Horseman of War
The Horsemen
The Four Horsemen are primeval incarnations of ideas. They are neither celestial nor fiend, neither good nor evil, but serve as inevitable and eternal forces of balance and neutrality throughout the cosmos. Although the carnage and destruction that they bring is often viewed as “evil,” by the casual observer, the wake of conquest, war, famine, and death is often what upsets the systems of privilege and oppression, bringing down the mighty from their thrones, and lifting up the lowly. In fact, it is often by surviving the hardships wrought by a Horseman that some individuals come to know redemption. A Horseman does not discriminate; it does not know mercy, but neither does it not know malice. Whether by intention or by chance, the ravages of the Horsemen are often the closest thing to “justice” that a cruel and sinful world will ever know.
Eternal Enigmas. The Horsemen often appear in the form of humanoid creatures astride mighty steeds; however, these are simply manifestations of ideas, and the true essence of a Horseman is as old and terrible as the idea it represents. The Four Horseman are truly fearsome to behold in combat, and if they ride into battle together, they are a nigh unstoppable force. However, even if one of them is isolated and defeated, its death is not permanent. As long as Conquest, War, Famine, and Death exist in the world, there will always be manifestations of these ideas; there will always be Horsemen.
Servants of the Seals. The Horsemen are magically bound to the Scroll of the Seven Seals. If a creature uses its action to break the seals, the Horsemen are released into the world, they unquestioningly follow the instructions of the creature that released them. Luckily, an ancient prophecy foretells that “only the Son of Man, firstborn of the virgin, who became sin and died by human hands” can open the scroll and read its contents.
War
“Out came another horse, bright red; its rider took peace from the earth, so that people would slaughter
each other; and he wielded a great sword.”
-Revelation 6:4
Sower of Chaos. The second Horseman is the incarnation of chaos and bloodshed. While Conquest and War may seem similar on paper, nothing could be further from the truth. War thrives on bloody violence, hurling himself into the front lines of conflict with reckless abandon. War is known to travel at random throughout time and throughout the cosmos, randomly inciting violence and aggression wherever he goes.
War’s Tactics. War feels that his greatest strength is his unpredictability, and will do all he can to keep a battlefield chaotic and his enemies off-balance.
Horseman of War
Large Enigma, Chaotic Neutral
Armor Class: 20 (natural armor)
Hit Points: 276 (19d12 + 152)
Speed: 60 ft.
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 (+8) | 15 (+2) | 27 (+8) | 16 (+3) | 16 (+3) | 21 (+5) |
Saving Throws: Str +15, Con +15, Cha +12
Skills: Athletics +15, History +17, Survival +10
Damage Resistances: bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities: thunder
Condition Immunities: charmed, exhaustion, frightened, poisoned.
Senses: truesight 120 ft., passive perception 13
Languages: the languages of any creature that has ever been killed within 100 feet of where the Horseman is standing.
Challenge: 21 (33,000 XP) Proficiency: +7
Features
Aura of War: An aura extends from the Horseman for 60 feet in all directions. All creatures on the Material Plane within this area become irrationally aggressive and prone to acts of brutal violence.
Blood Frenzy: The Horseman has advantage on melee attack rolls against a creature that does not have all its hit points.
Innate Spellcasting: The Horseman can innately cast one of the following spells, requiring no material components and using Charisma as the spellcasting ability (DC 20, +12 to hit).
At Will: confusion, destructive wave
Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If the Horseman fails a saving throw, it can choose to succeed instead.
Mounted Rider: The rider and its horse are treated as one creature, and the rider cannot be dismounted against its will. If the horseman chooses to dismount, both the rider and horse continue to share hit points, stats, and a telepathic link.
Sword of War: The Horseman’s weapon attacks are magical.
Violent Regeneration: If the Horseman deals damage to at least one creature with a melee attack during its turn, it regains 20 hit points at the end of that turn.
Actions
Multiattack: The Horseman makes two attacks with its Sword of War.
Sword of War: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 17 (2d8 + 8) slashing damage plus 11 (2d10) thunder damage.
Hooves: Melee Weapon Attack: +15 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (2d6 + 8) bludgeoning damage.
Reckless Trample: The Horseman rears back on its hind legs and makes a powerful stomp with its hooves. Each creature within 30 feet of the Horseman must succeed on a DC 23 Strength saving throw or take (8d6) thunder damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save a creature takes half as much damage and is not knocked prone. This attack leaves the Horseman off balance and vulnerable. All attacks against it may be made with advantage until the start of its next turn.
Bonus Actions
Aggressive: As a bonus action, the Horseman can move up to its speed toward an enemy it can see or hear.
Legendary Actions
The Horseman can take 3 Legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action option can be used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. The Horseman regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Fortify: The Horseman braces itself for an attack, causing its AC to become 22 until the start of its next turn.
Thunderwave: The Horseman sends a wave of thunderous force sweeping out in a 15-foot-cube, centered on itself. Each creature in this area must make a DC 20 Constitution saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) thunder damage on a failure or half as much on a success.
Hooves (Costs 2 Actions): The Horseman makes one attack with his Hooves.
Battlefield Shift (Costs 3 Actions): The Horseman immediately transports itself and all creatures within 250 feet to another time and place within the Veil. The destination must be the scene of a bloody conflict from human history with which the Horseman is familiar. Although this action causes the terrain to change dramatically, all creatures transported in this way maintain their positions relative to each other on the battlefield.
Azrael's Guide to the Apocalypse, printed pages 204, 206.