Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Voidjammer: The Evil Horde

The Evil Horde is a vast, interstellar empire bent on the domination of various spheres across the universe. The centre of the empire is called Hordespace where the infernal House of Kur (see below) reigns supreme. The Horde possesses vast resources and has a great deal of highly sophisticated technology.
The Evil Horde (Horde for short) is a growing Empire whose forces have been spreading across the known spheres at an alarming rate.
The Horde is happy to make use of all manner of creatures, as long as they are of use to the eventual goals of The Horde. From Humanoids, Giants and Undead to the most bizarre and alien Aberrations and Outsiders. Only those deemed to unstable are rejected as the Horde is primarily Lawful Evil in alignment.
Worlds subjugated by The Horde are completely dominated. All planetary resources are devoured by the Hordes war machine. Strip mining, manufacture, agriculture and the gathering of slaves are all managed with brutal efficiency. Monstrous servants of the Horde are bolstered by enormous numbers of Horde Troopers (see below) and weapons.

The House of Kur (Nobles)
At the core of The Horde is an elite family of Tieflings and Half-Fiends known as the House of Kur. Though evil, members of The House of Kur are all fiercely loyal to one another and are firm believers in the goals of The Horde (conquest). This does not mean that all is friendly, far from it, but rather than outright infighting, the assorted members and branches of the family resort to political maneuverings, back-room deals and assassination.
The absolute rulers of the Horde are Half-Fiends (see Blood and Treasure GMG page 175) and should be created as fully detailed NPCs. Most are high level Assassins or Magic-Users, with the truly powerful amongst them are the equivalent of Demon Lords in power.
Horde Prime: Horde Prime (aka Anillus Kur) is the ruler of the vast Evil Horde. Nobody living knows the full extent of Horde Primes powers, but it is known that he is a master of Transmutation magic as well as being physically potent in battle. The Cult of The Horde reveres The Emperor and the goals of The Horde as a profane god. Clerics of The Horde are generalist (Chaos) clerics and not specialists.

Hordelings (Macabre)
Hordelings compose the majority of the extended Kur family, and can be found primarily in Crystal Spheres controlled by The Horde. This fiendish family resemble elf-like humanoids with pointed ears, pugnacious noses and a tendency to snort. Bright clothing and flamboyantly gruesome accoutrements are worn by hordelings, with bat and skill motifs being common. As members of this family advance in rank, further mutations are common, with members embracing various forms of magical mutation such as cybernetics, lycanthropy and the more powerful forms of undead (particularly vampirism).
Hordelings  have been raised to see other races and cultures as naturally inferior. Even those rare few who are not Chaotic in alignment still see humanoid races as not-quite people.
HORDELING CHARACTERS
Hordelings are possessed of strange powers. All of them have rather special powers of regeneration, healing at double the normal human rate (i.e. 2 hp per day). Hordelings can see in the dark up to 120 feet. They speak common and might also know Infernal, Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling and Orc. Hordelings can advance as assassin/fighters, assassin/clerics or assassin/magic‐users, or they can pursue a single class.
Each Hordeling has an additional extraordinary ability rolled on the following table:
D20 EXTRAORDINARY POWER
1 Can boost strength once per day per the strength spell
2 Resistance to fire
3 Resistance to acid
4 Resistance to electricity
5 +3 bonus to save vs. poison
6 +3 bonus to save vs. disease
7 Menagerie (commands a swarm of spiders, a swarm of bats a giant rat or a vulture)
8 Cast prestidigitation three times per day
9 Two Heads (surprise rolled on 1d8 instead of 1d6)
10 Has an imp or dretch as a boon companion.
11 Swordsman (+1 to hit with swords and +1 Armor Class while fighting with a sword)
12 Explosives (can mix and set off alchemist’s fire)
13 Inhumanly tall (-1 to dexterity, +2 to strength)
14 Inhumanly short (-3 to movement, +2 to strength)
15 Inhumanly fat (+3 to movement, +2 to constitution)
16 Inhumanly thin (-1 to constitution, +2 to dexterity)
17 Snarl (once per day, all within earshot must save vs. fear or be frightened for 1d6 rounds)
18 Regenerate 1 hit point per round up to half normal hit points unless reduced to 0 hit points
19 Covered in thick hair or scales (+2 to Armor Class)
20 Has a burrowing speed of 6


CREATURES OF THE HORDE
The Horde will use any monster or race as troopers that is capable of taking orders. Even the weirdest and most vicious monsters has found a home in the forces of the Horde. Araneae, Bat Monsters, Bugbears, Ogres, Orcs, Goblins, Dwarves, Humans, Elves, or any other creature is of potential use. But the most common soldier in The Horde are the Horde Troopers (see below).


Horde Trooper
Medium Construct, Chaotic (LE), Low-Intelligent; Warband (4d6)
HD 4
AC 18
ATK 2 fists (1d8) or Energy Rod (1d6+1)
MV 10
SV F 14, R 15, W 14
XP 400 (CL 5)

A Horde Trooper is a member of the regular army of the Horde Empire. Although each trooper is individually unremarkable, in large numbers they are used to great effect in the occupation of conquered worlds. Vast armies of Horde Troopers are also used during invasion of a Crystal Sphere and planets. When not on the ground, Horde Troopers pilot Glondas, Bat Meks, and other vehicles.
All Horde Troopers come equipped with an Energy Rod that fires an energy missile (see page 83 of the Blood & Treasure PHB). For melee, most troopers use their fists, or have other weapons. As an added feature, Horde Troopers are capable of operating Series Helms as though they possessed spell-like abilities. This allows them to pilot Voidships equipped with such helms without endangering a magic user.
Horde Troopers are often deployed in large numbers as they are, hollow servants to the will of the Horde. However, Hordlings with rank within the Horde can wear these constructs as suits of Full Plate, which also grant darkvision 120ft and the benefits of a Necklace of Adaptation (see page 224 of the Blood and Treasure GMG) allowing humanoid troops to survive in space and other hostile environments. Such troopers are often elite soldiers and officers who adorn their armor with additional items and adornments.


VOIDSHIPS OF THE HORDE
Voidships are plentiful in The Horde, and range from the small Bat Mek fighter to vast warships that are comparable in size and power to Dwarven Citadels.


Bat Meks
Large Vehicle
HD:  2, 30 hp
AC 15
Speed: As Helmsman
Atk: 2 Energy Missile Guns (2d4+2 force damage)
SV: 4 (Steel)
----------
Crew: 1/2
Air Capacity: 84 man-days
Landing: Land
Power Type: Series Helm or Minor Helm
Cargo: 1 ton
Keel/Beam Length: 30ft by 5ft
Cost: 1,875 gp
Bat Meks are commonly flown by Horde Troopers and some living soldiers. They are designed to attack in large numbers, overwhelming the enemy craft. They are also very cheap to produce, reflecting the Horde philosophy of quantity over quality. More or less are expendable, like Robot Horde Troopers.
When Bat Meks show up, it is usually in overwhelming numbers. Sometimes they are accompanying a larger ship, but most often they are sent into regions to "soften up" an area. The low intelligence of Horde Troopers make most encounters with Bat Meks of limited danger, but when piloted by living pilots, these vessels can be a serious threat indeed.


Notes
So here is my first stab into using The Evil Horde in Voidjammer and the Blood and Treasure RPG. These goofy but dangerous villains were a delight to me as a kid, though they were not nearly as scary in the cartoons as they seemed as toys. But to me, the serious but goofy is what RPGs is all about. 
I will be posting additional forces of The Horde and other beings from the MOTU line of creatures and characters. So stay tuned!

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