Striga Marines
Fighting Strategy:
Disciplined and relentless, Striga Marines fight in coordinated formations. They prefer to overwhelm with numbers, maintain a shield line, and break enemy morale through attrition and pressure.
Armor Class: 19 (reinforced naval armor, shields)
Hit Points: 68 (8d8 + 32)
Speed: 30 ft.
Initiative Bonus: +2
Saving Throws: Str +5, Con +6
Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Athletics +6, Intimidation +4, Perception +4, Survival +4
Resistances: Cold (conditioned for lower Astral Sea layers)
Immunities/Vulnerabilities: None
Equipment:
- Naval Cutlass (1d8 slashing)
- Boarding Shield (grants +2 AC when used)
- Harpoon Gun (ranged weapon, 30/90 ft., 1d10 piercing, on hit: DC 13 Str save or pulled 10 ft. closer)
Traits
- Trained Formation Fighter: Gains +1 AC and Advantage on saves against being moved or knocked prone while adjacent to an ally.
- Cold-Hardened Discipline: Has Advantage on saving throws vs. fear and environmental cold effects.
Actions
- Multiattack: Makes two attacks—either cutlass and shield bash, or harpoon and cutlass.
- Shield Bash: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., 1d6+3 bludgeoning. Target must succeed on a DC 14 Strength save or be knocked prone.
- Harpoon Gun: Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30/90 ft., 1d10 piercing damage. On hit, target must make a DC 13 Strength save or be pulled 10 feet toward the marine.
Blood Breaker (CR ~7)
Role: Brutal melee frontliner meant to carve through enemy lines with relentless aggression.
Enhancements:
- New Trait – Frenzied Advance: At the start of combat, the Blood Breaker may move up to 15 ft. as a bonus action and gains advantage on its first melee attack each turn if it moved at least 10 feet.
- New Action – Rupture Cleave (Recharge 5–6):
Make a single cutlass attack against up to three creatures in a 10-foot arc. Each hit deals an additional 1d6 bleeding damage at the start of the target’s turn until they use an action to staunch the wound. - Stat Boost: HP increased to 85. Melee attacks deal +2 damage
Ice Mage (CR ~8)
Role: Area denial and control, utilizing battlefield freezing and crowd hindrance.
Enhancements:
- New Trait – Astral Chill: All terrain within 20 ft. of the Ice Mage is treated as difficult terrain. Any creature that ends its turn there must succeed a DC 14 Con save or be Slowed until end of next turn.
- Spellcasting (DC 14, +6 to hit):
- Cantrips: Frostbite, Ray of Frost
- 1/day Each: Sleet Storm, Snilloc’s Snowball Swarm, Armor of Agathys (cast at 3rd level)
- New Action – Ice Lance (Recharge 5–6):
A 60-ft line, 5-ft wide. Creatures in the path make a DC 14 Dex save or take 4d10 cold damage and are knocked prone on a fail, half damage on success.
Needler (CR ~9–10)
Role: Elite ranged skirmisher; believed to be Ice Devil-adjacent, used as shock sniper by Striga.
Enhancements:
- New Trait – Crystalline Growths: If the Needler remains stationary for a turn, its next ranged attack is made with Advantage and deals double damage.
- New Trait – Shardburst Armor: When hit by a melee attack, the attacker takes 2d6 cold damage and must make a DC 13 Con save or have their speed halved until end of their next turn.
- New Action – Ice Volley (Recharge 5–6):
Fires three razor-sharp ice shards at targets within 60 ft. Each attack: +7 to hit, 2d8 cold + 1d6 piercing. Targets hit must succeed a DC 14 Con save or lose their reaction for the round. - Stat Boost: AC +1 (to 20), HP raised to 100, gains resistance to nonmagical slashing and cold damage.
