Devastation Cavalry Brigade
Level 6Abilities
10 feet, DC 24 will. Enemy creatures that enter or begin their turn in the area must attempt a Will save. Regardless of the result of the saving throw, the creature is then temporarily immune to the aura for 1 minute. Critical Success The creature is unaffected. Success The creature is Frightened 1. Failure The creature is frightened 1 and can't use reactions for 1 round. Critical Failure As failure, and the creature Slowed 1 as it sobs uncontrollably.
Troops are composed of many individuals, represented by four "segments" on a battle grid. Each segment is 10 feet on each side and as tall as the individual members of the troop. Segments must remain contiguous. Each one has to share at least 5 feet of one of its edges with another segment—being adjacent on a diagonal isn't sufficient! You can measure flanking, cover, and the like using the center of any segment. A troop has two Hit Point thresholds in its HP entry and loses segments as it crosses thresholds. Typically, the higher threshold is at 2/3 of the troop's maximum Hit Points and the lower is at 1/3 of its maximum. Once the troop drops below the higher threshold, it loses one segment, leaving three segments (12 squares) remaining and setting the first threshold as the troop's new maximum Hit Points. This repeats when the troop drops below the lower threshold, leaving two segments (8 squares). At 0 Hit Points, the troop disperses entirely, with the few remaining members surrendering, Fleeing, or easily dispatched, as determined by the GM. Typically the creature who caused the troop to lose a segment decides which to remove, or the GM decides when a specific creature wasn't responsible. To restore lost segments and maximum Hit Points, a troop needs to spend downtime to use long-term treatment on casualties or recruit new members to replace the fallen. Troops are typically immune to non-damaging effects that target a single creature, such as a Charm spell or the Demoralize action. An ability that can target 5 or more creatures can target an entire segment, increasing to two segments if it can target 10 or more creatures and to the entire troop if it can target 20 or more creatures. An ability that affects all creatures in a certain range affects all segments in range (make any checks or saves separately for each segment). As examples, an 8th rank charm spell (with 10 targets) can affect two segments, and an ability that Demoralizes all creatures within 30 feet of you would affect all segments that are fully within that range. A non-damaging ability that would prevent a segment from acting, cause them to flee, or otherwise make them unable to function as part of the troop for a round or more removes the segment entirely. The troop loses a number of HP required to bring it to the next threshold. If an ability both deals damage and has a non-damaging effect, apply the damage then the rest of the effect.
Whenever a troop moves, you move one of its segments and the other segments follow behind it. At the end of the movement, you can group the other segments adjacent to the one you moved as you see fit, provided none of them moves farther than the moving segment. If you choose not to move the troop any distance, you can instead reshape the position of all the segments as long as one stays in place.
While moving on land, a devastation cavalry brigade ignores all difficult terrain.
s that target only animals, humans, or humanoids may not work on the brigade, subject to the GM's discretion.
The brigade draws or reloads their crossbows, then launches a ranged attack in the form of a volley. This volley is a 10-foot burst within 120 feet that deals 3d8 piercing damage (DC 21 reflex save). When the troop is reduced to 2 segments, this area decreases to a 5-foot burst.
1 to 3 Frequency once per round Effect The brigade slashes mercilessly at enemies in a 10-foot emanation (DC 21 reflex save). The damage depends on the number of actions. 1 1d8 piercing damage plus 1d4 spirit 2 2d8 piercing damage plus 2d4 spirit 3 2d8+4 piercing damage plus 2d4 spirit
Medium or smaller, 4d8 bludgeoning damage, DC 21 reflex; a creature that critically fails the save is also knocked Prone. The monster Strides up to double its Speed and can move through the spaces of creatures of the listed size, Trampling each creature whose space it enters. The monster can attempt to Trample the same creature only once in a single use of Trample. The monster deals the damage of the listed Strike, but trampled creatures can attempt a basic Reflex save at the listed DC (no damage on a critical success, half damage on a success, double damage on a critical failure).
Description
Despite the influence of the Apocalypse Rider of War, the Molthuni armies pushing into Nirmathas remain efficient and disciplined units, acting tactically and with purpose. The same can't be said for Szuriel's devastation cavalries, chaotic mobs of wild-eyed warriors mounted on blood-red steeds suffused with the daemonic essence of Abaddon.