“If there’s one thing you can say about mankind,
There’s nothing kind about man.”
– Tom Waits, Misery Is the River of the World
While the unclaimed territories teem with strange beasts and unknown terrors, the danger travelers most often encounter will be their fellow humans.
A good way to populate seedy bars or add some spice to a bad guy’s gang. Player-characters could hire them as retainers, but these assholes will betray them at the first hint of a better offer.
CRAVEN BRIGAND
No. Appearing: 1d4+2
Hit Dice: 1; saves as Thief
Movement: Normal human
Armor: Light (Filthy jerkin)
Attack: Long knife (1d6 damage) or short bow (1d6 damage)
Morale: Low
Special:
Cheap Shot: Craven brigands add 1d6 bonus damage to attacks made with advantage.
Take the Money and Run: As a standard action, or a bonus action after a critical hit, a craven brigand can attempt an opposed Dexterity check against an adjacent target. On a success, the brigand steals a random item from the target and can move up to their speed.
I Search the Body (1d8):
1 – 4: 1d6 copper coins, 1d4 silver coins
5 – 6: half a bottle of rotgut booze
7: crumpled and creased letter from a loved one imploring them to come home
8: minor trinket worth 2d10 gold pieces
HUMORLESS ZEALOT
“Anabaptist Emissary,” by Marko Djurdjevic
No. Appearing: 1
Hit Dice: 1 – 6; saves as Cleric
Movement: Normal human
Armor: Medium (chain mail shirt underneath cassock)
Attack: two-handed weapon
Morale: Very High
Special:
Terrible Swift Sword: The zealot can make an extra number of attacks equal to their hit dice, against the same or different targets within range.
God Wills It!: When an attack would reduce the zealot to 0 hit points, roll 1d20. If the result is 11 or higher, the zealot drops to 1 hit point instead. Each subsequent time the zealot drop to 0 hp, the target number to beat increases by 1.
I Search the Body (1d12):
1 – 4: Ultra-orthodox religious text
5 – 8: Pewter holy symbol
9: Illuminated hymnal (worth at least 1d10 gold pieces)
10: Bottle of sacramental wine and pewter chalice
11: Censer and box of incense
12: Locked alms box containing 1d20 coins worth 1d12 gold pieces
FERAL WOODSMAN
photograph by Aki Pitkänen
No. Appearing: 1d4
Hit Dice: 2 – 4; saves as Fighter
Movement: Double normal human, unaffected by naturally occurring difficult terrain
Armor Class: Medium (Tattered hides + high Dexterity)
Attack: Woodsman’s axe (1d8)
Morale: Average, or low in the presence of fire
Special:
Like a Cornered Beast: A feral woodsman gains advantage on attack rolls when they have less than half their total hit points.
Hunter’s Horn: Once per day, a feral woodsman can summon 1d4 feral woodsmen with 1 hit die each. They arrive 1d4-1 turns after the summoning.
Once a Man…: Feral woodsmen have advantage on Wisdom checks to resist mind-affecting spells and abilities
I Search the Body (roll 1d8):
1 – 2: One meal’s worth of jerkied meat from an unidentifiable animal.
3 – 4: Creepy, vaguely humanoid figurine carved from an antler.
5 – 6: Animal pelt cloak with a hood made from the animal’s head (roll 1d4 for animal: 1 – deer, 2 – wolf, 3 – cougar, 4 – bear).
7: Necklace of talons from birds of prey.
8: Braided human scalp.
CROOKED ROAD WARDEN
No. Appearing: 1, but there’s a 4-in-10 chance they’ll have 1d4 craven brigands as minions.
Hit Dice: 2 – 4; saves as Fighter
Movement: Normal human
Armor Class: Medium (Brigandine jack)
Attack: Medium melee weapon or hand crossbow (1d6+1 damage)
Morale: Average
Special:
None Shall Pass: A creature hit by the warden’s melee attack must succeed a Strength check or be unable to move until the end of the agent’s next turn. On a critical hit, the agent’s target is automatically knocked prone.
I am the Law!: As their action, a crooked road warden can attempt to impose their will on their opponents. Each creature that the agent can see and can hear them must succeed a Charisma check or suffer disadvantage on attacks against the warden for the rest of the encounter.
I Search the Body (1d10):
1 – 3: A sheaf of unserved warrants and bounty notices.
4 – 6: 1d4 pairs of iron manacles.
7 – 8: Pouch contain 1d4x10 silver coins
9: Official warden identification seal
10: Collapsible spyglass
CLERIC OF SHADOWS
photograph by Mark Cant
No. Appearing: 1
Hit Dice: 2 – 5; saves as Cleric
Movement: Normal human
Armor Class: Light (Form-fitting leathers + high Dexterity)
Attack: Whip-dart (1d6 damage, 10-foot reach)
Morale: Average during the day or in bright light, High at night or in low light
Special:
Coils of Darkness: As their action, a priest can summon shadowy tendrils to confine one target they can see per hit die. Targets must succeed a Strength or Dexterity check or become restrained.
Fade to Black: For a total number of rounds per day equal to their hit dice, a priest of shadow can infuse their body with nethereal energy, becoming incorporeal (immune to non-magical sources of damage, able to move through up to 5 feet of solid matter). In low-light conditions, or at night, they are also invisible.
Sight-Stealing Strike: Instead of dealing damage, a priest can choose to blind their target. Unless the target succeeds a Wisdom check, they are unable to see for a number of rounds equal to the priest’s hit dice.
I Search the Body (1d8):
1: Blacker than black silk scarf with subtle black print (worth at least 100 gold pieces).
2: Plain mask made of white material that feels like porcelain but is harder than steel.
3: Black velvet pouch contain 1d4+1 cut black stones, each worth 1d4x10 gold pieces.
4: Vial of what appears to be black ink. When exposed to air, the liquid turns into a cloud of impenetrable black fog (as the spell darkness).
5: Ring made from coil of silver and black metal wires (1-in-10 chances of enchantment).
6: Shadow cult codex written in silver ink on black pages. A priest of shadow will go to extreme lengths to reclaim it.
7: Silver wire-frame spectacles with lens of smoked glass (worth 1 gold piece).
8: A flask of sweet, dark liqueur and a box of glossy petit fours. If a creature consumes either of them, they must succeed a Wisdom check or fall into an unwakeable sleep for 1d4 hours.
CURSED KNIGHT
illustration by Don Greer, from “Down in the Dungeon.”
No. Appearing: 1, 1-in-10 chance of having a craven brigand as a “squire.”
Hit Dice: 2 – 5; saves as Fighter
Movement: 3/4ths normal human
Armor Class: Heavy (remnants of plate armor + scaly hide)
Attack: Medium melee weapon or unarmed strike (1d4 damage)
Morale: High
Special:
Hideous Strength: The knight deals extra melee damage equal to their hit dice. A creature struck by a knight’s melee attack is pushed back 5 feet.
Vitriol: The knight can spit a glob of toxic saliva (1d6 damage, 30 foot range).
With My Last Breath, I Spit at Thee: The knight makes a free attack against the creature that drops it 0 hit points; if the attack hits and deals damage, the target must succeed a Wisdom check or become cursed.
I Search the Body (roll 1d10):
1-3: A well-used misericorde dagger.
4-6: Tattered and soiled banner of a defunct knightly order
7-8: Dog-eared manual of chivalrous conduct
9: Gold signet ring bearing the crest of an extinct noble house
10: Silver locket with an engraved picture of a young woman inside
COLD-BLOODED SHARPSHOOTER
photo model: Chiharu Okunugi
No. Appearing: 1
Hit Dice: 1 – 4; saves as Thief
Movement: Normal human
Armor Class: Light (Quilted jacket + High Dexterity)
Attack: Long bow (1d8 damage) or minor melee weapon
Morale: Average, but has advantage against fear-based spells and effects
Special:
Barbed Arrows: A creature who takes damage from ranged attack gain disadvantage on attack rolls -or- halved movement until arrow removed (deals 1d6 additional damage when pulled out).
Trick Shot: Instead of dealing damage, can use ranged attack to disarm, trip, or pin target.
I Search the Body (roll 1d8):
1-3: 1d12 barbed arrowheads
4-5: Philosophical treatise; a character that reads it for at least one hour and succeeds an Intelligence check gains advantage against fear-based spells and effects for 24 hours.
6-7: Ornate lacquered case containing a single arrow with jet-black fletching.
8: Silver filigree brooch shaped like an insect with emeralds for eyes (worth 1d6x10 gold pieces)
BACKWOODS CABALIST
costume by Colby Vincent Edwards, for “The Eighth Day”
No. Appearing: 1d3, 3-in-10 chance of having 1d6 feral woodsmans as minions
Hit Dice: 1d4; saves as Magic-User
Movement: Normal human
Armor Class: None (ragged traveling clothes)
Attack: Light melee weapon or blowgun (1 point of damage + 1d3 poison damage per round (Constitution check to negate), 30 foot range)
Morale: Average
Special:
Living Corpse Dust: The cabalist throws a handful of foul-smelling powder at an adjacent living creature with an Intelligence of at least 3. If the target fails a Constitution check, they have to obey the commands of the cabalist for a number of rounds equal to the cabalist’s hit dice.
Nightmare Dart: Special blowgun ammunition. Does no damage, but the target must succeed a Constitution check or suffer from terrifying hallucinations for a number of rounds equal to the cabalist’s hit dice.
Watcher in the Woods: Creatures have disadvantage when attempting to detect a sneaking or hiding cabalist.
I Search the Body (1d10):
1: Creepy corn-husk dolly with a lock of human hair inside.
2: leather pouch of 2d12 divinatory knuckle-bones
3: Glass jar full of (roll 1d6): 1-3 – moonshine, 4 – pickled eggs, 5 – swamp water and leeches, 6 – eyeballs
4: Flute made from a thigh bone
5: Candle made from human fat, burns with a blue flame; while lit, it reveals hidden doors and traps within a 15-foot radius
6: Goblet made from human skull
7: 2d10 blow darts and a waxy lump of poison
8: Ceremonial pipe and hallucinogenic herb mixture
9: Grimoire bound in human skin
10: Amulet containing mixture of salt and iron filings; once per day, the wearer can automatically succeed an attempt to resist possession or mind-control.
Peril and Plunder 