PDA

View Full Version : Ranking/Titles for the Dead



GuestEleven
2018-09-25, 09:40 AM
Hey fellas. I am starting a new campaign this weekend(I'm fairly new to DMing) and I was wanting help/suggestions. I had the players vote for a storyline to follow and they picked the Undead Army. What I am wanting to do is set up a rank and title system since it is very much a military. I was wanting to stay away from traditional titles such as General or Lieutenant and make some of my own titles that would seem more ominous. Sadly I have hit a bit of writer's block on it.

I'll give a bit of background information so that you will know the types of beings you'd find in this army. It consists of three factions: the Undead of course, beings/creatures from the forest, and the Clans from the north. Everyone from the forest is generally blight/rot spreaders, hexers, and witches. People from the north cover a huge swathe of character types. They were your traditional norsemen, but at some point in recent history their spirits had been denied access into their afterlife, so no more eternity of battle. Thus they have turned to necromancy as a means to fight eternally. Among their ranks are rangers, warriors, spiritualists and shamans.

Here is what I have came up with so far:

Necromancers: Necrolyte, Deathlord

Forest Blighters: Rotwarden

Northerners: Sage, Soul-seer

General: Slaughterlord(Warrior), Dreadmage(Caster)


I think it would be pretty cool trying to make a ranking and title system for each individual style, but I can't help to wonder if this is worth the work. Or maybe I should simplify it? Can't say for sure if my players will enjoy it, that's hard to say because everyone is different. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and suggestions!

oudeis
2018-09-25, 02:26 PM
There's a lot of missing information in your post about the world, the campaign setting, background lore, and so on, so it's difficult to find a context for your questions. Based just on what you've given, for the Norse types, I'd recommend Nordic terms like hersir, thegn, thrall etc. There are many here who can give you a lot more information on this topic than I, so I'll let them take over here. As for the other factions, a lot will depend on their nature. Are The Undead™ the standard-issue mindless ravening horde, or legions of minions controlled and/or raised by their masters, or something else entirely? Different armies will have different types and titles of leadership. What is the nature of the Forest Blighters? Are they supernatural invaders from another plane? Evil Fey? Thralls of a vast and ancient fungus (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141114-the-biggest-organism-in-the-world?ocid=twert) that has achieved sentience and has its sights set on world domination and divine ascension? Without more to go on it's hard to give any meaningful suggestions.

GuestEleven
2018-09-25, 04:53 PM
There's a lot of missing information in your post about the world, the campaign setting, background lore, and so on, so it's difficult to find a context for your questions. Based just on what you've given, for the Norse types, I'd recommend Nordic terms like hersir, thegn, thrall etc. There are many here who can give you a lot more information on this topic than I, so I'll let them take over here. As for the other factions, a lot will depend on their nature. Are The Undead™ the standard-issue mindless ravening horde, or legions of minions controlled and/or raised by their masters, or something else entirely? Different armies will have different types and titles of leadership. What is the nature of the Forest Blighters? Are they supernatural invaders from another plane? Evil Fey? Thralls of a vast and ancient fungus (http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141114-the-biggest-organism-in-the-world?ocid=twert) that has achieved sentience and has its sights set on world domination and divine ascension? Without more to go on it's hard to give any meaningful suggestions.

You're right, sorry about that. I was trying to keep things simple to typing avoid miles of background but left it too open in the process. Silly me.

The Undead are legions of minions like you said. Mindless undead would not achieve any status or rank while the necromancers and minded undead will.

Much of the beings from the forest are a rotting plant-like people that I have made by slightly altering the Ghoran race from Pathfinder. They seek to spread vermin, disease, and make nature rot away. Also in their ranks are witches and hags, and some other casters as well mostly focusing on themes like enchantment and curses. Your typical black forest witches.

If you need more please ask.

Nifft
2018-09-25, 05:32 PM
Hmm, titles. How do you want the split between punny & clever vs. pretentious / portentous?

You could do something with Exhume ~ Ex-Human, that's both punny and somewhat profound.


For Blighters, you could mirror the growth of plants, except they're dead and evil:
- Bleak Sprout
- Grey Sapling
- Vile Shrubbery
- Hedge Carcass
- Barren Bough
- Rotten Redwood
- Sequoia Sepulcher


You could also do titles based on accomplishments, so a Necromancer who can cast Animate Dead / Create Undead could claim the title Reanimator. Various people (NPCs and PCs alike) might decide to NOT put every single capability in their names, of course.

redwizard007
2018-09-26, 07:19 AM
Don't have ranks, have people.

Sure, Bob the Terrible is in command of the whole army, but the rest of the "officers" just command whatever forces are loyal to them personally, or for undead those that they can dominate. In an unorganized force like that you have a general and maybe captains.

GuestEleven
2018-09-26, 07:39 AM
Don't have ranks, have people.

Sure, Bob the Terrible is in command of the whole army, but the rest of the "officers" just command whatever forces are loyal to them personally, or for undead those that they can dominate. In an unorganized force like that you have a general and maybe captains.

The more I have been thinking about it the more that seems to be the way to do things. Maybe just have some levels of prestige that comes with a title. Then I can cater to each player individually. DMing has enough to keep track of, adding a complicated rank and title system to it probably won't help.

Onos
2018-09-26, 09:15 AM
Don't have ranks, have people. *SNIP*
Strongly second this! Much more scope for interesting encounters.

Is everyone/most of the army plant creatures or just part?
If only part you could easily theme 'sections' of the army, somewhat akin to an air force, marines etc.

As for titles Defiler, Bloodreaver, the Unsouled and Lifeslayer spring to mind.

Beleriphon
2018-09-27, 10:27 AM
The thing to remember with ranks an titles is they establish a chain of command, but an undead horde where the vast majority of your force is are mindless zombies the chain of command is basically: creature in charge > those commanding horde > horde. Anything more complicated is unnecessary.