Tactics — Hendrick and Two Infernal Rootlings
Tactics — Hendrick and Two Infernal Rootlings
Foreman's Hall / Camp Hall · One Creature 2 and two Creature 0 enemies
Current Placement — The Office Is Cramped
Hendrick and both rootlings begin inside the narrow office, on the far side of the desk. Hendrick stands centrally, with a rootling to either side. Ulysses is at the hall side of the office doorway; Skye and Doku are close by in the hall, while Kota and Malkus remain farther back near the meeting table and main entrance. Use the actual grid positions for distances.
The desk, east-wall storage, and narrow doorway leave little room to maneuver. The rootlings do not begin beneath the hall's meeting table. Furniture does not disappear to accommodate movement: route creatures around the desk only where their spaces fit. Adjudicate crossing or climbing furniture as the terrain requires. Small rootlings still occupy their normal spaces; they cannot simply stack beside Hendrick in the doorway.
Opening Turns
- Hendrick: Advance around the west end of the desk toward the office doorway only if a legal route is open. Do not assume he can charge straight through the desk or reach Ulysses from his starting square. If Ulysses is within 10 feet and there is a clear line of effect, use root lash from inside; otherwise spend actions closing the distance. Save Foreman's Fury for a route that actually permits its Stride and axe Strike.
- West rootling, nearest the doorway: Work the gap beside the desk, leaving Hendrick a route forward when possible. Use a 10-foot tendril Strike against Ulysses only when distance and line of effect permit. If Ulysses, Skye, or Doku cluster at the threshold, place Hellroot Eruption on the hall side where a legal burst can catch them without catching allies.
- East rootling, beside the wall storage: It has the more restricted approach. Prefer a legal Hellroot Eruption placement within 20 feet over forcing past Hendrick. The eruption needs line of effect through the doorway; it cannot be placed through the office wall. If no useful target is available, reposition around the desk as space permits.
The Doorway Fight
Hendrick holds the threshold: Once he can engage Ulysses, favor the axe to inflict lignification. Foreman's Fury costs 2 actions and includes a Stride up to 25 feet and one axe Strike during that movement. On a hit, attempt the free Shove using Athletics +10, applying the normal multiple attack penalty as appropriate. Shove outward only when Hendrick's position and the direction of the push permit it. Do not treat a successful Shove as permission to move Ulysses sideways or through an occupied square.
Rootlings support from available space: Reach may let a rootling attack past an ally, but check line of effect and any cover created by intervening creatures or furniture. They cannot all surround Ulysses at the narrow opening. Neither rootling nor Hendrick gains Reactive Strike from having reach. If the doorway opens, one rootling can spill into the hall to harry a flank while the other stays near the office; this is an opportunity, not a scripted maneuver.
Against a party holding outside: Do not march all three enemies through the same occupied doorway. Hendrick protects the office while rootlings use legal ranged eruption placements to pressure the nearby hall. If PCs spread out, accept fewer eruption targets. Walls block effects; the doorway is the available opening, not a way to ignore the partition.
Eruptions in Tight Quarters
Seedshard is risky at the starting position. A 10-foot emanation around Hendrick may catch both rootlings and few or no PCs while he is behind the desk. Hold it until PCs enter the office or Hendrick reaches a position where the area catches worthwhile targets. Measure from his actual square and respect walls and line of effect; it does not automatically fill the adjoining hall.
Hellroot targets the approach: Favor a burst just outside the doorway when PCs bunch there. Check each affected square and creature. Difficult terrain can slow passage through the opening, but does not seal it or grant an extra attack. Track its expiration at the start of the specific user's next turn.
Escalation and morale: Below 21 HP, Hendrick's roots visibly force through his clothing; this adds no new mechanical benefits. He does not flee. Rootlings remain instinctive and hostile to obvious fey, animals, or primal magic; a lone survivor may retreat only along a route it can actually traverse (Speed 25 feet, climb 10 feet).
Eruption Reference
| Ability | Area / Save | Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Hendrick: Seedshard Eruption · 2 actions | 10-foot emanation; DC 18 Reflex; excludes Hendrick only | 1d6 piercing + 1d6 fire |
| Each rootling: Hellroot Eruption · 2 actions | 5-foot burst within 20 feet; DC 16 Reflex; each creature in area | 1d4 piercing + 1d4 fire |
Both: critical success no damage; success half; failure full; critical failure double and prone. Affected squares become difficult terrain until the start of the user's next turn. Each creature's eruption has its own once-per-1d4-rounds frequency: roll and track three separate recharge timers.
Friendly fire applies. Seedshard can hit either rootling. Hellroot can hit Hendrick, the other rootling, or its user if included in the burst. Account for fire resistance separately from piercing damage: Hendrick fire 3; rootlings fire 1. Their vitality weaknesses are 3 and 2 respectively.
Reaction and Condition Reminders
Black Sap Reprisal: Trigger only when an attacker within 5 feet deals slashing or piercing damage. Each enemy uses its own normal reaction. Hendrick: DC 17 Reflex; critical success none, success 1 fire, failure 1d4 fire, critical failure 1d4 fire and dazzled until the end of the attacker's next turn. Rootling: DC 15 Reflex; success or critical success none, failure 1 fire, critical failure 1d4 fire and the same dazzled duration.
Lignification: Hendrick's axe triggers DC 18 Fortitude; a rootling's claw against a living creature triggers DC 16 Fortitude. Tendrils, root lash, and blighted fist do not trigger it. Use the attached blocks for degree-of-success durations. Track clumsy and Speed penalties individually; do not add matching status penalties together.
Moment of Recognition — Once per Encounter
The first time someone calls Hendrick by name, presents an object strongly associated with Reiver's Right, or speaks directly about the missing workers, immediately resolve his DC 18 Will save (+8). Critical success: unaffected. Success: off-guard until the start of his next turn. Failure: stunned 1. Critical failure: stunned 2 and a brief return of recognition. The rootlings continue attacking while he hesitates.
Hendrick is incoherent throughout the encounter. Use wet muttering, repeated broken syllables, and breath that catches in his throat. Even during Moment of Recognition, he cannot answer questions or deliver intelligible clues. Show the recognition through focused eyes, a trembling axe hand, or a brief look of terror before the roots tighten again. Keep the listed save and condition effects unchanged.
After the Fight
The party can recover Hendrick's camp ledger automatically once the office is safe. Examination can reveal the concentrated fragment of infernal plant matter within him; use the encounter's existing investigation checks for further discoveries. Rootling remains contain black sap and tiny gold-colored mineral flecks.
Rules reference: the attached AMBA creature blocks show ordinary Strikes as 1 action, Black Sap Reprisal as a reaction, and Fury/eruptions as 2 actions. These clarify the Wanderer's Guide connector's action-cost parsing.