Castle Oldskull: The Order of the Scarlet Tabard (d20)
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Hale companions¸ ready and true¸ prepared to brave the dungeons deep in the name of hard-won gold and glory...
Behold the doughty and stalwart men- and women-at-arms who hail from the Free City of Grimrook¸ the infamous and ever-ready "Redshirts" from the mercenary company known as the Order of the Scarlet Tabard!
The old school rules always encourage us to include men-at-arms ready for hire by any low-level Player Characters¸ so that the adventuring party's strength is bolstered in the dungeon. After all¸ if there are not enough bodies in the ranks to soak up those pit traps¸ fatal spider bites¸ and energy drains¸ all of those nasty attacks go straight to the imperiled and beloved heroes who are played by the players. But while the rules provide a few guidelines¸ the scant existing information lends itself to a system in which these heroic NPCs are nameless¸ faceless¸ generic¸ and completely lackluster¸ until they meet their grisly end.
This book is designed to give you 100 unique individuals¸ each with their own name¸ epithet ("the Eremite"¸ "the Merciless"¸ etc.)¸ race¸ sex¸ alignment¸ personality¸ homeland¸ ability scores¸ morale level¸ hit points¸ troop type¸ armor worn¸ weapons carried¸ and suggested rate of pay. Now when the PCs hire 10 men-at-arms¸ you can roll the dice 10 times and have an instant set of 10 adventure hooks and frontline victims... ah¸ warriors... ready to go.
Here is a sample:
Harika the Enforcer¸ a Human Female¸ Alignment Lawful Neutral. Personality: Flamboyant¸ Homeland: Galatia (mythic Asia Minor). Low Ability Score: INT 5¸ High Ability Score: CON 16. Morale Level 8¸ Hit Points 3. Troop Type: Light Spearwoman¸ Armor Type: Leather Armor and Shield (Base AC 7)¸ Weaponry: Broad Sword¸ 2 Throwing Spears. Pay Rate: 5 1/2 Gold Pieces per Month (or Expedition).
Another useful mini-supplement from Wonderland Imprints¸ Only the Finest Works of Fantasy.