Rules

Support

Support

A Support adversary might be a druid who creates brambles and thorns that slow down pursuers, a bard that inspires their allies to greatness, or any other unit that buffs allies, inflicts conditions, or imposes unique status effects.

Mechanics

Supports are as varied in their abilities as Leaders or Solos. They might bolster an ally or stop foes in their tracks. When selecting adversaries for an encounter, limit the use of Support adversaries—their defeat should be an important part of the tactical calculation. Protect them with Standard adversaries and distract PCs with higher-damage targets, such as a Bruiser or Ranged adversary.

Archetypal Example

The Cult Adept is a great example of what a Support can do. They force targets to mark Stress with their attacks, buff allies with resistance to damage, and restrain their foes. They also clear a Stress when a PC rolls a failure with Fear which plays into their fiction very well.

Cult Adept

Tier 2 Support

An experienced mage wielding shadow and fear.

Motives & Tactics: Curry favor, hinder foes, uncover knowledge

Difficulty: 14 | Thresholds: 9/18 | HP: 4 | Stress: 6

ATK: +2 | Rune-Covered Rod: Far | 2d4+3 mag

Experience: Fallen Lore +2, Rituals +2

Features

Enervating Blast - Action: Spend a Fear to make a standard attack against a target within range. On a success, the target must mark a Stress .

Shroud of the Fallen - Action: Mark a Stress to wrap an ally within Close range in a shroud of Protection until the Adept marks their last HP. While Protected, the target has resistance to all damage.

Shadow Shackles - Action: Spend a Fear and choose a point within Far range. All targets within Close range of that point are Restrained in smoky chains until they break free with a successful Strength or Instinct Roll. A target Restrained by this feature must spend a Hope to make an action roll.

Fear Is Fuel - Reaction: Twice per scene, when a PC rolls a failure with Fear, clear a Stress.

Custom Support

Supports have similar stats to Standards, if not slightly weaker. They do low damage and have middling Hit Points. As they usually need to mark Stress to use their actions, they typically have higher Stress than other adversaries.

Make Your Own

Many woods are tended to by powerful practitioners of nature magic called Forest Druids. They live in hollowed roots, polished caves, or simple thatched huts. We’ll make them at Tier 1.

  • We’ll make them slightly easier to hit because they are a Support adversary, granting them a Difficulty of 11.
  • Forest Druids often wear the wood and lichen of the forests as armor. Thresholds of Major 6/Severe 10 with 4 Hit Points and 5 Stress fits their nature.
  • They’re likely to carry standard weapons, so we’ll give them an attack modifier of +0.
  • Similarly, we’ll limit their damage to mostly Minor, dealing 1d4+2.
  • These druids seek balance in nature, so an action that can undo the effects of a spell or condition on an ally makes sense. Additionally, the druid could leverage their understanding of the forest as a living entity, using its power to weaken their enemies. Perhaps they also summon the barbs of the wandering briar to stymie their foes.

A Support adversary with these traits might look like this:

Forest Druid

Tier 1 Support

A reclusive wanderer who understands the speech of beast and leaf.

Motives & Tactics: Call upon nature, leave no trace, protect the woods at all costs

Difficulty: 11 | Thresholds: 6/10 | HP: 4 | Stress: 5

ATK: +0 | Oak Staff: Melee | 1d4+2 mag

Experience: Animal Knowledge +2, Lay of the Land +3

Features

Calm of the Vale - Action: Mark a Stress to end the effect of a spell or clear any condition affecting the Druid or an ally they can see within Very Close range.

Deafening Whisper - Action: Mark a Stress to call on the winds in the canopy. A target within Close range must succeed on an Instinct Reaction Roll or the whistling wind fills their ears. The target is unable to hear anything besides the wind, must mark a Stress, and is Vulnerable until they clear a Stress.

Overgrowth - Action: Spend a Fear and choose a point within Far range. Brambles and thorns erupt from the ground, filling an area within Close range of that point. A creature who enters that area or tries to move through it takes 2d6+3 physical damage and must succeed on an Agility Reaction Roll or become Restrained until they succeed on a Finesse Roll or the Druid takes Severe damage.

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