I am looking for a little inspiration, I have a setting where player characters are in a tavern and I want some monsters to come in as they are there to collect on a bounty (one of the PC’s is the bounty).
What monsters do you think would be best for this? Ideally looking for a leader with 5 minions. Your advice and input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
When I hear leader with minions, my mind goes immediately to Hobgoblins. They generally take on a leadership position among groups of goblinoids, so you could bring in a Hobgoblin leader assisted by a Bugbear as the muscle and a group of goblins as his mooks. Depending on character level you might have to bulk them up a bit, but they're all races that are statted for character levels, so it wouldn't be hard to build a party with unique skills if you want to give your players more of a challenge.
I am looking for a little inspiration, I have a setting where player characters are in a tavern and I want some monsters to come in as they are there to collect on a bounty (one of the PC’s is the bounty).
What monsters do you think would be best for this? Ideally looking for a leader with 5 minions. Your advice and input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Main problem will be 'what monsters can move around unhindered in the area the tavern is in'; pretty much any intelligent monster could in principle be interested. It also depends how hard you want it to be. A bandit captain and a handful of bandits is probably an adequate challenge for 3 x level 4; throw in a few thugs if you want it to be a bit harder.
I am looking for a little inspiration, I have a setting where player characters are in a tavern and I want some monsters to come in as they are there to collect on a bounty (one of the PC’s is the bounty).
What monsters do you think would be best for this? Ideally looking for a leader with 5 minions. Your advice and input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I have 3 player characters all level 4. The bounties player is a tiefling rogue (assassin)
In that case I second TransmorpherDDS’ suggestion of a Hobgoblin backed up by a band. Although I would likely tweak the band a bit to give this group more “character” than a normal group of generic monsters. If the party were just traveling down the road and a group jumped out shouting a blunt ultimatum “GOLD OR STEEL!” then all they need to be is a couple scoops of muggers with sprinkles. So a simple Hobgoblin, a regular Bugbear, and a handful of basic Goblins would be perfect. (After all, if the muggers are always just vanilla Bandits it’s a snoozefest. 🥱😴🤤)
But this is a group that has come specifically looking for a paycheck by hunting one of your PCs. That should feel like some old western black-hat gunslingers coming to slap leather against Wayne, Martin, and Caan. So I would make this group a little more unique. That way I could present them as a sorta-kinda “rival party” flavored group of NPCs. Instead of just another two scoops in a cup, give ‘em a knickerbocker glory to enjoy.
Like maybe mashing up a Hobgoblin with a Bandit Captain as the Leader (CR 1ish), giving the Bugbear the Berserker’s Reckless Special Trait for the Brute (CR 2ish), and then dropping the number of Goblins down to 2 and mashing one up with an Acolyte and the other one up with something like a Scout (each CR 1/2ish).Yes, it’ll be a heck of a fight for the party, but they should still win, and with a short rest could probably still have another fight that day too.
When I hear leader with minions, my mind goes immediately to Hobgoblins. They generally take on a leadership position among groups of goblinoids, so you could bring in a Hobgoblin leader assisted by a Bugbear as the muscle and a group of goblins as his mooks. Depending on character level you might have to bulk them up a bit, but they're all races that are statted for character levels, so it wouldn't be hard to build a party with unique skills if you want to give your players more of a challenge.
Seconded. Hobgoblins are evil, but they're tightly regimented, respectful, and intelligent, perfect for bounty hunters.
It's also worth considering what information they will have on the rogue and their company - If the bounty says "wanted - Rogue, last seen travelling with a Barbarian and a Wizard" then the chances are they'll bring someone to deal with the barbarian and something to deal with the wizard. You could feasibly have lower CR monsters with some gear to make them a threat - a helmet which projects antimagic like a beholder, with a crystal powering it that runs out so the players can't abuse it, or even an ogre to square up to the barbarian. Judge how clever the bounty hunters are when you decide how to equip them - stupid ones might just bring more of us than there are of them, and then get beat down. Smart ones might bring an antimagic rope to tie the wizard up with, adamantine cuffs for the barbarian, that sort of thing.
I'd be careful with that. It's rather bad form to load up enemies with equipment designed to hard counter the party, especially if it can't be used by the party. Also bad form to load up enemies with extremely high powered equipment to go after a low level party. If the bounty hunters are trying to bring the rogue in alive, give them something like a Wand of Paralysis that lets them incapacitate targets without injuring them.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The other problem with giving enemies equipment such as anti magic fields is the players will expect to get it as a reward. If you do use equopment like that think about what it can do and keep it balanced (for example an anti-magic field that has limited charges that do not replenish)
In a lot of places having goblinoid bounty hunters walk into the tavern to fulfil a contract would cause quite a stir. If that is the case in your world you could either reskin then as a different race to have seeming cast on them.
While the "bounty" would not be money how about a cult fanatic and a group of cultists. Maybe your rogue has done something the cultists regard as a heinous crime (anything from stealing a holy relic to wearing odd colored socks). The cultists would be greatly rewarded for destroying this enemy of there organisation or taking him to their temple to be tortured.
Any intelligent creature; I have had Bugbears, Lizardfolk, orcs, half-orcs, and yes hobgoblins play the role and collect coin. Sometimes a solo stalker is enough, sometimes a tribe/gang. but it can work.
In fact, I remember somewhere in an earlier edition, of an orc clan who to join were required to cut off an ear, so the tribe could collect the bounty and use the coin to buy stuff, so they could raid other settlements.
Can they walk into any city and do this? I think the setting is the real challenge, and not the monster, as it should be believable. But its doable. In Forgotten Realms, I could easily see this happing in Baldur's Gate or Luskan. Eberron is easy; go to Sharn or Graywall.
But you know...I did a campaign with a pair of Lizardfolk looking to be hired, solely so they had an excuse to explore civilization on their terms. Did they have problems? Yep. But exceptions are to be made, so they became 'famous' (or 'More than Famous') and others tolerated/feared them. That was as a PC, but no reason an NPC can't have the same history/respect/reputation.
Hi all,
I am looking for a little inspiration, I have a setting where player characters are in a tavern and I want some monsters to come in as they are there to collect on a bounty (one of the PC’s is the bounty).
What monsters do you think would be best for this? Ideally looking for a leader with 5 minions. Your advice and input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
When I hear leader with minions, my mind goes immediately to Hobgoblins. They generally take on a leadership position among groups of goblinoids, so you could bring in a Hobgoblin leader assisted by a Bugbear as the muscle and a group of goblins as his mooks. Depending on character level you might have to bulk them up a bit, but they're all races that are statted for character levels, so it wouldn't be hard to build a party with unique skills if you want to give your players more of a challenge.
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I'm happy to help! What level are your PCs? And what class/subclass is the bountied player (for thematic purposes)?
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This is awesome. Thank you.
I have 3 player characters all level 4. The bounties player is a tiefling rogue (assassin)
You might appreciate the monster city of Asarius from Critical Role.
Anything humanoid with an intelligence in the 6~16 range would probably be a good candidate.
Devils would also be a great choice as creating and fulfilling contracts is their whole schtick.
For a more "alien" feel, Mindflayers and Githyanki are both functional enough to pursue contracts.
Main problem will be 'what monsters can move around unhindered in the area the tavern is in'; pretty much any intelligent monster could in principle be interested. It also depends how hard you want it to be. A bandit captain and a handful of bandits is probably an adequate challenge for 3 x level 4; throw in a few thugs if you want it to be a bit harder.
In that case I second TransmorpherDDS’ suggestion of a Hobgoblin backed up by a band. Although I would likely tweak the band a bit to give this group more “character” than a normal group of generic monsters. If the party were just traveling down the road and a group jumped out shouting a blunt ultimatum “GOLD OR STEEL!” then all they need to be is a couple scoops of muggers with sprinkles. So a simple Hobgoblin, a regular Bugbear, and a handful of basic Goblins would be perfect. (After all, if the muggers are always just vanilla Bandits it’s a snoozefest. 🥱😴🤤)
But this is a group that has come specifically looking for a paycheck by hunting one of your PCs. That should feel like some old western black-hat gunslingers coming to slap leather against Wayne, Martin, and Caan. So I would make this group a little more unique. That way I could present them as a sorta-kinda “rival party” flavored group of NPCs. Instead of just another two scoops in a cup, give ‘em a knickerbocker glory to enjoy.
Like maybe mashing up a Hobgoblin with a Bandit Captain as the Leader (CR 1ish), giving the Bugbear the Berserker’s Reckless Special Trait for the Brute (CR 2ish), and then dropping the number of Goblins down to 2 and mashing one up with an Acolyte and the other one up with something like a Scout (each CR 1/2ish).Yes, it’ll be a heck of a fight for the party, but they should still win, and with a short rest could probably still have another fight that day too.
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Seconded. Hobgoblins are evil, but they're tightly regimented, respectful, and intelligent, perfect for bounty hunters.
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Maybe even throw in an Orog they're intelligent, like breaking a few bones, and are really menacing.
It's also worth considering what information they will have on the rogue and their company - If the bounty says "wanted - Rogue, last seen travelling with a Barbarian and a Wizard" then the chances are they'll bring someone to deal with the barbarian and something to deal with the wizard. You could feasibly have lower CR monsters with some gear to make them a threat - a helmet which projects antimagic like a beholder, with a crystal powering it that runs out so the players can't abuse it, or even an ogre to square up to the barbarian. Judge how clever the bounty hunters are when you decide how to equip them - stupid ones might just bring more of us than there are of them, and then get beat down. Smart ones might bring an antimagic rope to tie the wizard up with, adamantine cuffs for the barbarian, that sort of thing.
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I'd be careful with that. It's rather bad form to load up enemies with equipment designed to hard counter the party, especially if it can't be used by the party. Also bad form to load up enemies with extremely high powered equipment to go after a low level party. If the bounty hunters are trying to bring the rogue in alive, give them something like a Wand of Paralysis that lets them incapacitate targets without injuring them.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
The other problem with giving enemies equipment such as anti magic fields is the players will expect to get it as a reward. If you do use equopment like that think about what it can do and keep it balanced (for example an anti-magic field that has limited charges that do not replenish)
In a lot of places having goblinoid bounty hunters walk into the tavern to fulfil a contract would cause quite a stir. If that is the case in your world you could either reskin then as a different race to have seeming cast on them.
While the "bounty" would not be money how about a cult fanatic and a group of cultists. Maybe your rogue has done something the cultists regard as a heinous crime (anything from stealing a holy relic to wearing odd colored socks). The cultists would be greatly rewarded for destroying this enemy of there organisation or taking him to their temple to be tortured.
Thank you so much guys for all your input. It’s definitely something I can take away. Thanks again!
Any intelligent creature; I have had Bugbears, Lizardfolk, orcs, half-orcs, and yes hobgoblins play the role and collect coin. Sometimes a solo stalker is enough, sometimes a tribe/gang. but it can work.
In fact, I remember somewhere in an earlier edition, of an orc clan who to join were required to cut off an ear, so the tribe could collect the bounty and use the coin to buy stuff, so they could raid other settlements.
Can they walk into any city and do this? I think the setting is the real challenge, and not the monster, as it should be believable. But its doable. In Forgotten Realms, I could easily see this happing in Baldur's Gate or Luskan. Eberron is easy; go to Sharn or Graywall.
But you know...I did a campaign with a pair of Lizardfolk looking to be hired, solely so they had an excuse to explore civilization on their terms. Did they have problems? Yep. But exceptions are to be made, so they became 'famous' (or 'More than Famous') and others tolerated/feared them. That was as a PC, but no reason an NPC can't have the same history/respect/reputation.
how about troll , for the meat for a inn
could be fun :-)