Secret Santicorn 2024: 1d12 hirelings/retainers of the North
It's Time for My First Ever Secret Santicorn!
I got this prompt: 1d12 hirelings/retainers of the North.
I was recently experimenting with fun Ancient-Egyptian retainers for my "mythpunk" Monolith campaign, so this was a great prompt to get.
As "the North" screamed fantasy to me, this list is inspired by Norse and Algonquian mythology.
This list contains stat blocks based on those used in Lamentations of the Flame Princess.
1d12 Retainers of the North
1. Wendigo-Bound Berserker
These warriors succumbed to primal hunger in the frozen wastes, forever marked by the curse of the Wendigo. Their gaunt frames belie their feral strength, and their wild eyes betray the gnawing madness within. Their loyalty is as thin as their resolve when Ravenous Fury sets in.
Example name: Oratam "The Gnawed"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Ravenous Fury | When reduced to half HP, gains +2 Damage but must pass a Morale check to avoid attacking/eating allies. |
| HD | 2 |
| AC | 13 (Fur and Bone) |
| Attack | +3 (1d10 bone club) |
| Saves | As Fighter, Level 2 |
| Special | Resistance to cold but takes +2 damage from fire. |
2. Frostgrave Stalker
Stalkers are hunters who ventured too far into the tundra and returned changed. Their silence is chilling, and their frostbitten hands suggest they’ve touched the edge of death.
Example name: Silfra "The Whisper in the Snow"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Snowblind Ambush | Surprise enemies on a 4-in-6 roll in icy terrain. |
| Ice Touch | Once per day, triggers a save vs. Paralysis to freeze a foe in place for 1d4 Rounds. |
| HD | 1 |
| AC | 14 (Rags and Dexterity) |
| Attack | +2 (1d6 ice dagger) |
| Saves | As Specialist, Level 1 |
| Special | Immune to mundane tracking. |
3. Rime-Shrouded Hexer
Hexers are exiled mystics who draw power from frost spirits, their chilling presence unsettling even to allies.
Example name: Eldra "Ice-Eye"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Hex of Frost | Once per day, save vs. Magic to inflict -2 to Attack and AC on a target for 1d4 Rounds. |
| Cold Aura | Creatures within 5 feet take 1 point of cold damage per Round. |
| HD | 5 |
| AC | 12 (Frozen Cloth) |
| Attack | +1 (1d4 talon-like nails) |
| Saves | As Magic-User, Level 1 |
| Special | Cannot heal naturally but regenerates 1d4 HP for 1 hour in extreme cold. |
4. Corpse-Lantern Guide
These eerie guides carry lanterns lit with the trapped souls of the dead.
Example name: Fenrik "Lantern-Bearer"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Spirit Light | Illuminates 30 feet but terrifies foes, reducing enemy Morale by 2. |
| Guided by Shadows | Has an 8-in-10 chance of finding safe paths in blizzards or darkness. |
| HD | 2 |
| AC | 10 (Cloth and Furs) |
| Attack | +0 (1d6 rusty axe) |
| Saves | As Specialist, Level 1 |
| Special | Lantern reveals invisible creatures on a 2-in-6 roll. |
5. Screaming Blade Vassal
These knights bear cursed blades that scream in battle, unnerving foes and driving their wielders to the brink of madness.
Example name: Sir Haldrek "Bearer of Sorrow"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Wailing Strike | Enemies struck must Save vs. Paralysis or be paralyzed by fear next round. |
| Blade’s Hunger | If the sword doesn’t taste blood daily, wielder takes 1d4 HP damage. |
| HD | 3 |
| AC | 15 (Rusting Plate) |
| Attack | +2 (1d8 cursed sword) |
| Saves | As Fighter, Level 3 |
| Special | Cannot be disarmed but takes +2 damage from holy weapons. |
6. Snow-Wraith Scout
These ghostly figures are said to have died in avalanches, yet they walk the snowfields, leaving no tracks. Their hollow eyes suggest they are neither alive nor fully dead.
Example name: Liriel "The Hollow" Bjørnsen
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Fade into Snow | Hide with a 5-in-6 chance in snowy terrain. |
| Frozen Step | Can walk across snow and ice without sinking or slipping. |
| HD | 1 |
| AC | 13 (White Furs) |
| Attack | +1 (1d6 frost dagger) |
| Saves | As Specialist, Level 1 |
| Special | Detects traps and hidden passages on a 3-in-6 roll. |
7. Icebound Cleric
Clerics of the frost gods see the cold as a divine force of purity and death.
Example name: Brother Kaldrun "Of the Blackened Hand"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Frozen Hymn | Heals 1d6 HP or deals 1d6 cold damage (1/day). |
| Blessing of the Frost Gods | Grants +1 AC to allies when basking in his presence. |
| HD | 2 |
| AC | 12 (Holy Vestments) |
| Attack | +1 (1d6 staff) |
| Saves | As Cleric, Level 1 |
| Special | Resistance to cold-based damage. |
8. Bone Collector
Bone collectors scour battlefields and graves for skeletal remains to craft into charms.
Example name: Morgryn "The Charmer"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Bone Charm | Creates a charm granting +4 to Saves but requires a blood sacrifice daily to function. |
| Grave Knowledge | Identifies cause of death or undead type on a 3-in-6 chance. |
| HD | 1 |
| AC | 11 (Tattered Cloak) |
| Attack | +0 (1d4 bone knife) |
| Saves | As Specialist, Level 1 |
| Special | Immune to fear effects. |
9. Spirit-Slaved Tracker
These trackers bind ghosts to serve them, whispering secrets from beyond the grave.
Example name: Comas "Whisperbound"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Ethereal Tracker | Follows tracks across water or snow on a 5-in-6 roll. |
| Ghost’s Cry | Forces creatures that can hear them to make a Morale check. |
| HD | 1 |
| AC | 13 (Leather and Bone) |
| Attack | +1 (1d6 bow) |
| Saves | As Specialist, Level 1 |
| Special | Undead creatures cannot harm them directly. |
10. Frostseer
Blind prophets who see the threads of fate in the northern winds.
Example name: Yrsa "The Frozen Oracle"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Glimpse the Inevitable | Reads the future of a creature, granting a +4 bonus to a roll of choice for the day. Creature must Save vs. Magic or lose 1d4 Wisdom. |
| Foretelling Doom | Foes that understand her mutterings must Save vs. Magic or lose 1 Wisdom. |
| HD | 1 |
| AC | 10 (Plain robes) |
| Attack | None (Relies on allies). |
| Saves | As Magic-User, Level 1 |
| Special | Detects lies with 4-in-6 accuracy. |
11. Flesh-Sculpted Horror
These grotesque constructs are pieced together from the dead by northern mages.
Example name: Thalos "The Amalgam"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Resilient Flesh | Regenerates 1 HP per Round unless burned. |
| Unholy Strength | Gains +2 to Damage when wielding improvised weapons. |
| HD | 4 |
| AC | 14 (Thick Hide) |
| Attack | +3 (1d8 fists or weapons) |
| Saves | As Fighter, Level 4 |
| Special | Loses control and attacks indiscriminately on a 3-in-6 roll when reduced to 1/3 HP. |
12. The Starved Prophet
Starved prophets wander the wastes, surviving on ash and snow.
Example name: Nonda "The Starved"
| Abilities | |
|---|---|
| Call Blizzard | Once per day, reduces visibility and movement to 10 feet for 1d4 hours. |
| Chilling Aura | Creatures within 5 feet suffer -2 to Attack rolls. |
| HD | 1 |
| AC | 10 (Fur robes) |
| Attack | +1 (1d4 frozen staff) |
| Saves | As Cleric, Level 1 |
| Special | Survives indefinitely without food but cannot eat at all. |
Retainer Loyalty Costs
| Retainer | Loyalty Cost | Space Requirements | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendigo-Bound Berserker | Fresh, raw meat daily; refuses salted or cooked food. | 15 sq. ft. | 1/4 |
| Frostgrave Stalker | Rare gemstones or crystals once a month. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/4 |
| Rime-Shrouded Hexer | Avoid fire or excessive warmth; will abandon any mission involving heat. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/3 |
| Corpse-Lantern Guide | Promises to let him collect a soul from anyone who dies under his guidance. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/5 |
| Screaming Blade Vassal | Daily prayer or ritual to honor the souls trapped in their blade. | 15 sq. ft. | 1/3 |
| Snow-Wraith Scout | Absolute silence during scouting; interruptions cause her to vanish for 1d8 hours. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/4 |
| Icebound Cleric | Construct shrines to frost gods after successful missions (1 per 100 sp earned). | 20 sq. ft. | 1/3 |
| Bone Collector | Access to all remains (bones, teeth, skulls) found during the journey. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/4 |
| Spirit-Slaved Tracker | Weekly libations of wine or milk poured at grave sites. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/4 |
| Frozen Oracle | An ear to listen to her cryptic visions each week; interrupting or mocking her visions causes a curse. | 10 sq. ft. | 1/3 |
| Flesh-Sculpted Horror | A promise to never look directly at its seams when it’s at rest. | 30 sq. ft. | 1/4 |
| The Starved Prophet | Must be allowed to take the first portion of any food found or earned, even if it means others go hungry (hoards it but cannot eat). | 10 sq. ft. | 1/3 |
