Chapter 4 - Retainers
Retainers
A retainer is a type of NPC follower who fights alongside the heroes. Retainer creatures can gain levels just as heroes do, so their battlefield contributions remain relevant as the heroes grow in status and power. A lowly level 1 goblin guide can advance up to level 10 if they adventure with a heroic party for long enough!
The stat blocks in this chapter have the Retainer type next to their level and role. For example, a goblin guide is a level 1 harrier retainer. Some retainers, such as the human warrior or the time raider mind healer, are members of playable ancestries. Others, such as the minotaur gorer, are more monstrous in nature. Additionally, the rules in this chapter allow for the creation of new retainers using nearly any monster as a base creature.
A retainer is a follower of a specific hero. This hero is called the retainer's mentor, and their player controls that retainer in battle. Each player can control only one retainer at a time. If a hero ever acquires more than one retainer, all but one of those are considered to be working at the party's stronghold or performing some function at the periphery of any battle, not contributing meaningfully to its outcome.
Sidekicks, Not Stars
Retainers are useful allies, but the heroes are always the stars of the show! Retainers are simply there to pitch in and make the heroes look good.
Retainers are simpler to run than heroes. They have fewer abilities and fewer resources to manage. Usually, a retainer makes one power roll per turn and then gets out of the way. But while a retainer's turn is quick, it can be tactically interesting! Besides dealing damage, a retainer's abilities often benefit their mentor or allow the mentor to do interesting things.
Because a retainer acts on their mentor's turn, they allow the heroes' side of an encounter to have two characters act in sequence without having to use any special abilities, providing a significant tactical advantage.
Gaining Retainers
In many cases, heroes gain retainers as they acquire character features. For instance, a hero might gain a retainer from a title, a complication, or some other element of the game. When a player earns Renown, they might be able to choose a retainer as a new follower.
At other times, the events of the story can dictate that a retainer joins the party. When the heroes rescue a prisoner or befriend a former rival, you might decide that the NPC joins the party, becoming a retainer of one of the characters.
Any hero gaining a retainer is always at your discretion. If something in the rules grants a specific retainer, you can always substitute another retainer who works better for your campaign.
Retainers Leaving the Party
A retainer doesn't need to always travel with the heroes. When they're not called on to adventure, they can remain behind at the party's stronghold or otherwise live their own life. Even when they're not present, they're still considered to be a retainer and a member of the party.
However, there might be cases when a retainer leaves the party permanently. Retainers aren't invulnerable, so they can be killed in battle. But they can leave under less extreme circumstances as well. If the events of an adventure set a retainer against their mentor, or if the retainer's story naturally comes to an end, you and the players can decide it's time for the retainer to ride off into the sunset. The characters might meet their former adventuring buddy again as a friendly NPC, though—or perhaps as a foe!
Retainers in Combat
When using retainers in combat, a number of special rules should be kept in mind.
- Another Hero: A retainer counts as an additional hero of their current level for the purpose of encounter building (see Step-by-Step Encounter Building).
- Part of a Mentor's Turn: A retainer takes their turn as part of their mentor's turn. For the purpose of effects that end at the end of the retainer's turn, or any other rules elements that depend on the start or end of a creature's turn, the start and end of the mentor's turn is also the start and end of the retainer's turn.
- Hero Can't Act: If a hero can't act on their turn (because they are unconscious, for example), their player can still control the hero's retainer.
- Retainer Action Economy: On their turn, a retainer can take a move action, a maneuver, and a main action, just like a hero.
Recoveries: A retainer has 6 Recoveries.
- Death: A retainer can become dying at 0 Stamina and die at negative half their Stamina, just like a hero.
- Surges: Whenever a retainer gains surges, those surges are gained by their mentor, with the mentor and retainer sharing surges. The retainer spends surges the same way a hero can, but the extra damage granted to them by spending a surge is equal to their mentor's highest characteristic score.
Retainer Advancement
A retainer doesn't earn Victories or gain XP. Instead, they usually have the same level as their mentor. When a character acquires a retainer, the retainer starts out at that mentor character's level. Thereafter, each time a mentor gains a level, all their retainers attain the same level, whether they are actively adventuring with the hero or not.
If a character somehow acquires a retainer with a level higher than their own, the retainer doesn't lose levels, but they don't gain any new levels until their mentor's level exceeds their own.
Advancement Features
A retainer creature's stat block includes characteristics, a level, a role, one or more abilities including a signature ability, and other standard monster features. This stat block represents the retainer's statistics at their lowest level. The retainer's statistics improve as they gain levels, as shown on the Retainer Advancement table.
The number of levels a retainer can gain depends on their starting level. For instance, a devil defector starts at level 5, and so can gain only 5 levels before reaching level 10. If the level noted in a retainer's stat block is higher than 1, they don't gain advancement benefits for any levels up to and including their starting level. As a higher-level creature, similar bonuses are already baked into their statistics.
Retainer advancement benefits are broken out as follows:
- Characteristic Increase: At level 2, a retainer increases one of their characteristic scores by 1 (to a maximum of 2). At level 5, they increase each of their characteristic scores by 1 (to a maximum of 3), and at level 8, they increase one characteristic score by 1 (to a maximum of 4). For each single-characteristic increase, the player of the retainer's mentor chooses which characteristic to use.
- Free Strike Damage Bonus: The retainer gains a +2 damage bonus to free strikes at level 3, at level 6, and at level 9.
- Advancement Abilities: A retainer gains new abilities at levels 4, 7, and 10 (unless the retainer's starting level is that level or higher). Each retainer stat block is accompanied by retainer advancement abilities specific to that retainer. Whenever a retainer would gain a new advancement ability, instead of choosing their retainer ability, the player of their mentor can instead choose a role advancement ability that matches their role and level. (Advancement abilities for each type of creature role are detailed in the next section.)
- Stamina Bonus: At each level, a retainer gains a +9 bonus to Stamina.
- Signature Ability Damage Increase: A retainer's signature ability is unique in that it grows stronger as the retainer advances in level. Only the retainer's signature ability improves this way! The table features two columns for a retainer's signature ability damage bonus—one for a tier 1 power roll outcome and one for a tier 2 or tier 3 outcome. A retainer's signature ability gains a +1 damage bonus every second level for a tier 1 outcome, and every level for a tier 2 or tier 3 outcome.
Advancement Example
A 4th-level hero convinces a goblin guide, a level 1 harrier retainer, to join the party. The goblin guide immediately jumps to level 4. For level 2, the guide increases their Agility by 1. For level 3, the guide gains a +2 damage bonus to their free strikes. For level 4, the guide chooses between the level 4 retainer advancement ability Weaving Knives or the level 4 harrier advancement ability Tackle (see below).
Additionally, for jumping from level 1 to level 4, the guide gains a +27 bonus to Stamina, giving them Stamina 48. Their signature ability gains a +2 damage bonus on a tier 1 outcome (for a total of 5 damage), and a +3 bonus on a tier 2 outcome (8 damage) or a tier 3 outcome (10 damage).
Encounter Abilities
Some retainer abilities have the Encounter keyword. Once a retainer uses an encounter ability, they can't use that ability again until their mentor earns a Victory.
Custom Retainers
This book includes more than a dozen retainer stat blocks with advancement information. But most creature stat blocks can be turned into retainers, provided a creature isn't a minion, a leader, or a solo. You have the final say over whether a player can choose a specific creature as a custom retainer.
To turn a creature into a custom retainer, start with the creature's stat block. Instead of the Stamina noted in the stat block, a custom retainer has 21 Stamina at level 1. Then use the Retainer Advancement table as a guide to adjusting the creature's statistics as they increase in level, including starting at higher than level 1.
If the creature's signature ability affects an area or targets more than one creature or object, the ability now only affects one target within distance. A custom retainer has no retainer advancement abilities, so they must take the role advancement ability specific to their level and role. Custom retainers can't use any abilities or effects that require Malice.
Advancement Example
A 4th-level hero trains a striped condor griffon, a level 2 elite brute, gaining that noble creature as a retainer. The griffon starts as a level 2 retainer. They have Stamina 30 (21 for level 1 and a +9 bonus for being level 2). Because they started at level 2, they don't gain any level 2 benefits or advancement features from the Retainer Advancement table.
At level 3, the griffon gains a +2 damage bonus to their free strikes, a +9 bonus to Stamina (giving them Stamina 39), and a +1 damage bonus to their signature ability for a tier 2 or tier 3 outcome. At level 4, the griffon gains the level 4 brute ability Big Windup (see Big Windup), another + 9 bonus to Stamina (for Stamina 48), and a +1 damage bonus to their signature ability for all tier outcomes. This gives them a total damage bonus to their signature ability of +1 for tier 1 outcomes and +2 for tier 2 and tier 3 outcomes.
Role Advancement Abilities
When a retainer reaches level 4, 7, or 10, they can gain one of the following abilities based on their role, rather than gaining the retainer advancement ability presented alongside their stat block. A retainer qualifies only for the role advancement ability that matches their role and level.
If a role advancement ability has the Magic or Psionic keyword, a retainer can swap the Magic keyword for Psionic or vice versa. They can also lose the keyword if they can achieve the ability's effects through gadgetry, martial prowess, or other nonsupernatural means.
Retainer Advancement Table
| Level | Advancement Feature | Stamina Bonus | Signature Ability Damage Bonus Tier 1 |
Signature Ability Damage Bonus Tier 2 & 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Increase one characteristic score by 1 | +9 | +1 | +1 |
| 3 | +2 damage bonus to free strikes | +9 | - | +1 |
| 4 | Level 4 retainer advancement ability or level 4 role advancement ability | +9 | +1 | +1 |
| 5 | Increase each characteristic score by 1 | +9 | - | +1 |
| 6 | +2 damage bonus to free strikes | +9 | +1 | +1 |
| 7 | Level 7 retainer advancement ability or level 7 role advancement ability | +9 | - | +1 |
| 8 | Increase one characteristic score by 1 | +9 | +1 | +1 |
| 9 | +2 damage bonus to free strikes | +9 | - | +1 |
| 10 | Level 10 retainer advancement ability or level 10 role advancement ability | +9 | +1 | +1 |
Ambusher Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Go for the Jugular (Encounter)
Melee, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 5 damage; M < WEAK bleeding (save ends)
- 12-16: 9 damage; M < AVERAGE bleeding (save ends)
- 17+: 12 damage; M < STRONG bleeding (save ends)
Effect: If the target is grabbed or the retainer had an edge on the power roll, the retainer gains 2 surges.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
⚔️ Hamstring Slice (Encounter)
Melee, Ranged, Strike, Weapon Main Action 📏 Melee 1 or ranged 5 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 7 damage; M < WEAK slowed (EoT)
- 12-16: 10 damage; M < AVERAGE slowed (save ends)
- 17+: 15 damage; M < STRONG slowed and the target can't used triggered actions (save ends)
Effect: The retainer and their mentor can each move up to their speed.
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
⚔️ Hold 'Em Down (Encounter)
Melee, Ranged, Strike, Weapon Main Action 📏 Melee 1 or ranged 5 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 11 damage; a size 1 or smaller target who has M < WEAK is grabbed
- 12-16: 16 damage; a size 1 or smaller target who has M < AVERAGE is grabbed
- 17+: 21 damage; a size 1 or smaller target who has M < STRONG is grabbed
Effect: The retainer gains 2 surges when any creature makes a strike against a target grabbed this way.
Artillery Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
❗️ Supporting Volley
Ranged, Weapon Triggered action 📏 Ranged 5 🎯 The triggering creature Trigger: The retainer's mentor makes a strike against a creature within distance.
Effect: The retainer makes a ranged free strike against the target.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
🔳 Line 'Em Up (Encounter)
Area, Weapon Main action 📏 10 x 1 line within 1 🎯 Each enemy in the area Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 7 damage; M < WEAK prone
- 12-16: 11 damage; M < AVERAGE prone
- 17+: 16 damage; M < STRONG prone
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
🏹 Ricochet Shot (Encounter)
Ranged, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Ranged 5 🎯 One creature or object Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 9 damage
- 12-16: 14 damage
- 17+: 19 damage
Effect: The retainer can target a second creature or object within 5 squares of the original target and that has line of effect to the original target. The retainer doesn't need line of effect to the second target but must be aware of their location.
Brute Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
👤 Big Windup
- Maneuver 📏 Self 🎯 Self Effect: Until the start of the retainer's next turn, strikes made against the retainer gain an edge. At the start of the retainer's next turn, they gain 2 surges, and any ability they use before the end of their turn that force moves a creature can move that creature 2 additional squares.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Overhand Swat (Encounter)
Melee, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 8 damage
- 12-16: 13 damage; push 2
- 17+: 16 damage; push 3; M < STRONG prone
Effect: If the target ends any forced movement from this ability in a square adjacent to the retainer's mentor, the mentor can make a melee free strike against them.
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
❇️ Dizzying Sweep (Encounter)
Area, Weapon Main action 📏 1 burst 🎯 Each creature in the area Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 10 damage; push 1
- 12-16: 14 damage; push 2
- 17+: 20 damage; push 4
Effect: The retainer is dazed until the end of their next turn.
Controller Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
🔳 Elemental Blast (Encounter)
Area, Magic, Ranged Main action 📏 3 cube within 10 🎯 Each creature in the area Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 4 damage; push 2
- 12-16: 6 damage; push 3
- 17+: 10 damage; push 5
Effect: When the retainer uses this ability, they can choose for it to deal one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or sonic.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
🔳 Oil Slick (Encounter)
Area, Ranged, Weapon Main action 📏 3 cube within 10 🎯 Each enemy in the area Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 5 poison damage; M < WEAK prone
- 12-16: 8 poison damage; M < AVERAGE prone
- 17+: 11 poison damage; M < STRONG prone
Effect: The area is difficult terrain for enemies. Any enemy has fire weakness 5 while in the area, and any enemy who ends their turn in the area and has no movement remaining falls prone.
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
🏹 Shattering Shards (Encounter)
Ranged, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Ranged 10 🎯 One Object Special: The target must be size 1M or smaller.
Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 7 damage
- 12-16: 11 damage
- 17+: 16 damage
Effect: The area within 2 squares of the target is difficult terrain, and each enemy in the area takes the same damage the object took.
Defender Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
❗️ Watch Out! (Encounter)
Melee Triggered action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 The retainer's mentor Trigger: The target takes damage from a strike.
Effect: The retainer pushes the target or the attacking creature up to 2 squares. If that moves the mentor out of distance of the strike, the strike has no effect.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 It's Me You Want! (Encounter)
Melee, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 Two creatures Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 7 damage; taunted (EoT)
- 12-16: 11 damage; taunted (save ends)
- 17+: 16 damage; taunted (save ends)
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Last Stand (Encounter)
Melee, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One enemy Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 8 damage
- 12-16: 13 damage
- 17+: 17 damage
Effect: The retainer and their mentor each gain 10 temporary Stamina. Additionally, each winded ally within 2 squares of the retainer can spend a Recovery.
Harrier Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Tackle (Encounter)Power Roll + highest characteristic:
Charge, Melee, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One enemy
- ≤11: 5 damage; push 1
- 12-16: 9 damage; push 2
- 17+: 12 damage; push 4
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Meet You There (Encounter)
Melee, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 7 damage
- 12-16: 10 damage
- 17+: 15 damage
Effect: Before or after the strike, the retainer and their mentor can each shift up to their speed.
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
❇️ Nab and Stab (Encounter)
Area, Weapon Main action 📏 1 burst 🎯 Each creature in the area Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 11 damage; one target who has M < WEAK is grabbed
- 12-16: 16 damage; one target who has M < AVERAGE is grabbed
- 17+: 21 damage; one target who has M < STRONG is grabbed
Effect: The retainer shifts up to 2 squares, and can move a creature grabbed using this ability with them.
Hexer Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
🏹 Backfire Curse (Encounter)
Magic, Ranged, Strike Main action 📏 Ranged 10 🎯 One enemy Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 2 corruption damage; the target is cursed (EoT)
- 12-16: 5 corruption damage; the target is cursed (EoT)
- 17+: 7 corruption damage; the target is cursed (EoT)
Effect: While the target is cursed this way, whenever they make a strike that targets only one creature, the retainer can use a free triggered action to choose a second target for the strike within its distance.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability🏹 Take Root (Encounter)
Magic, Ranged, Strike Main action 📏 Ranged 10 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 5 damage; M < WEAK slowed (save ends)
- 12-16: 9 damage; M < AVERAGE slowed (save ends)
- 17+: 12 damage; M < STRONG slowed (save ends)
Effect: While the target is slowed this way, if they end their turn without moving on that turn, they are no longer slowed and are restrained (save ends).
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
🏹 Mazed (Encounter)
Magic, Ranged, Strike Main action 📏 Ranged 10 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 7 damage; if the target has M < WEAK they are mazed (save ends)
- 12-16: 11 damage; if the target has M < AVERAGE they are mazed (save ends)
- 17+: 16 damage; if the target has M < STRONG they are mazed (save ends)
Effect: While mazed, the target is dazed. Additionally, at the end of each of the mazed target's turns, the retainer can cause the target to move up to their speed in a straight line in a direction of the retainer's choice. This is not forced movement, and the movement ends if it would cause the target to enter difficult or damaging terrain.
Mount Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Cavalry Charge (Encounter)
Charge, Melee, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One enemy Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 6 damage
- 12-16: 8 damage
- 17+: 11 damage
Effect: If this ability is used as part of the Charge main action, the mount's rider can use a free triggered action to make a melee free strike against the same target.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
👤 Giddyup! (Encounter)
- Move action 📏 Range 5 🎯 Self Effect: The mount shifts twice their speed. They can jump as part of this movement.
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
❇️ Rearing Trample (Encounter)
Area, Weapon Main action 📏 1 burst 🎯 Each enemy in the area Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 10 damage; M < WEAK prone
- 12-16: 15 damage; M < AVERAGE prone
- 17+: 21 damage; M < STRONG prone
Effect: A target knocked prone this way or who is already prone takes an extra 5 damage.
Support Abilities
Level 4 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Battlefield Medic
Melee Maneuver 📏 Melee 1 🎯 Self or one ally Effect: The target spends a Recovery, and ability rolls against the target take a bane until the start of the retainer's next turn.
Level 7 Role Advancement Ability
🏹 Focus Fire (Encounter)
Ranged, Strike, Weapon Main action 📏 Ranged 5 🎯 One creature Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- ≤11: 9 damage
- 12-16: 13 damage
- 17+: 18 damage
Effect: One ally within distance gains 2 surges.
Level 10 Role Advancement Ability
🗡 Back from the Dead (Encounter)
Melee Main action 📏 Melee 1 🎯 One ally Effect: If the target is at or below 0 Stamina, or if they have died due to Stamina loss since the end of the retainer's last turn, the target is alive with 1 Stamina and can spend a Recovery.