Bandits¶
Bandits are outlaws who live off other people's labor. A small band hits lone travelers on a road or ships at sea; a large one occupies an old keep or a hidden cove and holds a stretch of territory.
Theme: Highway Robbers¶
Bandits who live off travelers and caravans on a road. A rough hideout in the trees, an abandoned house, or an old barn a mile or two off the highway. Weathered timber walls, hay-strewn dirt floor, gaps letting in light. Horse smell, woodsmoke, cheap ale, saddle leather. Dim inside, bright at the entries.
Base DC for stealth, deception, and infiltration checks against the band: 12 at Small, 14 at Medium, 16 at Large.
| Scale | Creatures | Features | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 1-2 Bandit Squads, 1 Guard Dog Trainer | Personality, Origin, Goal, Lair Defenses, Hoard | Main Entry, Watchpost, Bunkhouse, Cache |
| Medium | 2-3 Bandit Squads, 1 Outrunner Squad, 1 Bandit Captain, 1 Guard Dog Trainer | Personality, Origin, Goal, Lair Defenses, Hoard | Main Entry, Watchpost, Bunkhouse, Cache, Chief's Quarters, Prisoner Pit |
| Large | 4-5 Bandit Squads, 1-2 Outrunner Squads, 1 Bandit Captain, 2 Guard Dog Trainers | Personality, Origin, Goal, Lair Defenses, Hoard | Main Entry, Watchpost, Bunkhouse, Cache, Chief's Quarters, Prisoner Pit, Mess Hall, Trophy Room, Stables |
Theme: Pirates¶
Pirates who live off ships at sea and coastal towns. A hidden cove on an unfriendly stretch of coast, or a small island fort a day's sail from any lawful port. Salt air, tar, hemp rope, and driftwood smoke. Gulls, the boom of surf against the rocks, the sound of tide against the hull. Bright on deck by day; lantern-lit below and in the huts by night.
Base DC for stealth, deception, and infiltration checks against the crew: 12 at Small, 14 at Medium, 16 at Large.
| Scale | Creatures | Features | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 1-2 Deck Watches, 1 First Mate | Personality, Origin, Goal, Lair Defenses, Hoard, Ship | Cove Beach, Cache, Lookout Post |
| Medium | 2-3 Deck Watches, 1 Boarding Squad, 1 First Mate, 1 Pirate Captain | Personality, Origin, Goal, Lair Defenses, Hoard, Ship | Cove Beach, Cache, Lookout Post, Sheltered Anchorage |
| Large | 3-4 Deck Watches, 1-2 Boarding Squads, 2 First Mates, 1 Pirate Captain | Personality, Origin, Goal, Lair Defenses, Hoard, Ship | Cove Beach, Cache, Lookout Post, Barracks, Sheltered Anchorage, Prison Hold |
Details¶
Creatures¶
Bandit Captain (CR 2) - the band's leader, usually found with a Bandit Squad. Bandit Captain stat block. Loot: +1 shortsword, +1 studded leather, plus a signet or medallion the Captain won or stole, 5d10 gp, a marked map of the territory, a personal trophy.
Bandit Squad (CR 2) - the band's basic unit. 1 Ringleader plus 5 Bandits. Loot: 5d10 gp
Boarding Squad (CR 3) - the pirate crew's assault unit for taking a ship or a coastal town. 1 Ringleader plus 8 Bandits. Loot: 5d20 gp, boarding tools (grappling hooks, boarding axes, ropes).
Deck Watch (CR 2) - the ship's watch or shore patrol. 1 Ringleader plus 4 Bandits. Loot: 3d10 gp cache.
First Mate (CR 2) - the pirate captain's second in command. Bandit Captain stat block. Loot: cutlass, brace of daggers, 5d10 gp, the ship's log.
Guard Dog Trainer (CR 1/2) - a Bandit and a Mastiff. Dog has 13 passive Perception and advantage on checks relying on hearing or smell. Loot: 1d6 gp
Outrunner Squad (CR 3) - mounted specialists. 1 Ringleader plus 3 Bandits on Riding Horses. Loot: 4 horses, 3d20 gp.
Pirate Captain (CR 3) - the ship master. Veteran stat block. Loot: +1 cutlass, +1 breastplate, a signet ring or a captured admiral's medallion (150 gp), 5d20 gp, the ship's articles, a marked chart.
Features¶
Personality. Roll d6 or choose.
Highway Robbers: 1 disciplined (order matters; the Captain runs a tight camp); 2 desperate (short on food, coin, and time); 3 cocky (robs in daylight, keeps trophies); 4 vicious (kills before robs; leaves examples); 5 reluctant (some are recent, would take a way out); 6 professional (long-running; contracts to fences and buyers).
Pirates: 1 mercenary (in it for the gold; will take a share to leave you alone); 2 desperate (recent shipwreck or lost patron; short on food and supplies); 3 vicious (kills witnesses; leaves ships adrift and burning); 4 disciplined (the Captain runs the ship like a navy vessel; strict watches); 5 romantic (thinks himself in a story; keeps a flag, a name, a code); 6 professional (letters of marque from a distant power; nominal legitimacy).
Origin. Roll d6 or choose.
Highway Robbers: 1 discharged militia (a Border village raised them, then let them go); 2 tax rebels (started as protest, turned to living off tolls); 3 disbanded mercenaries (a war ended and they didn't); 4 domestic (locals turned to robbery when a mill or mine closed); 5 escaped convicts (came from a Penal Work Camp; see Fortifications: Penal Work Camp (theme)); 6 organized (a distant Crime Boss's outfit; the Captain reports to him. See Criminals: Gang (theme)).
Pirates: 1 mutineers (rose against a legitimate captain; can't go home); 2 discharged privateers (a war ended and their patron pulled the papers; they kept the ship); 3 escaped convicts (came from a Penal Work Camp; see Fortifications: Penal Work Camp (theme)); 4 native raiders (a coastal culture that raided by sea long before there were laws about it); 5 wrecked crew (a merchant ship put in for repairs, then didn't leave); 6 organized (a distant Crime Boss's shipping arm; the Captain reports to him. See Criminals: Gang (theme)).
Goal. Roll d6 or choose.
Highway Robbers: 1 one big score, then out; 2 dominate this stretch of road; 3 raise funds for something specific (a debt, a bribe, a pardon); 4 protect one specific person (a hostage, a wounded comrade); 5 grow into something larger (a Bandit Kingdom); 6 waiting for a signal (from a Crime Boss, a rebel lord, an exiled priest).
Pirates: 1 one big haul, then out; 2 dominate this stretch of coast; 3 raise the funds for something specific (a debt, a bribe, a pardon); 4 free or protect one specific person (a hostage, a family in a coastal town); 5 grow into something larger (a Pirate Fleet, a rebel court); 6 revenge against a specific enemy (a rival captain, a coastal lord, a merchant house).
Lair Defenses. Defenses intruders may encounter while in the lair. Pick 3 to place into Locations that may have one.
| Defense | Tag | Detect | Avoid | Effect | Themes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barricade | Barrier | - | - | Three-quarters cover; a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check to climb, a DC 13 Strength check to shove aside. | Highway Robbers |
| Concealed Loft | Secret | DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check | - | Grants cover and the ability to hide. | Highway Robbers |
| Escape Tunnel | Secret | DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check | - | Concealed exit. | Highway Robbers |
| False Cache | Secret | DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check | - | A decoy that looks looted; the real hoard is at a different Location. | all |
| Hidden Compartment | Secret | DC 14 Intelligence (Investigation) check | - | A smuggler's compartment in the hull or under a floorboard. | Pirates |
| Pit Trap | Trap | DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check | DC 12 Dexterity saving throw | 1d6 bludgeoning; prone. | all |
| Snare Trap | Trap | DC 12 Wisdom (Perception) check | DC 12 Dexterity saving throw | 2d6 piercing; restrained until a DC 12 Strength check to escape. | all |
| Tripwire Bell | Alarm | DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) check | DC 10 Dexterity saving throw | Bell rings; the faction is alerted. | all |
Hoard. The band's stash. Place into a Location that may have it.
- Small hoard - 3d10 gp plus a bundle of stolen cloth or a strongbox of random goods.
- Medium hoard - 5d20 gp plus a piece of jewelry (25 gp).
- Large hoard - 5d100 gp plus jewelry (100 gp) plus a magic item (DMG Table B).
Highway Robbers content: coach chests, saddlebags of coin, coats and boots taken off travelers, a merchant's account book, a lord's signet ring, a bundle of letters worth blackmail.
Pirates content: sea chests, cargo from taken ships (spices, silks, salt, oil), a jeweled cutlass, foreign gold pieces of unfamiliar mint, a stolen chart, a bottle of wine older than the ship.
Ship. The pirate crew's vessel. A single-masted sloop or two-masted brig. Deck with a wheel and a bell, forecastle with a hearth and a bunk row, hold below with cargo and provisions, Captain's Cabin at the stern (chart table, sea chest, hanging cot, a small stove, locked door). Ballistae or oil pots at the rails for repelling boarders or shelling a target ship. Loot: the ship itself, cargo in the hold; the Captain's personal effects, wine and brandy, a bottle of good rum in the Cabin. May have: a hoard.
Locations¶
Barracks. Shore huts where the pirate crew sleeps between voyages. Rows of hammocks or straw pallets; a hearth; personal chests. Loot: personal effects. May have: a hoard.
Bunkhouse. Where the band sleeps. Straw pallets, a hearth, saddle bags, blankets. Boots on the floor. Loot: personal effects. May have: a hoard.
Cache. Where the band hides coin between hauls. A strongbox, a hollow tree stump, a hole in the cliff face, or a chest buried under a shore hut. May have: a Lair Defense; a hoard.
Chief's Quarters. The Bandit Captain's private room. Bed, table, chest, a window on the road. Loot: the Captain's personal effects; a bottle or two of decent wine. May have: a Lair Defense; a hoard.
Cove Beach. The strip of sand between the sea and the pirate crew's shore huts. Longboats pulled up; a barrel of drinking water; a driftwood fire ring. Casks landed from the last cargo raid. Loot: casks and crates on the beach. May have: a Lair Defense.
Lookout Post. The vantage point above the pirate cove or on the cliff. A hut with a spyglass, a lantern for signals, a bell rope for alarms. Loot: the spyglass (25 gp); signal flags. May have: a Lair Defense.
Main Entry. The primary way in and out. A door, a trailhead, a plank bridge. Guarded during the day, barred at night. May have: a Lair Defense.
Mess Hall. Where the band eats. Long table, benches, cooking pots. Loot: stores; the kitchen coin (2d20 sp).
Prison Hold. The ship's hold or a shore pit where the pirate crew holds captives for ransom or the slave market. Loot: captives' effects; the pit's key on the Captain's belt.
Prisoner Pit. A dug out pit or shed where the band holds hostages for ransom or leverage. Loot: prisoners' effects; the pit's key on the Captain's belt. May have: a Lair Defense.
Sheltered Anchorage. The deep water where the pirate ship rides at anchor. Narrow rocky mouth; a hidden reef makes approach dangerous without a pilot. Ropes across the mouth to slow a chase or a raiding boat; sometimes a chain. Loot: none directly; the Anchorage's presence keeps the ship accessible only to the crew.
Stables. For the band's horses. Straw, tack, feed. Loot: horses (50 gp each); tack (5 gp per set).
Trophy Room. Where the band displays plunder that isn't worth selling. Weapons on the wall, cloaks on hooks, a coach lantern, a scrapbook of coach schedules. Loot: art and oddments. May have: a hoard.
Watchpost. The lookout perch. A hunter's blind, a tree platform, a rooftop, or the top of a corner tower. Loot: a watchman's kit; a signal horn (10 gp). May have: a Lair Defense.
Stat blocks used¶
Bandits draws on shared blocks.
- Bandit - SRD.
- Bandit Captain - SRD.
- Mastiff - SRD.
- Riding Horse - SRD.
- Ringleader - new. Bandit variant with proficiency in one martial weapon and Intimidation. CR 1.
- Veteran - SRD.