Guard Captain

A guard captain ally is one of the easier framings in the bestiary. The party has been deputized for a manhunt. They've hired the captain as muscle for an escort. The captain is a retired veteran the wizard's mother knew. The party is the captain's deniable asset for a problem the city can't admit to. All of these are normal campaign starts.

Use the captain as a competent NPC who covers the party's blind spots. They open doors the party can't (literally; they have a key to the watchhouse), they vouch for the party with merchants and other officers, and they bring two javelins per turn at +6 to a fight where the party needs a reliable second front. AC 18 with shield means the captain can soak hits the rogue can't, and 75 HP is enough to make them a real combatant rather than a fragile escort. Athletics +6 also makes them useful for hauling a downed PC out of melee.

The captain has rules. They will not commit crimes against the city they serve. They will object loudly if the party tortures a prisoner, robs a corpse of identifiable goods, or kills a surrendering enemy. Treat the captain as a brake on party excess, not a yes-man. If the party crosses a line, the captain reports it.

When the contract ends, the captain returns to their post. Have them show up later in the campaign as a reference point: the player who tipped well at the end gets a nod across the market, the one who lied about the loot gets a cold stare. Small reactions, long memory.

A guard captain is the named officer behind the line of regular guards. CR 4, AC 18, 75 HP, and a multiattack that does real damage at low levels: two attacks at +6, longsword for 15 slashing or javelin for 14 piercing at melee or 30/120 range. The captain is what makes a city watch encounter dangerous instead of a rolling joke.

Run the captain as the brain of the squad. They open by giving orders, not attacking. A free verbal command on the captain's turn redirects subordinate guards to focus a single PC or fall back to a chokepoint. Use the captain's first round to throw two javelins at the party's caster from 30 ft. while the line of guards engages the front. Range 30/120 means the captain stays out of sword reach until the line breaks.

Once melee is unavoidable, the captain steps in with longsword and shield. AC 18 is high for the level range that fights captains, so the party will miss often. Athletics +6 lets the captain Shove a flanking rogue prone before swinging. With two attacks per turn and 75 HP, a captain takes two to three rounds for a tier-2 party to drop, which is exactly long enough for the rest of the squad to matter.

Guard captains have morale. WIS 14, no Frightened immunity, but a captain doesn't run while their squad is fighting. Once the squad is broken, the captain either surrenders (if the party takes prisoners) or fights to the death (if they have a personal stake, like the party just killed their lieutenant). Pick the choice that serves the campaign and play it through.

Give the captain a name and a visible insignia before initiative. When the party kills them, the city has a funeral and the next captain knows the party's faces.