Enemy ranks
Enemies in OHE are built to be quick to read and easy to run without a separate stat-heavy subsystem. Most of the time I only want to know what kind of threat this is, how hard it is to hit, and what happens if it gets through.
Use four ranks:
- Minion
- Standard
- Elite
- Boss
Rank values
| Rank | Guard | Threat | HP | Damage | Soak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minion | +2 | +2 | one successful hit | 1 | 0 |
| Standard | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1d4 | 0 |
| Elite | -2 | -2 | 12 | 1d6 | 1 |
| Boss | -4 | -4 | 20 | 1d8 | 2 |
These are playtest values.
They are meant to give the hero a clear sense of escalation without making every enemy feel like a bespoke puzzle.
Minion rules
Minions do not track HP.
Any successful damaging hit defeats one Minion.
A Minion profile needs only:
- Guard
- Threat
- Damage
- one optional group Trait
- Resolve
Minions do not usually gain Soak.
Minions are there to create pressure, not paperwork. If they take too long to remove, they stop doing the job they are meant to do.
Resolve
Use these Resolve targets for Morale:
| Resolve | Target |
|---|---|
| Unsteady | 6 |
| Trained | 11 |
| Fanatical | 16 |
Encounter scale
Default encounters should be small:
- two to four Minions
- one Standard and one or two Minions
- one Elite
- one Elite and one Minion
- one Boss as the major confrontation
Large groups should usually create escape, survival, delay, or objective scenes instead of full stand-up fights.
That is intentional. One Hero Engine works best when the hero is under pressure from a focused situation, not when I am trying to simulate a battlefield.
Sample enemies
These sample foes are meant to be reused, reskinned, or slightly adjusted as needed. I would rather have a small set of dependable templates than a giant monster list I do not actually use.
Goblin Sneaks
- Rank: Minion
- Guard: +2
- Threat: +2
- Damage: 1
- Soak: 0
- Resolve: Unsteady (6)
- Trait: Pack Rush - if two or more goblins are at Close, the hero’s first Defence test against them this round is Difficult
Skeleton Servants
- Rank: Minion
- Guard: +2
- Threat: +2
- Damage: 1
- Soak: 0
- Resolve: Fanatical (16)
- Trait: Deathless Advance - they never retreat from Morale unless a holy, fear, or banishment effect explicitly breaks them
Bandit Raider
- Rank: Standard
- Guard: 0
- Threat: 0
- HP: 6
- Damage: 1d4
- Soak: 0
- Resolve: Trained (11)
- Trait: Press the Gap - if the hero failed a Defence test this round, the bandit’s next attack this scene is Favourable
Wolf Stalker
- Rank: Standard
- Guard: 0
- Threat: 0
- HP: 6
- Damage: 1d4
- Soak: 0
- Resolve: Trained (11)
- Trait: Drag Down - on a successful hit, the hero’s next Move test or escape attempt this scene is Difficult
Ogre Enforcer
- Rank: Elite
- Guard: -2
- Threat: -2
- HP: 12
- Damage: 1d6
- Soak: 1
- Resolve: Unsteady (6)
- Trait: Crushing Swing - on a successful hit, the hero must move one range band or take 2 extra damage
Shadow Warden
- Rank: Boss
- Guard: -4
- Threat: -4
- HP: 20
- Damage: 1d8
- Soak: 2
- Resolve: Fanatical (16)
- Trait: Dread Halo - the hero’s first Wisdom Defence test against the Warden each scene is Severe
- Trait: Phase Step - once per scene, the Warden shifts one range band without spending an action