Cruel Bandit

Cruel Bandit (CR 3)

Pure Evil - Medium - Humanoid

Lore:	Know (Local)
3		24
Basic DC		Full DC

Initiative

5

Perception:
15	+5
Passive	Active

Ambush:

8+

on a d20

• Lore Notes: Identifies as an equal-CR Constituent if lore check is failed

Senses:

• Standard Senses
• Low-Light Vision
• Bandits can, if the GM wishes, be assigned special senses based upon their original Race. For simplicity, they are assigned a basic Low Light capability to represent their 'average' sight.

Movement Types:

• Walk 30 ft.
• Bandits can, if the GM wishes, be assigned special movement types based upon their original Race. For simplicity, they are assigned a basic Walk capability to represent their 'average' movement abilities.

Defense

AC

18

Man Def

17

Monster Health
51	25	4
Hit Points	Bloodied	Hit Dice

Saving Throws
Fort:	+6
Refl:	+1
Will:	+1

Strong Against:

Weak Against:

Offense

Size:	Medium
5 ft.		5 ft.
Space		Reach

To-Hit

+6

Man Off

+7

Action

0

Points

Standard Attack (Melee):

• 1x Hacking Axe +6 (1d8+1/19-20 x2)
  as hacking (physical, uncommon)

Full Attack (Melee):

• 3x Hacking Axe +6 (1d8+1/19-20 x2)
  as hacking (physical, uncommon)

Standard Attack (Ranged):

• 1x Throwing Axes +6 (1d8+1/19-20 x2)
  as hacking (physical, uncommon)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)

Full Attack (Ranged):

• 3x Throwing Axes +6 (1d8+1/19-20 x2)
  as hacking (physical, uncommon)
  (Increment: 30 ft.; Max Range: 150 ft.)

Siege Damage: Not siege capable

Statistics

16

STR

14

DEX

14

CON

14

INT

12

WIS

16

CHA

Skills:

• Bluff: 7
• Knowledge (Local): 5
• Movement: 5
• Perception: 5
• Sleight of Hand: 7
• All other skills: 0 (no ranks)

Languages: Common

Feats:

Special Abilities

Pass For Normal (Ex) Varies

Bandits in a civilized location may attempt to Pass For Normal. That is, they do not look like monsters, they look like civilized citizens. They may make a Bluff check of a d20 plus their Bluff skill (see above), and the DC for any attempts to discern that they are Bandits uses the result of that skill roll as the DC. Much like invisibility, Pass For Normal assumes that an active perception roll is required to even make a check. Much like stealth, once combat begins and they make attacks, it is immediately obvious that they are Bad Guys. However, if a Lore check to discern what they are is attempted and failed, they will still identify as mere Constituents.

Brutal Kick-Down (Ex) Free if have a Flank

If two Bandits have a flank on an enemy creature, and at least one of them is adjacent to that creature, each of the adjacent Bandits may, as a free action, roll a Subdual attempt against their target by attempting a Sleight of Hand skill check versus their target's Maneuver Defense. Bandits frequently want to take victims alive for various bad reasons. Note that if successful, this subdual roll inflicts their normal Hacking Attack damage as well.

Pepper Pot (Su) Swift Action, 1/Encounter

Bandits often have special alchemical brews they use in their attacks. One of the most common ones is their nasty Pepper Pots, brewed from all manner of stinging, choking, and vile plants and herbs and animal ingredients. When used, the Bandit chooses a square within 20 feet of their space to toss a pot of brew into. This square must not be blocked, and they must have line of sight and line of effect, but they can throw a Pepper Pot into the space of an enemy, and frequently do so. There is no scatter chance or roll to-hit, as it does not do immediate damage. Once they affect their target square, that square and all adjacent squares (a 3x3x3 space) are filled with a dense white cloud of stinging vapor that blocks line of sight. This is an obscuring effect and can be removed by dispersing effects. Any creature that enters the area of effect or ends their turn within the area of effect of a Pepper Pot, suffers 1d6 points of acid (energy, common) damage. Pepper Pots do not stack: throwing them so they overlap does not increase the effect, but can re-fill squares that have been dispersed. Pepper Pots are subject to removal by Dispersing effects, to include: Dispersing (Aggressive Thundercloud, Greater (Druid Spell),  Aggressive Thundercloud, Greater (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Aggressive Thundercloud (Druid Spell),  Aggressive Thundercloud (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Air Step (Alchemist Extract),  Air Step (Bard Spell),  Air Step (Cleric Spell),  Air Step (Druid Spell),  Air Step (Paladin Spell),  Air Step (Ranger Poultice),  Air Step (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Calm Air (Druid Spell),  Calm Air (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Cloak of Winds (Druid Spell),  Cloak of Winds (Ranger Poultice),  Cloak of Winds (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Freedom (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Gust of Wind (Druid Spell),  Gust of Wind (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Hurricane Blast (Druid Spell),  Hurricane Blast (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Pillar of Fire (Druid Spell),  Pillar of Fire (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Resilient Sphere (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Scouring Winds (Druid Spell),  Scouring Winds (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Telekinetic Sphere (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell),  Wind Wall (Cleric Spell),  Wind Wall (Druid Spell),  Wind Wall (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell))

Cruel Bandit

Cruel Bandits are monsters, whose awfulness is made all the worse by the fact that they are usually drawn from the 'civilized' races. Humans, Barani, Ifrit, Oreads, Vanx, Dwarves, all these races and more, born and raised in the gentle refinement of the 'Civil', can fall until they are little more than beasts wearing a skin. Yes, you will often find Orcs, Gnolls, Goblins, even Ogres and some Giants among bandits, but usually, always, the majority are drawn from races with the Spark.

Cruel Bandits can be found in the wilds and hinterlands, preying upon all others, but they especially delight in falling upon their former brethren and attack outposts of civilization, such as farms, trading posts, and the like.

Even worse, since many Bandits come from the civilized races, it is discouragingly common to find bandits operating right in the heart of Civilization, as humanoid Bandits can 'clean up' and pass for respectable people for at least a while. It is sadly common for settlements to find their gates thrown wide open in the middle of the night as infiltrating bandits kill the gate guards and allow in their entire band of monsters. Such nights of bloody murder, vile rapine, and wanton looting and burning are too terrible to describe, and are the reason that bandits are usually hunted by the Guard, and often adventurers, without falter, hesitation, or remorse.

Bandits are irredeemable monsters. If they ever had the Spark, they lost it, or sold it, or killed it. They have to be killed in order to stop them.

Combat Tactics

Cruel Bandits love setting ambushes. They will frequently attempt ambushes in the wild, or on roadways, or in back alleys, or in sewers, or in a dungeon hallway, or in an abandoned ruin, or, or, or.... If Bandits are encountered in a running engagement, they will immediately use Pepper Pots to stop enemies from shooting at them, and will then close to the edge of the cloud and attack enemies rushing them. In all cases, they will always try and save at least one or two Pepper Pots to the end of a fight, to cover their escape if they have to do so.

In battle, bandits fight well. They will always try to set up flanks so they can roll their savage Brutal Kick-Down ability, both for the extra damage they may inflict, and to catch some victims. Bandits are not slavers, but they often have....uses....for captives, and they may sell used up captives to actual slavers like Hobgoblins or Aranea.

Bandits are remorseless and vicious, but not stupid. If a fight is going badly they will try to use Pepper Pots to leave, promptly. If they are in a city, this is often very effective, their good Knowledge Local skill allowing them to seemingly vanish. If they manage to flee, they do NOT award experience or loot, as the eradication of Bandits is of critical importance.

Out of Combat

Bandits are civilized people who have Gone Very Wrong. Whether through bad luck, bad choices, curses, or sheer evil selfishness, Bandits have managed to lose their Spark of Civility, casting themselves down into the ranks of the irredeemable monsters that infest the world. If the GM wishes to run a slightly less bleak view of banditry, sprinkling in a few Constituents to represent the more redeemable sorts in a band of these vile criminals is possible, but a Bandit is not generally a Robin Hood type, they are more usually sociopathic, violent, and cannibalistic.

Bandits can be run as 'generic humans', or, they can be inventively described, with Goblin Bandits having the Tiny Pattern, ogres the Giant pattern, and various specialists with Sneak, Killer, Leader, or Heavy roles to make them much more interesting.

In all cases, bandits are terrible monsters, as bad as any Orc or Gnoll, regardless of how they were born.

Rewards

XP: 800

Treasure: Sellable Goods worth 813 gp.

Weight: 30 lbs.     Volume: 1.2 cu. ft.

Optional Treasure Rules: Roll a d20 on Table 1 below once per encounter (NOT per creature). Any items discovered are in addition to the normal treasure for the encounter.

Table 1: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 10	Nothing Found
11 - 14	1 Languid Remnant (tier 1)
15 - 17	1 Pale Remnant (tier 2)
18 - 19	1 Bright Remnant (tier 3)
20	Roll on Table 2
###	Nothing to see here!
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 2: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Languid Remnants (tier 1)
6 - 10	3 Pale Remnants (tier 2)
11 - 14	1 Intense Remnant (tier 4)
15 - 17	1 Blazing Remnant (tier 5)
18 - 19	1 Vital Remnant (tier 6)
20	Roll on Table 3
###	Or here. Move along.

Table 3: Remnant(s) Found
1 - 5	3 Bright Remnants (tier 3)
6 - 8	3 Intense Remnants (tier 4)
9 - 11	3 Blazing Remnants (tier 5)
12 - 14	3 Vital Remnants (tier 6)
15 - 17	1 Prime Remnant (tier 7)
18 - 19	1 Mythic Remnant (tier 8)
20	1 Empyrean Remnant (tier 9)