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Jeff over at the Tome Show got me access to a preview snippet from the Dungeon Master’s Guide 2, and I have to share it with you.
The preview content deals with templates. Templates were a gamemaster’s best friend in 3.5 D&D. It was only one of the ways that you could create non-standard monsters quickly. Take a monster cross it with a template, et voila! Instant coolness.
This isn’t so much a factor in 4e — monster creation is much easier — but if I told you that something easy could be done even easier for equal or better results, would you take it? I think that you would. I know that I would. Several templates have already been provided in the first DMG, but speaking for other DMs out there I’d like to say: more please!
I present the Hellbound Soldier.
Hellbound Soldier Intro
Wizards aren’t the only ones who make pacts with otherworldy powers! Perfectly ordinary people can get tired of having their butts kicked and then they go over to the Nine Hells for a bit of extra mojo. As mentioned, they always live to regret their choice, which makes them interesting antagonists for your players. “I don’t want to kill you but I must!” To me, that’s some intriguing dialgoue. It begs your players to ask why, and from then you can expand what might be a simple fight into something more.
The PCs could hear about the pact and show no pity. It was his choice and he is an adult, so you have to live with the consequences for your actions. But having no pity assumes you’re winning the fight. If the hellbound soldier is beating you down and then pauses to tell you his tale of woe, your ears might prick up a bit.
What if he wants a way out of his plight? Let’s assume that there is something that can be done to get our hellbound soldier out of his pact. We can assume at least that he’s heard some rumour (probably from other hellbound soldiers –there is nothing sadder than hell’s barracks I’d imagine) of some way that he can get out of the contract. Devils are evil, but they do like law, and they enjoy the….heck out of hierarchy. So here’s the rumour that our hellbound soldier heard that he repeats to the players: one can get their discharge papers from hell’s legions if someone is willing to plead their case in the courts of the Nine Hells.
Is that true? Is it something different? Is the hellbound soldier purposefully lying? Pitiable or not, he is still evil.
Hellbound Stats
We’ve got a concept, but how does that help you without the template statblock? It doesn’t too much, so here it is:
In the next few days we’ll know exactly how the material from this statblock will be used if there is any deviation from the normal process, but it’s safe to guess that you can just plug these powers right into whatever monter you already have. You could take the sample entry from a dwarf fighter and plug one or more of these powers right in pretty easily.
You’re “tiefling-izing” a monster when you slap this template on, though I’d guess tieflings would want to be this bad-ass. Agonizing smite deals ongoing fire and dazes in addition to whatever the melee attack already did to the poor PC. The PC receives yet more fire damage as an aftereffect of saving.
The best power though? Devil’s Pawn, the side of insult to a big heaping plate of injury. A hellbound Soldier, no matter how badass, plays the role of ablative armor for any devil nearby. And certainly the devils will want at least a few of these guys nearby. I’d immediately want to pair one of these pawns with an artillery or controller devil that the party needs to get to, running interference and making a nuisance of himself. This mechanic could also justify the scenario I brought up earlier. How long do you think it would take you to become sick of taking all the hurt that was meant for someone else?
Mechanically, the hellbound soldier fits the bill — a warrior who does a bunch of fiery stuff, and plays second fiddle to demons.
If the DMG is filled with more goodness like this, I cannot wait.
What do you think?
Looking For More DMG2 Previews? Check out these sites:
The Tome Show
Fist Full of Comics and Games
Icosohedrophelia
Critical Hits
Dungeon Mastering
Geek Dad
Chatty DM
A Jack of All Trades ,or if you prefer, an extreme example of multi-classing, Gamefiend, a.k.a Quinn Murphy has been discussing, playing and designing games straight out of the womb. He is the owner and Editor-in-Chief of this site in addition to being an aspiring game designer. As you would assume, he is a huge fan of 4e.
By day he is a technologist. 
Damn, an elite soldier meatshield for another devil? That other devil’ll last a hell of a long time, because soldiers have the sickest defenses, some huge hit points, and the most disgustingly accurate attacks practically in the entire game. That is some hurt right there.
yeah, he can cause some real trouble…But it sure is painful being ablative armor!
The best characters are ones who can fit into established archetypes, and this one has Ghost Rider and Spawn written all over it. The idea of a tortured antagonist is pure delight. Excellent!
Hi David! I hadn’t even thought of the Ghost Rider/Spawn connection, but that is perfect! I will defintely be including some of these guys in my games.