Dragon-Blooded QC Template: Outcaste Outrider
New
- Location
- Brittany, France
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Outcaste Outrider
This Outcaste hails from a tradition of horse archery within a Realm satrapy. Part of an elite warrior caste among his people, he has accumulated great prizes and honor in battle until he was attached to a Realm legion as an auxiliary same as form most of the Realm's cavalry. His favored horse has been enhanced with blessings allowing it to survive anima flux. As an auxiliary, the Outrider is often tasked with scouting ahead of the main body of troops. In battle, he and his fellow horse archers harry the enemy with a particular back-and-forth motion aiming to lure enemies into splitting their main force. Though auxiliaries are often seen as disposable barbarians, their members do not join the Legion proper, and so this Outcaste retains his noble status among his people and often chafe at Dynasts' condescension, occasionally leading to fighting.
Aspect: Wood
Essence: 3; Willpower: 6; Join Battle: 9 dice
Personal: 14; Peripheral: 25 (max 35)
Health Levels: −0×X1/−1×3/−2×3/−4×1/Incap.
Actions: Command: 8 dice; Conceal Tracks: 9 dice; Feats of Strength: 6 dice (may attempt Strength 3 feats); Read Intentions: 7 dice; Resist Poison/Disease: 8 dice; Senses: 11 dice; Social Influence: 7 dice; Tame/Train Animals: 9 dice; Tracking: 11 dice.
Appearance 3, Resolve 4, Guile 2
Combat
Attack (Green Jade Powerbow): 15 dice at short range (Damage 13L/4)
Attack (Scimitar): 10 dice (Damage 12L/1)
Attack (Grapple): 8 dice (6 dice to control)
Combat Movement: 8 dice
Mounted Movement 11 dice (+4 dice to rush, disengage, and withdraw)
Evasion: 6; Parry: 3
Soak/Hardness: 8/4 (Green Jade Breastplate)
Intimacies
Defining Principle: What is best in life: a fleet horse, open steppe, falcon at your wrist.
Defining Tie: My men and homeland (Kinship)
Major Tie: The Legions (Ambition Tampered by Pride)
Minor Tie: Dynasts (We are equal, whether they like it or not)
Escort
When not engaged in battle, this Outcaste is typically accompanied by a Size 1 battle group of dismounted nomadic horse archers (Exalted, p497) with Average Drill. In battle and on the march, it is instead a Size 3 battle group acting with Elite Drill. He also has a familiar with the traits of an eagle (Exalted, p.563), and uses familiar sense-sharing to help him scout.
Merits
Mounted Combat: The Outcaste Outrider gains +1 dice on withering attacks against non-mounted opponents, or +2 against battle groups not armed with reaching weapons. He gains +1 Defense against close-range attacks from non-mounted opponents lacking the reaching tag. The Outrider's horse is not rolled into battle, and withering attacks cannot target it. However, the Outrider can use a combat action to order the mount to reflexively make an attack or take a movement action with its own traits, which can be flurried.
Excellency
Bonus Dice: A Dragon-Blood can add +3 dice for 3m to any dice pool in which he has 6+ dice, and +6 dice to any dice pool in which he has 11+ dice.
Static Values: A Dragon-Blood can increase static values for two motes per +1 bonus, up to +2 for static values 4+ and up to +3 for static values 6+.
Offensive Charms
Unobstructed Hunter's Aim (-): When adding dice to a ranged attack, each added die cancels one point of penalty from visual obstruction.
Sky-Calming Draw (3m; Uniform; Instant): Add +1 success to an archery attack and ignore penalties from wind or inclement weather.
Death From Nowhere (4m; Supplemental; Withering-only; Instant): Ignore 3 soak on a withering ranged attack, 5 soak if benefiting from aiming.
Arrow Thorn Technique (3m; Supplemental; Instant): A withering attack adds +1 Overwhelming or +3 if aiming. A decisive attack adds two threshold successes on the attack roll as damage dice, three if aiming.
Life-Swelling Sap Strike (3m; Simple; Decisive-only; Instant): Make a decisive ranged attack or a distract gambit. On a success, growing vines inflict a -1 mobility to the target, stacking with armor. At the end of each turn in which the victim remains entangled, he loses one Initiative, or one Magnitude if a battle group. Destroying the vines requires a difficulty 3 gambit.
Spring Follows Winter (2m (+1i per die); Supplemental, Perilous, Uniform; Instant): Spend this mote cost before making the attack roll. After the attack roll, spend up to 3i to reroll up to three non-1 failed dice.
Heartbeats Before Death (1m, 1wp; Reflexive; Uniform; Instant): Take a reflexive aim action before attacking and ignore light and heavy cover. Once per scene unless reset with a normal aim action followed by a successful decisive attack.
Seven-Year Swarm Volley (6m, 1wp; Simple; Decisive-only; Instant): Make three decisive attacks distributed against one or more enemies. Each attack has a base damage of 1, dividing Initiative equally among them, rounded up. Reset to base Initiative after all attacks have been completed.
Defensive Charms
Great Heart Unity (6m; Reflexive; One scene): The Dynast's mount gains +2 Resolve against threaten rolls and other fear-based influences,. The Dynast gains +1 Defense against unhorse gambits, increases the difficulty of such gambits by 1, and 1s on the attack rolls of such gambits subtract successes.
Indomitable Warhorse Endurance (3m, 1i per die removed; Reflexive, Perilous, Instant): When his mount would take decisive damage, the Dragon-Blood may pay up to 3i to subtract that many dice from the damage roll after the attack is made.
Swaying Grass Elusion (2i per +1 Evasion; Reflexive; Perilous, Uniform; Instant): Raise Evasion by one per two Initiative spent, raising the maximum amount Evasion can be increased by to +5. Upon successfully dodging an attack from an enemy who had lower Initiative before this using this Charm, regain half the Initiative spent on this Charm, rounded up.
Mobility Charms
Scattered Pearl Hoof Falls (-): When adding bonus dice to a mounted action, ignore one point of penalty from barding.
Heaven-Racing Leap (9m; Supplemental; Instant): The mount leaps one range band. As part of a movement roll, every 10 rerolls a non-1 failed die. On a rush, the enemy's opposed roll suffers a -4 penalty. On a disengage, he rerolls 6s until they cease to appear and negates all penalties from flurrying the roll.
Tread Rooted in Life (4m; Reflexive; One scene): The Dynast ignores environmental penalty to mounted movement actions that are caused by plants or vegetation-covered terrain, or wind or foul weather, or rocky or uneven terrain. She can activate this Charm multiple times to waive penalties from multiple sources.
Warfare Charms
Roaring Dragon Officer (5m; Reflexive; Perilous; One turn): Flurry a command action with a non-attack action. Roll an additional non-Charm die for each 10 on the command roll.
Miscellaneous Charms
Wolf Stalks Quarry (6m; Supplemental; Instant): Ignore all environmental, erosion or visual penalties and reroll 6s until they cease to appear on a tracking roll. This can contest even magical concealment that is otherwise perfect. Success also determines how much time has passed since the target was there.
Trail-Concealing Measure (5m; Supplemental; Mute; Instant): Double 9s on a Conceal Tracks or Stealth roll to establish concealment in a forest or grassland, snowy terrain, or swampy terrain or during rain.
Spirit-Touched Horse
This horse hails from a line touched by spirits and bolstered by complex husbandry rituals. It is stronger than normal horses, and may withstand the anima flux of the Exalted. Its traits have been increased compared to ordinary horses, though it normally does not join battle unless its rider is unhorsed.
Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 6 dice
Health Levels: −0×1/−1×3/−2×3/−4×4/Incap.
Speed Bonus: +4
Actions: Feats of Strength: 7 dice (may attempt Strength 4 feats); Senses: 5 dice
Resolve 2, Guile 1
Combat
Attack (Kick): 7 dice (Damage 15B/1)
Combat Movement: 12 dice (see Swift-Hooved)
Evasion: 3; Parry: 1
Soak/Hardness: 7/1 (light barding)
Special Attacks
Brutal Kick: Enemies human size or smaller that take 5+ damage from the horse's withering stomps are knocked back one range band and fall prone.
Merits
Swift-Hooved: Horses apply the double 9s rule on all rolls to disengage, rush or withdraw.
Strategy
The Outcaste Outrider is a mounted fighter first and foremost. He will open from medium range or higher if he has time to aim, using Life-Swelling Sap Strike to increase opponent's mobility penalties. He is aware that he is most accurate at short range, and will conserve his motes until the enemy starts getting close while giving the appearance to run away. In truth, his 'sweet spot' is to pull out to medium range, goad the enemy into following to short range, and hit them there. If the enemy wises up to it and attempts to withdraw, the Outrider will close back in or take aim from the newly increased distance.
The Outcaste Outrider has potent ranged and movement tools but is otherwise frail and has few close combat abilities. He will attempt to disengage if forced into melee, and is most powerful when he has the rest of his horse archers with him to act as difficult terrain for his opponents.
Horses are fragile and the unhorsed gambit is potentially extremely potent. Once unhorsed, the Outrider is extremely vulnerable. Easy unhorsing can be very satisfying and make your players feel great about their tactical thinking, but if it starts to appear like unhorse gambits are a silver bullet that easily counters mounted opponents, considering revising the gambit's rule or improving Charms which counter it.
This Outcaste hails from a tradition of horse archery within a Realm satrapy. Part of an elite warrior caste among his people, he has accumulated great prizes and honor in battle until he was attached to a Realm legion as an auxiliary same as form most of the Realm's cavalry. His favored horse has been enhanced with blessings allowing it to survive anima flux. As an auxiliary, the Outrider is often tasked with scouting ahead of the main body of troops. In battle, he and his fellow horse archers harry the enemy with a particular back-and-forth motion aiming to lure enemies into splitting their main force. Though auxiliaries are often seen as disposable barbarians, their members do not join the Legion proper, and so this Outcaste retains his noble status among his people and often chafe at Dynasts' condescension, occasionally leading to fighting.
Aspect: Wood
Essence: 3; Willpower: 6; Join Battle: 9 dice
Personal: 14; Peripheral: 25 (max 35)
Health Levels: −0×X1/−1×3/−2×3/−4×1/Incap.
Actions: Command: 8 dice; Conceal Tracks: 9 dice; Feats of Strength: 6 dice (may attempt Strength 3 feats); Read Intentions: 7 dice; Resist Poison/Disease: 8 dice; Senses: 11 dice; Social Influence: 7 dice; Tame/Train Animals: 9 dice; Tracking: 11 dice.
Appearance 3, Resolve 4, Guile 2
Combat
Attack (Green Jade Powerbow): 15 dice at short range (Damage 13L/4)
Attack (Scimitar): 10 dice (Damage 12L/1)
Attack (Grapple): 8 dice (6 dice to control)
Combat Movement: 8 dice
Mounted Movement 11 dice (+4 dice to rush, disengage, and withdraw)
Evasion: 6; Parry: 3
Soak/Hardness: 8/4 (Green Jade Breastplate)
Intimacies
Defining Principle: What is best in life: a fleet horse, open steppe, falcon at your wrist.
Defining Tie: My men and homeland (Kinship)
Major Tie: The Legions (Ambition Tampered by Pride)
Minor Tie: Dynasts (We are equal, whether they like it or not)
Escort
When not engaged in battle, this Outcaste is typically accompanied by a Size 1 battle group of dismounted nomadic horse archers (Exalted, p497) with Average Drill. In battle and on the march, it is instead a Size 3 battle group acting with Elite Drill. He also has a familiar with the traits of an eagle (Exalted, p.563), and uses familiar sense-sharing to help him scout.
Merits
Mounted Combat: The Outcaste Outrider gains +1 dice on withering attacks against non-mounted opponents, or +2 against battle groups not armed with reaching weapons. He gains +1 Defense against close-range attacks from non-mounted opponents lacking the reaching tag. The Outrider's horse is not rolled into battle, and withering attacks cannot target it. However, the Outrider can use a combat action to order the mount to reflexively make an attack or take a movement action with its own traits, which can be flurried.
Excellency
Bonus Dice: A Dragon-Blood can add +3 dice for 3m to any dice pool in which he has 6+ dice, and +6 dice to any dice pool in which he has 11+ dice.
Static Values: A Dragon-Blood can increase static values for two motes per +1 bonus, up to +2 for static values 4+ and up to +3 for static values 6+.
Offensive Charms
Unobstructed Hunter's Aim (-): When adding dice to a ranged attack, each added die cancels one point of penalty from visual obstruction.
Sky-Calming Draw (3m; Uniform; Instant): Add +1 success to an archery attack and ignore penalties from wind or inclement weather.
Death From Nowhere (4m; Supplemental; Withering-only; Instant): Ignore 3 soak on a withering ranged attack, 5 soak if benefiting from aiming.
Arrow Thorn Technique (3m; Supplemental; Instant): A withering attack adds +1 Overwhelming or +3 if aiming. A decisive attack adds two threshold successes on the attack roll as damage dice, three if aiming.
Life-Swelling Sap Strike (3m; Simple; Decisive-only; Instant): Make a decisive ranged attack or a distract gambit. On a success, growing vines inflict a -1 mobility to the target, stacking with armor. At the end of each turn in which the victim remains entangled, he loses one Initiative, or one Magnitude if a battle group. Destroying the vines requires a difficulty 3 gambit.
Spring Follows Winter (2m (+1i per die); Supplemental, Perilous, Uniform; Instant): Spend this mote cost before making the attack roll. After the attack roll, spend up to 3i to reroll up to three non-1 failed dice.
Heartbeats Before Death (1m, 1wp; Reflexive; Uniform; Instant): Take a reflexive aim action before attacking and ignore light and heavy cover. Once per scene unless reset with a normal aim action followed by a successful decisive attack.
Seven-Year Swarm Volley (6m, 1wp; Simple; Decisive-only; Instant): Make three decisive attacks distributed against one or more enemies. Each attack has a base damage of 1, dividing Initiative equally among them, rounded up. Reset to base Initiative after all attacks have been completed.
Defensive Charms
Great Heart Unity (6m; Reflexive; One scene): The Dynast's mount gains +2 Resolve against threaten rolls and other fear-based influences,. The Dynast gains +1 Defense against unhorse gambits, increases the difficulty of such gambits by 1, and 1s on the attack rolls of such gambits subtract successes.
Indomitable Warhorse Endurance (3m, 1i per die removed; Reflexive, Perilous, Instant): When his mount would take decisive damage, the Dragon-Blood may pay up to 3i to subtract that many dice from the damage roll after the attack is made.
Swaying Grass Elusion (2i per +1 Evasion; Reflexive; Perilous, Uniform; Instant): Raise Evasion by one per two Initiative spent, raising the maximum amount Evasion can be increased by to +5. Upon successfully dodging an attack from an enemy who had lower Initiative before this using this Charm, regain half the Initiative spent on this Charm, rounded up.
Mobility Charms
Scattered Pearl Hoof Falls (-): When adding bonus dice to a mounted action, ignore one point of penalty from barding.
Heaven-Racing Leap (9m; Supplemental; Instant): The mount leaps one range band. As part of a movement roll, every 10 rerolls a non-1 failed die. On a rush, the enemy's opposed roll suffers a -4 penalty. On a disengage, he rerolls 6s until they cease to appear and negates all penalties from flurrying the roll.
Tread Rooted in Life (4m; Reflexive; One scene): The Dynast ignores environmental penalty to mounted movement actions that are caused by plants or vegetation-covered terrain, or wind or foul weather, or rocky or uneven terrain. She can activate this Charm multiple times to waive penalties from multiple sources.
Warfare Charms
Roaring Dragon Officer (5m; Reflexive; Perilous; One turn): Flurry a command action with a non-attack action. Roll an additional non-Charm die for each 10 on the command roll.
Miscellaneous Charms
Wolf Stalks Quarry (6m; Supplemental; Instant): Ignore all environmental, erosion or visual penalties and reroll 6s until they cease to appear on a tracking roll. This can contest even magical concealment that is otherwise perfect. Success also determines how much time has passed since the target was there.
Trail-Concealing Measure (5m; Supplemental; Mute; Instant): Double 9s on a Conceal Tracks or Stealth roll to establish concealment in a forest or grassland, snowy terrain, or swampy terrain or during rain.
Spirit-Touched Horse
This horse hails from a line touched by spirits and bolstered by complex husbandry rituals. It is stronger than normal horses, and may withstand the anima flux of the Exalted. Its traits have been increased compared to ordinary horses, though it normally does not join battle unless its rider is unhorsed.
Essence: 1; Willpower: 4; Join Battle: 6 dice
Health Levels: −0×1/−1×3/−2×3/−4×4/Incap.
Speed Bonus: +4
Actions: Feats of Strength: 7 dice (may attempt Strength 4 feats); Senses: 5 dice
Resolve 2, Guile 1
Combat
Attack (Kick): 7 dice (Damage 15B/1)
Combat Movement: 12 dice (see Swift-Hooved)
Evasion: 3; Parry: 1
Soak/Hardness: 7/1 (light barding)
Special Attacks
Brutal Kick: Enemies human size or smaller that take 5+ damage from the horse's withering stomps are knocked back one range band and fall prone.
Merits
Swift-Hooved: Horses apply the double 9s rule on all rolls to disengage, rush or withdraw.
Strategy
The Outcaste Outrider is a mounted fighter first and foremost. He will open from medium range or higher if he has time to aim, using Life-Swelling Sap Strike to increase opponent's mobility penalties. He is aware that he is most accurate at short range, and will conserve his motes until the enemy starts getting close while giving the appearance to run away. In truth, his 'sweet spot' is to pull out to medium range, goad the enemy into following to short range, and hit them there. If the enemy wises up to it and attempts to withdraw, the Outrider will close back in or take aim from the newly increased distance.
The Outcaste Outrider has potent ranged and movement tools but is otherwise frail and has few close combat abilities. He will attempt to disengage if forced into melee, and is most powerful when he has the rest of his horse archers with him to act as difficult terrain for his opponents.
Horses are fragile and the unhorsed gambit is potentially extremely potent. Once unhorsed, the Outrider is extremely vulnerable. Easy unhorsing can be very satisfying and make your players feel great about their tactical thinking, but if it starts to appear like unhorse gambits are a silver bullet that easily counters mounted opponents, considering revising the gambit's rule or improving Charms which counter it.
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