I have always liked hobgoblins. When I was younger and making my first forays into the world of Dungeon Mastering, I latched on to the race. I think part of the reason I did was because everyone was using orcs and goblins and I wanted to use something different. As I grew older and my campaigns changed, I still used hobgoblins.
In my long running D&D campaign I made my hobgoblins into a race that was not a tribal warlike society. For them honor and strength was what determined a hobgoblin’s place in society. Instead of being cannon fodder with no goals, my hobgoblins were a race that felt it was their divine right to rule and conquer. Hobgoblins, for me, were not a brainless barbaric race, but a thinking philosophical one.
Mortak the Silent Knife was one of the three NPCs that I submitted for Atlas’ Uncommon Character. Mortak was not accepted, and I thought I would use him in Empire’s End which I wrote for Crookedface Games, but that game never saw the light of day. Sadly, he did not fit the view of hobgoblins or the feel of the city. Eventually he ended up in Scrollworks.
Mortak the Silent Knife
Ever since he was a young hobgoblin, Mortak knew he was different. He hated taking orders, and he felt that he should only listen to himself. Growing older he came to the realization that very little of the wealth that the tribe looted actually stayed with the tribe. Most of it went to the chieftain, and as he got richer, the tribe got poorer.
An agile and sneaky hobgoblin, Mortak was also gifted with a keen intellect. Tired of the life of poverty, and risking his life for so little, he hatched a plan to quietly steal from his tribe. At first no one realized what was going on, since Mortak was careful to take only small items. With each item he stole, Mortak wanted more, and before long became addicted to stealing. One day his greed got the better of him and led to a life change.
Developing the habit of sneaking into the chieftain’s tent, Mortak would help himself to whatever he wanted. One day Mortak got careless and was not paying attention, when he was discovered by one of the lieutenants. Before he could raise the alarm Mortak killed the lieutenant and fled. Realizing he was now an outlaw, and that no tribe would give him sanctuary, Mortak enjoyed his outlaw status and the freedom it brought him. He had broken free of the shackles of tribal tradition and vowed that he would only answer to himself. This was what led him to the human city Omatet.
Knowing humans are wealthy, Mortak reasoned that a human city could make him wealthy as well. It was easy for a hobgoblin of Mortak’s skill to sneak into Omatet undetected, and hide from the guards. Once inside, he stayed to the shadows stealing what he needed to survive. His stealing led him to begin accumulating a great deal of wealth, and the more he had the happier he became. After living in the city for a year a thief by the name of Oregor Kalss spotted Mortak. Suspicious and extremely curious, Oregor shadowed Mortak as he broke into a jewelers shop and successfully stole a number of large gems. Seeing how adept the hobgoblin was at thieving, Oregor approached him and took Mortak under his wing.
The two became partners in crime, and were soon known for being extremely talented and lucky. No job was impossible for the pair, and their daring deeds became legend. It was they who robbed Kalvin the Moneychanger, and it was they who stole the Moon’s Eye (a diamond rumored to have been as large as Mortak’s head.) Slowly word spread throughout Omatet’s underworld about the hobgoblin, and at first people either avoided him or tried to kill him. Every attempt on Mortak’s life met with disaster, and soon no one dared to cross swords with him. Then one day, Mortak’s and Oregor’s partnership came to an end.
As much an avid gambler as an avid loser, Oregor never seemed able to hold on to money for very long. The gambling debts began piling up, and as luck would have it all his marks came due. Not having enough money to pay the debts and knowing the location of Mortak’s horde, Oregor took everything and paid his way out of his troubles. The next night Mortak discovered that his money was gone, and that his partner was missing, so he searched every alley and bar looking for Oregor.
Finding him in a brothel, and drunk from three days of partying, it seemed that Oregor took more money then he needed and spent the rest on booze, drugs and women. Without batting an eye Mortak killed Oregor where he laid, and this is when Mortak’s troubles began. Unknown to him, it was a crime among the guild to kill a fellow thief. By killing Oregor, Mortak became a wanted outlaw of the guild. The punishment for his crime was death, and once again Mortak went into hiding.
Mortak has managed to stay alive by foiling all attempts on his life. The guild is growing increasingly embarrassed by not being able to deal with a problem member. Mortak is seen as a sign of weakness, and every day he lives, is another day the prestige of the guild fades. Mortak, on the other hand, considers all of this a bothersome inconvenience. The hobgoblin has bigger plans—to overthrow the guild and replace it with his own organization.
Mortak is a talented thief and a deadly fighter who relies on the reputation of his race. Though he pretends to be stupid he is not. Mortak enjoys being underestimated and lulling opponents into a false sense of security. A private individual, Mortak does not say much. He is confident in his abilities, as well as being very greedy. There is nothing that he would not do for money. Mortak is loyal to no one but himself and the only way to gain his loyalty is by paying him.
Adventure Hook
The guild is angry that Mortak is still breathing, and are embarrassed by their numerous failures. Realizing that bigger guns are needed, the guild sets up a cover operation and contacts the PCs. The PCs are told that Mortak is a serial killer and a worshiper of dark and depraved gods. They spin a tale of the hobgoblin killing children and drinking the blood of his many innocent victims. Promised a very large bounty, the PCs are asked to find the black-hearted hobgoblin and kill him. Tracking him through the city the PCs finally encounter him in his lair. Much to their surprise Mortak is not the depraved killer the PCs were led to believe he was. Do they kill the hobgoblin or do they listen to his offer?
Mortak has slowly been building a power base among the criminals of Omatet. His goal is to destroy the current guild and replace it with his own, and the PCs are approached to help Mortak destroy the current guild. If they agree to join, the PCs find themselves fighting a secret war in the alleys and slums of Omatet. The culmination of which is a final battle in the headquarters of the current thieves guild. The risks are high, but the rewards more than outweigh the danger.
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OPEN CONTENT Mortak the Silent Knife Male hobgoblin 6th-Level Rogue CR 6; Medium Humanoid (6 ft. 4 in. tall); HD 6d6+12; hp 42; Init +4 (Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 16 (Dex, Ring), Atks +4 melee (1d6/[19-20/x2], short sword) or +8 ranged (1d4+2/[x2], darts +2); AL LE; SV Fort +6, Ref +9, Will +5; Str 11, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 14, Wis 16, Cha 11. Skills: Bluff +9, Disable device +11, Forgery +11, Hide +8, Listen +5, Move Silently +16, Open Luck +12, Profession (Trapper) +11, Sense Motive +9, Spellcraft +3.5, Swim +9, Use Rope +9. Feats: Dodge, Great Fortitude, Mobility. Languages: Hobgoblin, Common Magic Items: 4 darts +2, ring of protection +2, bag of holding (type 2) |
Filed under: Games, Rogue Games | Tags: d20, game design, Games, Lost Works, thoughts
This little bit was published in A&E, but later converted over to Warhammer FRP and published in Warpstone. This is the original version, that appeared in A&E.
History
Timmon Rollingcroft is a baker of great renown. For the past eleven years he has served as guild master for the Baker’s Guild, which he founded. Before founding the guild there were no standards for baked goods, and prices were so cut-rate that many bakers could not make enough to live on. So Timmon formed the Baker’s Guild, and because of him business is booming and profits are rising.
Timmon was raised as a baker, and was always an enterprising halfling. From the minute he could walk he was working in the kitchen mixing batters and lugging ingredients. As he grew older the baking business lost its appeal and the young halfling began to crave excitement. Seeking this excitement he began running the streets where he fell in with the wrong crowd. Soon the boy was committing petty thefts and raising hell. Timmon got into all kinds of trouble, and it seemed that getting into a jam was a weekly occurrence. His father, who was a kind-hearted man, thought Timmon would out grow all of this. Sadly he was wrong.
As Timmon grew older the call of adventure became too much to ignore. Every day he would rise early to begin a long day of baking in his father’s bakery. To escape the monotony he would lose himself in his dreams. Then one day, after decorating a cake in a lewd and suggestive manner, Timmon had had enough. That night he crept into his parent’s room, stole enough gold to live on, and left seeking his adventure. His father was hurt to see what his son had done, but quickly passed it off as a mistake of youth. Secretly he hoped that Timmon would sow his wild oats and when he returned he would once again join the family business as a respectable halfling baker.
Once away from the daily grind of the bakery Timmon lived life to the fullest. He left the city and found himself in a distant seaport town out of work and penniless. Faced with no money, no job prospects, and no work ethic, Timmon began stealing in order to survive. His thefts caught the attention of the local thieves’ guild and soon Timmon found himself pressed into service.
Agile, even for a halfling, Timmon soon found himself learning the art of burglary. The risk was high, but the benefits more then made up for the danger. As he toiled away in the guild Timmon saw how little those with power worked. The Godfather (as the leader of the guild was known) and his lieutenants made their riches off the backs of the common thieves, and did nothing but protect their position. It was then that Timmon was struck with a stroke of brilliance, he would lead his own guild. Timmon realized that back home the climate was ripe for a thieves’ guild. He also realized that in order for it to be an effective guild it would need a cover operation to hide behind. Hearing the news of a grain shortage, and that the merchants were gouging the bakers with inflated prices, inspiration hit once again, and Timmon was on the next ship bound for home.
Once back he learned that the merchants were hoarding grain and claiming supply was low. Many bakers were out of business because they could not afford to pay the high prices the merchants had set. Arriving on the scene, Timmon began organizing meetings where he called for the formation of a guild, the Baker’s Guild, as he called it, would operate like other craft guilds in the city and protect all members from greedy merchants. Many agreed with Timmon but few were brave enough to join, until the promise was made. Timmon had contacts with distant grain suppliers and he had bought shares in a large quantity of grain, enough to break the merchants strangle hold, would be delivered within a week. If Timmon could deliver on his promise of the grain the bakers agreed to form a guild and make Timmon its leader.
Truth be told there was no supply of grain and this was just an elaborate ruse. Timmon learned of a large grain stockpile two days south of the city. The grain was lightly guarded, and Timmon planned to steal it. It took six days, but the night before the promised grain shipment was to arrive Timmon executed a daring robbery. Emptying the granary he cemented his leadership of the fledging Baker’s Guild. Seventeen years later the Baker’s Guild still exists, and unknown to most, is the largest thieves guild in the region.
Organization
The Baker’s Guild is a true craft guild that looks out for its members. Its organization structure is small and is solely run by Timmon. He, along with the input of four other baker’s, set policy and standards for bakeries. In addition, the guild oversees all grain purchases as well as the status of apprentices, journeymen and master bakers. Once looked at as a joke, the Baker’s Guild is now respected and wields much in the way of wealth and clout in the city.
All of this is, of course, a cover and most of the apprentices and journeymen are actually thieves. They work in the bakeries by day, and on the streets at night. Timmon controls all crime in the city, and uses a few bakeries as distribution points for the delivery of drugs. The drugs, which are stored in fire proof clay balls, are baked into the center of loaves of bread and then delivered to the few pubs that sell them.
Not everyone in the Baker’s Guild is a thief, and even though Timmon uses it as a cover for his real work, he does also work for the betterment of legitimate bakers. Under his watch the Baker’s Guild has become a powerful organization and every baker in the city is a member. The guild has kept the price of grain low and members enjoy good profits and market protection. In addition Timmon and the guild have grown rich from selling surplus grain, and other produce. Much of this wealth goes back to the members, but unknown to all, a good portion ends up in Timmon’s pockets.
The lowest rung in the Baker’s Guild are called Kneaders. Kneaders are the rank and file members of the guild. They perform all the dirty work and work along with being footpads, burglars, and pick pockets. Also on this level are the Crumbers, which are a network of beggars that act as the eyes and ears for the Baker’s Guild.
The next layer of guild leadership is the Fillings who are the middle men who oversee the Kneaders and Crumbers. It is their job to supervise operations and make sure monthly quotas are met. Depending on the operation, Fillings have anywhere between 10 and 30 Kneaders or Crumbers answering to them. Some Fillings also oversee the prostitution and gambling rings in the city, and they are the ones who distribute the drugs to the Kneaders to sell.
The third layer of leadership are the Muffin Men. They each supervise one area of the guild’s operation, answering only to Timmon, and they are the ones that ensure things run smoothly. There are a total of six Muffin Men who oversee: prostitution, robbery, drugs, fencing, enforcement and smuggling. The Muffin Men have anywhere between 15 to 30 Fillings answering to them. At the top of this chain is Timmon. He has complete control over all facets of the organization, his word is final and those who do not agree with him find themselves in the middle of a loaf of bread.
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OPEN CONTENT Timmon Rollingcroft male halfling (lightfoot) Rog11/Exp2: CR 12; Size S (3 ft., 2 in. tall); HD 11d6 + 2d6; hp 45; Init +4 (+4 Dex); Spd 20 ft.; AC 20 (+1 Armor, +4 Dex, +1 Size, +4 Ring); Attack +7/+2 melee, or +14/+9 ranged; SV Fort +4, Ref +12, Will +10; AL LE; Str 5, Dex 19, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 14. Languages Spoken: Common, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Orc. Skills: Alchemy +7, Appraise +15.5, Climb +13, Craft (baking) +3, Diplomacy +14.5, Disable device +4, Disguise +16, Forgery +15, Hide +8, Intimidate +14, Intuit direction +19.5, Jump +2, Listen +7, Move silently +20, Perform +3, Read lips +3, Search +12, Sense motive +16, Speak language +3, Spellcraft +3.5, Spot +5. Feats: Alertness, Improved critical (sword, short), Run, Shield proficiency, Skill focus (intuit direction). Gear: +1 leather armor, +4 ring of protection, +2 short sword, +1 dagger, bag of holding (Type 2). |
