Dangers - Humanoids - Balance Of Powers: A5E

Humanoids, in this context, are considered to be bipedal creatures with the overall capability for complex thought and organization. By no means are all humanoids extremely intelligent or civilized (just visit any tavern on a Saturday night…), but they, at least, have the capacity to think and act in ways more complex than those creatures covered by the Beasts & Unintelligent Monsters chapter, which tend to be far more animalistic, instinctual, or just exceedingly simple. Roll on the tables in this chapter if your **danger** is a group of humanoids of any kind. >[!note] Not Necessarily Evil… >Groups of people are complex, and very rarely are all participants truly the same. As such, many groups (yes, event cults!) may not necessarily be evil. Consider what motivates them, what they’re willing to do in service to their leader, goal, or directives. Do they have lines they won’t or can’t cross? Do they have lines they must cross? Why? # Humanoid Details | Detail | Result | | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | [[#Encounter Length]] | `dice:[[Encounter NPCs#^75fda5]]` | | [[#Heritage Distribution]] | `dice:[[Encounter NPCs#^375b8a]]` | | - Primary Heritage | `dice:[[Encounter NPCs#^995fda]]` | | - Secondary Heritage | `dice:[[Encounter NPCs#^995fda]]` | | - Tertiary Heritage | `dice:[[Encounter NPCs#^995fda]]` | | - Quaternary Heritage | `dice:[[Encounter NPCs#^995fda]]` | | [[#Group Type]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^bc6fa4]]` | | [[#Group Size]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^90d062]]` | | [[#Group Locality]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^4c7982]]` | | [[#Group Leadership]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^b45bac]]` | | [[#Leader Strengths]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^493037]]` | | [[#Leader Weaknesses]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^231c81]]` | | [[#Group Attitude]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^29a92c]]` | | [[#Group Loyalty]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^33a610]]` | | [[#Loyalty Extent]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^2a02c0]]` | | [[#Non-Group Local Familiarity]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^625f49]]` | | [[#Group Complications]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^010840]]` | | [[Dangers - Humanoids#Situational Influence\|Situational Influence]] | `dice:[[Dangers - Humanoids#^837422]]` | ^77a118 # Tables ## Group Type What sort of group is this? | d20 | Group Type | | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Assassins.** A group of hired killers. | | 2 | **Bandits.** A group of criminals, usually involved in violent crime. | | 3 | **Brainwashed.** A group under the mental control of someone, or something, else. | | 4 | **Conquerors.** A group focused on dominating, or taking over, a location or area. | | 5 | **Cultists.** A group who admires and follows a leader, group, or even an abstract concept. Outsiders typically view their degree of devotion as extreme, strange, or misplaced. | | 6 | **Explorers.** A group focused on discovering things ancient and forgotten, or that which is currently new and uncharted. | | 7 | **Gang.** A group of ruffians or toughs, united in a shared hierarchy | | 8 | **Law Enforcement.** A group whose focus is maintaining order in a civilized area. | | 9 | **Mages.** A group of spellcasters. | | 10 | **Mercenaries.** A private fighting force for hire, either for direct combat, or as guards. | | 11 | **Merchants.** A group of individuals with a shared interest in business and trade, perhaps connected to a larger merchant’s guild. | | 12 | **Military.** A fighting force working in an official capacity for a government, monarch or other powerful entity. | | 13 | **Refugees.** A group fleeing from somewhere they no longer feel welcome. | | 14 | **Religious.** A group focused on holy (or unholy) matters. | | 15 | **Scientists.** A group focused on unlocking the secrets of the universe and the natural world. | | 16 | **Scouts.** A group, sent ahead of a main body, in order to assess a given situation before reporting back. | | 17 | **Slavers.** A group that captures people to sell into servitude. | | 18 | **Spies.** A group actively attempting to acquire sensitive or valuable information. | | 19 | **Transport Service.** A group whose focus is on the movement of goods or passengers from one location to another. | | 20 | **Treasure Hunters.** A group focussed on the discovery and acquisition of long-lost caches of valuables. | ^bc6fa4 ## Group Size Other than the leadership, how many members make up the group? Note: The number of individuals rolled on this table may factor into rolls on the **group leadership** table. | d10 | Group Size | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | 1-4 | **Small.** The group is made up of 1d10+1 individuals. | | 5-7 | **Moderate.** The group is made up of 1d10+10 individuals. | | 8-9 | **Large.** The group is made up of 1d12+20 individuals. | | 10 | **Huge.** The group is made up of 1d20+32 individuals. | ^90d062 ## Group Locality How many of the group (if any) are from the area in or around the destination? | d10 | Group Locality | | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1-4 | **All Locals.** The entire group is from the area in or around the destination. | | 5-7 | **Mostly Locals.** Over half of the group are from the area in or around the destination. | | 8-9 | **Mostly Non-Locals.** Over half of the group are not from the area in or around the destination. | | 10 | **All Non-Locals.** The entire group is not from the area in or around the destination. | ^4c7982 ## Group Leadership What sort of leadership does the group have? Note: The leaders rolled here add to your **group size** to give you a total size for your group of humanoids. For example, if you roll a ‘Small’ **group size** (1d10+1) for a result of 7, and ‘Lieutenants’ for **group leadership** on the table below, the total size of your group would be 9. | d10 | Group Leadership | | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Informal Leader.** There is no formal leader, but there is one individual that the rest seem to look up to, admire, or trust. | | 2-6 | **Solo.** There is one leader; all others are considered equal. | | 7-9 | **Lieutenants.** There is one leader, who has a number of lieutenants. The number of individuals in the group (from the *group size* table) determines how many lieutenants there are. Small: One Medium: Two Large: Three Huge: Four | | 10 | **Peers.** There are multiple leaders within the group. The number of individuals in the group (from the *group size* table) determines how many leaders there are. Small/Medium: Two Large/Huge: Three | ^b45bac ## Leader Strengths What is the primary skill or attribute of the group leader, or leaders? Note: Roll on this table once for each leader in the group (from the **group leadership** table). | d12 | Leader Strengths | | --- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Smart.** The leader possesses great wisdom, learned from their peers, observations and life experiences. | | 2 | **Charismatic.** The leader’s strength comes from their personality. The leader is… [1d10]: 1-2: Charming 3-4: Confident 5-6: Intimidating 7-8: Talkative 9-10: Smooth | | 3 | **Connected.** The leader is friends with (or otherwise connected to) some powerful individuals, who will help them out when they need it. | | 4 | **Medic.** The leader is trained as a doctor or nurse. | | 5 | **Learned.** The leader is formally educated. | | 6 | **Magical Power (Arcane).** The leader is very proficient with arcane magic. | | 7 | **Magical Power (Divine).** The leader is very proficient with divine magic. | | 8 | **Magical Power (Natural).** The leader is very proficient with nature-based magic. | | 9 | **Physical Capability.** The leader has great physical prowess in one or more ways. The leader is... [1d6]: 1-2: Extremely dextrous 3-4: Extremely tough 5-6: Extremely strong | | 10 | **Scout.** The leader is incredibly observant, and skilled at wayfinding. | | 11 | **Clever.** The leader possesses great knowledge and intelligence, learned from study, reading or tutelage. | | 12 | **Additional.** Each time you roll this result, the leader gains an additional strength, up to a maximum of 3. Roll for these additional strengths. If your leader already has the maximum of 3 strengths, ignore any further ‘Additional’ results. | ^493037 ## Leader Weaknesses What is the primary flaw or deficiency of the group leader, or leaders? Note: Roll on this table once for each leader in the group (from the **group leadership** table). | d20 | Leader Weaknesses | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Clumsy.** The leader lacks physical coordination or dexterity. | | 2 | **Easily Distracted.** The leader has a hard time keeping focus, or struggles to see plans and ambitions through to their completion. | | 3 | **Irritable.** The leader has very little patience and a bad temper, especially when things do not go smoothly. | | 4 | **Controlling.** The leader overmanages the group, and needs to know everything about everything. | | 5 | **Paranoid.** The leader constantly feels that they (or the group as a whole) is under threat or the target of some danger. | | 6 | **Drunk.** The leader enjoys alcohol too much; they are rarely sober and, even when they are, they are thinking about drinking. | | 7 | **Drugs.** The leader frequently uses some sort of drug or illicit substance. | | 8 | **Overly Romantic.** The leader loves being in love; they are always fawning or pining over someone, and make frequent passes at, or declarations of affection to, a single, unrequited sweetheart, or a revolving door of potential partners. | | 9 | **Rash.** The leader does not think things through for long; they make decisions rapidly, oftentimes fueled by emotion. | | 10 | **Hesitant.** The leader often second-guesses themselves, or has difficulty taking decisive action. They often have a lack of confidence, or have a need to look at all potential possibilities. | | 11 | **Grandiose.** The leader has visions of greatness which they aspire to, which they frequently let get the better of them. They care about face, showmanship, legacy, and making their mark. | | 12 | **Liar.** The leader lies compulsively; the untruths come as naturally as breathing, even when it is totally unnecessary. | | 13 | **Cruel.** The leader has very few qualms (or none whatsoever) about wilfully causing pain to others (or ordering others to do so, on their behalf). | | 14 | **Arrogant.** The leader thinks very highly of themself. This may be related to their capabilities, upbringing, heritage, accomplishments, something special that happened to them, something they were told, or something else entirely. | | 15 | **Lazy.** The leader doesn’t much care to do any work themself. They often delegate, or try to do as little as possible, while still remaining in charge. | | 16 | **Entitled.** The leader feels that the things they want are owed to them, and that others should do whatever they can to please them. | | 17 | **Defensive.** The leader feels the need to justify themselves and their decisions, which may also manifest as abruptness or aggression. | | 18 | **Too Nice.** The leader is kind to a fault, sometimes overlooking offenses, mistakes, or grievances for the sake of kindness. | | 19 | **Anxious.** The leader always feels as if they’re under pressure. They constantly worry, or feel worried, even if it’s about nothing in particular. They always feel on edge, and even when everything seems fine, they’re always waiting for the other shoe to drop. | | 20 | **Additional.** Each time you roll this result, the leader gains an additional weakness, up to a maximum of 3. Roll for these additional weaknesses. If your leader already has the maximum of 3 weaknesses, ignore any further ‘Additional’ results. | ^231c81 ## Group Attitude What is the general attitude, or demeanor, of the group? | d10 | Group Attitude | | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Negligent.** The group is lazy, inattentive, and has little regard for their duties. | | 2 | **Relaxed.** The group is generally casual and easygoing; they react, rather than plan. | | 3 | **Tense.** The group is on edge, tetchy, and easilyprovoked. | | 4 | **Dour.** The group is subdued, sad or depressed. | | 5 | **Jubilant.** The group is excitable, positive, and always up for a celebration. | | 6 | **Focused.** The group is alert, centered, and totally fixated on the task at hand. | | 7 | **Serious.** The group is straight-laced and humorless; there is hardly a smile between them. | | 8 | **Rebellious.** The group is dissatisfied with their leadership or current situation. | | 9 | **Inebriated.** The group is always under the effect of some sort of intoxicant, be it drink or drugs. | | 10 | **False.** The group is putting on a front in an effort to disguise their true feelings or mindset. Roll twice more on this table (ignoring ‘False’, if rolled again). Your first result is their true *attitude*, your second is what they are currently portraying (reroll any repeated result). | ^29a92c ## Group Loyalty What unites the members of the group? | d10 | Group Loyalty | | --- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1 | **Work.** The group is dedicated to their work, and loves what they do. Even if their leader(s) are difficult, they care enough about the job to overlook any issues. | | 2 | **Family.** The group has formed close, personal bonds, and treat each other as kin. There may be rivalries or disagreements but, at the end of the day, family comes first. | | 3 | **Leader.** The group is dedicated to its leader. If the group has multiple leaders, they are loyal to… [1d6]: 1-3: All of the leaders equally 4-5: Some of the leaders, in varying amounts over the others 6: One of the leaders, and not the other(s) | | 4 | **Incentive.** The group is driven by rewards; this is usually money, but could also be knowledge, resources, etc. If these were not forthcoming, there would certainly be trouble. | | 5 | **Goal.** The group is driven by their desire to achieve a certain goal, or reach a particular milestone. If their goal was no longer possible (or was never actually real to begin with), there would certainly be trouble. | | 6 | **Heritage.** The group is driven somehow by their ties to an important legacy or shared history, and it is that bond that keeps them all together. | | 7 | **Threat.** The group is driven by fear of what will happen if they do not. They may believe they will be overwhelmed, caught, betrayed or be in danger in some way. | | 8 | **Idea.** The group is driven by their dedication to a certain philosophy, creed, ideal, or other principle, such as a religious or patriotic duty. | | 9 | **No Choice.** The group is driven to work together by necessity. They may have been thrown or otherwise brought together by chance, and need to be loyal to one another in order to survive or achieve their goal. If that necessity were ever removed, there would certainly be trouble. | | 10 | **Region.** Most or all of the group is from a certain place (which could be a specific place like a city or neighborhood, or it could be a general area like a country or kingdom). | ^33a610 ## Loyalty Extent How loyal are the group to their leader(s)? | d20 | Loyalty Extent | | ----- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Borderline Mutiny.** The group's loyalty is stretched to its thinnest. There are serious problems within the group that need to be resolved quickly. The majority of the group are a single instance away from revolting against the leadership. | | 2-3 | **Tense.** The group, or some members within it, are at odds with one another, or perhaps questioning their direction. A large number within the group are angry, dissatisfied, or working at cross purposes to the leadership. | | 4-6 | **Tepid.** The group, or some members within it, are less than pleased with their direction. A few within the group are not as dedicated as they once were, or otherwise might be, so are at odds with the leadership. | | 7-11 | **Loyal.** The group is dedicated. So long as they aren’t given a decent reason to change their minds, they will do what’s in the group’s best interest, as well as that of the leadership. | | 12-17 | **Devoted.** The members of the group are very dedicated, and few would consider turning their backs on it. There may be one or two who are not so committed, but they know better than to make that obvious to the leadership. | | 18-19 | **Absolute.** All members of the group are extremely dedicated, and none would be willing to turn. Most members would give up a lot before betraying the group’s trust, or that of the leadership. | | 20 | **Zealous.** All members of the group are so dedicated that they would die before betraying the group or the leadership. | ^2a02c0 ## Non-Group Local Familiarity How familiar are the locals in the area with the group and their activities? | d8 | Non-Group Local Familiarity | | --- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Allies.** All locals are certainly familiar with the group, and a fair number of them support, aid, otherwise assist, or are friendly with the group. The locals may know the group’s plans, or other information about them, but few would betray them. | | 2-3 | **Familiar.** Most locals are familiar with the group, and know a fair amount of general information about them, but nothing the group expressly tries to keep secret. The locals are relatively ambivalent towards the group. | | 4-5 | **Acquainted.** A few locals are passingly familiar with the group, but have no meaningful interaction. The locals know only the most general information about the group, not all of which is totally accurate, and have mixed feelings about them. | | 6-7 | **Unaware.** The locals don’t know of the group’s existence, or anything about them, so have no information or opinions about them. | | 8 | **Enemies.** The locals certainly know of the group and are directly opposed to them. They have information about the group, and may be willing to share their information and grievances with anyone else that would oppose them too. | ^625f49 ## Group Complications What else is going on within the group? | d20 | Group Complications | | --- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1-8 | **No Complications.** Nothing is currently complicating things. Things are business as usual. | | 9 | **Relationship.** Two of the group’s members are in some sort of a relationship. This could be romantic, business, or something else. The relationship is… [1d6]: 1-3: A secret within the group 4-6: Known within the group | | 10 | **Disagreement.** Two of the group’s members can’t agree on something important, and their arguments are affecting the group dynamic. | | 11 | **Accusation.** One group member has accused another member of something. The accusation is… [1d6]: 1-2: True 3: Half true 4-5: Unknowingly false 6: Purposefully false | | 12 | **Injury.** One group member has recently suffered a debilitating injury, and is still recovering. The injury may or may not be a result of the actions of the group, or one of its members. | | 13 | **Sick.** One group member has come down with an illness and has yet to recover. The illness may or may not be contagious, which might affect how the group is dealing with it. | | 14 | **Death.** One group member died recently, and the loss is still being processed. The death may or may not be a result of the actions of the group, or one of its members. | | 15 | **Punishment.** One group member did something that was against the group’s code, or rules, and is suffering the consequences. Group members may feel differently, or be united in their feelings, about the act and the punishment. | | 16 | **Low Supply.** The group is running very low on a particularly important supply (or has run out completely), and is trying to figure out what to do about it. | | 17 | **Too Much Of A Good Thing.** The group’s most recent efforts yielded better results than they could have imagined, so much so that they’re not sure what to do with what they’ve gained, or how to process their success. | | 18 | **More Than They Can Chew.** The group feels like they’re in over their heads with regard to something they’re trying to accomplish. This might be to do with the level or complexity of a job, or how involved they are with an accomplice. | | 19 | **Stolen Personal Item(s).** Something belonging to one group member has been stolen. Group members may or may not have their suspicions as to who the thief is, either inside or outside the group. | | 20 | **Stolen Group Item(s).** Something belonging to the entire group has been stolen. Group members may or may not have their suspicions as to who the thief is, either inside or outside the group. | ^010840 ## Situational Influence What is currently influencing the group’s situation? **Note:** The situational influence result should be used as a seed to aid in creating the group’s motivations. Use the roll result from the table below in tandem with some, or all, of the following to better ground this group of humanoids in your world, campaign, and current story. - **Theme** roll result from the **Prelude** chapter. - Current or past player character goals, actions or backstory. - Current antagonist goals. - Setting information related to the region and/or **environment** where the destination is located. - Information about certain relevant cultures within your setting. - Anything else you deem relevant. >[!note] What the table doesn’t say... >The table result does not necessarily refer to the group itself. You can interpret or use the result as creatively as you would like. For example, ‘Seeking Someone’ could mean that the group is trying to find someone, or it could mean that someone in the group is being sought. | d10 | Situational Influence | | ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1-2 | **Seeking Someone.** The one being sought is… [1d12]: 1: A celebrity 2: A criminal 3: An escapee 4: A victim of kidnap 5: A legendary or mythic figure 6: Long since lost, assumed dead 7: A mentor 8: A pet or creature 9: A nemesis 10: A traitor 11: A family member 12: A friend | | 3-4 | **Seeking Information.** The information being sought is… [1d12]: 1: Political 2: Magical 3: Holy 4: Cursed 5: Heretical 6: Long-forgotten 7: A story 8: A name 9: A forgery 10: A location 11: Military 12: Romantic | | 5-6 | **Seeking an Item.** The item being sought is/are… [1d12]: 1: An artifact or relic 2: Cursed 3: Documents 4: Holy 5: A lost personal item 6: A lover’s token 7: A potion 8: Remains 9: A spell 10: Supplies 11: Unholy 12: A weapon or armor | | 7-8 | **An Attempt.** Someone, or something, is attempting to… [1d8]: 1: Buy something 2: Cast a spell or ritual 3: Contact something or someone 4: Destroy something 5: Save something 6: Sell something 7: Steal something 8: Unleash something | | 9-10 | **Desire.** Someone, or something, wants… [1d8]: 1: Enlightenment 2: Fame 3: Food 4: Political power 5: Safety 6: Understanding 7: Vengeance 8: Wealth | ^837422