Built in the time of the Clone Wars, General Grievous was a monster constructed for a single task; the destruction of the Jedi. Where other battle droids were built to fight Stormtroopers, and while Grievous was more than capable of also doing so, what he was truly built to do was fight against Jedi Generals, in groups if need be, and win. Built by the Commerce Guild, and trained with lightsaber combat strategy gained from Darth Tyranus and Darth Sidious, this warlord-turned-war droid was more than capable of defeating virtually any Jedi in combat. If the need arose, Grievous could wield multiple lightsabers, splitting its arms, and sometimes even one held in a foot. Along with its knowledge of stealth, Grievous has the ability to walk on other surfaces, such as ceilings, that allows Grievous to ambush even groups of Jedi, and win. One of his most fearsome encounters was the Battle of Hypori, which sees him single-handedly attacking a group of seven Jedi masters, as well as several knights and Padawan apprentices, totaling approximatley nine additional Jedi. Grievous was victorious, and Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi was the only one of the Jedi alive at the end. At the last battle of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi engages General Grievous, and with a lucky blaster shot, manages to kill the monster. After the Clone Wars and the fall of the Jedi Order, along with the Old Republic, there was no real reason to have such a machine, and so Grievous was never replaced. Much later, Grand Admiral Thrawn discovered the plans for the cyborg, but never found a chance to make use of them. After Exar Kun ascended to the position of Emperor, he found these plans, and decided that such a powerful device should not go to waste. Should the Jedi again begin to rise to prominence, they may discover that a very dangerous threat awaits all those who dare to call themselves Jedi.
Near the end of the Clone Wars, the forces of the Trade Federation and the Techno Union combined their knowledge of droids and construction and created, from the wreck of a Kaleesh warlord, the hideous cyborg General Grievous. This warlord-turned-war machine was built to destroy the Jedi who led the Clone armies against the Confederacy of Allied Worlds, and Darth Tyrannus personally trained it in the arts of lightsaber combat, to facilitate this purpose. General Grievous was released upon the universe, and, with an army of battle droids behind it, went to do war against the Republic. When it discovered a cadre of Jedi masters, on the world of Hypori, several of which who were Council Members, and their Padawans, Grievous ordered his sizable army to hold back. It engaged the Jedi all at once, alone, and defeated all nine knights and apprentices, and all but one of the seven masters. Only Ki-Adi-Mundi survived to ever reveal what had befallen the Jedi at the Battle of Hypori. Over the course of the remaining battles of the Clone Wars, Grievous continued to waylay and slay Jedi, even going so far as to attack Coruscant in surprise, and pluck the Chancellor right out from the Jedi's clutches. Finally, only days before the war ended, Obi-Wan Kenobi confronted the droid commander and, in a heated battle, destroyed the monstrosity. The death of General Grievous was also the sign to the soon-to-be Emperor to initiate Order 66, causing the clone troops to eradicate their Jedi generals.
For decades since, this unholy terror has been forgotten, for the Jedi were wiped out, and few others had a need to remember it. After the Purge, such a servant was no longer necessary, and the Emperor had Darth Vader to serve him, if such a thing was needed. However, it would seem that, in the past, Darth Tyrannus had planned ahead. Whether it was to possibly use against his master later, or to be able to replace him, if such proved necessary, Tyrannus made a copy of Grievous’s brain pattern and memories, keeping them in a computer file on Coruscant, along with the design specs for Grievous’s body. This information; the method of construction, along with the Grievous core personality, has been re-discovered by the new Emperor, Exar Kun. The recreated prototype, called Grievous 2.0, has been slightly modified, mostly by making it a full droid, in order to make it even more fearsome. Kun has not yet built more, and the Republic has yet to learn of them. If the Empire keeps the plans, then they may hold an unsurpassable obstacle toward the new Jedi Order, while if the New Republic were to learn of it, their own anti-Jedi sentiments might cause them to use these droids as a weapon as well.
This odd-looking droid holds a barely-humanoid appearance. Most of it is incredibly thin, in order to keep its weight down. Though its arms are mostly human-designed, its legs possess some extra joints. It often garbs its form in a tattered cape, which has been bleached completely white. This garment almost matches its body, which is so shiny a metal that it almost looks to be painted white, rather than just bare metal. This cloak has been altered, however, and allows a +10 bonus to Hide checks. Adding this to Grievous’s ability to function on various surfaces makes for a truly terrifying ability for surprise attacks. Grievous 2.0 stores a multitude of lightsabers inside internal compartments, and often uses no other weapons. In combat, this droid is a true terror. Not only is it expertly trained in the use of lightsabers, but in multiple lightsabers, and, though it appears to only have the normal quantity of limbs, in reality, this Grievous shares, with its predecessor, the ability to split its arms, thus giving it four of them at a time to use. Iif it is in need of ranged combat, Grievous 2.0 is not unprepared; it has a special heavy blaster pistol, a sonic pistol, an ion blaster and a flamethrower integrated into its arms. Also, to guard it from other foes with guns, it has a deflector shield. General Grievous, the original, was also built to lead droid armies, and Grievous 2.0 has a controller unit installed in him. Due to the lack of sizable droid armies, this unit has been modified, allowing Grievous 2.0 to seize control of independent droids, such as bodyguard units Jedi might employ. General Grievous 2.0 is a walking nightmare, considered lethal at any range.
General Grievous 2.0: Jedi-assault battle droid (masculine programming) Soldier 18; Init +10 (+6 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 27 (+11 class, +6 Dex); DR 10 (shields); Spd 14m, 25m in fast-mode, climb 14 m; VP/WP 221/20; Atk +23/+18/+13/+8 melee (1d4+5 (or +7)1, unarmed) or +25/+20/+15/+10 melee (2d8+5 (or +7)1/18-20, lightsaber) or +21/+16/+11/+6 melee [+21/+16/+11 melee (per additional limb; up to 6)] (2d8+5 (or +7)1/18-20, 2-6 lightsabers) or +24/+19/+14/+9 ranged (3d8+3/19-20, BlasTech DT-57 “Annihilator” heavy blaster or 6d6, ion blaster) or +20/+15/+10/+5/+20 ranged (3d8+3/19-20, BlasTech DT-57 “Annihilator” heavy blaster [multifire]) or +22 and as needed (depend upon guns); SQ Droid accessories, downloaded psyche (grants Persistent Personality and Iron Will feats, see below), extra appendages (+4 Climb, +4 grapple checks), multidexterity, control droid; SV Fort +16, Ref +12, Will +13; SZ M; FP 0; DSP 0; Rep +5; Str 20, Dex 22, Con 20, Int 20, Wis 20, Cha 18. Challenge Code J.
1—General Grievous 2.0 possesses Adjoining Limbs. In melee combat, if the two limbs are joined together, and wielding a single weapon, then the Strength bonus damage is 1.5, rather than 1.
Equipment: Multiple lightsabers, droid accessories (see below), Force detector (add target’s Force Points to roll for Survival checks when tracking target Jedi), cloak (+2 Fort saves vs. weather, +10 Hide checks), heavily modified starfighter.
Skills: (171 skill points) Appraise +5, Astrogate +11, Balance +12, Bluff +4, Climb +13 (+17 with extra limbs), Computer Use +11, Craft (lightsaber) +9, Demolitions +10, Diplomacy +5, Disable Device +12, Disguise +4, Entertain (Gladiatorial Spectacle) +4, Escape Artist +7, Forgery +5, Gamble +5, Gather Information +4, Hide +22, Intimidate +10, Jump +9, Knowledge (Jedi tactics) +14, Knowledge (Droid tactics) +10, Listen +10, Move Silently +10, Pilot +16, Profession (Military Leader) +15, Repair +21, Ride +6, Search +10, Sense Motive +10, Spot +13 (+15 vs. surprise), Survival +7 (add target’s FP), Swim +5, Treat Injury +5,Tumble +8.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (lightsaber), Greater Multi-weapon Fighting, Improved Critical (lightsaber), Improved Initiative, Improved Multi-weapon Fighting, Mobility, Multi-weapon Fighting, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Spring Attack, Sunder, Weapon Finesse (lightsaber), Weapon Focus (lightsaber), Weapon Group Proficiency (all), Whirlwind Attack.
Droid Accessories: Additional Limbs (x2), Adjoining Limbs (arms), Articulated Limbs (all six appendages can serve as hands or feet), Comlink, Climbing Claws (can cling to surfaces other than the floor), Heuristic Processor, Internal Storage (contains fuel cells for flamethrower), Sensors (360-Degree Vision [+2 Spot vs. surprise], Improved Sensors [+2 Listen, Search, and Spot], Infrared [see 30m in darkness], Motion [+2 Spot], Telescopic [improved long-range vision]), Magnetic Feet, Modified Remote Processor, Weapon Mounts (integrated flamethrower [left upper arm], integrated customized BlasTech DT-57 “Annihilator” heavy blaster [right upper arm], sonic blaster [left lower arm], ion blaster [right lower arm]), Shield Projector (DR 10 to all damage, but must deactivate for melee combat), Secondary Battery, Translator Unit, Vocabulator, Self-Destruct System (rigged to activate ONLY if head module separates; damage 2d6 collateral, but range 6 meters), Separate Head Module (can eject and escape body’s demise, size Tiny, Defense 29, 10 wounds, speed 100, maneuverability perfect).
Unique Programming:
Lightsaber Shield: Lightsaber Shield acts as Deflect (attack) –4. Can also serve as a shield, doing shield bash damage equal to the lightsaber’s damage. Does not benefit from Weapon Focus (lightsaber).
Downloaded Psyche: Though the body of General Grievous 2.0 is certainly a full droid, the mind that runs it is notably not. At one time, there was a Kaleesh warlord, whose name has been lost to history, but who was so vile that those around him called him “Grievous”. This vile scumbag was a mass murderer and brilliant military strategist. At some point, he was heavily injured in a shuttle accident, but before his body’s end, the Commerce Guild had parts of it integrated into a cyborg, thus, General Grievous was born. Darth Tyrannus, ever the future-planner, made sure that, should the need arise; the monster that was Grievous would not be lost to the Separatists. Dooku took General Grievous, and had his mind downloaded into a computer. Due to the methods used, Grievous 2.0’s personality can never be deleted. If his droid body were ever reformatted, his core memories will always return. Also, though a droid, Grievous 2.0 is not restricted by the limitation on using untrained skills. The mind can still think, and improvise.
Standard Attack Method: Surprise Attack, followed by all out attacks, using Dodge and Combat Expertise (active Defense +6; attack bonus –5), as well as Power Attack (-5 Attack, +5 Damage) for a total attack bonus of +15/+10/+5/+0 single, or +11/+6/+1/-6 [+11/+6/+1 per additional limb), with 2d8+10 (or +12)1 damage, and a total Defense of 33. Complete Defense can reach 37. If Grievous stands still, he can use his repulsor to lift off the ground, freeing his feet to combat, allowing up to six lightsabers in a single round. With full attacks, Grievous 2.0 can initiate 19 separate attacks.
Followers: Grievous 2.0 is often accompanied by six IG-100 MagnaGuard droids. Two are (Scout1/Soldier 6/Loyal Protector 5; see below), which often stay near Grievous, while the others (Scout 1/Soldier 4/Loyal Protector 3) mobilize to eliminate threats. These droids are primarily meant to defend Grievous from would-be attackers, or pursue those he tracks when they split up to avoid pursuit. They are all armed with electrostaffs. These servants are remote-controlled by Grievous 2.0, and programmed to serve him, thus they do not count against followers. Grievous 2.0’s very personality, coupled with his disregard for the safety of others in his vicinity, often deters others from wanting to serve under him. For his part, Grievous 2.0 feels he is served well enough by his assassin/bodyguard droids.
Changes: Primarily, this Grievous is different in rather noticable ways. As a full droid, he is immune to a number of Force powers, although this also leaves him very vulnerable to a few others, for those brave enough to enter his melee range. Also, he is simply higher level, making him more bad-ass. As this Grievous is more a surgical striker than a leader of men, he is not burdened with levels of Officer. He is accompanied by droid bodyguards, if at all, and these do not benefit from Officer abilities. He also possesses even more combat ability, and a few more droid accessories. His droid-based Constitution also makes him much more survivable, as does the armor being replaced by the deflector shield. This makes him faster, harder to hit, and more survivable against ranged combat. His unique abilities, such as his lightsaber shield and separate head module are simply additional "what the heck?" components, allowing him to be a recurring villain, regardless of player's skill.
Elite MagnaGuard: IG series 100 walking bodyguard droid (masculine programming) Scout 1/Soldier 6/Loyal Protector 5; Init +6 (+2 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Defense 22 (+8 class, +2 Dex, +2 dodge); DR 3; Spd 10m; VP/WP 85/15; Atk +10/+5 melee (1d4+2, unarmed) or +11/+6 melee (2d6+2, electrostaff) or +7/+2 melee [+7/+2 melee] (2d6+2 electrostaff) or +10/+5 ranged (3d8/19-20, heavy blaster); SQ Decoy, harm’s way, shielding strike +1, deflect attack +1, ignore pain, droid accessories, ambidexterity; SV Fort +11, Ref +9, Will +7; SZ M; FP 0; DSP 0; Rep +3; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 8. Challenge Code E.
Equipment: Electrostaff, heavy blaster pistol, droid accessories (see below). Skills: as regular, plus Disguise +13, Intimidate +11, Repair +14.
Feats: Armor Proficiency (light), Ambidexterity, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Martial Arts, Heroic Surge, Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Martial Arts, Track Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (electrostaff), Weapon Group Proficiency (all). Plus 2 feats and one Bonus
Droid Accessories: Climbing Claws (can cling to surfaces other than the floor), Grappling Claw, Heuristic Processor, Light Armor (DR 3), Locked Access, Magnetic Feet, Secondary Battery, Sensors (Improved Sensors [+2 Listen, Search, and Spot], Infrared [see 30m in darkness]), Vocabulator.
As well as the "standard" MagnaGuards (see here), Grievous 2.0 has developed a small number of superior models. These "elite" bodyguards are even more fearsome.
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