I stared at the horrifying creatures before me. For a while, I was too terrified to even think about looking at their tropes on the red wallpaper. When I did, I was in for a shock. Usually, when I looked at the tropes of a high-level enemy, there were some that I couldn’t see. Trope Master was a Savvy-based ability, after all. Most strong enemies have enough Savvy to block the ability to some extent.

With the Avenging Dead, that wasn’t the case at all. I could see every single trope they had, which meant one thing: they had little to no Savvy.

They were zombies after all. Even spiritual avenging zombies didn’t need Savvy or Moxie or Hustle. That meant that the horde’s entire 52 points of Plot Armor was devoted to some combination of Grit and Mettle. That was terrifying.

As I scanned through the tropes, I found that their lack of Savvy, Moxie, and Hustle was countered by abilities that circumvented those weaknesses. Something I had learned from the Vets was that as storylines scaled in recommended Plot Armor, the difficulty in completing them scaled faster.

At level 20, fighting a level 20 enemy is difficult but not impossible. At level 50, fighting a level 50 enemy was a nightmare. Thinking back on it, I was lucky that the Grotesques had a readily accessible weakness.

This could illustrate that. Enemies who could completely circumvent stat differences with a single trope were in a league of their own. When an enemy suddenly no longer has to worry about a stat, it can devote those points to another one.

The Avenging Dead

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Plot Armor: 52

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Tropes

Fungible Enemy

This enemy is composed of countless largely interchangeable units whose numbers will not diminish until the scene is concluded. There always seems to be more to come.

Death Finds a Way

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This enemy will have a heightened chance of finding the victims it seeks regardless of how likely that scenario may be on paper. Determined by a comparison of Effective Plot Armor.

Inescapable Death Sequence

Once this killer has initiated its kill sequence, the victim is doomed unless counteracted by a trope or a saving throw. Even though logically, the victim should be able to escape or fight back, they will fail.

Hive Mind

This creature's mind is linked to that of similar creatures.

Soft Magic is Confusing

The enemy’s lore is vague and broad and offers little insight into the specifics of how the enemy operates.

Mindfully Mindless

Despite having little to no intelligence, this enemy will somehow manage to thwart the well-laid plans of very intelligent adversaries. Buffs Savvy saving throws.

Fate Doesn’t Run

This enemy will not run after their victim, yet they are never far behind in a chase scene. Buffs Hustle saving throws.

Join Us

This enemy has some means of increasing its numbers through conversion.

The Unseen Hand

This enemy is guided by a greater force. This guidance may be a part of the lore or the meta.

Confess!

The presence of this enemy will compel those nearby to ponder their morality, grievances, and outlook on death.

Your Blood Runs Cold

Seeing this enemy will cause great mental distress. Debuffs Moxie and Savvy.

Strength In Numbers

The enemy is at its strongest in groups. Singling its members out will weaken them substantially.

Territorial

This killer will punish those who harm its domain.

Whispers in the Dark

This creature can sense a player or NPC's vulnerabilities and manipulate them via impulsive thoughts, perceived as whispers.

Cloaked in Atmosphere

When this enemy enters a scene, it will change lighting and sound design, and possibly have other noticeable effects.

Convenient Spirituality

Does this enemy have powers beyond its physical body? It must, even if it doesn’t often show them.

Keep You On Your Toes

This enemy has a heightened chance of finding and subduing victims who are not paying attention.