat start; at the start of its turn it rolls 4 exploding d4s and regains 1 Vigor per 4. Dead at 0 Vigor and 0 Vitality.
- A hit rolls d10. A crit rolls two: 2d10.
- Crits on a natural 16+ (Cunning 18).
- Two or three attacks in a normal turn: multiattack is the threat scaler, and one swing a round makes it a mook.
- Sovereign: 2 Sovereign Actions a round, spent after other combatants' turns, on top of its attacks.
- Any Vitality lost while a telegraph is pending forces its disruption roll; on a 1 the telegraph is lost.
- Never checks morale: it fights to 0 Vitality or to the exit written into its lowest phase.
- NPCs never take wounds.