Players will need opponents to fight, parlay with, and generally get in their way. These are their stories.

The primary statistic of an opponent is the Hit Die (HD) which determines their stamina and wounds at 2S+1W per HD. Opponents with 0 HD have 1W only.

Opponents deal and take damage based on their weapons and armor just as player characters would. Some may have one or more special ability like a fire-breathing dragon or terror inducing undead. Some opponents are mooks and are killed after 1 hit regardless.

Creating an Opponent

Opponents can be quickly created using a combination of templates and additional abilities. You can also create them using the normal player mechanics if you want.

Templates

Template Name	Summary	HD	Armor	ML	F/R/W	Attack Dice	# Appearing	Special Abilities	Example Creatures
Mook	Disposable cannon fodder. There to distract and overwhelm	0	2	5	6/6/6	1	2d6	Minion: If a captain is alive and not fleeing, uses their ML	Goblins, zombies, bandit or any threat that relies on numbers
Basic	A coordinated predator that grows bolder and deadlier in a pack	1	2	7	6/7/5	1	1d6+1	Strength in numbers: When 2 or more allies attack the same target, add an extra AD for each adjacent ally	Bandit gangs, goblin leaders, velociraptors, wolves, or any coordinated group of attackers
Brute	A solitary powerhouse that gets deadlier when wounded	3	3	8	8/6/5	4	1-3	Fury: When reduced to 0 W, makes a WIL save. On success, regains 1W and becomes enraged (attacks with advantage)	Ogres, trolls, lone barbarians, cave beasts, or any solo brute-force threat
Giant	A living siege weapon—unstoppable and ruinous when provoked	4	4	8	9/5/5	5	1	Slam: 2d6 damage (1/2 on FOR save), blast, near. Failed FOR save also knocks prone. Recharges on 2-in-6 each round. Telegraphed 1 turn in advance	Giants, siege beasts, war constructs, ents/treants, or any massive, destructive force
Charger	A thundering force of muscle and momentum, explosive and wild	2	3	7	8/6/5	2	1-3	Trample: Can charge through an enemy, knocking them prone on a failed FOR save	Boars, minotaurs, large scarab beetles, knights on horseback, or any threat that relies on momentum and charging
Ambusher	A stealthy, devastating ambusher with the power to drop foes in a single strike	3	2	6	6/9/5	2	1d6	Ambush: Attacks from shadows or surprise have twice as much AD. Can move without provoking free attacks	Tigers and other large felines, crocodiles (in water), jungle stalkers, griffons (flying), skilled assassins, dangerous predators
Skirmisher	Mobile harassers that confuse, distract, and chip away from above	2	2	6	6/9/5	1	1d6	Speedy: Can move 60 feet in one round. Has 2 extra AD if it moves before attacking	Vultures, eagles, harpies, gargoyles, flying imps, or any highly mobile threat
Trapper	A lurking threat that thrives when its victims are caught or trapped	2	2	7	5/8/7	1	1d6	Ensnare: Weighs an opponent down with a weighted net, web, etc on a failed REF save. Attacks it makes against this opponent have 2 extra AD	Insects, web-spinning demons, saboteurs/trappers, mimics, cursed relics
Swarms	Weak individually, but together they overwhelm, spread disease, and wear you down	2	2	8	5/9/5	2	1-2	Diseased: Any creature damaged receives 1 fatigue on a failed FOR save.	Swarms of creatures, usually insects, rats, piranha, or similar
Artillery	Opponents that rely on ranged splash damage, typically of a booming variety	2	2	8	7/7/5	1	1-2	Kaboom: 2d6 damage (1/2 on REF save) either blast, line, or cone which recharges on 2, 3, or 4-in-6 respectively.	Grenadiers, flamethrowers, or acid spitting bugs
Dragon	A legendary apex threat with devastating attacks and fearsome presence	6	5	10	9/7/7	6	1	Breath weapon: 3d6 elemental damage (1/2 on REF save), cone or line. Recharges on 2-in-6 each round. Telegraphed 1 turn in advance	Dragons, demon lords, ancient guardians, or any legendary-tier threat
Wizard	Solo wielders of the arcane, usually of a supernatural variety	4	4	8	7/7/9	2	1	Mystic Theurge: Can cast spells as a sorcerer with 6 MD.	Wizards, necromancers, cult leaders, etc.

Additional Abilities

Here are some additional abilities to make the above templates more specific for the opponent in question.

• Amphibious: can move and breathe normally underwater
• Dreadful Presence: opponents within 5 feet must pass a WIL save or have disadvantage on all dice rolls
• Fey: takes double damage from mithril weapons
• Flying: can fly in a non-enclosed space up to its movement speed
• Heat Vision: sees thermal output, whether from biological sources or otherwise. Blocked by sufficiently thick walls, doors, etc.;
• Immunity: immune to one or more effects or damage
• Inspiring Presence: allies who can see you test morale with advantage
• Low-light Vision: see in dim light as if bright, in darkness as if in dim light, and in bright light has disadvantage on anything involving sight.
• Lycanthrope: takes double damage from silver weapons
• Poisonous: all attacks directly target wounds
• Regenerates: recovers 1 wound at the start of the round unless it took damage from fire or acid
• Sorcerer: has a number of MD equal to its HD
• Undead: automatically passes any WIL saves. On a failed morale test, take damage to wounds equal to the difference (e.g. a roll of 8 with morale 6 causes 2 damage)

Opponents from Other Games

Other games exist for some reason. Might as well use their bestiaries for ideas. Or if you’re running an adventure from them, this is how you can convert on the fly.

Converting Opponents from OSR Games

• Keep HD the same
• If wearing lighter armor, such as leather, give +1 defense
• If wearing heavier armor, such as chainmail or plate, give +2 defense
• If it has magical protections or natural armor like a chitinous carapace or dragon scales, consider giving it higher defense as appropriate
• Some opponents have attacks that hit harder than they would otherwise by the base rules and should be noted
• Keep any immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities

Converting Opponents from Other Games

• Fiction first. Do what makes sense in terms of the world, not balance
• Weaker opponents should be goons, average opponents should have 1 HD, tougher or harder to kill opponents should have 3 or more HD
• If wearing lighter armor, give 3 defense
• If wearing heavier armor give 4 defense
• If it has magical protections or natural armor like a chitinous carapace or dragon scales, consider giving it higher defense as appropriate.