Outlaw Chief

*"This isn’t some sort of mercenary company. Once you’re in, you become part of the family. If you want to run with us, you take the bad with the good."*

## Advanced

(Core) Every band of brigands needs a leader. An Outlaw who shows he is both cunning and bold can rise to the level of Outlaw Chief. Commanding a lawless group of dangerous men is no easy task and the perilous forests of the Old World don’t make the job any easier. Outlaw Chiefs get their pick of the loot their band acquires, but they are also held responsible for every failure and their grasp on leadership is tenuous. Outlaw bands are notorious for not allowing any of their members to simply retire, which may make leaving the Chief ’s post a difficult task.

### Secondary Profile

**Skills:** Academic Knowledge (Strategy/Tactics), Command, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Concealment, Follow Trail, Perception, Ride, Scale Sheer Surface, Secret Language (Battle Tongue), Secret Language (Thieves’ Tongue), Secret Signs (Scout or Thief), Silent Move

**Talents:** Lightning Parry, Mighty Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Reload, Sure Shot

**Trappings:** Bow or Crossbow with 10 Arrows or Bolts, Medium Armour (Sleeved Mail Shirt and Leather Jack), Horse with Saddle and Harness, Band of Outlaws

### **Career Entries**

Crime Lord, Demagogue, Ghost Strider, Highwayman, Master Thief, Racketeer, Scout, Veteran

## Managing a Band of Outlaws

The first step to recruiting new outlaws is establishing trust, for bounty hunters have been known to infiltrate outlaw gangs. Displaying an arrest warrant or demonstrating one’s criminal nature should be sufficient.

The second step is to convince outlaws of one’s leadership ability, either by proposing a clever heist or by paying a small initial wage with the promise of more. If one of these conditions isn’t met, the prospective chief will be forced to rely on charm or intimidation to convince the scum to follow him.

Players can use the Bandit standard profile for NPC Outlaws (see WFRP, page 233). Each NPC Outlaw should have a name and a distinguishing trait to set him apart from the others. Outlaws expect a fair share of the loot (usually negotiated up-front) and morale is entirely dependent upon the Outlaw Chief ’s success. For each failed mission, the Outlaw Chief ’s Command Tests should be penalised by -10%, and for each successful mission they should improve by +10%. Outlaws are inclined to flee rather than risk capture or death.

A GM may decide that an Outlaw Chief who has been deposed from leadership is prohibited from spending experience on stat advances until at least one new Outlaw is recruited.

## Bibino “The Count” Ortichino

The third son of a Tilean prince, Bibino lost his inheritance when his promised parcel of land was claimed by an Estalian margrave as hostage ransom. After receiving the news, Bibino found and killed the Estalian, then fled to Sartosa to avoid reprisals.

Bibino soon discovered that sea-sickness would limit his career as a pirate, but his ambitious yet carefree style did attract followers, including many outlaws and a halfling barber-surgeon. Bibino’s crew followed him eastward to the Border Princes, where ancient Nehekharan gold was rumoured to be buried.

Bibino plans to amass enough gold to build a keep, and he’s promised each of his men a plot of land within the future princedom. His men are loyal and deferential, addressing their chief as “Count Ortichino.” Having failed to locate any gold thus far, the outlaws have conducted a series of raids into the Darklands, each one more disastrous than the last. On its most recent raid, the outlaw band returned with only two barrels of hobgoblin rotgut at the cost of eight men.

Bibino plies new recruits with booze until they become alcoholics and often awards alcohol in lieu of cash payment. He manages to keep his wits sharp despite the constant revelry that has become the hallmark of his camp.