The NPC Arsenal PDFs include one optimized, cleverly-built, ready-to-go NPC for GMs seeking to challenge experienced players. Each NPC includes build notes and tactical notes to make running or altering the NPC easier for busy GMs. Every PDF contains one full page of high-quality content (no fluff or filler)!
NPC Arsenal No. 3: Mercenary Pikeman features a frustratingly defensive human fighter designed to keep opponents at arm's length, unable to strike back.
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This new series by Abandoned Arts offers you one NPC-build, a complex one - 3 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page SRD, 1 page character, so what do we get here?
This time around, we get a human polearm master fighter 9 at CR 8 - finally some love for the poor, underutilized polearms! The mercenary fights with a glaive-guisarme and when pictured, should remind you of how fighting against Kilik (or any other long-range character) can annoy the hell out of you in Soul Calibur: With improved readied actions and pushing assault as well as vital strike, running against the readied actions of this guy will prove painful indeed. The extensive notes on further leveling the build and tactics of this NPC add more value, showing (gleefully so), how utterly evil this build can be in melee, with potions helping against some of the character's weaknesses.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are top-notch, I didn't notice any glitches. Layout adheres to a landscape two-column standard and the pdf has no bookmarks, but needs none at this length.
A more than solid build centered on just being a polearm master, AoOs and readied actions, this build may not be the most complex one, but it is a fun build; One that should definitely make some PCs gnash their teeth. Now it's not a particularly complex build, but it's versatile and mobile enough to make for a fun NPC - taking the low price into account, I'll settle for a final verdict of 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5: A very good, if not exceptional build.
(Belated) thanks for your review, Endzeitgeist. Authors Jessica Baldwin and Andrew Harmon were very happy for such a warm reception to their first published offerings.
