It has already named its challenge — log-balancing, at dusk, on the fallen oak — before anyone in the party has said a word back.
What a Stalwart Is #
A stalwart is a solitary obsession given a body: seven feet tall, powerfully muscled, and utterly consumed with proving physical superiority over every roughly human-sized creature it meets. It does not ambush, does not negotiate, and does not particularly want treasure for its own sake — it wants to win, formally, by its own rules, against someone who agreed to play.
The ritual is fixed. A stalwart challenges any group of similarly-sized humanoids (5–9 feet tall) to a physical contest of its choosing — arm-wrestling, rock-hurling, log-balancing, archery, running, jumping — resolved by each competitor rolling 1d10 and adding the relevant ability score (Strength for raw power contests, Dexterity for finesse contests, both for contests that mix them). Win, and the stalwart claims tribute of half the losing group’s non-magical wealth. Lose, and it serves the winners for a full month, so long as the service asked of it involves no danger. Refuse the challenge entirely, or refuse to pay a lost wager, and the stalwart’s patience burns off fast — it will attack, typically with a club, and mean it.
This is, unmistakably, a Lawful creature operating a personal code with the internal consistency of a religion: the terms are fixed, the stakes are honored, and the only unforgivable act is refusing to play by rules the stalwart considers self-evidently fair.
Core Statistics #
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Hit Dice | 10 (10th–14th level stalwarts exist; stats below for a 10 HD individual, scale per HD as normal) |
| AC | 19 |
| AV | 0 |
| HR | +8 |
| FR | +6 |
| FD | 12 |
| Move | 120 ft (40 ft) |
| Attacks | 1 weapon |
| Damage | by weapon +3 (club — 1d6+3 — is the default per the description; the stat block’s 1d8+3 may reflect a larger weapon) |
| No. Appearing | 1 (1) |
| Save As | Fighter 10–14 |
| Morale | 9 (12 when honoring a wager) |
| Treasure | Nil (wins half the losing side’s non-magical wealth as tribute — see Treasure) |
| Alignment | Lawful |
| Intelligence | 14 |
| XP | 1,750–2,500 |
AC/AV Reasoning #
Source AC 0 → 19 ascending — exceptional for a creature with no described armor.
- AV 0 — nothing in the source outfits a stalwart in armor; the whole AC is natural toughness, reflex, and raw physical mastery
- HR/FR — floor(10 HD/2)=5 and floor(10/3)=3, each plus an exceptional (+3) strength bonus matching the stat block’s own +3 weapon-damage bonus
- Stats scale with the stalwart’s actual HD (10–14); a 14 HD stalwart should add roughly +2 HR, +1 FR, and +1 FD over the baseline above
Special Abilities #
Formal Challenge. A stalwart challenges any group of 5–9 foot humanoids to a physical contest of its choosing. Each competitor rolls 1d10 + the relevant ability score (Strength, Dexterity, or both, per contest type); highest total wins. Stalwart Strength and Dexterity are individually rolled (d8+15).
Stakes. Stalwart wins: claims tribute of half the losing group’s non-magical wealth. Stalwart loses: serves the winners for one month in any non-dangerous capacity. Challenge refused, or lost wager unpaid: the stalwart grows increasingly angry and eventually attacks.
Skill Slots (13 total — 10 HD + 1 asterisk (HD listed as “10*”) + INT 14 in the 14–15 band = +2) #
| Slot | Skill | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Contest Mastery | Arm-wrestling, rock-hurling, log-balancing, archery, running, jumping — the full suite |
| 4–6 | Overwhelming Strength | +3 damage on all weapon attacks |
| 7–9 | Honor Code | Strict adherence to win/loss stakes; escalates predictably on refusal |
| 10–13 | Physical Mastery | High Strength and Dexterity rolls; near-unbeatable at chosen contests |
Martial Style #
Style: Hard (Master rank)
A stalwart’s entire self-concept is built on winning single combat and single contests through direct physical superiority — there is no ambush, no trickery, and precious little strategy beyond “be stronger and faster than the other person.” What earns the Master rank isn’t subtlety; it’s the sheer, uncomplicated reliability of a 10–14 HD combatant with exceptional Strength who has spent its entire existence doing nothing but testing that Strength against comers. Refusal to fight fair is the one thing that reliably turns a stalwart from opponent-in-a-contest to opponent-in-a-brawl.
Combat Breath (CB): 10 HD + CON modifier (+2, peak physical specimen) = 12 CB.
Leader Mechanic #
None. Stalwarts are solitary wanderers — No. Appearing 1 (1) in the source confirms there is no tribe, pack, or hierarchy to lead. Each stalwart is its own complete social unit, seeking out challenges rather than followers.
Habitat and Ecology #
Stalwarts have no fixed lair described in the source; they wander in search of humanoid groups of comparable stature to challenge. Their existence is organized entirely around the contest-and-tribute cycle rather than around territory, food, or shelter in any conventional sense.
Treasure #
Base Treasure Type is Nil — a stalwart carries essentially nothing of its own. Its actual income comes entirely from won challenges: half the non-magical wealth of every group it has defeated. A stalwart encountered after a string of wins may be carrying substantial tribute; one encountered fresh may have nothing at all.
Encounter Notes #
The stalwart’s challenge is a genuine alternative to combat, and often a better one — the 1d10+ability contest can be won or lost without a single blow struck, and losing costs a month of labor rather than blood. Parties that refuse the challenge, or win a wager and then don’t collect (or lose one and don’t pay), should expect the stalwart’s Morale to climb to 12 and its patience to run out entirely.
