Fiend Knight
| Climate/Terrain: | Any/Aerdy |
|---|---|
| Frequency: | Special |
| Organization: | Group |
| Activity Cycle: | Constant (do not need rest) |
| Diet: | None |
| Intelligence: | Very (11-12), rarely higher |
| Treasure: | Nil* (magic weapons and armour) |
| Alignment: | Any Evil |
| No. Appearing: | Variable |
| Armor Class: | 10 (unarmored), see below |
| Movement: | 12, 24 mounted |
| Hit Dice: | 4d10 to 10d10 |
| THAC0: | Variable |
| No. of Attacks: | 1 |
| Damage/Attack: | By weapon type +3 or better |
| Special Attacks: | Nil |
| Special Defenses: | Immune to sleep, charm, hold spells and illusion/phantasm spells below fourth level |
| Magic Resistance: | Nil |
| Size: | M (6'+) |
| Morale: | Fearless (20) |
| XP Value: | Variable |
The Fiend Knights of Doom are an elite squad of warriors created from normal men by spellcraft on the part of both Ivid V himself, and Xaene, and also using mind-controlling magics crafted from baatezu relics. These servants are utterly, mindlessly loyal to the overking.
Combat: Fiend knights have the same number of hit dice as they had levels when mortal fighters. For example, a 5th-level fighter would become a 5-HD fiend knight. Nearly all fiend knights are 10th level or below, with three exceptions - leaders of 11, 12, and 15 HD. These three leaders, and some dozen others, wear fiend plate mail +3. Others are 5% per level likely to wear magical plate mail (roll 1d10: 1-8 plate mail +1, 9 plate mail +2, 10 plate mail +3), else nonmagical plate mail. Fiend knights always employ two-handed weapons, usually two-handed swords, and composite long bows. Again, they are 5% per level likely to have magical weapons (use the table above, independently for each weapon type). Leaders are always armed with magical weapons, and the 11 + HD leaders all possess powerful ones: a two-handed sword of cold +3 and a two-handed sword +3, giant slayer.
The fiend knights have high ability scores. All possess Strengths of 18/01 or better, and have minimum Dexterity and Constitution scores of 15. No ability ever has a score below 9.
Habitat/Society: The current composition of the fiend knights, in addition to their leaders, is approximately 80 cavalry, 20 of whom ride undead steeds, the other 60 riding normal heavy warhorses. Treat the undead steeds as heavy warhorses with immunity to sleep, charm and hold spells. These troops have heavy lances, again with a 5% chance per level for a magical lance, and they employ footman's flails in addition to two-handed weapons.
The 120 heavy infantry each carry a long spear and a variety of polearms in addition to other weaponry. They have a 2% chance per level for a magical polearm.
As currently organized, the fiend knights wear gold visors and bear a heraldic emblem etched on their armor over the heart. For cavalry, the emblem is a tan horse, and for infantry, it is a bronze baboon. The infantry are known as “The Howlers”, for when they go into combat they howl and scream, hoping to strike fear into the hearts of their enemies.
Ecology: Fiend knights are not undead, and have none of their weaknesses: they cannot be turned, harmed by holy water, and so on. They are simply wholly controlled humans loyal to Ivid, created by a precursor of the malign rituals that brought the animus to Oerth. The unfeeling, “programmed” nature of the fiend knights make them feared by all. Even Ivid's other troops hate and fear them, and loathe having to serve with them.