Doomwarden [Dark Sun]

Doomwardens are the human citizens of a dread walled city in a valley of ash and fire, and they treat the entire valley as their domain, attacking most trespassers. Centuries of ruthless drill have made them a fierce, cruel people, and each child is raised as a warrior, psionicist, templar or defiler.

In any group, half are ordinary doomwardens using the parenthetical statistics, with the attacks and saves of a 3rd-level fighter. For a wild talent roll 1d12, where 9-12 means nothing useful and 1-8 give, in order, danger sense, ballistic attack, adrenalin control, displacement, graft weapon, ESP, invisibility and dimension door. The other half are unique: of these, 50% are warriors (level 1d8+2), 20% psionicists of 2nd through 12th level, 20% templars of 3rd through 12th, and the last 10% defilers of 3rd through 12th. Each doomwarden may have up to two slaves in tow (0-2).

Ordinary doomwardens carry horn short bows, spears and finely forged steel short swords, plus a long shield and quality armor of chitinous hide. So paranoid are they that they walk their own streets bristling with arms; only at home or where trouble seems unlikely do they go without armor, a dagger at hand. All learn the city's own unarmed art of blows and throws in childhood and use the martial arts rules; without those rules, grant +1 on attack, damage and knockout rolls when brawling.

Unique doomwardens may have exceptional abilities: on 1d6, a 6 grants two, 4-5 one, 1-3 none, each scoring 14 + 1d6. Fighters (Strength, Dexterity or Constitution) wear banded mail if senior, otherwise studded leather or hide, usually specialize in a weapon, prefer spears, javelins, bows, short swords and big shields, and own magic arms or armor (+1 to +3) at 10% per level and a miscellaneous item at half that. Psionicists (Constitution, Intelligence or Wisdom) follow the normal NPC rules, so a couple of ready-made templates help; their armor is studded leather or hide, like short swords, and have 5% per level for magic arms or armor and double for miscellaneous items. Templars (Strength, Intelligence or Wisdom) wear black chitin hide with spear and short sword on duty and studded leather off duty, cast spells suited to rank and share the fighter's odds for magic. Defilers (Dexterity, Intelligence or Constitution) wear only robes yet may use a short sword, can be run with a militant wizard kit, prepare spells suited to rank, and have 5% per level of carrying an attack item, for example a wand of frost, fire or magic missiles.

Doomwardens always press the attack. Their warriors shoot once or twice to soften a foe, then close with blades, while casters and psionicists unleash their strongest powers early. Slaves keep clear.

The finest warriors, the Ashstorm Riders, fly rocs on patrol past the great ring of ash storms. They are fighters of 10th through 15th level (d6+9) clad in banded mail and armed with lance, shield, composite short bow and a hand weapon.

Few ever leave the city. Every citizen counts as a landholding noble within a feudal clan structure, and a vast slave population does all the work under their watch. Highly competitive, they resolve disputes with formal duels and long, bitter feuds.