Bandits and leaders

You may recall that last month I posted a handful of bandit-related six-word sparks. Bandits, along with goblins and dragons, are one of the staple bad guys of the fantasy genre. It's easy to justify them as bad guys, since they're murdering and stealing from travelers, and it's easy to drop them into a game, since they go wherever there are victims.

It's also easy to fall into existing clichés of disorganized human brigands and their gluttonous leader or of Robin Hood and his merry men. Next time you want to bandits for your game, check out these tables.

Bandits

1. A mix of half-orcs, humans, and dwarves, all armed with powerful crossbows and sharp axes
2. A rabble of wild goblins armed with spears, knives, and slings
3. A squad of stealthy catfolk who employ sophisticated traps and hit-and-run tactics
4. A troupe of tricky humans who pretend to be travelers and then stab the PCs in the back
5. A clan of desperate dwarves who charge a steep toll to pass
6. A tribe of vicious orcs who team up with wargs to and use pack tactics

Bandit Leader

1. A one-eyed orc wielding a staff with a vendetta against halflings
2. A heavily armored half-giant who's looking for rubies and only rubies
3. A sharp-eyed wild elf wielding an enchanted bow and looking to start her own fiefdom
4. A sociopathic gnome illusionist who was exiled by his peers
5. A regretful lizardfolk warrior trying to collect enough money to ransom her husband
6. A merciless human weaponsmaster actively recruiting a mercenary army