draw-steel-retainer-generator

name: draw-steel-retainer-generator description: Generates Draw Steel TTRPG retainers (NPC followers) with formula-compliant stat blocks. Use when creating retainers, converting monsters to retainers, or designing NPC followers for the Draw Steel tabletop roleplaying game. license: MIT compatibility: Designed for Foundry VTT v0.11.0+, Claude Code, Cursor, Gemini CLI, and Antigravity Google following the Agent Skills specification. metadata: author: stgreenb version: "1.1"

Draw Steel Retainer Generator

Generate Draw Steel TTRPG retainers that strictly conform to official MCDM stat block format from the Retainers chapter.

Quick Start

Input Format: "Create a [Level] [Retainer Name], [Role] [options]"

Examples:

• "Create a Level 1 Human Warrior, Defender"
• "Create a Level 5 Goblin Guide, Harrier"
• "Create a Level 3 Angulotl Hopper, Ambusher"

Output Formats: --format markdown (default) or --format foundry (for Foundry VTT v0.11.0 JSON)

Foundry VTT Export

Retainers can be exported to Foundry VTT JSON format using --format foundry. The generated JSON conforms to the Draw Steel v0.11.0 retainer actor type.

Reference: See references/foundry-export.md for complete JSON structure.

Key Export Differences from Monsters

Retainer Core Mechanics

What is a Retainer?

Retainers are NPC followers who fight alongside heroes. They have distinct mechanics from monsters:

• Mentor Relationship: Each retainer is bound to a specific hero (their mentor)
• Action Economy: Retainers act on their mentor's turn - they get 1 move, 1 maneuver, and 1 main action
• Recoveries: Retainers have 6 recoveries (like heroes)
• Death & Dying: Retainers go dying at 0 Stamina and die at negative half their maximum Stamina
• Surge Sharing: Retainers share surges with their mentor - when the retainer spends a surge, the mentor loses one

Mentor Relationship

• The retainer is bound to one specific hero (the mentor)
• Retainers act on their mentor's turn
• Abilities may reference "the retainer's mentor" or "adjacent to mentor"
• Positioning near mentor can provide bonuses (edges, cover, etc.)

Action Economy

Retainers receive these actions each turn:

• 1 Move: Standard movement
• 1 Maneuver: Doesn't consume main action
• 1 Main Action: Primary ability use

Retainer Advancement Formulas

Stamina Formula

Stamina = 21 + (9 × (Level - 1))

Free Strike Damage Progression

Free strike is assigned thematically based on creature concept - there is NO fixed formula.

Level 1 Typical Range: 2-3

• 2 is most common
• 3 for martial types (Brute, Defender)

Advancement Table Bonuses: +2 at levels 3, 6, 9

Role Guidance:

• Brutes: Higher free strike
• Artillery/Controllers: Lower free strike at same level

Characteristic Increases

Characteristics increase at levels 2, 5, and 8.

Advancement Abilities

Retainers gain special abilities at levels 4, 7, and 10 based on their role.

Retainer Advancement Table

Signature Ability Rules

What is a Signature Ability?

The signature ability is the retainer's primary combat ability. Every retainer MUST have exactly one signature ability.

Format:

• Name includes "(Signature Ability)" suffix
• Uses "Power Roll + highest characteristic"
• Has tier outcomes (≤11, 12-16, 17+)

Signature Ability Damage Scaling

Level 1 Base Damage Patterns:

• Pattern A: 3/5/7 (tier 1/2/3)
• Pattern B: 4/7/10 (tier 1/2/3)

Damage Scaling from Advancement Table:

• Tier 1: +1 damage every 2nd level
• Tier 2/3: +1 damage every level

Example Level 5 Signature:

• Base (L1): 3/5/7
• L5 scaling: Tier 1 +2, Tier 2 +4, Tier 3 +4
• L5 total: 5/9/11

Signature Ability Format

> 🗡 **Ability Name (Signature Ability)**
> 
> **Melee 1** • **One creature**
> 
> Power Roll + highest characteristic:
> - **≤11:** 3 damage
> - **12-16:** 5 damage
> - **17+:** 7 damage

Encounter Abilities

Encounter Keyword

Some retainer abilities have the Encounter keyword, meaning they can only be used once per encounter.

Recovery After Victory

Encounter abilities are recovered when the retainer's mentor earns a Victory.

Encounter Ability Format

> 🗡 **Ability Name (Encounter)**
> 
> **Ranged 5** • **One creature**
> 
> Power Roll + highest characteristic:
> - **≤11:** 4 damage
> - **12-16:** 7 damage
> - **17+:** 10 damage

Role Advancement Abilities

Retainers gain special abilities at levels 4, 7, and 10 based on their role.

Ambusher

Artillery

Brute

Controller

Defender

Harrier

Hexer

Mount

Support

Magic/Psionic Keyword Swapping

In role advancement abilities:

• Magic keyword can be swapped for Psionic
• Psionic keyword can be swapped for Magic
• Keywords can be removed if effects are achieved through gadgetry or martial means

Custom Retainer Creation

Converting Monsters to Retainers

You can create custom retainers by converting existing monsters.

Restrictions

CANNOT be converted:

• Minion monsters
• Leader monsters
• Solo monsters

Conversion Rules

1. Area/Multi-target abilities: Convert to single target only
2. No malice abilities: Retainers don't have malice
3. Use retainer stamina formula: Replace monster stamina with retainer formula
4. Assign appropriate role: Match monster's combat style
5. Create unique abilities: Don't copy monster abilities directly

Custom Retainer Example

Original: Level 3 Wolf (Platoon Harrier) Converted: Level 3 Wolf Companion (Harrier Retainer)

• Stamina: Use retainer formula (39)
• Signature: Single-target bite (not pack tactics)
• Role abilities: Harrier advancement abilities

Stat Block Format

Markdown Stat Block Structure

## Retainer Name

**Keywords** • Level X [Role]

|  |  |
|---|---|
| **1M** Size<br/> 5 Speed | 21 Stamina<br/> 2 Stability<br/> 2 Free Strike |
| **—** Immunity<br/> **—** Movement<br/> **—** With Captain<br/> **—** Weakness | **+2** Might<br/> **+1** Agility<br/> **−1** Reason<br/> **+1** Intuition<br/> **−1** Presence |

> 🗡 **Signature Ability Name (Signature Ability)**
> 
> [Distance] • [Target]
> 
> Power Roll + highest characteristic:
> - **≤11:** [Tier 1 effect]
> - **12-16:** [Tier 2 effect]
> - **17+:** [Tier 3 effect]

> ⭐️ **Trait Name**
> 
> [Trait description]

> 🗡 **Other Ability Name**
> 
> [Distance] • [Target]
> 
> [Ability description]

Header Row

Contains: Keywords, Level, Role, EV

EV Field: Shows "—" for standard retainers

Stats Row

Contains: Size, Speed, Stamina, Stability, Free Strike

Size Notation:

• 1M: Medium humanoid (most common)
• 1S: Small creature
• 1L: Large creature
• 2: Huge creature

Speed by Role/Creature:

• Standard: 5 (base humanoid)
• Fast: 6-7 (agile creatures, Harriers)
• Very Fast: 8 (maximum typical)
• Special: Fly, Swim, Climb, Burrow

Defenses Row

Contains: Immunities, Movement types, With Captain, Weaknesses

Immunities: Thematic (devil → fire, undead → poison/corruption) With Captain: Always "—" for retainers (unlike minions) Weaknesses: Thematic or "—"

Characteristics Row

Contains: Might, Agility, Reason, Intuition, Presence

Characteristic Patterns by Role:

• Physical roles (Brute, Defender, Harrier): Higher Might/Agility
• Caster roles (Hexer, Controller): Higher Reason/Intuition/Presence
• Support role: Distributed based on theme

Typical Level 1 Range: -1 to +2

Ability Block Format

Abilities use blockquote format with icons:

Published Retainer Examples

Angulotl Hopper (Level 1 Harrier)

## Angulotl Hopper

**Angulotl, Humanoid** • Level 1 Harrier Retainer

|  |  |
|---|---|
| **1S** Size<br/> 6 Speed | 21 Stamina<br/> 0 Stability<br/> 2 Free Strike |
| **Poison 2** Immunity<br/> **Climb, swim** Movement<br/> **—** With Captain<br/> **—** Weakness | **+1** Might<br/> **+2** Agility<br/> **0** Reason<br/> **0** Intuition<br/> **0** Presence |

> 🗡 **Leapfrog (Signature Ability)**
> 
> **Melee 1** • **One creature or object**
> 
> Power Roll + highest characteristic:
> - **≤11:** 3 damage
> - **12-16:** 5 damage
> - **17+:** 7 damage
> 
> **Effect:** Before or after making this strike, the hopper jumps up to 2 squares, or up to 4 squares if they jump over their mentor's space.

> ⭐️ **Toxiferous**
> 
> Whenever an adjacent enemy grabs the hopper or uses a melee ability against them, that enemy takes 3 poison damage.

Goblin Guide (Level 1 Harrier)

## Goblin Guide

**Goblin, Humanoid** • Level 1 Harrier Retainer

|  |  |
|---|---|
| **1S** Size<br/> 5 Speed | 21 Stamina<br/> 0 Stability<br/> 2 Free Strike |
| **—** Immunity<br/> **Climb** Movement<br/> **—** With Captain<br/> **—** Weakness | **−1** Might<br/> **+1** Agility<br/> **0** Reason<br/> **0** Intuition<br/> **+1** Presence |

> 🗡 **Stabbity Stab (Signature Ability)**
> 
> **Melee 1** • **One creature or object**
> 
> Power Roll + highest characteristic:
> - **≤11:** 3 damage
> - **12-16:** 5 damage
> - **17+:** 7 damage
> 
> **Effect:** The target can't make opportunity attacks until the end of the guide's turn.

> ⭐️ **Crafty**
> 
> The guide doesn't provoke opportunity attacks by moving.

Human Warrior (Level 1 Defender)

## Human Warrior

**Human, Humanoid** • Level 1 Defender Retainer

|  |  |
|---|---|
| **1M** Size<br/> 5 Speed | 21 Stamina<br/> 0 Stability<br/> 2 Free Strike |
| **—** Immunity<br/> **—** Movement<br/> **—** With Captain<br/> **—** Weakness | **+2** Might<br/> **0** Agility<br/> **0** Reason<br/> **0** Intuition<br/> **+1** Presence |

> 🗡 **Chop (Signature Ability)**
> 
> **Melee 1** • **One creature or object**
> 
> Power Roll + highest characteristic:
> - **≤11:** 3 damage
> - **12-16:** 5 damage
> - **17+:** 7 damage
> 
> **Effect:** If the warrior is adjacent to their mentor, this ability gains an edge.

> ⭐️ **Supernatural Insight**
> 
> The warrior ignores concealment if it's granted by a supernatural effect.

Cross-System Conversion

D&D/PF2e Anti-Patterns (NEVER USE)

Conversion Rules

Inspiration Only - Do NOT copy mechanics directly:

1. Extract THEME and CONCEPT
2. Use creature type for keywords
3. Reimagine abilities with Draw Steel mechanics
4. Calculate using Draw Steel formulas

Dice to Fixed Value Conversion

Advantage/Disadvantage → Edge/Bane

• D&D "advantage" → Draw Steel "edge"
• D&D "disadvantage" → Draw Steel "bane"

D&D Characteristics → Draw Steel

Valid Keywords Reference

When validating damage types or conditions: ../shared/DRAW_STEEL_BASICS.md

Valid Creature Keywords

• abyssal, accursed, animal, beast, construct, dragon, elemental, fey, giant, horror, humanoid, infernal, plant, soulless, swarm, undead

Valid Ability Keywords

• animal, animapathy, area, charge, chronopathy, cryokinesis, earth, fire, green, magic, melee, metamorphosis, psionic, pyrokinesis, ranged, resopathy, rot, performance, strike, telekinesis, telepathy, void, weapon

Potency Notation

Markdown Format

Use < notation for potency in markdown:

- **≤11:** 3 damage; M < 2 prone
- **12-16:** 5 damage; M < 3 prone
- **17+:** 7 damage; M < 4 prone

Potency Levels

DC is Never Used

Draw Steel does NOT use DC (Difficulty Class). Always use potency notation.

Fixed Damage Values

Critical Rule

Draw Steel NEVER uses dice notation. Always use fixed values.

• ❌ WRONG: "1d6+3 damage"
• ✅ CORRECT: "6 damage"

Damage Patterns

Signature ability damage follows predictable patterns based on level and tier.

Validation

Self-Validation Checklist

Before output, verify:

• Exactly one signature ability exists
• Signature ability has "(Signature Ability)" in name
• Power roll uses "highest characteristic" not specific characteristic
• Advancement abilities at levels 4, 7, 10 for appropriate levels
• Encounter abilities include "(Encounter)" in name
• Stamina matches formula: 21 + (9 × (Level - 1))
• Characteristics within bounds for level
• No D&D/PF2e terminology
• Damage types are valid Draw Steel types
• Conditions are valid Draw Steel conditions
• Ability keywords are lowercase and valid

Stamina Validation

Expected Stamina = 21 + (9 × (Level - 1))

Verify calculated stamina matches expected.

Characteristics Bounds

No D&D/PF2e Terminology

Scan for forbidden terms:

• hit points, HP, AC, saving throw
• advantage, disadvantage
• dice notation (d4, d6, d8, d20)
• invalid damage types (piercing, slashing, etc.)
• invalid conditions (stunned, paralyzed, etc.)

Free Strike Values

Assignment Rules

Free strike is assigned thematically based on creature concept, NOT by formula.

Level 1 Guidelines:

• Standard: 2 (most common)
• Martial/combat-focused: 3 (Brutes, some Defenders, Orc Charger)

Advancement Bonuses:

• Level 3: +2
• Level 6: +2
• Level 9: +2

Role Guidance (Guidelines Only)

Free strike varies more by individual concept than by role:

Stability Patterns by Role

Stability varies based on the retainer's individual concept, not just role. Use these as guidelines:

Size Patterns

Speed Patterns

Special Movement:

• Fly: Flying creatures
• Swim: Aquatic creatures
• Climb: Climbing creatures
• Burrow: Burrowing creatures

Signature Ability Damage Patterns

Level 1 Base Patterns

Scaling Rules

• Tier 1: +1 every 2nd level
• Tier 2: +1 every level
• Tier 3: +1 every level

Power Roll Format

Signature abilities always use:

Power Roll + highest characteristic:

Never specify a particular characteristic.

Ability Count Patterns

Standard Retainer

• 1 signature ability (required)
• 0-2 additional abilities
• Optional traits

Trait Marking

Traits use ⭐️ symbol and don't consume actions:

> ⭐️ **Trait Name**
> 
> [Trait description]

Ability Types

Immunity Patterns

By Creature Type

Immunity Values

• Typically equals retainer level
• Or small fixed value (2-6)

Movement Type Patterns

Characteristic Patterns by Role

Physical Roles

Brute: High Might (+2), moderate Agility (+1), low mental stats Defender: High Might (+2), moderate Agility (+1), moderate Presence (+1) Harrier: High Agility (+2), moderate Might (+1), low mental stats

Caster Roles

Hexer: High Intuition/Presence (+2), moderate Reason (+1), low physical Controller: High Reason (+2), moderate Intuition (+1), low physical

Other Roles

Ambusher: High Agility (+2), moderate Might (+1) Artillery: Balanced Agility/Reason Mount: High Might (+2), low mental Support: Distributed based on theme

Mentor Integration Patterns

Abilities Benefiting Mentor

Abilities may reference the mentor:

> ⭐️ **Protective Instinct**
> 
> While adjacent to their mentor, the retainer grants the mentor +2 stability.

Triggered Abilities Involving Mentor

> ❗️ **Guardian's Reflex**
> 
> **Trigger:** An enemy targets the retainer's mentor with an attack.
> **Effect:** The retainer shifts up to 2 squares to become adjacent to the mentor.

Positioning Bonuses

Common when adjacent to mentor:

• Edge on abilities
• Cover bonuses
• Stability bonuses

Create Unique Abilities

Critical Rule

Each retainer should have unique, thematic abilities.

✅ DO:

• Create abilities fitting the retainer's theme
• Consider role, creature type, and concept
• Invent new names and effects
• Make abilities tell a story

❌ DO NOT:

• Copy published examples verbatim
• Use generic names ("Attack", "Strike")
• Copy D&D/PF2e mechanics

Example

Creating a Wolf Companion:

• ❌ WRONG: Copy "Stinger Strike" renamed to "Bite"
• ✅ RIGHT: Create "Pack Hunter's Fang" with bleeding and isolation bonuses

Power Roll Format

Standard Format

Power Roll + highest characteristic:
- **≤11:** [Tier 1 effect]
- **12-16:** [Tier 2 effect]
- **17+:** [Tier 3 effect]

Advancement Abilities with Power Rolls

Same format, may have variable effects per tier:

> 🗡 **Inspiring Word (Encounter)**
> 
> **Ranged 5** • **The retainer's mentor or one ally adjacent to the mentor**
> 
> Power Roll + Presence:
> - **≤11:** The target makes a save.
> - **12-16:** The target makes a save and gains 5 stamina.
> - **17+:** The target makes a save with an edge and gains 10 stamina.

Ability Action Types

Ability Distance Types

Ability Target Types

Stat Block Fields

EV Field

Always shows "—" for standard retainers.

With Captain Field

Always shows "—" for all retainers (unlike minions which have special bonuses).

Both fields appear in the defenses row of the stat block.

Using Examples as Inspiration

CRITICAL: Published examples are templates only.

• ✅ Use for structure and format reference
• ❌ Do NOT copy abilities verbatim
• ✅ Create unique, thematic abilities for each retainer

Self-Validation Checklist (Complete)

Run through all checks before output:

1. Signature Ability

   • Exactly one signature ability exists
   • Signature ability name includes "(Signature Ability)"
   • Power roll uses "highest characteristic" (not specific)

2. Advancement Abilities

   • L4+ retainers have appropriate role advancement ability
   • L7+ retainers have second advancement ability
   • L10 retainers have third advancement ability
   • Encounter abilities marked with "(Encounter)"

3. Stamina & Stats

   • Stamina matches formula: 21 + (9 × (Level - 1))
   • Characteristics within bounds for level
   • Stability appropriate for role
   • Speed appropriate for creature type

4. Terminology

   • No D&D/PF2e terminology
   • No dice notation (d4, d6, d8, d20)
   • Valid Draw Steel damage types
   • Valid Draw Steel conditions
   • Valid creature and ability keywords (lowercase)

5. Stat Block Format

   • Correct header format (Keywords • Level X Role)
   • Correct table structure
   • EV shows "—"
   • With Captain shows "—"
   • Ability icons used correctly
   • Traits marked with ⭐️