The Plague: An Antipaladin Concept

The bells were tolling again, the streets empty of all but the dying and the dead. The tavern was shut up tight, the doorman wrapping a butcher's mask round his mouth and nose before looking on the stoop. Everyone had to roll back their sleeves to show a clean set of wrists, the veins untainted by the bloodrot. Some refused, and others simply left, walking among the coughing wretches through clouds of incense that did nothing but sting the eyes, and cover up the stink of the bodies.

"Anyone find what's bringing it?" Shamus asked, his hands clasped around his cup of popskull.

"Probably in the water," Ginny laughed, hiccoughing slightly. "If that's so, then I'm safe."

"Doomsayers claim it's a curse from the dark ones," a stranger said. With his long, pale hair and his burning green eyes, he was certainly handsome. There was more to him, though. A presence lurked around him; an air of violence like a half-feral beast. He drank from his cup, leaving a few swallows behind.

"They always say that," Ginny muttered, tossing back the rest of her drink.

"They do," the stranger said. He plucked up his glass, and handed it to the barkeep.

"You want another?" he asked.

"No," the stranger said. "One for the all-sorts barrel."

"Damn waste," the keep said.

The stranger's grin grew wider, showing his strong, square teeth. "It's for luck."

"Gods go with you," the keep said, tossing the last of the drink into the communal barrel.

"I shan't need them," he said, pulling up his hood as the doorman unbarred the main door. "But my thanks all the same."

Careful... that barrel's got a bite to it.

The Plague

Antipaladins are the chosen warriors of the fell powers. Corrupt, wicked, and brutal, they are the hands of the dark lords and old gods who seek to quench the light of the world, and to topple the bastions that stand against the horrors that lurk in the shadowy places of the world. This much is known.

While there are some antipaladins who assault the foundations of civilization with sword and flame, bellowing their war cries and spilling blood in the open, others use more subtle weapons. For while all of these dark warriors are immune to the touch of disease, there are some who nurture these foul contagions at their bosom. These creatures spread pestilence with a brush of their hand, foul the air with every laugh, and a single kiss from their beautiful, corrupt lips could spell death for an entire city.

They are the Plague.

The Mechanics of The Plague

All antipaladins are immune to the damages and effects of disease at level 3, but these conditions still fester inside them, turning them into breeding grounds for sickness and rot. An antipaladin who purposefully inflicts diseases on themselves (either through exposure, contagion, or similar effects), becomes a walking repository of sicknesses. Everything from bubonic plague, to leprosy, to mummy rot lurks in their blood and on their breath, waiting for someone who gets close enough to touch them. Or even, in some cases, just to breathe the same air.

While any antipaladin can store disease within themselves, what makes a Plague different is that pestilence becomes their primary weapon against society. They come not as fearsome conquerors, but as travelers. As merchants. A simple soldiers of fortune. They clasp wrists with gate watchers, bed down in common houses, wash their hands in public founts, and make sure they rub shoulders during festivals. They bring corruption from within, allowing their disease to weaken a city, or even a nation, and for exhaustion and paranoia to set in.

Then, and only then, will a Plague descend. Either as a savior to take away the suffering in the name of their dark masters, or as a conqueror to spill the sickened blood in the streets, and to burn the bodies as a charred offering to the gods of illness and rot.

Do you smell that? It smells like about 3 Fortitude saves to me.

 

In addition to this underhanded, devastating strategy, a Plague is still just as dangerous when confronted openly. Those who spill a Plague's blood may find themselves riddled with disease, even if they are triumphant. And if the Plague can call on contagion with a touch of their hand, their battle may have a lasting legacy, turning the warriors who stood before him into bearers of his sickness.

One of the only notable features of a Plague is that they tend to work alone, or with others of their ilk. They may be immune to the ill effects of their own pestilence, but the same is not true of their servants and allies. So while they may be supported by servants of foul gods, or plague cults, they are just as harmful to any living allies as they are to their enemies. This rarely bothers most Plagues, though... those weak enough to be sickened will simply be made carriers in their unholy wars.

Advice For A Plague

If you're going to put together a Plague as a player character, the first thing I would suggest is reading 5 Tips For Playing Better Evil Characters. Because if you are a walking pestilence, you need to make sure you are not a hindrance to your allies just by being part of the same party. In these instances using pathogens that are bloodborne might be more useful, allowing you to pick and choose your infections carefully. You may also have more of a reliance on the Cruelties than a Plague set out as an antagonist, as it gives you greater control.

The other thing you should have, to really sell yourself as a threat, is a collection of allies who are helping you in your missions, or who know about you. Because a Plague isn't just your run-of-the-mill antipaladin; they are significant threats. They are the bearers of pestilence, and even if their true names aren't known, people will spin tales about them. The Red Lady with her sweet, corrupt kisses. Grinning Death, whose friendly smile and strong handshake steals the life and strength from anyone it touches. The Gray Man, who spreads rot in his wake, felling even the strongest of cities. Someone with that kind of rep should have allies (or at least acquaintances), which provides you avenues to seek aid through, and it also helps build up your Small Legend. More about that in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend.

If you're looking for places to find some allies, you might want to check out:

- 100 Prisoners For A Fantasy Jail: Jails are perfect places for a Plague, as the closer quarters and inescapable nature allows them to spread their filth. Saving someone from your own pestilence could make them quite a loyal follower.

- 100 Pirates To Encounter: The black ship of the Plague Doctor would be an ideal platform for an antipaladin looking to spread their filth along the waves, and dozens of other crews would make potent allies for such a dark warrior.

- 100 Random Bandits to Meet: From the servants of the Darkskull, to the blackguards who follow the Man-Eater, bandits aren't always picky with their company. Greed and lack of morals can make them particularly useful for a Plague... especially if he takes over the gang himself, using them to spread his corruption far and wide along the roads.

Lastly, if you liked this character concept, then you might also want to check out The "Compassionate" Antipaladin, as well as The Pill-Popping Paladin. The latter, in particular, could be useful when combined with a Plague.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned For More!

That's all for this installment of Unusual Character Concepts. Hopefully this one gave you something to chew over, whether you're a player, or a game master.

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat noir novel Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my most recent collection of short stories The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

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Humble Peasant, The Greatest BBEG of All Time

Lots of DMs wrack their brains for great bad guys. Villains that will make their table tremble in fear, and whose very name will only be spoken in whispers. However, there is a potential for truly horrifying antagonists all around them. All you need to do is read the tale of Humble Peasant.

Never get into an arms race with the DM. Never.

For those having trouble with the font in the attached image, the concept goes as follows. An arrogant adventurer tried to take something from humble peasant, because what is he going to do? He's just a peasant, after all. Well, humble peasant kills that adventurer for trying to steal from him, then keeps his magic weapons, armor, and associated gear. That adventurer's party tries to revenge itself upon the humble peasant, and through luck, determination, and the use of the first dead adventurer's gear, humble peasant slays them as well.

The problem is that humble peasant now possesses a huge amount of wealth, and high-quality gear. More adventurers come to try and take it from him. So humble peasant puts up fences, and traps, to keep them out. He buys exotic animals, and even makes deals with local monsters to protect his property. In time, humble peasant has accidentally become the lord of the black hill, where dozens of bands have gone to die.

Who Is Your Game's "Humble Peasant"?

You don't need to have humble peasant in place when your game begins (although that is totally an option). However, keep an eye on how your players treat the NPCs around them. Are they courteous, and kind? Do they give their gold to noble causes, and to help rebuild destroyed settlements? Or do they attack people for no reason, and get their way through bullying and brutality? Keep track of who your PCs wrong, and what patterns they display. Because those patterns may come around to bite them.

Who knows what lengths peasants will go to for vengeance?

As an example, say one member of the party got into a bar fight with a local over a disagreement. The local was unarmed, drunk, and not a threat to the PC, but he pulled his sword and ran him through anyway. The law was notified, and the party has guards looking out for them, but what kind of avalanche did that one action cause?

As a for instance, the peasant's son may have dealt with his grief by going off to war. Something he never would have done, were his father there to stop him. He molds himself into a great warrior, becoming an unparalleled scout, and a vicious slayer of men. After his discharge, he begins hunting for the adventurers who killed his father that night. Maybe he comes on them in the shadows, but he might befriend them first. Get them to trust him. Then, when he's on watch, he cuts their throats one by one. As Garrick the Great chokes on his own blood, he looks into the hard face that was so much like the forgotten drunk's as the son whispers, "Tell my father hello, when you see him in hell."

That's just one example. It's possible the dead peasant's wife takes all the wealth they have, venturing deep into the woods where it's rumored a powerful witch lives. She gives her everything to curse those who slew her love. Perhaps his daughter decides they can't rely on such bloodthirsty mercenaries as a nation any longer, and gets involved in politics. She eventually rises to a position of prominence, and uses all the resources of her office to hunt down the party who was involved in this crime. There are a hundred different courses a single action could end up taking. So watch who your party is kind to, and keep a tally of who they attack, who they kill, and what unkindnesses they perform. For it is those actions that will be the genesis of the antagonist once referred to as humble peasant.

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday post. Hopefully it got some of the DMs' wheels turning, and it's got players going back over their PCs' actions in their heads. If you'd like more content from yours truly, then check out my Vocal archive, or head over to the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio where I and fellow gamers offer advice, lore, and a few laughs along the way. To keep up on all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter. Lastly, if you'd like to help support Improved Initiative, head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page, or click this link to Buy Me A Coffee! Either way, you'll have my eternal gratitude, as well as some sweet gaming swag as a thank you!

Check Out Chaotic Animations For Classic Animation With Attitude

So, as a resident of the stranger corners of the Internet, I run into a lot of cool projects that no one's heard of. Recently I came across a small animation group who's trying to provide all of us with stories we want to hear, and to present them in a tone that will jangle our nostalgia bells. If you've ever been a fan of old-fashioned Disney cartoons, then you need to check out The Forgotten Toon.

Now, that little video is just a proof of concept from Chaotic Animations. And while they'd love to do more with both this story, and with others they have waiting on their drawing boards, it takes a lot of time, effort, and support to create full-fledged animation. Way more than it takes for almost any other kind of project out there. Which is why I'm doing my part to help boost their signal, and asking my readers to check them out. If you like what you see, then become a subscriber to stay on top of their latest offerings. If you find their videos amusing, rate them, and share them with a few friends. If you're feeling particularly daring, say something nice in the comments. Trust me, it takes serious fortitude to step out onto that no-man's-land with a positive attitude.

We have someone offering encouragement... permission to engage?

For those of you who really want to see where Chaotic Animations is going, though, you can also check out their Patreon page. Every little bit helps, as I like to remind folks.

Speaking of helping, if you'd like to keep Improved Initiative going, then stop on by The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page as well. As little as $1 a month will keep my posts coming right to you, and I never charge for these little Monday updates. Also, if you want to stay on top of all my latest updates, then be sure to follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, too.