Day One Martyr
A believer who lost everything to the Corps and found Day One.
A Day One Martyr is a recruit radicalised by grief, poverty, or the simple arithmetic of the Rim: the Corps took everything, the Confederation let them, and Day One is the only thing fighting back. They are not soldiers; they are civilians who picked up a slug pistol and a cause, and the cause is what keeps them standing. They are brave in a way that scares professionals, because bravery born of despair does not calculate odds.
A single Martyr is a sad, dangerous thing. A cell of four under a Cell Leader is a tactical problem. A Martyr with an IED is a disaster. The lever is the cause: break the Martyr's conviction and they crumble; confirm it and they will walk into the fire.
Rules Reference
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Abilities / Cha | 12 |
| Abilities / Con | 12 |
| Abilities / Dex | 12 |
| Abilities / Int | 10 |
| Abilities / Str | 10 |
| Abilities / Wis | 10 |
| Armor Class | 12 |
| Base Attack Bonus | 1 |
| Creature Type | Humanoid |
| Flat Ac | 10 |
| Hd Count | 1 |
| Hd Sides | 8 |
| Hit Dice | 1d8+1 |
| Hit Points | 6 |
| Hp Bonus | 1 |
| Initiative | 1 |
| Languages | Trade Cant; one Rim dialect |
| Morale | Fanatic (15) while the cause holds; collapses to Broken (2) if the cause is shattered |
| Psionics | None |
| Resistances | Nothing Left to Lose (immune to conventional Intimidation and fear from physical threats) |
| Role Tags | Minion, Ranged, Zealot |
| Saves / Fort | 3 |
| Saves / Ref | 3 |
| Saves / Will | 3 |
| Senses | Normal human vision; paranoid awareness grants +2 to Notice vs surprise and ambush; passive Perception 12 |
| Size | M |
| Skills / Athletics | 2 |
| Skills / Notice | 3 |
| Skills / Persuasion | 2 |
| Skills / Stealth | 4 |
| Skills / Streetwise | 3 |
| Speed | 30 |
| Threat Rating | 1 |
| Touch Ac | 11 |
| Xp | 75 |
| Dialogue Path | game/dialogue/npc-day-one-martyr.yaml |
Notes
Full Attack: Scrounged slug pistol ranged +2 (1d6 energy; range 20 ft; jams on natural 1) or Knife melee +2 (1d4 slashing) or IED Vest (4d6 ballistic; 20-ft burst, DC 13 Reflex half; Martyr dies; 1/encounter)
Habitat: Rim stations, frontier settlements, under-hab warrens, and anywhere the Confederation's grip has created grievances. Found in cells of 3-6 under a Cell Leader, on operations, at rallies, or standing watch at a safe-house. Roll 1d6: 1-2 = Martyr on watch at a safe- house (paranoid, alert), 3-4 = Martyr on an operation (focused, obedient), 5-6 = Martyr cornered after a failed operation (IED vest armed, nothing left to say).
Tactics: The Martyr follows the Cell Leader's orders without hesitation. They fire from cover when told, charge when directed, and detonate when designated. They do not plan; they execute. If the Cell Leader falls, the Martyrs fight with For the Cause's grief bonus until the last one drops or the cause breaks. The IED vest is the last card -- used only when the Cell Leader calls it or when the Martyr has nothing left but the vest.
Treasure: Scrounged slug pistol (50 rek, unreliable), knife (5 rek), Day One cipher-patch or token (sentimental; 0 rek to outsiders), personal effects (a photograph, a name, a date -- the reason they fight), 1d6 rek in loose coin.
Vulnerabilities: Cause-dependent (if the Martyr's conviction is broken -- proof Day One is a lie, Cell Leader betrayal, or that their sacrifice is meaningless -- the Martyr loses all bonuses and must make a DC 14 Will save or collapse; on a success they fight at -2 to all rolls for the rest of the encounter), Expendable (the Martyr is designed to be spent; the Cell Leader will use Martyr's Gambit without hesitation, and the Martyr will accept it)
Attacks
Scrounged slug pistol
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | ranged |
damage | 1d6 |
damageType | energy |
name | Scrounged slug pistol |
notes | Salvaged or donated; unreliable, jams on natural 1 |
rangeFt | 20 |
Knife or Improvised Weapon
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 2 |
category | melee |
damage | 1d4 |
damageType | slashing |
name | Knife or Improvised Weapon |
notes | Whatever they brought from home |
IED Vest (Suicide)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
bonus | 0 |
category | melee |
damage | 4d6 |
damageType | ballistic |
name | IED Vest (Suicide) |
rangeFt | 0 |
notes: 20-ft burst, DC 13 Reflex half; detonated as a standard action; the Martyr is reduced to 0 HP (dead) regardless of the result; 1/encounter, and only if the Cell Leader has designated a Martyr's Gambit or the Martyr has failed a morale check against the cause
Special Abilities
Nothing Left to Lose
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | passive |
name | Nothing Left to Lose |
description: The Martyr is immune to normal morale pressure from physical threats, pain, or the prospect of death. They cannot be Intimidated into surrender by conventional means. Only threats to the cause (evidence that Day One is a lie, that the Cell Leader has betrayed them, or that their sacrifice will mean nothing) require a Will save. Player-visible: the Martyr does not flinch. They have already decided.
For the Cause
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Free (1/round) |
name | For the Cause |
description: When a Day One Cell Leader or another Martyr is killed within 30 ft, the Martyr gains +2 to attack rolls and +2 to Will saves for the rest of the encounter (grief-fuelled fury). This bonus stacks once. Player-visible: the Martyr looks at the body, looks at the enemy, and stops caring about cover.
Martyr's Gambit (Designated)
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
actionCost | Standard |
name | Martyr's Gambit (Designated) |
description: When a Cell Leader uses Martyr's Gambit to designate this Martyr, the Martyr moves up to full speed, provokes no attacks of opportunity, and makes a single attack at +4 to hit and +2d6 damage. After the attack the Martyr is reduced to 0 HP (unconscious). If the Martyr uses the IED Vest instead, see the IED Vest attack. Player-visible: the Cell Leader looks at the Martyr, the Martyr nods, and then the Martyr runs.