Copyright 2009 Wizards of the Coast

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I had never heard of direguards before, but some quick googling tells me they first appeared in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting for AD&D 2nd Edition.

The Lore

A direguard is a skeletal undead created by a specific ritual often known by liches and death knights. The ritual requires willing subjects, who retain their minds, combat skills, and powers. This comes at a price, however: in the book’s own words, they must “meet a quota of killing”, or they’ll be destroyed. I don’t know if this is a one time thing or if it’s more like “kill X people every month”. And of course they’re bound to the will of their creator.

Their FR lore is all tangled up with the whole Bane/Cyric situation.

The Numbers

Direguards are Medium Natural Humanoids with the Undead keyword. They have darkvision and truesight 10, and are immune to disease and poison. The rest of their traits varies per stat block.

Direguard Deathbringer

Deathbringers are Level 8 Elite Artillery with the Leader keyword and 134 HP. They have a ground speed of 7 and project a Command Aura (4) that grants a +2 attack bonus to all allies inside. They can also issue a Vile Command (close blast 3; recharge 5-6) that allows all affected allies to shift 2 squares and make a basic attack as a free action.

They fire Force Blasts (Ranged 15 vs. Reflex) that do force damage and push the target 3 squares. On a miss, they do no damage but slow the target for a turn. Frightful Force (recharge 4-6) allows them to fire three such blasts against different targets in a single action.

If forced into melee, the deathbringer’s Blazing Bone Claws do force damage as well. And when they’re first bloodied, they summon some Force Armor around themselves that grants a +4 bonus to AC and Reflex until they’re hit by an attack.

I’d say deathbringers are at home just behind the front line, or further back along with a cluster of artillery enemies with ranged basic attacks.

Direguard Assassin

Assassins are Level 11 Skirmishers with 111 HP. They’re made of shadow as much as they are made of bone, and fight with swords made of force magic. Their ground speed is 8.

That Force Blade deals force damage, as expected, and once per encounter they can fling Dire Blades to do the same amount of damage in a Close Burst 1. Mobile Assault gives them a +2 attack bonus if they move at least 4 squares before attacking, and Mist Walk allows them to shift 2 squares and gain Insubstantial and Phasing for a turn when missed by a melee attack.

Final Impressions

There are no sample encounters here! I guess they could only spare one page for direguards, so there was no room.

I don’t care for the FR bits of their lore, but Deathbringers work nicely as commanders of mindless undead, and Assassins are good elite troops for someone like a skull lord to order around.