WWWD? #1 Out of the Gate!

My First Post in a Series; WWWD? (What Would Warduke Do?)
Please feel free to submit questions or comment away!

First Up;

Who is & What does Warduke really stand for?

Warduke is this human fighter! Warduke debuted as a 1980’s D&D action figure complete with signature glowing-eyed helm, sword, and skull-embossed shield. Around the same time, Warduke appeared in 1984’s XL-1: Quest for the Heartstone adventure module. In this inception, Warduke was listed as an 8th level human fighter with the modest stats of AC: 2, HP: 59, S 16, I 9, W 11, D 11, Cn 14, Ch 11. Hardly the powerhouse he would later become.

1983’s AC 1: The Shady Dragon Inn pregenerated character accessory offered nearly identical stats (with the odd exception of Warduke’s Constitution dropping from 14 to 8), plus a stab at his backstory referencing Quest for the Heartstone: Warduke wears a suit of half-chain and a black, winged helmet. His shield bears the sign of a demon’s head. He was an old friend of Strongheart’s (good paladin), but now the two are enemies. Both were exposed to the Heartstone, and Warduke’s cruel nature was brought out while Strongheart’s just nature became stronger….[He] especially hates Strongheart, who he feels wastes his time protecting the weak and helpless. “A true fighter,” Warduke feels, “makes himself rich and powerful by the strength of his sword arm. He takes what he can—if you would keep your possessions, kill those who seek to take them.” He calls his sword “Nightwind.”As an added piece of trivia, The Shady Dragon Inn identified Strongheart’s sword +2 as Purlblade, “given to him by some dwarves he helped.”

Dungeon Magazine 105 (December 2003): ”In this issue, Warduke made his triumphant return, now an 18th level human fighter complete with far greater stats: AC: 34, HP: 318, S 32, I 13, W 15, D 16, Cn 28, Ch 20. His original sword +2 (flames on command) became a +3 anarchic flaming burst human bane bastard sword, and his other possessions were statted out as a dagger of venom, +3 moderate fortification adamantine ceremonial spiked half-plate, +5 bashing heavy steel shield, Warduke’s helm, amulet of health +6, gauntlets of giant strength +6, boots of speed, ring of protection +3, and a fearsome eye fiendish graft (from Fiend Folio, pg. 210). That issue’s Critical Threats column went on to explain Warduke's somewhat illogical half-suit of armor, as “ceremonial armor… typical worn not for combat but for show, or to intimate or impress.” It also supplied Warduke with an improved backstory:The Unnameable Hierarch managed to rebuild his organization so quickly in large part due to the influence of a ruthless fighter named Warduke, a mysterious and relentless killer who emerged from nowhere after the Greyhawk Wars to spread terror and uncertainty among mercenaries, soldiers, and fighting societies from the Barrier Peaks to the Solnor Ocean.

Finally, we have the D&D Minis War Drums version. Warduke has come full-circle, back to physical reality once more, and with artwork and stats virtually matching those of Dungeon Magazine (with the exception of an AC drop from 34 to 32). According to Matthew Sernett, Warduke’s depiction in Dungeon drove his inclusion as a D&D mini.

So who is & what does Warduke stand for? Evil plain and simple, mwa ha ha ha...

And there you have it, a brief history of this long fan-favorite villain. Of course, just as many questions are raised as answered. Thats were WWWD comes in, as we explore the many questions plaguing our world and game table we ask What Would Warduke Do? & we are going to tell you!!!