Raiders and Constructs Bestiary¶
Overview¶
This document covers the two non-wildlife creature families in the Frontier Marches at launch:
- Raiders and Brigands — humanoid enemies operating outside social order
- Constructs and Guardians — ruin-bound mechanical or magical entities, neither alive nor undead
These families differ from wildlife in key ways: they drop coin and salvageable equipment, they have recognizable tactical behavior that experienced players can read and adapt to, and their presence in a zone signals human-adjacent history rather than purely natural ecology.
Family: Raiders and Brigands¶
Humanoid enemies that operate in organized or semi-organized groups outside Trevalkaan's social structures. Brigands are not random wandering enemies — they have camps, supply chains (which they raid from others), and behavioral patterns that players who invest in Tracking can read in advance.
Role in the world: Brigands represent the failure mode of the frontier. Deserters from old conflicts, settlers who couldn't integrate, marginal characters who found it easier to take than to earn. They're dangerous not because they're monsters but because they know how to fight in the same ways players do — they have weapons, armor, and coordinated group tactics.
Drops: Coin (brigands carry what they've stolen), salvageable equipment (usable Common or Crafted quality items), occasionally intelligence (a note, a manifest, a contract fragment that generates bonus standing or a follow-on mission when returned to the Hall).
Status effect vulnerability: Standard. Brigands can be Feared, Paralyzed, and Poisoned like any creature. They are immune to Corruption (living humans do not receive Corruption from undead sources that aren't present in their encounter).
Arcane vulnerability: Lightning affinity is particularly effective against armored brigand types. Flame is neutral. Frost is neutral. Void has no effect on living targets.
Brigand Entries¶
Road Brigands (Grade C–D)¶
Common highway ambushers. They pick routes they know are lightly traveled or where the Hall board shows expired patrol contracts.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | C (solo), D (in a group of 2–3) |
| Region | Road hex zones, lowland crossing points |
| Season | Spring, Summer, Autumn (reduced in Winter — they winter in fixed camps) |
| Roles | Mixed: 1 Frontline + 1–2 Ranger equivalents |
| Injury Output | Grade 1 per step (light, opportunistic attackers) |
| Morale Effect | None (they're not scary, just inconvenient) |
Encounter notes: Road Brigands depend on the surprise mechanic. With Tracking at Familiar or above, the player can detect their ambush setup before the encounter initiates, converting it from a surprise encounter (first step outcome band −1) to a standard encounter. Without Tracking, the first step against Road Brigands begins at −1 outcome band.
Drops: 15–45 coin, Common-grade tools or weapons (60% chance), road patrol intelligence fragment (15% chance — returns standing bonus when brought to the Hall).
Deserters (Grade B–C)¶
Former soldiers, experienced fighters who know what they're doing. They operate in smaller groups than Road Brigands but hit significantly harder.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | B (small group of 2–3), C (solo) |
| Region | Old military road approaches, northern pass margins |
| Season | All seasons (they're hardened; winter doesn't stop them) |
| Roles | Mostly Frontline/Vanguard equivalents; one Ranger equivalent in groups of 3+ |
| Injury Output | Grade 2 per step; Grade 3 on unmitigated outcomes |
| Morale Effect | −5 morale on the encounter step where they deal a Grade 3 injury |
Encounter notes: Deserters have recognizable military formation behavior — they don't scatter when pressured, they close ranks. A party with a Warden at Practiced or above can read this and exploit it: formation fighters are vulnerable to Disruption Seal (Ritualism preparation) or targeted Lightning arcane. Deserters also carry their own morale — if the party deals a Strong Success on the first exchange, Deserters have a chance to break and retreat (treated as partial encounter resolution: party gets partial loot, no full contract completion).
Drops: 60–150 coin, Crafted-grade weapons (40% chance), Crafted-grade armor piece (25% chance), military identification fragment (10% chance — Archivist pays well for these; some may have historical significance to the Dark Years period).
Caravan Raiders (Grade B)¶
Organized operation. They're running a business, not just surviving. They know the caravan schedules, they have multiple people per group, and some of them have been doing this long enough to have invested in decent equipment.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | B |
| Region | Major caravan routes, River League crossing points, Rumiarr supply road |
| Season | Autumn (peak, when caravan traffic is highest for harvest season); present year-round |
| Roles | Balanced: Frontline, Vanguard, and Ranger equivalents in a coordinated 3-person group |
| Injury Output | Grade 2 per step from the Frontline; Grade 1 from Ranger equivalent (harassing fire) |
| Morale Effect | −5 morale when the Ranger equivalent lands a hit (the pressure of taking damage from a distance while managing the front) |
Encounter notes: Caravan Raiders are the most tactically complete brigand encounter. They cover both lanes (close and ranged). The Ranger equivalent must be neutralized by the party's own Ranger or Arcanist or they apply continuous morale pressure. With a full party (Vanguard + Warden + Ranger or Arcanist), Caravan Raiders are a manageable Grade B encounter. Understaffed parties will struggle.
Drops: 100–250 coin (they've been raiding; they have funds), Crafted-to-Fine grade weapons (50% chance), Fine-grade armor piece (20% chance), caravan manifest (20% chance — worth significant coin to the River League or Mountain Road Compact as intelligence).
Gang Boss (Grade A — Elite)¶
The organizing figure behind a brigand operation. Not just a fighter — a commander. Encounters with a Gang Boss always include supporting brigands (2–4 depending on group size) and take place in or near their established camp.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | A (Elite) |
| Region | Brigand camp sites (specific hex locations that appear when brigand activity reaches sustained threshold in a zone) |
| Season | All seasons; camp sites are persistent until cleared |
| Roles | The Boss is a hybrid Vanguard/Warden equivalent; supporting brigands fill standard roles |
| Injury Output | Grade 2–3 per step from the Boss; Grade 1 from each supporting brigand |
| Morale Effect | The Boss presence adds −10 morale at encounter start (they're clearly in charge and this is their ground) |
Encounter notes: Gang Boss encounters require Hall rank C or above to contract. The Boss has situational awareness — if the party deploys heavy arcane in the first step, the Boss repositions supporting brigands to better cover the Arcanist. Players who have Tracking at Skilled can preview the camp layout before committing to the encounter, gaining a pre-encounter position advantage (+5 morale at start instead of −10, and first exchange at normal outcome band instead of −1).
Drops: 200–500 coin, Fine-grade weapon (guaranteed), Fine-grade armor set piece (60% chance), camp ledger (rare drop — 20% chance; contains route intelligence, names of buyers, or contacts outside the Marches that the Archivist and merchant guilds will pay premium for).