Adventuring parties
by Giampaolo Agosta
Which adventuring parties would be active around AC1000 in the city (besides the PCs, of course)?
For adventurers, we certainly know some already from canon:
- The Company of the Few fought a wyvern on the roof of the Roaring seawolf inn (K:KoA; this event takes place between Lucas Tormandros' accession to the charge of Townmaster and AC 1012, so it is reasonable that the Company be active, as a 1st or 2nd level party, in AC 1000).
- Baron Yuschiev is already a Landed Lord in AC 1014; I don't think he's part of the "old Traladaran aristocracy", because he (in the Mystaran Almanac) takes over Vlad Lutescu's fief of Rugalov, and his followers are Knights by 1015 or so; he must be around 40 in 1015, and therefore around 25 in AC 1000; thus, he could be a low-level Fighter at this time, leading his own adventuring party (with a just-sheared Grygory, maybe?).
- Sir Befrick of the Order of the Griffon appears in Hail the Heroes (like Barris Strolojca) as an established Knight. He should also be forming his own party at some point near AC 1000. IMC, this party is formed near the end of AC 1000 by a group of members of the Church of Karameikos to hunt a Traladaran wererat, and it is called the "Blades of Vanya".
by Francesco Defferrari
Mystara adventuring parties generator
Base: City of 50.000 inhabitants:
Every day/night in the city are present
1-2(-1) Local Companion level or higher adventuring parties
1d6(-1) Local Expert level adventuring parties
4d4(-1) Local Base level adventuring parties
1d12(-1) adventuring parties not of the city but from the same nation (70% base level, 25% expert level, 5% companion or higher)
1d8(-1) adventuring parties from surrounding nations (within a 1.000 miles distance)
(3% change that 1-2 adventuring parties are present from lands in the same planet but more than a 1.000 miles away)
(1% change that 1 adventuring parties is present from Hollow World/another planet/another plane (probably disguised as locals)
Every adventuring parties has 3d4 members.
Adventuring parties are: all humans (40%) with one or more demihuman like elves, dwarves, gnomes and halflings (50%) all demihuman (5%) with one or more humanoid or other intelligent being (4,5%) Entirely composed of humanoids or other intelligent beings (0,5%) (these figures could greatly differ depending on the ethnic composition of the place of origin)
Base: Country of 500.000 inhabitants.
Each year from 10 to 90 new adventuring parties are formed in the country (average 50): 65% (average 32) disband within few days or months with or without casualties. 20% (average 10) disband within one or few years, have at least one casualty and reach only local fame, not necessarily in their home town. 14% (average 7) are killed to the last one or disappear into the unknown. 1% (average 1) reach lasting fame and eventually retire in military, nobility or government positions. 0,1 (average 1 every 20 years) reach great fame beyond their nation and are the subjects of legends and folk tales.
by Simone Neri
On the topic of adventuring parties, I have some NPC parties that I used in my campaign. Here they are (note that some of these NPCs come from canon o fanon sources; stats are for AD&D):
Kallergan’s Companions:
A “pure” adventuring group, formed a little before AC 1000 and based in Threshold at the beginning, but moved to the capital soon afterwards. This was my own PCs’ first adventuring party (party membership changed very soon however).
Members:
* Lord Claudius Titus Varius Kallergan ‘Calandros’ (shearing name) (born 978, LG Thyatian human male, 2nd-level Paladin): Sheared scion of the Kallergan noble family (family lands south of the Barony of Kelvin, bordering western Dymrak Forest).
* Dunrik Dunrikos (born 975, CG Traladaran male, 2nd-level Mage)
* Titus Rorrigan (born 975, NG Thyatian male, 2nd-level Cleric of the Church of Karameikos)
* Alexander Locksly (born 981, NG half-Darokinian/half-Traladaran male, 1st-level Fighter [Myrmidon kit])
* Sergej Rovenscu ‘Zordak’ (born 980, CN Traladaran male, 9th-level Bard [Jester kit]): An experienced PC from a previous campaign, exiled from Norwold and now in hiding, joined the party to keep a low profile.
The Ladies for Hire:
An all-female mercenary group, mostly formed of indipendent specialists who only from time to time gather together to form a “commando”-type group to perform very difficult or delicate missions. The Ladies receive many missions from the Duchess and from other noble families, while they’re somewhat shunned by the church authorities (also due to the presence within their ranks of representatives of many different sects).
Members:
* Lady Nina Pyotrev (born 975, CG Traladaran human female, 11th-level Fighter [Swashbuckler kit]): A scion of the Pyotrev Traladaran noble family (other members are Sergei Pyotrev, ambassador to Alfheim [see GAZ5], and Mikel Pyotrev, captain of the Phorsis Guard [see GAZ1]).
* Alisz Dkany (born 977, LN Traladaran human female, 6th-level Fighter): Alisz appears in JA (page 159), and in AC 1013 is said to be a retired adventurer operating a weapons shop in the tiny village of Irenke (west of Penhaligon).
* Monika Radi-Lupu (born 976, N Traladaran human female, 8th-level Bard)
* Lady Alatiela of Gleymouril (born 864, CG Callarii elf female, 5th/7th/6th-level Fighter/Mage/Thief): A court lady, she’s also a liutenant in Castellan Keep’s garrison (see my MGAZ1 for details).
* Sophia Besma Folengo (born 978, NG half-Alasiyan/half-Thyatian human female 6th-level Cleric of the Church of Thyatis)
* Athemia Lasochitropolus (born 978, LN Thyatian human female, 5th-level Crusader of the Church of Karameikos)
* Yula Manckiewicz (born 978, NG Traladaran human female, 5th-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara)
* Ecaterina Stepanovic (born 980, CG Traladaran human female, 5th-level Mage)
Traladara’s Wanderers:
An all-Traladaran group, who has begun to make his name known among old Traladaran clans and families.
Members:
* Lady Varjia Rothescu (born 981, LG Traladaran human female, 3rd-level Fighter)
* Yuri Yakovescu (born 970, LN Traladaran human male, 3rd-level Diviner)
* Sasha Ivanovic (born 979, CN Traladaran human male, 2nd-level Thief)
* Stephan Znarovic (born 970, LG Traladaran human male, 2nd-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara)
* Lady Sula Malenkov (born 993, LN Traladaran human female, 1st-level Fighter)
* Ilya Tsodorov (born 971, CG Traladaran human male, 1st-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara)
The Noble Swords:
A warrior-type group made up by scions of lesser Thyatian noble families or petty noblemen, specialized in guard, cleaning, and rescue missions, often employed by the Church of Karameikos, Thyatian aristocrats, and Thyatian merchants.
Members:
* Sir Vanyarites Karadelium (born 977, LG Thyatian human male, 5th-level Cleric of the Church of Karameikos [Noble Priest kit])
* Lord Xentus Paphrotemkarius (born 974, N Thyatian human male, 5th-level Fighter [Noble Fighter kit])
* Lady Constantina Retebius (born 982, LN Thyatian human female, 4th-level Crusader of the Church of Thyatis): scion of the Retebius noble family, with lands on the coast south of the Dymrak Forest (see [url=http://pandius.com/knoblfam.html#retebius
]my article at the Vaults[/url] for details)
* Lady Zeninia Glantarentes (born 969, LG Thyatian human female, 7th-level Fighter [Cavalier kit])
* Sir Angelic Paphtatribin (born 968, LG Thyatian human male, 7th-level Fighter [Noble Fighter kit])
The Few:
Agathokles has already said something about these, I also envisioned them as a mercenary group, sometimes working for non-noble authorities (ministries, town councils, etc.), sometimes for private customers (merchants, mostly), sometimes on their own.
Members:
* Dmitri Yurevich (born 979, NG Traladaran human male, 2nd-level Fighter): he’s the future husband of Aleena Halaran (see PWAII); in my campaign he’s also the unnamed fighter you play in the two solo adventures of Red Box’s Player’s Booklet.
* Valeria Laschirigarius (born 976, LN half-Thyatian/half-Traladaran human female, 2nd-level Mage)
* Katarina Yakovescu (born 983, LG Traladaran human female, 1st-level Fighter)
* Mikhail Sinkovic (born 986, CG Traladaran human male, 2nd-level Invoker): a boy prodigy at the Mages’ Guildhall.
* Bela Bethlany (born 981, CG Traladaran human male, 1st-level Cleric of the Church of Traladara)
* Bomblum Wallclimber (born 947, CG Stronghollow dwarf male, 1st/1st-level Fighter/Thief)
Then there are some other canonic characters which could be added to the list of potential adventurers in AC 1000. They are:
* Devlin Yakov (born 982, CG Traladaran human male, 1st-level [9th-level in AC 1013] Thief): He’s described in JA (page 159), and is said to have been for a time an adventuring companion of Misha Mananov.
* Misha Mananov (born 981, LG Traladaran human female, 1st-level [12th-level in AC 1013] Cleric of the Church of Traladara): She appears in JA (page 156), and is said to have fled the Black Eagle Barony at age 15 (thus in AC 996) and to have joined the Church of Traladara’s ranks as priest “a few years later”, “righting wrongs and helping people in need of aid”.
* Sir Peter of Kelvin: This character appears in JA (page 231) as “a knight of some distinction” who suffers from sleepwalking. Could have been an adventuring knight (or fighter, at that time), in AC 1000.
* Valentin Dardanus: An adventurer of Thyatian descent (featured in JA, page 228) who donates 100,000 gold royals to the city of Mirros in AC 1013 in order to build a public school. He doesn’t seem to have retired in AC 1013, and he’s surely a high-level and successful adventurer to be able to make such an huge gift to the city. I see him already active in AC 1000, perhaps as a good Thief or Fighter; in my campaign he was for a time an adventuring compaion of Aleena Halaran.
* Rufius Andergorn: He appears in JA (page 15) as a “mage of high and wide repute” in AC 1013, who sells some services in the tiny village of Irenke (west of Penhaligon); seems to be more an academic type, but could also have gone adventuring around AC 1000.
* Claransa the Seer (born 966, LG Traladaran human female, 20th-level Mage [AC 1010-13], perhaps 9th-12th level in AC 1000): A pregenerated PC in CM1-3 and M1 modules, then she appears again in the PWA-JA series. Likely a divination specialist, could already be at large in AC 1000 since she briefly rules a dominion in Norwold before the events of WotI.
* Lucci Dhay (from M2): She’s a native Neutral Thief of Karameikos, forced to leave the grand duchy after being wrongly accused of a crime “many years ago”. Depending on the timeframe you choose for M2, she could be active as an adventurer in Karameikos in AC 1000.
* Shebb Woolsey (from M5): He was born “160 years ago” (that would mean around AC 840-50, depending on the timeframe you choose for M5) in Kelvin, and seems to have traveled very much. In M5 he’s a Neutral 30th-level Thief, but he has likely left Karameikos many years before AC 1000.
* Candella and Duchess (from B3): Two good-looking female adventuring-thieves who ventured into Haven (both are Neutral 2nd-level Thieves).
* Erren and Sarrah (from B12, pages 6-7): Another two good-loking female thieves and dungeon-delvers; both are from Specularum (Erren is a 22 yearsold Neutral 3rd-level Thief, while Sarrah is a 20 years old Neutral 2nd-level Thief).
* Gurdrot (Chaotic 1st-level Dwarf), Hargrinn Coogan (Chaotic 2nd-level Fighter), Katzani (Chaotic 3rd-level Cleric), and Mordrain (Chaotic 3rd-level Magic-User): All from B12 (pages 11-12), they form a group of chaotic adventurers seemingly devoted to robbing and looting.