Bandit Tables: Get More Out of Your Bandit Encounters

The party travels through the winding game trail. Up ahead a loud whistle cracks through the air. Immediately, angry shouts from above, to the left, and to the right follow. Arrows strike party members. Bandits erupt from the underbrush and attacks. 

How many times have parties encountered and fought these low level ruffians? They are like an optional starter kit for 1st level adventures.

But you know what? I love bandits. 

They don't have to be generic, nameless, mud smeared criminals living in the trees. If you wish to make them a little more interesting I've come up with a few quick tables to flesh out your bandits. 

d6 Leadership Strength 

1 none: the group has no leadership, they are have a -2 to morale rolls. Their group will only have minimal members.

2 - 3 weak: broken into fractions, the current leader has a tenuous hold on the leadership. One or two bandits divide the group. A -1 to Morale rolls. 

4 - 5 moderate: the bandits obey the current leadership There is no morale adjustments. 

6 - strong: a respected and/or feared leader. Bandits will not disobey orders and less likely to give up information. They are have a +1 to morale rolls. 

Now that we have the strength of leadership determined, we can move onto what type of leadership. It doesn't have to be a bigger version of themselves. There are numerous reasons why a bandit group exists. 

d10 Leadership Type (if no leadership then skip this table)

1 - 3 bigger/smarter bandit: a bandit has proven to be the biggest or the smartest, and has taken control. 

4 absent: the leader works through a proxy in the group. The absent leader makes an appearance when needed, but relies on his proxy's ability to lead. Leadership  Strength rolls are at -1.

5 co-leaders: a pair of powerful and respected individuals run the group. 

6 secret: a puppet master props up the leader of the bandits by providing information, supplies, and bribes. A secret leader is using the bandits to further an agenda.

7 religious: led by a leader who believes their purpose it to serve a god. It gives the bandits purpose and a justification for their actions. Religious leaders gain a +1 to Leadership Strength rolls.

8 monstrous: a creature has gained control of the bandits through threat or intelligence. The monster has to have some intelligence, a reason why it has taken control of the bandits.

9 military: conscripted under the leadership of an actual and self-styled military leader. Military leaders gain a +2 on Leadership Strength rolls.

10 family: this group of bandits is a family and thus run by one of the family. They gain +2 to leadership rolls. 

Each bandit group has a reason to exist. You could go with the outlaws joining together to make a living. But some groups have purposes beyond plying a trade. 

1d4 Purpose

1 survival: these bandits were thrown out, chased away, running from the law are out to survive. If given the chance, they may return to civilization to reestablish their lives. No need to roll on the Wealth table. 

2 money: they are looking to get paid. Money is power. Money is freedom. Money is what they want.

3 killers: these bandits enjoy the kill. Gold and jewels is secondary.

4 justified: bandits with a purpose, they feel justified in the actions no matter how horrible. 

With these three simple tables, a GM can create bandits that rise above the expected. 

Developing NPCs

The picture is of my latest release. the 5th in my NPC Card series on my Patreon. Traksha is a troglodyte with psychopathic tendencies who survives in the Komor Forest by trading with a human he hasn't killed and a lot of goblins he has killed. 

Why create a psychopathic troglodyte NPC? Not sure why you wouldn't want one. Traksha is one type of NPC I like to create. A creature or person who is an oddity within their own culture. While I love a horde of nameless orcs washing over the landscape, burning and killing, leaving a swath of perfect destruction behind, I also enjoy adding a personal touch. An enemy you can put a name to isan enemy worth killing. Hell, the party may find he or she worth an exchange of words. *GASP* Probably not, but should increase the chances.

Let's talk about developing an antagonist NPC. In Traksha sace most of what the party experiences at first is the result of his actions. A group of dead goblins. A family of homesteaders killed as they slept. Both are bad, but let's take it a step farther. Let's make Traksha a bit more malevolent. After killing the homesteaders he brought with him a pair of goblin feet he sliced off earlier in the week and fashioned gruesome footwear. To put the blame on the goblins. And, it amused Traksha.

If the party investigates, they find the dead goblins. It appears the killers have been killed. This could be the end of it until more killings happen, but one of the more inquisitive of the party investigates a bit more and notices the goblins have been dead longer than the homesteaders. The game is afoot.

Traksha isn't the kind of NPC that you want to throw into a head on fight with the party. He knows he won't survive. He's the kind of NPC that works behind the scenes for as long as the GM deems him valuable as an unknown. Also, it allows the party to use investigation tactics. I'm not talking about a simple roll, I'm talking about gathering information to discover habits, track and find him.

When I use an NPC like Traksha, I'm using Swords & Wizardry Continual Light as the system, hit points are low, combat is fast and deadly. When in combat he chooses the environment to give him the best chance. So play him smart, but allow the players the chance to figure him out. To understand Traksha's tells and habits.

One of the suggestions I would have when running Traksha and NPCs like him, run situations backwards from when the party encounters a situation the NPC influenced or encounters the NPC. Let's take the goblin patrol scene first. I would create a minimum of three connective dots (I sometimes use four to five) that lead to the current scene.

Here's an example. We are running the scene backwards.

• Goblins are all dead, Traksha strips them of the supplies and decides to slice the feet off of one of the larger goblins. He has an idea he thinks is funny.
• Goblins are hunting when the lead goblin is flung into the air by a snare trap. The fat goblin in the rear makes an odd squeaking sound.  He stands there, blood flowing out of a large slit across his throat. Traksha uses his camouflage ability to get into position. Three goblins left, he is patient. He takes out each goblin from behind (wounds will show this). 
• Traksha knows the goblins use this hunting path. He placed foot snares to distract and surprise the goblins. He is using a rocky terrain spot to blend into and give him the freedom to escape without a trace if need be. For now, he takes up a position he can spot the goblins approach. 

Your details don't have to be extensive. But, some small details can make the party encountering the goblins more interesting. And most important, it provides information about Traksha, how he thinks and behaves.

With each NPC Card I create at my Patreon I offer up suggestions and situations. You can click over to my Micro-Adventures Patreon to grab a free version of the PDF and consider joining if you would like to get a physical copy of Traksha. 

Enjoy! 

NPC Cards

Keegan Manor was posted tonight on my Patreon page.  Anyone can grab a copy of the PDF.  Keegan Manor is a micro-location that I plan on using as a home base for a hex crawl series of adventures and locations.  I'll tie in some of the previous releases and draw and overall map of the area.  It'll be geared toward first and second level characters.  A fresh sandbox to tromp through, kick over rocks and explore that ruin on the hill. 

I'm making a couple NPC cards for my patrons.  They'll be 4" x 6" laminated cards, like most of the adventures.  Below is a sample of what one will look like.  I'll have different ones for each of the classes.  On the back is the write up and information of any special items they carry.

I'll ship out copies of Keegan Manor in the beginning of June, along with Grim Water Oasis.  And who knows, there is one day left in the month, there may be another. 

Malice House NPCs

Sample of the NPC set-up.  Another page provides a short background.

In Malice House I mention Brother Martin and Brother Yosef. I thought I would create a NPC file of them. I've used S&W Complete ruleset to create them.

One PDF has the fancy background and the other is the Matt Jackson special...just b&w and easy on your printer.

I hope you find them useful.

Friday Question: Reoccuring NPCs

I was reading through my some of my new gaming acquisitions, I've gotten another batch since Origins.  When I read through books I'm usually imagining how I can use this or that in my campaign world.  This morning I was thinking of NPCs I would use in certain places.  And it got me to thinking of reoccurring NPCs in my campaign.  I have a handful of them.  While their setting my change their personality and name remain the same.

Opulus
Personality: This little angry guy always pops up in my campaigns.  He's an elderly man with bird like features.  He's a fundamentalist in one of the religions and has no tolerance for those who fail to meet his standards.  Especially those among his own faith.  He calls for extreme measures to be taken.

Setting: I've put him in a temple in the large cities, but I've also put him in small villages were he is the sole provider of religious guidance.

How I Play Him: Opulus is a wonderful foil to the party.  He is a non-combatant, but he is verbally aggressive and he gets people riled up.  His misguides his flock into indulgence when he is preaching about purifying by fire.  His motives are self-serving.  But his anger and conviction with which he speaks convinces others he is acting for the greater good.  The party often finds them on the opposite sides of his rants.


Max
Personality: Max is a large man who is always a bartender.   He is laid back, doesn't get too riled up except if the bar is threatened.  A good brawl, he's okay with.  Draw weapons or if any fire start jumping around he'll pin you to the wall with his knight killer crossbow he always has under the bar.  Keep him on your good side, tip him well and you may find bits of information to your ear.

Setting: Always a tavern.  Max is always behind some bar in one of my campaigns.  He's my go to bartender.  The tavern is usually an adventurer's tavern with lots of eclectic folks milling about.

How I Play Him: Max doesn't talk too much to those folks he doesn't know.  He's polite, but doesn't engage.  After a few sessions with the players have hung out there, shared a story or two and have tipped him and his staff (he is very protective of his staff) well, he'll share information about what he's heard and he has an extensive adventuring background.  He is a great resource when the players need an important piece of information. 

Vander Gothridge

Personality:  Vander is arrogant and powerful.  He is usually outside the authority to nobility.  He is an entity they often fear to anger.  So he does as he pleases to who he pleases and very little can be done.  But he never does anything extreme or horrible.  He believes himself to be above everyone and they are nothing, but ignorant children.

Setting: Vander can be found nearly anywhere.  I often plop him in the main city of the campaign.  But he's been out adventuring also.  He usually travels alone.  Or he'll have a retinue of slaves.

How I Play Him: If you hadn't guessed this blog was named after this character from many years ago.  I don't play him all powerful, but he is a major force to be considered in my campaign.  Arrogant would be the first word I would describe him as.  But as the players might learn to hate him he is also known to save a village from a small horde of undead.  Not so much because he was saving the villagers, but because he hates undead.  Most leave him alone because some of his acts to benefit them greatly.  In one campaign he was a border lord with one castle in a mountain pass.  He and his men held back the tide of the great orc nation beyond the mountains.  And even though he was a giant pain in the ass, no one touched him.

So this is a short list of my go-to NPCs for my campaigns.  So Friday Question back at you, Do you have any go to NPCs that you've used in multiple campaigns?

Adding the Quirk Into NPCs

After our session of BSing last night one of the subjects we spoke was quirky characters added to the game.  I love having a sprinkling of them in my games.  I was just working on an adventure last night and the set up is a beat up village outside the evil temple (that was once a good temple).  There is one guy name Gordon who refuses to leave even though he and his house are attacked each night.  As I explained it to Trey, "He's like that old guy you see on the news who refuses to leave even though there is lava inching closer or the tidal wave looms over him."

Quirky is cool and fun, but it only works if there is a reason.  You don't have to get into a psycho-analytical involvement, but it helps maintain the continuity if there is a reason for the quirkiness.  In my newbie game there was a small mage guild in town.  The 'host' mage (think greeter at wal-mart) was a very difficult man.  He asked a lot of questions and when answers were given he became very suspicious.  He would do this for a while until it seemed the business was legitimate.  He figures if he acts crazy enough people won't bother him and the others for help as much.  Otherwise villagers would be bugging them constantly.  The players never knew why he did what he did, but they still talk about him today.  (Partially because I was fucking funny when I played him.)

There are some quirky NPCs that don't need that much detail.  Maybe just one thing that sets them off.  A personality trait or physical tic or feature that's exaggerated.  All it takes it one memorable detail and the players are more likely to remember.  Ex. Herbert the merchant deals in fine wines.  Or.  Herbert the Merchant is known for his fine wines and giggles like a small girl when he's amused. Not the best example, but now the players have an identifier hung on old Herbert making it easier for them to remember.  "Lets go see the giggle guy for some wine."

Don't mistake quirky characters as secondary, or weak or bit players.  They can be significant and have a great deal of influence in the game.  And a quirk does not need to define the NPC, but accent him or her.  I'll use a Whisk analogy, the quirk isn't the meat, its the seasoning.  But you have to make sure you have a good piece of meat of the seasoning won't matter.  (I learned this trick over at Hack & Slash, Thanks Courtney)

Like all good things, don't overdo it or the quirkiness becomes watered down and becomes a David Lynch movie.  Oww, didn't see that shot towards David coming.  But being weird to be weird is boring and not weird.

I'm done.  Off to work.  Hi ho.  Hi ho.

Scroungers

The adventuring business is a big business.  Entire towns and villages can disappear overnight if the adventurers went elsewhere.  Having a good dungeon nearby is like a gold mine within walking distance.  Each villager or merchant will have their specialty, whether they are the finest rope makers or the finest sack makers in all the land they make their money by selling to adventurers.

There is another group, a highly competitive group that also thrives off the adventurers.  These are the scroungers.  The scroungers go in after an adventuring group and collect anything valuable they might have missed or left behind.  Scroungers who have been around a while have a discerning eye.  They know what's worth taking and what can be left to rot.  A broken chair can be repaired and sold for a few silver, that dusty and dented cookware can be pounded out, scrubbed and resold.  If scrounger believes he can make a copper on it he will drag it out of the depths of the Abyss. 

Scroungers will avoid a fight, but they do have clever ways of securing an area so they can pick it clean.  The heavy use of iron spikes, securing doors and setting simple traps that will alert them if anyone or anything is coming.  Experienced scroungers know how to get out fast.  They don't push their luck and will flee to pick another day. 

Because scroungers are in general hated by adventurers and were killed often, they formed their own guild which is recognized by nearly every kingdom.  They bring more money into the local markets thus paying more taxes and that makes a happy noble and protection from be slaughtered.  If a scrounger is murdered the consequences could match the crime.  When a scrounger is killed it rarely comes to that, but it can.  To help track scroungers they must register where they are exploring.  It's also not unheard of an adventuring party allying with a scrounger.  They work out a percentage and everyone make a little more than they did before.

Scroungers do have a set of ethics that they swear to when they join the guild called the Code of Henric.  Because their guild is often called a legalized thieves guild the masters of the scrounger guild use the Code of Henric as what defines them.

1. A scrounger must never knowingly endanger a life of another.

2. A scrounger must never knowingly misrepresent an item he is selling.

3. A scrounger must never avoid paying taxes to the crown or guild.

4. A scrounger must assist any scrounger in danger.

The symbol of the Scrounger's Guild is a scale with four coins on one side and four coins on the other with the inscription negda darabus hez negda darabus.  Translates into four coins for four coins.  Meaning, the scroungers sell what the item is worth.  No more, no less.  The four coins represent each line in the Code of Henric.

Quick and Effective NPCs

The players are wandering through a town and there are hundreds of possible NPCs.  Detailing that many NPCs is a pain in the ass and not necessary.  But, the GM still needs to be prepared when the players interact with one of them.  Here's a quick and effective way to add a little flavor with your NPCs.  If you are a god of GMing than ignore this mortal's suggestion.

Okay grognards and grognardlings, pull out your AD&D DMG.  The one with the scary effretti on the cover.  If you don't have one you should be ashamed.  Turn to page 101 or, these charts are in the back also on page 237.  All you need for a quick NPC is right there in those page of charts.  I am using these as an example because they were the first charts I used to create quick NPCs.

Look at the charts and roll on two of them.  That's all just two.  We don't have to get all complicated.  So create as many pair of traits as you think you'll need for your NPCs.  Do this ahead of time.  Should take a whooping fiveminutes.  Now you have a list of trait so when the players randomly speak with an NPC you can give him or her some depth. 

These little touches make a difference, adding to the whole experience of the game.  Of course use any personality table of your choosing.  There are a billion of them out there.  Just remember to keep it simple.

Next on time on Gothridge Manor, Quick and Effective NPC groups.

Day Jobs for Characters

 This is a post I'd written nearly two years ago, but have been thinking a lot about it recently and thought it would be of some interest.  With my Creating an NPC blogs this is the philosophy I go by when creating them. 

You've heard the old adage 'Don't quit your day job'. I'm here to talk about those PCs who don't have the skill set to take down Roberto the Ogre Magi or the latest necromancer to raise a rotting abomination. To earn money they slosh beer into tankards, pound steel into a breastplate or scribe an esoteric tome into another language. These guys and gals are the blue collar branch of the adventuring class.

Day jobs can serve to be a launching place for several great adventures. These adventures do not have to be in dungeons or castles or swamps or some dark god's temple on a mountain top. Nope, everything can be served up in between the walls of the business. This is definitely a different sort of campaign, but done correctly can become a favorite. It helps to have a skillful GM. I am spoiled to have Rob and Dwayne as mine. And you need the players willing to play a non-hero character.

With the adventures being based in a business setting most the adventure is going to be within the community. The different types of conflicts that occur can vary from a rival shop, an unhappy customer, lack of supplies, or personal problems. I'll give a few examples from past campaigns where I have been the working class adventurer.

Devon, he was a blacksmith. He had skill using a war hammer, but I can't remember one fight with him. Most of his days were spent toiling over an anvil improving his skill. His one big adventure was going into enemy territory. I was hired to discover the enemy's secret weapon. The enemy had developed a rudimentary form of gunpowder. I learned the formula for the gunpowder, but the real asset was how to develop cannons. They had some knowledge, but it was my character who figured out how to make it work. My character returned with not only the knowledge of the gunpowder, but a weapon of great destruction. During my time spying, not once did I get into a fight. My character became a master within the guild and Rob and I decided his storyline had ended. Now for a guy who hardly lifted his war hammer he changed the face of the campaign.

There was my acolyte priest, Allen Hess. He was a meek little man whose skill set was more to the literary. He took care of a handful of children at an orphanage. He had basic knowledge of how to use a staff, but just enough to hurt himself. A vampire had been sneaking through the trapdoor in the roof and sucking the blood from the children. I, and a group of other very low ability characters, took on the vampire. There were no holy swords or magic spells whizzing through the air. Nope. When the vampire dropped through the door my character threw a pot of scolding water at the vampire and the others threw a blanket over him soaked with holy water. In this case Allen found his adventure protecting the children. He did not need to leave his home.

The finally example I'll give is one of twin brothers. I played one who had a job in a tavern he liked while Dwayne played my trouble making brother. My brother was always trying to get me involved into his schemes and most of the time I didn't get involved because I didn't want to lose my job. It was the only source of income the family had. Then my brother got an offer from a baron to return a family heirloom. He wanted him to steal it back from the Thieves Guild. He knew I wouldn't go for it so he pretended to be one day and got me fired then managed to blame it on one of the guild members. I was distraught he told me how we could make money and get back at the thieving bastards. So my Chuck Bronson gene kicked in and I found a low level footpad, beat him up so he would tell me who was next in command. I did this with such brutality that it shocked my brother. I was furious I had been fired. In the end the Thieves Guild returned the heirloom to the baron plus a good amount of gold so when we reported into him he would kill us, which he did. All this was done in a city. We never left the confines of the walls.

Sometimes it's good to get away from the high adventure aspects of gaming and get dirty with an everyday person. It's good to get the perspective of people your adventurers pass everyday without a thought. It was a lot of fun developing that side of things. Doing this makes a GM flesh out his world in more depth. One last example for this was when I ran a campaign where all the players were city guards and they had to deal with the rowdy adventurers in the taverns. They got a taste of their own medicine. Try it sometime if you haven't already. You might find running a potion shop is just as fun as breaking down the door of dark god's temple on the mountain top.

Creating an NPC - Pog Nog's Cart

Another addition in the creating a NPC.  I like to take races that are usually outside the players realm and put them into a community to see how they react and others would react.  Pog Nog is a goblin who has earned his stay.  He uses his skills to help others and expects very little in return.  Pog Nog is sort of a town mascot, but with a dark secret.  He will try to direct people to see the evil that is coming without saying it out load.  He is more afraid to speak of the evil more than the evil itself.  So without further ado....herrreeeeee's Pog Nog!

When you have a need for something, but just can’t seem to find it anywhere Pog Nog is the goblin to see.  His cart is full of unusual and useful things.  Pog Nog has a knack for having what you need and having what you need before even you know it.  His prices are minimal, a few coppers will do or Pog Nog will trade one item for another.  Next time you’re looking for a do-hickey, thing-a-ma-jig or a whatchmacallit, save some time and look for Pog Nog’s Cart.

There is a 75% chance that Pog-Nog will have a mundane item the players will need.  There is also 25% chance of him having something the players will need in the future.  If he has an item the players will need he will offer a trade.

  

Pog-Nog (street vendor: goblin, male, 4’6”, 60lbs, gray tuffs of hair, sparse gray beard, brown eyes)

Pog-Nog is a skinny, good-natured goblin.  He has a gift for having what people need.  He is an excellent scrounger with extremely good luck.  He finds his items sifting through garbage, walking in the forest, anywhere he goes he finds something useful.  His cart is organized into different piles of categories only he understands.  To most it looks like a pile of random things.  Pog-Nog knows exactly what is in his cart and where it is.

The town’s people are protective of him and the guard will not tolerate others harassing him.  Pog-Nog enjoys humans, but believes they are silly for living here.  He knows of the great evil that dwells near by and hopes he can help when the time comes.  He doesn’t know what the evil is or what it will do just that it is there.

When Pog-Nog was younger he belonged to a cult of goblins who specialized in prophecy.  Their group discovered a great evil was reawakening.  They tried to warn the goblins, but the goblin lord would hear none of it.  He declared the group of seers as traitors and had them hunted.  Pog-Nog was one of three that escaped.  He hid amongst the humans.  He survived by scrounging through what the humans threw away. 

One night he had a dream about him pulling a cart helping others as an evil attacked.  The next morning he built the cart from scraps he found and his business was born.  He will not mention the evil because he doesn’t want to be chased from here and if the goblins won’t listen to a goblin then why would humans listen to a goblin.  He is content with being helpful and hopes he will be prepared for when the evil comes.

Adventure Hooks

The holey ruby.

                Pog-Nog recovered a coin-sized ruby and gives it to one of the players during an exchange.  He doesn’t want any money for it.  He will just say that it is needed for later, but can’t explain for what.  On closer inspection the ruby has a small hole through the middle of it.  It is from the necklace of a baroness.  There will be a reward announced by town criers.  Should the players return the necklace to the baroness she will reward the players and because they have shown their honor by returning the ruby she will ask them to find her son.  Her son has been missing since he left for to explore the Harrower Caves. 

From the past comes the future.

                While Pog-Nog is searching through his cart for another customer an ornate buckler falls to the ground in front of a character.  The buckler is dinged and has the faded coat of arms of the player’s family on it.  Pog-Nog will inform the player he found it near a bad place in the woods.  The bad place used to be a manor house, but is now infested with undead.  If researched the player will find the manor belonged to his great uncle who disappeared years ago. 

When the wheel breaks.

                Pog-Nog is desperately trying to fix a broken wheel on his cart, but doesn’t have the strength to lift it.  He will ask the players to help.  He is in a hurry to deliver a package to a friend.  They players can help repair the wheel or offer to deliver the package.  The package is a leafy plant.  His friend, a healer, needs the plant to finish a salve to cure the children in the nearby village.  The children have a rotting skin disease and will suffer greatly.  If the salve is not delivered within a day any hope for the children will be lost.

Ever see a goblin in a headlock?

                Pog-Nog and another goblin are brawling in the middle of the street.  Pog-Nog tells the people trying to help him to leave him alone.  The other goblin will announce to everyone why Pog-Nog is a traitor, how his group of prophets made up stories of great evil to remove the goblin lord from power.  This will send Pog-Nog into a rage.  His secret is out.  If questioned about the evil he will tell the players that the evil has many births and one will be within the nearby Harrower Caves.

Creating an NPC

The following is an example of what I do with NPCs in my campaign.  Random inspirations come to me so I just write them down, flesh it out a bit so when the players interact there is some depth to the NPC.  Stereotypes are fun to play with.  Use the expectations of a stereotype and twist it just enough to make it interesting.  And if I'm really in a groove I can even hear how that NPC will speak.  So I will write down phrases the NPC might say and then clip on 'sounds like a drunk John Clease'.  The final touch is to add on four to five adventure hooks onto an NPC.  I try to keep these simple, but interesting (I hope).  This gives the NPC a feeling that he is living a life and things are happening and he is doing things.  Because of this, its easier to engage the players with the NPC.  One adventure hook could be a simple fetch quest while another may be an overarching situation that NPC will be dealing with for years. 

So without further ado...heeerrrreeee's Peter!

Peter the Painter

                If you’re in need of a portrait of a loved one, a landscape for an empty space on the wall or a memento for a special occasion Peter is not your man.  Peter is painter of horrific creatures and fantastic places.  Normal painting does not interest him.  He follows the stories and myths for his next masterpiece. 

                Peter is a halfling that comes from a prestigious family so he can indulge in his personal pursuits without worry of money.  He travels from village to town or remote location to find the latest monstrosity.  He usually travels with adventuring groups he trusts.  For a while he traveled with the Black Fist mercenary company and became an honorary member.  Peter is good with a sling and knife, but these skills are used for hunting small game.  He will avoid getting into a direct fight.

                When Peter travels he has his small covered wagon.  Inside the wagon are his painting supplies and his collection of paintings.  Currently he has 23 different creatures captured on canvas.  These are protected in watertight tubes.  He also keeps a 1000gp in a locked chest for supplies and to hire guards when he travels. 

Peter (Painter: halfling, male, 3’7”, 100 lbs, blond hair, gray eyes, a wisp of a mustache)

                Peter travels to keep his inspiration fresh and to keep ahead of the problems he creates.  Peter can’t help but spinning a tale or two to get people to do what he wants.  Especially women.  He enjoys playing the aw shucks artist whose passion for painting acts as an aphrodisiac on the ladies.  He starts with sketches of a woman then claims she is the most beautiful he’s ever seen.  If she is married it makes the game more enjoyable.  To make matters worse when high on ale he will give details about his conquests.  He’s had several narrow escapes with husbands and boyfriends, but Peter relishes the danger. 

                Peter makes friends easy and enjoys being around others.  He makes people like him and is generous with buying a round of drinks or sharing a tale around the fireplace.  When he manipulates people he is good at playing dumb or offering them payment for their trouble.  Trying to get the entire truth out of him is difficult because he is a natural liar. 

Adventure Hooks

I’ve heard something interesting.

Peter has heard that a blood beast inhabits the nearby forest.  He desperately wants to paint it.  He will try to convince the players to escort him and make up a rumor about a great treasure it guards.

Damn the nobles.

                A young noble, Sir Geoffrey Downton, was privileged to see a few of Peter’s paintings from his private collection.  He wants Peter to paint a mural in his manor, but Peter politely refused the offer.  Sir Geoffrey wants the players to capture Peter and return him to the manor, unharmed.  Peter is with a group of friends from the Black Fist mercenary company.  They are planning a hunt for a strange creature in a mountain ruins.  They will not allow Peter to be taken without a fight.  If the party does not return with Peter, Sir Geoffrey will make their lives difficult. 

Yes, I said Uvom.

Peter needs a fresh batch of pigments especially one called Uvom.  It is a difficult pigment to find, but Peter knows where it can be located.  Uvom is made from the feces of a creature called Aduvom.  An Aduvom is the size of a dog with powerful jaws that can burrow into the earth.  They are aggressive and travel in packs.  Peter needs as much as the players can collect.  He will pay well.

Broken Peter.

                Peter is found beaten and stabbed in the middle of the street. He will need immediate attention or die.  No one saw what happened, but the players will spot someone in the distance watching and then take off when he notices the players.  Koren, a street urchin, saw what happened.  He will be difficult to find since he knows the streets well.  If caught, it will take a bribe or intimidation to get him to speak.  He knows Peter has been visiting the home of a well-known merchant while that merchant was at his shop.  Jorran is a well-known local merchant with a bad temper.  Peter has been having an affair with his wife and Jorran found a small nude sketching of her and hunted the halfling down.