And so now they're collecting brigands...

[MerakSpielman]

Those silly players! I added 3 new players to my group, and opted for the existing characters to stumble across a slaver group and rescue the new players from a prison wagon thingie. It all worked out well, but one of the slavers surrendered so they tossed him in the cage. Now, they've encounted a few brigands, defeated them, stabalized the ones that are bleeding, and tossed them in their wagon-cage too.

I told them there is probably a bounty available in the nearby city for capturing and turning in brigands and slavers. I have a strong feeling they're going to keep their cage with them the whole rest of the campain, collecting enemies to convert to quick cash at the next city.

They're also using a small wheeled platform tied to the back of the wagon to carry loot. Usually enemy armor and weapons, unless magical, is too bulky to bother taking in to sell. Now they're collecting all of it. The brigands they defeated were also riding light war horses, which I suddenly realized was the most valuable treasure they've found in one encounter so far.

I don't mind them doing these things. It's a convenient way for the paladin to be merciful and lawful, and the cleric to be all goody-goody stabalizing fallen foes like his particular religion (the God of Mercy) wants him to. I particularly like players taking what was given them and coming up with a creative use for it.

I do have a question though. What would you expect a good-sized, lawful good city to pay out to people hauling in common bandits and brigands? 10gp per head? More, less?

 

[silentspace]

10 gp per head sounds about right for a Warrior 1 to me. But I have to ask, how do the authorities know they are bandits and not captured farmers? Eyewitnesses?

 

[Zappo]

For common 1st level thugs, 10 gold sound about right. For 2nd and 3rd level brigands, I'd pay 20 and 50 gold respectively. Anything above that is not a common criminal, and should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Sanackranib]

. . . and tossed them in their wagon-cage too. . .

I told them there is probably a bounty available in the nearby city for capturing and turning in brigands and slavers. I have a strong feeling they're going to keep their cage with them the whole rest of the campain, collecting enemies to convert to quick cash at the next city.

now thats FUNNY not only do they have a way to transport thier ill gotten gains, they can "cash in the bad guys too! im surprised i never considered this tactic myself as a player. I would say that they are worth 25, 50, or 100 gp per head depending on thier level and what they have done and weither there is a specific wanted poster etc. for the slavers it would depend on weither that practice is leagal or not in the the area in which the pc's are traveling.

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

Well, in response to the "and how do they know...." theres a Cleric of a mercy deity, meaning NG (often the most popularly worshipped deities.) and a paladin (LG) meaning probobly very trusted. Of course, the city/town matters on how it will treat those characters. If slavery is legal, then turning the slaver in won't get the party anything, unless the slavers are "stealing" people and then selling them. As far as the bandits/brigands, when they are doing such activity, there is generally SOME knowledge about groups attacking trade routes. Which means when the brigands are brought in the officials will probobly "interrogate" (If good aligned probobly minor slapping around, if evil, well, torture for confessions, neutral would most likely use magic to find the truth)

Calrin Alshaw

 

[Darklone]

Hehehehe. Well, you know, I like it when players take it upon themselves to clean the countryside from brigands. Depends if they are able to do so ...

Ah well. After cashing in the bounty, I already see some clerics who run orphanages or similar things begging the nice rich paladin for some coins Hundreds of poor clerics, pious pilgrims, beggars...

 

[Kugar]

I think it's cool. It's heroic, and a good compromise for the paladin in the party. The first time the party came up with the idea it would be worth some extra XP.

I also think having a bunch of brigands caged up behind you would be a tactical disadvantage in some instances. Not to mention the fact that the heros would be advertising their existance to every thieves guild, brigand lord, bounty hunter, etc. in the countryside. I see some very interesting ambushes in the future.

I aslo see this as a hook for more adventures in the future, for the first set of people that the locals would go to for favors would be the locals who cart in villians every week. Plus, if the party gets into the habit of bounty hunting, then you can throw them the Les Miserables scenarios where the brigands have a real reason for being outlaws.

As far as gold, start putting up bounty signs and include that gold as part of the g.p. / adventure. The "level" of the menance would not matter as much as the trouble he is causing. The 1st level rouge who seduces a local nobles daughter and is taking advantage of that relationship to raid the royal coffers would have more of a bounty than that 10th level hermit necromancer hiding really well in the woods.

Kugar

 

[MaxKaladin]

I can't help it but the rat-bastard DM in me keeps thinking of how someone could mistake THEM for slavers what with them wandering around with a prison wagon all the time and whatnot. I know you weren't looking for ways to mess with them but its just so hard to hold things like that in sometime...

 

[BlindKobold]

One poster brings up a good point... how do you know they are bandits.

I would have the city pay a bounty of 10gp per CONVICTED bandit. And maybe the PCs must wait in the city to testify.

Also... the PCs will be MUCH less mobile because of the cart. Carts are bulky and slow moving. They make good targets for monsters.

John

 

[dagger]

With magic you can find out in mere nano seconds if they are bandits.