The Ninepins

Otherworld miniatures, painted by me

The Ninepins are a group of swindlers who operate by deception and stealth, robbing dungeon denizens and adventurers alike. While they can intimidate and overwhelm low level threats they prefer to employ con-artistry vs tougher foes.

FACES

The Faces are trustworthy looking Level 1 demihumans, playing the role of a low level adventuring party happy to see a friendly face. Their leader Red Yosif the self-serious Neutral Elf is stuck in a suit of cursed leather armor. Kokhba is a Chaotic Gnome engineer adept at spotting tricks and traps, unemployed after the collapse of the Tontes Elevator. Eliza is a Lawful Gnome sharpshooter who learned to cast spells in chainmail during her failed career with the Brickmountain city watch.

With Sleep, Charm Person, Hypnosis and Phantasmal Force at their command they can bamboozle weak foes and small groups without needing a plan, taking them for everything they've got. Versus hard targets with too many hit dice or resistance to Sleep, they create a distraction while the Pickpockets go to work. Between the three of them they know enough alignment dialects to communicate with most creatures. That plus the ability to create simple illusions is usually enough of a diversion.

 

The Ninepins are fastidious about not killing helpless victims. Yosif is worried about setting a bad precedent, the other two restrain themselves for religious reasons. Loaded Dice (Gnome form of Moonshades, Halfling God of luck) loves swindlers and cheats, but killing a defenseless mark who's never done anything to harm you is too far. Leaving their victims alive after robbing them is as dangerous as killing them and has made the Ninepins several lifelong enemies, but so far hasn't caught up to them.

PICKPOCKETS

The world is full of Mutants thanks to the Hanged King's magical experiments. The official position of the Commonwealth is that Mutants are victims entitled to pensions (the church of Leper Heart was formed as a religious corporation to distribute the seized assets of nobles who participated in the King's atrocities). But Mutants were often employed as slave-soldiers by the Monarchy, conditioned with hypnosis to kill mercilessly. Lingering prejudice and reasonable fear of violent relapse limit employment opportunities for Mutants in populated places, drawing many to a life of adventure on the frontier.

The Mutants Grodd, Leonard and Belvedere steal things from targets distracted by the Faces. They are skilled burglars adept at stealing coin purses, worn jewelry, potions, weapons not currently equipped by the target... Once they snag the treasure they get out as fast as possible. They aren't particularly skilled in a hand to hand fight but if cornered they have a couple tricks up their sleeves. Grodd's tentacle arm lets him whip his halberd and trip enemies. Leonard's crab claw lets him disarm foes on failed attack rolls. Belvedere's curved blade can get around shields and through gaps in armor.

MUSCLE

The Orcs Marin, Bert and Brig are all that's left of their tribe, massacred by scalphunters for the bounty on their ears. Marin elected herself Chief of the survivors, the other two are scared to challenge or disobey her. She's afraid of Yosif but would never admit it. The trio are beset by a constant doglike hunger but the Elf won't let them cook and eat helpless victims.

The Orcs' job is usually to wait in an ambush prepared by the Mutants, in case they can't shake pursuing adventurers after robbing them. They choose an unlit section of dungeon where the Orcs' darkvision gives them a big advantage. Sometimes they string a rope at ankle level to trip enemies, scatter caltrops or toss nets to immobilize pursuers before loosing a volley of projectiles. Their goal is to pile enough damage on one character to down them, slowing down the enemy and giving both Orcs and Mutants an opportunity to escape.

 

Trampier