Matthew Miller Stories

Roan closed his eyes and breathed deep through his nose. Inhale. Exhale. He was so close to getting out. This could be the last time he had to look the devil in its eyes. Fear is the greatest killer. It even stands above Abner.

He knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Roan had learned to recognize Abner’s taste as being “classy,” and this was reflected in his study. The carcass of some ungodly creature stretched across the floor as a rug, overlooked by two adjacent, plush leather chairs.

A sixty-something year old man sat in one, peering up from a parchment scroll. His features sagged softly. He had a full head of hair, but it was speckled black on grey. The old man leaned back and motioned to the other seat.

Roan gave a measured bow and sank into the open chair. It felt like a pit he’d have to claw out of.

“What brings you in today, Roan?”

Roan blinked. “You requested to meet with me, Father.”

Abner nodded slowly. “I did… But I thought maybe there was something you wanted to talk to me about,” he said.

“No sir.” Roan thought for a moment. “I’ve been keeping busy on the assignment you gave me.”

“This is good to hear, Roan.” Abner flicked his tongue over his lips. “Have you heard the news about Tanner?”

Roan’s ears perked up. “What news?”

Abner grimaced and pouted. “Ah it was terrible… Some lowly street thugs took Tanner to the edge of town. They took these hooks and dug em in right beneath his shoulder blades.” Roan felt Abner’s fingers pressing firmly into his back. “They picked him up from ropes—tied him to the back of a wagon so his feet were dangling. I hear they took turns lashing him… And when they were done, they kicked the horse off so it charged through the streets, draggin’ him through dirt and rocks. Nobody’s quite sure when the poor guy died.”

Abner pulled back his hand.

“I wonder what a guy like that must’ve done— I wonder who he must’ve pissed off…”

Roan shifted uncomfortably.

“As I think about it, there’s a story going around that the thugs caught hold of Tanner in Belfis. I wonder what he was doing there.”

The silence screamed. Roan felt his brow twitch. He couldn’t just sit there. Tanner might’ve given up their plan. “I— I can’t imagine why he’d be there,” he said.

“No, of course… I didn’t expect you to know anything of it. But hey! Thanks for listenin’ to me ramble for a bit. I know it’s morbid, but it’s good to get this kinda thing off my mind, ya know?” Abner’s gaze softened. His yellow teeth shone. He looked almost genuine. “I’m glad that I can trust you, Roan. You bring a lot to the community.”

Bandits

These models are bandits from the Pathfinder Battles Deep Cuts line by WizKids. They’re pretty decent quality, like a lot of the humanoid Deep Cuts models, but one of the sculpts has some really weird geometry. The one with the knife and eyepatch has a pretty misshapen torso, but it’s a problem with the mold itself, not the molding process. Past that, I really liked these models and I’m happy with how their eyes came out.

Bandits — a classic RPG enemy, just a step up from goblins in terms of complexity — are far too often made to be one-dimensional. Speaking as a DM, they’re generally convenient enemies for throwing tactical challenges at your players, like mixed combat forms or traps in open roads or fields. The challenge is progressing past that view to determine who these goons and thugs are in the real world.

Surely not every bandit the players ever encounter will have a name or purpose, but you should have general ideas about both their collective goals and personal motivations. What would drive someone to theft, or kidnapping, or murder, depending on the role bandits play in your world? Do they see themselves as a brotherhood of outcasts? Are they rebels against the powers that rule society? Or are they afraid, like Roan is, of the ruler of a criminal underbelly?

These are the kinds of questions that I feel help elevate D&D from a game of mechanics and systems to an evolving story. In answering them, you answer all possible outcomes of an encounter with bandits. If you’re aware of the ways in which a bandit might be conflicted, you have the basis for a character that might surrender to the players or be captured, or you might place notes for the players to find on the bandits’ bodies, which lead them forward and make the world feel alive.