Strongholds
Stronghold
Rules for Strongholds appear in the “Stronghold” section of Strongholds & Followers (page 8). Using those rules, you can add the following Illrigger stronghold to your game!
The Illrigger's Courthouse
The illrigger's courthouse is a place of absolute law and order, creating one or more of the following effects at the GM's discretion.
Demesne Effects
- Locals in the illrigger's demesne that break written contracts or laws may find themselves suddenly feeling ill, or having a eerie sense of unease for up to a week.
- The illrigger's courthouse contains a record of every written contract forged inside the demesne, neatly organized so anyone can sort for a set of contracts however they like. These records magically update themselves when a contract is adjusted, or completed (or otherwise ended).
- During storms or other similar weather, among the sounds of rushing winds and falling rain, muffled screams can also heard.
Stronghold Actions
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the illrigger can take a stronghold action to cause one of the following effects. The illrigger must be in the same hex or province as their stronghold, and can’t use the same effect until after a short or long rest:
- You summon a fiend (devil) of your choice with a challenge rating of 10 or lower, it obeys all commands you give to it, and disappears in a number of rounds equal to 4 + your stronghold level.
- All enemies within 120ft. of you must make a constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your Proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier) or be poisoned. Poisoned Creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending the condition on a success.
- You regain all seals, as though you completed a short or long rest.
Class Feature Improvement: Accursed Interdict
Your Baneful Interdict overpowers enemy resistance. Enemies normally resistant to either necrotic damage or your weapon damage lose it. Enemies immune to either type of damage are now resistant to it, and enemies without resistance to either necrotic or your weapon damage become vulnerable.
You can do this for a number of attacks equal to your stronghold level, after which you must take an extended rest to refresh this ability.
Illrigger Followers
| D100 | Follower |
|---|---|
| 01-04 | Seasoned Light Infantry (Size 1d8), Unit |
| 05-07 | Seasoned Medium Infantry (Size 1d8), Unit |
| 08-10 | Veteran Light Infantry (Size 1d8), Unit |
| 11-13 | Veteran Heavy Infantry (Size 1d6), Unit |
| 14-15 | Regular Medium Cavalry (Size 1d6), Unit |
| 16-17 | Seasoned Medium Cavalry (Size 1d6), Unit |
| 18-19 | Regular Medium Archers (Size 1d6), Unit |
| 20 | Seasoned Heavy Archers (Size 1d4), Unit |
| 21 | Battle Priest (3rd Level), Retainer |
| 22-23 | Reaver (3rd Level), Retainer |
| 24-25 | Warlord (3rd Level), Retainer |
| 26-27 | Loremaster (3rd Level), Retainer |
| 28-29 | Elemental Acolyte (3rd Level), Retainer |
| 30-32 | Beast Lord (5th Level), Retainer |
| 33-34 | Executioner (5th Level), Retainer |
| 35-37 | Cavalier (5th Level), Retainer |
| 38-39 | Thaumaturgist (5th Level), Retainer |
| 40-44 | Evoker (7th Level), Retainer |
| 45-50 | Diabolist (7th Level), Retainer |
| 51-54 | Blacksmith |
| 55-58 | Captain |
| 59-62 | Sage |
| 63-66 | Mason |
| 67-70 | Spy |
| 71-75 | Dwarf Ambassador |
| 76-80 | Dragonborn Ambassador |
| 81-84 | Hobgoblin Ambassador |
| 85 | Lizardfolk Ambassador |
| 86-100 | Roll on the Special Allies Table (S&F, Page 67) |
An Illrigger's Followers
An if average people find sorcerer's worthy of fear as they channel the forces of magic completely at will, They're utterly terrified of illriggers. Devil worshipers sent to claim their lands for their masters, provided infernal powers over life and death. Most, when they hear of illriggers coming to their lands will stay inside and bar the doors, let alone when an illrigger decides to plant roots.
After a while however, villagers in an illriggers demesne may realize the security that an illrigger provides. If they chose this place as their own, of course they'll defend it, and, being the servitors or devils, illriggers are among the best versed in law and contracts across the planes. Defending their territory from anyone who doesn't follow the rules in place. This makes these locations surprisingly (and sometimes unsettlingly) peaceful.
A Paladin Follower?!
The cavalier (35-37 on the follower table) is an paladin retainer, which may seem at odds with the theming of an illrigger. This could however allow for interesting roleplay potential, perhaps the cavalier is a paladin of an evil god; perhaps they've seen a vision telling them to ally themselves with you, however much they don't want to; perhaps they're an oathbreaker who's fallen into the darkness (you could show this by making their Radiant Lance feature necrotic instead).
There's plenty of possibilities, and it's up to the GM to decide how they wish to run this in a way that works best for their story.
Art Credit
Courthouse by m-Wojtala
Stronghold Variant Features
Listed below are a couple of variant features for the stronghold. These are designed to work with existing homebrew for strongholds or alternate variant features, if you have any more homebrew you'd like included here, please leave a message or DM me about it, and I'll see what I can do
Class Feature Improvement: Pactsight
Similar to the optional class features in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, this is an alternate class feature improvement if you want a different focus for your Illrigger.
When you use your Hellsight feature, you can choose for it to also show any written contracts people in your line of sight are under, appearing over their heads.
You can do this a number of times equal to your stronghold level, and regain all uses when you take an extended rest.
Strongholds and Kingdoms compatibility Pack
For groups making use of the Stongholds and Kingdoms Compatability Pack you can use the following to replace the first 20 on the Illrigger Follower Table.
| D100 | Follower |
|---|---|
| 01-04 | Any tier I or II infantry unit, (regular, light) |
| 05-07 | Any tier I or II infantry unit, (regular, medium) |
| 08-10 | Any tier I infantry unit, (veteran, light) |
| 11-13 | Any tier I infantry unit, (veteran, heavy) |
| 14-15 | Any tier I cavalry unit, (regular, medium) |
| 16-17 | Any tier I or II cavalry unit, (regular, medium) |
| 18-19 | Any tier I archers unit, (regular, medium) |
| 20 | Any tier I or II archers unit, (regular, heavy) |
