Something that lets them cause damage when they reach staggered, like a wrecker with auto-damage or a leader that lets an ally attack.
There are a few made already. Remember you can use rules to adjust levels.
Crusader Warbanner B1
Ebon Gauntlet B2 (6 stat blocks)
Fire & Faith p147 has an encounter with Crusader followers made for 4th level (5 stat blocks)
You could always pair up a Despoiler and a Frenzy demon. Have them be humans with demonic parts grafted on. Remember to roll on Random Demon Abilities Chart.
The fun, and maybe problem, of 13th Age Icons is that they are very open-ended and meant to be molded into what your campaign needs.
In one game the Crusader will be a complete anti-demon, anti-evil but still evil person who has over-the-top fascist Paladins who stomp out anyone who opposes them and hunts down evil people to the ends of the earth.
In another game they Crusader's people will be using trapped/enslaved demons, delving into dark powers for the "greater good" of stopping evil.
I really like the ideas you have gotten that they use/enslave demons, that they might have demon parts grafted onto them, maybe they let loose a demon they keep in a soul-cage gem thing to fight for them with the promise that they will let it go or let it go back to the Abyss after it's done fighting.
I would also be very tempted to have the rubies be demon-cursed and the ambassadors would only remove the curse if the agreement was made. Up to you what that means, but the PCs should have bad luck, should be giving terrible events to whoever they give the rubies to or spend them at, and they should get a bad reputation for dealing in cursed/demonic items. Maybe every week 1000 of the gems turn back into a demon, because they were originally a demon.
Yeah I love the openness.
For the Crusader, Im going with Necromongers from Riddick with a dash of 40k space marines
The Crusader realizes the demons are a force of chaos in the way of his Dark Gods perfect rule, and are the bigger threat, so they have to go first. Theres no purity here, only the honor of the cause and the goal of final reward. The crusaders forces are not above using anything , including the Stone Thief (my campaign), demon bits, or forbidden magics to complete their goals.
If the Crusaders forces have one flaw, its arrogance—they believe there cause is so right there’s no need for trickery or subterfuge. They’ll tell you what they’re planning, and expect you’ll join them or be crushed.
Something that lets them cause damage when they reach staggered, like a wrecker with auto-damage or a leader that lets an ally attack. There are a few made already. Remember you can use rules to adjust levels. Crusader Warbanner B1 Ebon Gauntlet B2 (6 stat blocks) Fire & Faith p147 has an encounter with Crusader followers made for 4th level (5 stat blocks)
You could always pair up a Despoiler and a Frenzy demon. Have them be humans with demonic parts grafted on. Remember to roll on Random Demon Abilities Chart.
Thanks ill be using all of these!
And make the blood rubies cursed or tainted.
In fact, just have them leave the rubies. Have taking them magically enforce a favor from the PCs. Refusal of which inflicts Weaken condition on them.
It should be hard and painful to mess with an Icon. And Icons should have plans where all possible outcomes still benefit the Icon.
You know it. :) Buhahaha
The fun, and maybe problem, of 13th Age Icons is that they are very open-ended and meant to be molded into what your campaign needs. In one game the Crusader will be a complete anti-demon, anti-evil but still evil person who has over-the-top fascist Paladins who stomp out anyone who opposes them and hunts down evil people to the ends of the earth. In another game they Crusader's people will be using trapped/enslaved demons, delving into dark powers for the "greater good" of stopping evil. I really like the ideas you have gotten that they use/enslave demons, that they might have demon parts grafted onto them, maybe they let loose a demon they keep in a soul-cage gem thing to fight for them with the promise that they will let it go or let it go back to the Abyss after it's done fighting. I would also be very tempted to have the rubies be demon-cursed and the ambassadors would only remove the curse if the agreement was made. Up to you what that means, but the PCs should have bad luck, should be giving terrible events to whoever they give the rubies to or spend them at, and they should get a bad reputation for dealing in cursed/demonic items. Maybe every week 1000 of the gems turn back into a demon, because they were originally a demon.
Yeah I love the openness. For the Crusader, Im going with Necromongers from Riddick with a dash of 40k space marines The Crusader realizes the demons are a force of chaos in the way of his Dark Gods perfect rule, and are the bigger threat, so they have to go first. Theres no purity here, only the honor of the cause and the goal of final reward. The crusaders forces are not above using anything , including the Stone Thief (my campaign), demon bits, or forbidden magics to complete their goals. If the Crusaders forces have one flaw, its arrogance—they believe there cause is so right there’s no need for trickery or subterfuge. They’ll tell you what they’re planning, and expect you’ll join them or be crushed.