You are a Bandit. A man, or Woman, of the open road. You have carved for yourselves a life outside of Civil law, free of taxes. Whether you were raised by Bandits or you are a runaway from a softer life you know is Hiraeth, you have eked out a living away from cloying dust of civilised life. Perhaps you were part of a small gang of like-minded wrongdoers who looked out for each other. Or maybe you were a lone wolf, fending for yourself against the local thieves’ guild and more fearsome lawbreakers.
Discuss with your DM the nature of this Background. did you run alone or did you have a family you were part of?
- Were they a merry band of folk hunted by corrupt nobles and guards? or were they blood thirsty highwaymen who'd take the life of anyone unwilling to hand over their last gold piece?
- How famous (or infamous) were you?
- How large of a territory did you roam?
- Did you leave them or did they leave you?
- is your group still active or did they get wiped out, leaving you the sole survivor?
- Did you have a change of heart or did the new leader start to dabble in things he shouldn't?
Or were you a member of "The Red Ruffians" now working out of Phandalin? Regardless, have a think and explore what it could be like to live free and take willingly.
- Feat: Observant
- Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Intimidation
- Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer's Tools, Vehicles (Land)
- Equipment: a Light Crossbow, a set of dark traveller's clothes and a hood, a lucky charm such as a rabbit foot or a small stone with a hole in the center (or you may roll for a random trinket on the Trinkets table in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook), a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
Every Decent Bandit has that one tale that sets them apart from common criminals. By wits, skill, or a silver tongue, you lived to tell the story — and you tell it often. You can roll on the following table to determine your claim or choose one that best fits your character.
| d6 | Claim to Fame |
|---|---|
| 1 | When nature calls. You once procured a taxidermised "Rhino" When you fenced the goods, It was found that it was actually a fully controllable fake rhino with a human skeleton inside. To this day you are unsure why. |
| 2 | Cart and Sword. You drove a cart filled with stolen whiskey through the middle of a battlefield while singing folk music to confuse the combatants. |
| 3 | The Recruit. You enlisted in another nation’s army for the purpose of smuggling stolen jewels to a distant city. You attained a promotion before disappearing from the army and making your way here. |
| 4 | Ghost Riders in the Sky. One evening you were relaxing after a good take, when you received a vision of the wild hunt. One warned you that if you didn't change your ways, you'd be doomed to join them, forever hunting across the endless skies". |
| 5 | Gold-Hearted. Having robbed a noble of his strongbox and undergarments, you were making your way home to camp very happy when you heard a baby crying, finding a mother and 3 children. Remaining masked you dropped the box at their feet, took a small handful of gold from the strongbox and disappeared into the night. |
| 6 | Kings of the Wild Frontier. You once stood and demanded delivery from a passing Prince who introduced himself as adam, charming as he was he was a good two shoes and claimed it was a dog eat dog world before throwing ants at you and disappearing. |
During your time as a bandit, there were some traveller's you didn't take from. These Families for a price (Favour or Gold) will offer you respite.
- Family. While near a particular town, city, or other similarly sized community (DM’s discretion), you and your companions can stay for free. These families provide a poor lifestyle. While staying with these families, you can choose to keep your presence (and that of your companions) a secret.
- Fence. These families will happily fence certain items you have "procured" for 50 - 75 % of the items selling price up to a maximum of what your DM would state is not worth the cost. (an example of this would be the selling of nobles clothes or gold up to a maximum of 200 gold per given month.) This is to avoid suspicion from the authorities.
Suggested Characteristics
Bandits might seem like villains on the surface, and many of them are villainous to the core. But some have an abundance of endearing, if not redeeming, characteristics. There might be honor among thieves, but criminals rarely show any respect for law or authority.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | Where there is a lake, I am fishing, regardless of who owns the rights. |
| 2 | I think of everything in terms of monetary value. |
| 3 | I never stop smiling. |
| 4 | Nothing rattles me; I have a lie for every occasion. |
| 5 | I love gold but won’t cheat a friend. |
| 6 | I enjoy doing things others believe to be impossible. |
| 7 | I become wistful when I see the sun set over a distant hill or fell. |
| 8 | I am no common criminal; I am a mastermind. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wealth. Heaps of coins in a secure vault is all I dream of. (Any) |
| 2 | Highwaymen's Honor. I uphold the unwritten rules of the Highway, who do not cheat one another or directly harm innocents. (Lawful) |
| 3 | All for a Coin. I’ll do nearly anything if it means I turn a profit. (Evil) |
| 4 | Peace and Prosperity. I smuggle only to achieve a greater goal that benefits my community. (Good) |
| 5 | People. For all my many lies, I place a high value on friendship. (Any) |
| 6 | Leniency, be kind to those who know when it's cheaper to pay in pieces than to be in pieces. (Neutral) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | My home was burn from me, and I burn with the desire take revenge and rebuild it. |
| 2 | I intend to become The Bandit King / The Bandit Queen. |
| 3 | I owe a debt that cannot be repaid in gold. |
| 4 | After one last job, I will retire from the business. |
| 5 | I was tricked by my second in command who stole something precious from me. I will find that thief. |
| 6 | I give most of my profits to a charitable cause, and I don’t like to brag about it. |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lying is reflexive, and I sometimes engage in it without realizing. |
| 2 | I tend to assess my relationships in terms of profit and loss. |
| 3 | I believe everyone has a price and am cynical toward those who present themselves as virtuous. |
| 4 | I struggle to trust the words of others. |
| 5 | Few people know the real me. |
| 6 | Though I act charming, I feel nothing for others and don’t know what friendship is. |
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