silhouettes of fighting warriors are seen against the background of the rising sun

Uprise: Bandits At War

One-pagers are a kind of adventure prep that I use which I outlined in an older post over at Sword’s Edge. Basically, because I am very comfortable with improv gaming, I usually work from a very basic adventure outline and do everything else on the fly.

Below is a one-pager based on the movie Uprising, which I reviewed at Sword’s Edge. There are no NPCs/challenges/obstacles statted out—no mechanical opponents presented—so you might need to cook some of those up if you use this. The ideas are there. Run with them.

Story

The PCs are bandits that have formed into an irregular force protecting the local communities from the depredations of the armies fighting the wars—whether those are the nominal “lords” of the land or the armies invading that territory. They haven’t been especially cruel to the villagers, but they are criminals, and their raids have likely created hardship for the local population. They will face both violent encounters with the contending armies, but also interpersonal challenges in finding peace and mutual support with the villages they are now protecting.

Places

The Camp: the bandits will have a stronghold, their base of operations. This is probably a liminal space—either a place on the borders of the polity, or outside of what is usually considered “civilized” space. The camp might be high up in the mountains, a comfortable valley with a hidden access point, or it could be a deep and impenetrable forest.

The Villages: there should be at least one village or even a town that the bandits protect. Maybe there are some villages and a single town that is fortified and strong enough to keep the armies at bay. The town would provide the chance for intrigue and espionage, and the bandits might secretly have an agreement with the leaders of the town—joined together to protect the locals.

The City: this is the centre of the local nobility or leadership. The leader of the city is likely an important figure in the nation, and assumes that others should defer to them, treat them as a superior. They are as much of a problem as the invading armies, making demands of supplies from villages that are starving.

People

The Bandit Chief: there’s a few choices here, but the one’s I like are the actual criminal who has been forced into the role of local hero and is always trying to get out of it, but those they lead want to protect the surrounding villages, so the chief it trapped. The other is a former military leader who has taken on this role and finds it’s a lot more satisfying protecting the local people than the power and wealth of the king and nobility.

The Enemy Captain: this is the officer leading the enemy forces in the immediate vicinity. Are they cruel by nature or inclination? Are they a professional who would much rather avoid harming the common people? Are they loyal to the crown they serve or are they maybe just a little bit curious about the PCs and leading the life of a local hero?

The Noble: this is the aristocrat who has legal title to the area, based on the laws of the kingdom. They might not want to be cruel, but they certainly want their authority respected, and they are absolutely unwilling to work alongside a group of criminals—whether their interests happen to coincide or not.

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