The Iron Obligation
Celestial · Crown of Necessity
T4d10Minor
A featureless eight-foot figure in heavy steel plate with no joints, seams, or visor. Its oversized gauntlets are built for gripping and carrying, its shoulders scarred by a thousand burdens. A deep, unrepaired dent marks its chestplate. It moves with slow, grinding inevitability.
Tier 4 · Role Minor · Pool Vigor 4 (+4 overflow) · AC 14 · ATK +6 · Save DC 17 · Dmg 4 (flat)
| Stat | Score | Mod | Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body | 20 | - | - |
| Mind | 14 | - | - |
| Sense | 8 | - | - |
| Heart | 18 | - | - |
| Cunning | 14 | - | - |
| Fate | 18 | - | - |
A Minor has no attribute mechanics: the scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
Passives
Tireless Advance
Immune to exhaustion, sleep, and the slowed condition. While moving toward a duty its speed cannot be reduced by difficult terrain, grapples, or magical impediment.
Maneuvers
Shoulder the Burden
Lifts any object regardless of weight and carries it at full speed. It has carried collapsed buildings, held bridges together, and stood in fortress wall gaps for days.
Yoke of Duty
Fixes on one creature within 30 ft. Heart save (DC 17) or the creature becomes unable to ignore or rationalize away a responsibility it has been avoiding, until the duty is fulfilled. Not mind control, just inescapable awareness; many break down crying.
Reactions
Interpose
When an ally within 10 ft is attacked, the Iron Obligation may step between them and take the damage instead.
Tactics
GM tactics
Advances slowly but unstoppably toward its objective. Opens with Yoke of Duty against the creature most obviously shirking responsibility. Uses Gauntlet Strike against anything blocking its path. Uses Interpose to protect those carrying out their duties. Does not judge, does not comfort-simply picks up what must be carried.
Running it
Rules
- Vigor equal to Tier, with an overflow of the same size behind it: 4, then 4 more. Neither half regenerates.
- A hit deals a flat 4, no roll. A crit (natural 20 only) rolls d10 and never lands below 4.
- Crits on a natural 20 only.
- Minor: no stat modifiers or dice in play; its scores describe the creature, they do not roll.
- At 0 Vigor it breaks and flees, out of the fight but alive; Fanatics fight on into the overflow instead.
- Total damage reaching 8 kills it outright, and a single blow of 8 or more kills it on the spot.
- Vigor damage is simply damage against a Minor: its whole pool is Vigor.
- Two attacks in a normal turn: Tier 3+ Minors get a second.
- Group morale: when its group loses half its number, fled or dead, the rest check morale.
- NPCs never take wounds.