```metadata title: Queen's Men Expanded description: >- Statblocks, tactics, sayings, and encounters for the Queen's Men for the Dungeons of Drakkenheim campaign setting tags: - Drakkenheim systems: - 5e renderer: V3 theme: 5ePHB ``` ```css .page table tbody tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: #eee5ce75; } .page .sayings-table td { font-size:14px; padding:5px; } .page div[class^="imageMask"] img, .page div[class*=" imageMask"] img { opacity: 19%; } ``` {{frontCover}} {{logo ![](/assets/naturalCritLogo.svg)}} # Queen's Men Expanded ## Statblocks, Encounters, Sayings, & Alliances ___ {{banner HOMEBREW}} {{footnote Expanding the **Queen's Men** faction in *Dungeons of Drakkenheim* for your 5E game }} ![background image](https://i.imgur.com/34eqdxl.png){position:absolute,bottom:0,left:0,width:100%,height:100%} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page {{wide # The Queen's Men, Expanded The Queen's Men are a loosly affiliated group of bandits, cutthroats, vagabonds, rascals, and thieves. One thing they all share is a desire for gold and a willingness to do whatever it takes to acquire it. The Queen's Men fight *dirty*. They are led by the shadowy Queen of Thieves, who directs her chaotic bands of thieves according to her secretive whims from her hidding Court of Thieves. Few know the true motives of the Queen of Thieves, but everyone knows she is not to be trifled with. : This supplement to the *Dungones of Drakkenheim* campaign setting includes bespoke statblocks with tactics, encounters, sayings, and a discussion of faction alliances. : {{descriptive ##### Design Goals - Expanded content for a *Dungeons of Drakkenheim* campaign, but the statblocks are reusable anywhere! - Create a unifying trait that highlights the sneaky and underhanded nature of the Queen's Men - Create a little more variety than the french-vanilla **Bandit Captain**, **Bandit**, and **Thug** - Utilize the [**Dogs of War**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/_oBCNG_smc40) supplmenet for higher-CR threats - Provide statblocks for *Lies* and *Deceit* that are a tad more exciting than the **Mage** and **Assassin** }} ## Dirty Fighting Bandits, thieves, lowlives - the scum of the Continent. The Queen's Men don't fight fair. There's a sucker born every minute, and the PCs better hope it's not them! This is represented by the *Dirty Fighting* trait. {{note ***Dirty Fighting.*** The gang member makes a contested Deception check against the Insight of a creature within 10 ft. If the gang member wins, the target is momentarily distracted and cannot take reactions and has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes until the end of its turn. If the target wins, it is immune to any creature's Dirty Fighting for 1 hr. }} {{descriptive ##### Design Note - Why not Pack Tactics? *Pack Tactics* can evoke a similar fantasy, but there are already a lot of lower-level enemies in Drakkenheim with Pack Tactics, such as the Ratlings. Since *Dirty Fighting* calls for a contested roll with the PCs it is a bit more interactive, and it also leads to opportunities for interesting roleplay as the Queen's Men attempt to taunt and distract the PCs. }} ### Variants {{descriptive You can convert any NPC or Monster statblock into a member of the Queen's Men by adding *Dirty Fighting* and granting profiency in *Deception*. If the creature doesn't have at least 10 CHA you should set CHA to 10 as well. }} These are some standard variants that are used in the **Encounters** below for the Queen's Men: - **Gang Lowlife** (CR1/8) - **Bandit** with *Dirty Fighting* and proficiency in Deception (+2) - **Gang Thug** (CR1/2)- **Thug** with *Dirty Fighting* and proficiency in Deception (+2) - **Gang Spellsword** (CR6) - **Spellsword** from [**Dogs of War**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/_oBCNG_smc40) with *Dirty Fighting* & proficiency in Deception (+4) - **Gang Bounty Hunter** (CR5) - **Bounty Hunter** from [**Dogs of War**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/_oBCNG_smc40) with *Dirty Fighting* & proficiency in Deception (+3) - **Lies** (CR6), a Tiefling **Gang Spellsword** with 85 HP and a 1/day casting of *Confusion* - **Deceit** (CR5), a Tiefling **Gang Bounty Hunter** with 100 HP }} {{imageMaskEdge2,--offset:-20%,--rotation:-20 ![](https://i.imgur.com/1QnztmF.png){height:100%} }} {{watercolor1,top:500px,right:30px,width:500px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:70%}} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page {{wide ### Gang Cuththroat The **Gang Cutthroat** is a cunning and duplicitous foe. It is a suitable replacement for the **Spy**, but instead of using *Sneak Attack* it instead gains a damage boost from *Dirty Fighting*. In combat, the Cutthroat prioritizes striking targets that are distracted by *Dirty Fighting* with a *Sneaky Strike*, preferring 30 ft. range. If engaged in melee combat, it will attempt to distract the target with *Dirty Fighting*. If successful, it will then use a *Sneaky Strike* and run 35 feet away without triggering an opportunity attack. The cutthroat's *Dirty Fighting* can be roleplayed as taunts and insults. {{monster,frame,wide ## Gang Cuththroat *Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Evil* ___ **Armor Class** :: 12 (unarmored) **Hit Points** :: 27(6d8) **Speed** :: 35ft. ___ | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | |:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:| |10 (+3)|14 (+2)|10 (+0)|12 (+1)|14 (+2)|14 (+2)| ___ **Saving Throws** :: DEX+4, WIS+4 **Skills** :: Deception +4, Sleight of Hand +4, Stealth +4 **Senses** :: passive Perception 12 **Languages** :: Common, Thieves' Cant **Challenge** :: 1 (299 XP) **Proficiency Bonus**: +2 ___ ### Actions ***Sneaky Strike.*** *Ranged or Melee Weapon Attack:* +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 30/120 ft., one target. *Hit* 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is distracted by any gang member's Dirty Fighting, then the attack deals an additional 7 (2d6) piercing damage. : ### Bonus Actions ***Dirty Fighting.*** The gang member makes a contested Deception check against the Insight of a creature within 10 ft. If the gang member wins, the target is momentarily distracted and cannot take reactions and has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes until the end of its turn. If the target wins, it is immune to any creature's Dirty Fighting for 1 hr. }} ### Gang Brute The **Gang Brute** has risen through the ranks and is known for their size and strength. The brute is a suitable replacement for a **Veteran** (3 **Gang Brute** for each 2 **Veteran**, or 1 **Gang Brute** and 1 **Thug** for each **Veteran**). In combat, unless directed otherwise, the brute will prioritize the strongest-looking foe it can see. It prefers to make both attacks against the same target so that it has a chance to knock that target prone. Its *Dirty Fighting* can be roleplayed as gut punches, sand in the eye, or a kick in the genitals. {{monster,frame,wide ## Gang Brute *Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Evil* ___ **Armor Class** :: 13 (chain shirt) **Hit Points** :: 46(7d8 + 14) **Speed** :: 30ft. ___ | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | |:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:| |16 (+3)|10 (+0)|14 (+2)|10 (+0)|10 (+0)|12 (+1)| ___ **Saving Throws** :: STR+5 **Skills** :: Athletics +5, Deception +3, Intimidation +3 **Senses** :: passive Perception 10 **Languages** :: Common, Thieves' Cant **Challenge** :: 2 (450 XP) **Proficiency Bonus**: +2 ___ ### Actions ***Multiattack.*** The brute makes two Greatclub attacks. If both hit, the target is knocked **Prone** if it is Large or smaller. : ***Greatclub.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit* 7 (1d8 + 3) bludgeoning damage. ### Bonus Actions ***Dirty Fighting.*** The gang member makes a contested Deception check against the Insight of a creature within 10 ft. If the gang member wins, the target is momentarily distracted and cannot take reactions and has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes until the end of its turn. If the target wins, it is immune to any creature's Dirty Fighting for 1 hr. }} }} {{imageMaskEdge5,--offset:-30%,--rotation:10 ![](https://i.imgur.com/Y939Rat.png){height:100%} }} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page {{wide ### Gang Leader The **Gang Leader** has amassed enough strength, cunning, or fear to command the obedience of their fellow crooks. The leader is a suitable replacement for the ultra-vanilla **Bandit Captain** statblock (though it is CR3 instead of CR2). In combat, the gang leader acts confidently and prioritizes attacking soft targets. The leader will direct others to focus their fire on the same targets. The leader often keeps a **Gang Brute** nearby as a personal bodyguard. The leader uses their *Dirty Fighting* to help them disengage against targets that appear threatening, and uses *Cheeky Riposte* whenever an opponent misses it with an attack. At the start of the encounter, the leaders prefers to threaten, intimidate, cajole, or negotiate with their target, though the leader has no qualms about violence if it seems profitable. {{monster,frame,wide ## Gang Leader *Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Evil* ___ **Armor Class** :: 15 (studded leather) **Hit Points** :: 65 (10d8 + 20) **Speed** :: 30ft. ___ | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | |:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:| |14 (+2)|16 (+3)|14 (+2)|14 (+2)|10 (+0)|14 (+2)| ___ **Saving Throws** :: STR+5, DEX+5, WIS+2 **Skills** :: Athletics +4, Deception +4, Persuasion +4, Perception +2 **Senses** :: passive Perception 12 **Languages** :: Common, Thieves' Cant **Challenge** :: 3 (700 XP) **Proficiency Bonus**: +2 ___ ### Actions ***Multiattack.*** The gang leader makes a Scimitar and Poisoned Dagger attack. : ***Scimitar.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit* 6 (1d6 + 3) slashing damage. : ***Poisoned Dagger.*** *Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack:* +5 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. *Hit* 5 (1d4 + 3) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) poison damage. The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or become **Poisoned** until the end of its next turn. ### Bonus Actions ***Dirty Fighting.*** The gang member makes a contested Deception check against the Insight of a creature within 10 ft. If the gang member wins, the target is momentarily distracted and cannot take reactions and has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes until the end of its turn. If the target wins, it is immune to any creature's Dirty Fighting for 1 hr. ### Reactions ***Cheeky Riposte.*** When a creature misses the Gang Leader with a melee attack, the Gang Leader makes a Scimitar attack against it at advantage. }} ### Pit Champion The **Pit Champion** has survived many battles in the fighting pits below Buckledown Row. The pit champion is a suitable replacement for the **Gladiator**. In combat, it weighs down physically weak-looking enemies with a *Weighted Net*. Where feasible, it prioritizes tripping enemies to gain advantage so that its *Deadly Spear* lives up to the name. {{monster,frame,wide ## Pit Champion *Medium Humanoid, Chaotic Neutral* ___ **Armor Class** :: 16 (studded leather, shield) **Hit Points** :: 112 (15d8 + 45) **Speed** :: 30ft. ___ | STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA | |:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:|:-----:| |18 (+4)|15 (+2)|16 (+3)|10 (+0)|12 (+1)|14 (+2)| ___ **Saving Throws** :: STR+7, DEX+5, CON+6 **Skills** :: Athletics +10, Deception +5, Intimidation +5 **Senses** :: passive Perception 11 **Languages** :: Common, Thieves' Cant **Challenge** :: 5 (1,800 XP) **Proficiency Bonus**: +3 ___ ### Actions ***Multiattack.*** The pit fighter makes two attacks. : ***Deadly Spear.*** *Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. *Hit* 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage. If the attack was made with advantage, it deals an additional 7 (2d6) piercing damage. : ***Trip Attack.*** *Melee Weapon Attack:* +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. *Hit* 9 (2d4 + 4) bludgeoning damage. On a hit, the target must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or fall **Prone**. ### Bonus Actions ***Dirty Fighting.*** The gang member makes a contested Deception check against the Insight of a creature within 10 ft. If the gang member wins, the target is momentarily distracted and cannot take reactions and has disadvantage on the next attack roll or saving throw it makes until the end of its turn. If the target wins, it is immune to any creature's Dirty Fighting for 1 hr. : ***Weighted Net. (1/day)*** One creature within 20 feet makes a DC 15 Strength saving throw or becomes **Grappled** (escape DC 13) and **Restrained** while the grapple lasts. The net is an object with AC 10 and 5 hit points and immunity to bludgeoning damage. ### Reactions ***Sneaky Trip.*** When a creature misses the Pit Champion with a melee attack, the champion makes a Trip Attack against it. }} }} {{watercolor7,top:20px,left:30px,width:300px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:80%}} {{watercolor10,top:500px,left:30px,width:300px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:80%}} {{watercolor1,top:300px,right:30px,width:300px,background-color:#BBAD82,opacity:80%}} \page {{wide ## Encounters ### Gangs Gangs make up the "bread and butter" of the Queen's arsenal. She doesn't really care what happens to their members and is happy to use them as disposable pawns in her schemes. PCs should always be outnumbered numerically at least 2:1 in gang encounters, and even more as the PCs rise in prominence and fame. Most gang members wouldn't fight to the death, and these encounters should usually start with a healthy round of intimidation, trash-talk, and threats. After all, if the PCs can be intimidated to give up what the gang wants then why risk a fight? These encounters are intended to be Hard to Deadly at the indicated level. - Lv2 (CR2): 8 **Gang Lowlife** and 1 **Gang Cuthroat** - Lv3 (CR3): 8 **Gang Lowlife**, 2 **Gang Thug**, and 1 **Gang Cuthroat** - Lv4 (CR4): 8 **Gang Lowlife**, 1 **Gang Cutthroat**, and 1 **Gang Brute** - Lv5 (CR7): 8 **Gang Lowlife**, 1 **Gang Cuthroat**, 1 **Gang Brute**, 1 **Gang Leader** - Lv6 (CR11): 4 **Gang Thug**, 2 **Gang Cutthroat**, 2 **Gang Brute**, 1 **Gang Leader** - Lv7 (CR14): 8 **Gang Thug**, 3 **Gang Cuththroat**, 2 **Gang Brute**, 1 **Gang Leader** ### Enforcers When the Queen of Thieves needs to send a strong message, she sends some muscle to start cracking skulls and breaking legs. They are also assigned to guard any prisoners. These encounters are intended to be Hard to Deadly at the indicated level. Enforcers strike brutally and directly to accomplish the task given to them by the Queen of Thieves. - Lv5 (CR 8) - 4 **Gang Brute** - Lv6 (CR11) - 1 **Pit Champion** and 3 **Gang Brute** - Lv7 (CR 14) - 2 **Pit Champion** and 2 **Gang Brute** - Lv8 (CR 17) - 3 **Pit Champion** and 1 **Gang Brute** - Lv9 (CR 20) - 4 **Pit Champion** ### Royal Assassins {{descriptive ##### Caution These encounters are beyond **Deadly**. The Queen of Thieves is a dangerous foe. Normally, she prefers to negotiate, but beware if she decides you are of more use to her dead than alive... }} These strike teams are only deployed to steal a Seal of Drakkenheim, to take out a rival faction leader, or to destroy the player characters. The strike team will always wait for an advantageous moment to strike. Some examples of this are when the PCs are heading back from Drakkenheim after an excursion and they didn't take steps to hide their plans, or when a faction is engaged in a major conflict with another faction. *Major Image* can help with the ambush. : If the goal is to steal a Seal of Drakkenheim then **Lies** or the **Gang Spellsword** can make use of *Hold Person* to paralyze the target or *Suggestion* to force them to hand it over. *Bounty's Bane* on the holder of the seal is also an effective strategy. Of course, the target can always be knocked out. Once the seal is acquired, the strike team disengages. The can use stealth and spells such as *Major Image* to help retreat. : If the goal is assasinate a faction leader or the players, then the strike is methodical and focuses its fire one at a time at each target, in kill priority order. They use *Cunning Action* to disengage from other targets and ruthlessly confirm the kill. Spells and abilities like *Bounty's Bane* and *Hold Person* are good candidates to use on the kill target. - **Tier 2** - **Lies**, **Deceit**, and 2 **Gang Bounty Hunter** - **Tier 3** - **Lies**, **Deceit**, 2 **Gang Bounty Hunter**, and 2 **Gang Spellsword** ### Saboteurs As in *Dungeons of Drakkenheim* book, pg 54. You may modify the **Scoundrel** to have the *Dirty Fighting* trait. Use the **Lies** and **Deceit** variants from above. ### Infiltrators As in the *Dungeons of Drakkenheim* book, pg 54. You may modify the **Doppelgangers** to have *Dirty Fighting*, though these strike teams are unlikely to face the PCs in direct combat. }} {{imageMaskEdge3,--offset:-20%,--rotation:250 ![](https://i.imgur.com/1QnztmF.png){height:100%} }} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page {{wide ## Sayings One of the most challenging parts of running a faction is creating appropriate sayings for its members. These can be difficult to improvise on the spot. Here are some quotes that can be used to help you run social encounters. {{sayings-table #### Queen's Men Sayings | d20 | Saying | |:-----|:-------| | *Toasts* | | | 1 | "Enjoy tonight, because tomorrow you'll probably be dead.. or worse... hungover!" | | 2 | "Money can't buy happiness.. but it sure as hell can buy a lotta ale!" | | 3 | "Tonight we feast like kings and queens. Even better, 'cause they're all dead!" | | 4 | "We've hit the jackpot. The Queen herself would be proud" | | *Insults* | | | 5 | "I'm the sneakiest sonnuva bitch around. You won't hear me coming until my dagger's in your ribs." | | 6 | "I'll gut you like a fish and leave you for the ratlings" | | 7 | "After I'm through with you, your own momma won't recognize you." | | 8 | "You might want to hold that pretty little nose of yours. It's about to get real messy" | | *Ideals* | | | 9 | "It's not about fairness or justice. It's about surviving in this shitty world." | | 10 | "The world's a dirty place, and if we don't take what we want, someone else will." | | 11 | "Laws are just words on paper. We make our own rules here, and anyone who doesn't like it can gave a nice heart-to-heart with this here blade" | | 12 | "They call us outcasts and outlaws because we reject their unjust rules and found our own path" | | *Enticements* | | | 13 | "Everyone's got a price, it's just a matter of finding the right currency. What's yours?" | | 14 | "In Drakkenheim, anything can be yours... if you're strong or smart enough to take it." | | 15 | "You can't trust anyone, but you can put your faith in their greed. Stick with me, and you'll always get paid." | | 16 | "A favour, a secret, or a whisper can be just as valuable as a mountain of gold." | | *Threats* | | | 17 | "If you aren't at least one step ahead of the game, then you've already lost. The problem for you is that I play five steps ahead." | | 18 | "Cross me, and you'll regret it. The pay is much better on my good side." | | 19 | "I have eyes and ears in every nook and cranny of this town. And let me tell you, I don't take kindly to snitches." | | 20 | "You're not the first adventurers to come to Drakkenheim, and you certainly won't be the last. But if you interfere with my business, that'll be the end for you." | }} }} {{imageMaskEdge5,--offset:-20%,--rotation:0 ![](https://i.imgur.com/7A3QFXx.png){height:100%} }} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page ## Faction Alliances This material is a summary of the [**Drakkenheim Faction Alliance**](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ymnDG5V6ZzmZ8pRxbNwBNy3ZUFSCsGmCjKuOQUhAKQ0/edit?usp=sharing) cheat sheet, focusing on just the Queen's Men. ### Alliance Difficulty Summary : - An **Easy** alliance is one where the goals between the factions align well and potential conflicts could be easily handled by PCs - A **Moderate** alliance is one where the PCs will need to overcome several challenges to forge the alliance - A **Hard** alliance is one where the PCs will need to do serious lifting to forge the alliance - A **Temporary Only / Very Hard** alliance seems like it would only form in response to a threat from the other factions. But who knows, players come up with all sorts of crazy ideas! The **Difficulty to Establish** is a measure of how much upfront work the PCs will need to do to bring the factions to the table. This includes dealing with historical baggage or prejudice as well as smoothing out conflicting goals and negotiating compromises. The **Difficulty to Maintain** is a measure of how likely the alliance is to survive into the lategame of the campaign. Several faction pairings seem quite promising at first, but have a very different end-game for Drakkenheim in mind. This measures how much work the PCs will need to do to resolve those differences to try and keep the alliance together. ##### Queen's Men Alliance Partners | Alliance Partner | Difficulty to Establish| Difficulty to Maintain | |:------------------------|:----------------------:|:----------------------:| | Amethyst Academy | Easy | Hard | | Falling Fire | Moderate | Hard | | Hooded Lanterns | Temporary Only | Very Hard | | Silver Order | Temporary Only | Very Hard | ### Queen's Men + Academy **Difficulty**: *Easy* to establish in the short term, *Hard* to maintain long term due to the backstabbing nature of both factions #### Shared Ideals - **Delerium is a Resource** - Delerium is extremely valuable. The Queen’s Men can find it, and the Academy will buy it. It’s a win-win! - **Drakkenheim Doesn’t Need Rulers** - other factions will just get in the way of business #### Queen's Men Demands - **Exclusive Supplier** - the Queen's Men want negotiated contracts with the Academy and guarantees that no other Delerium suppliers may sell to the Academy - **Let Chaos Reign** - the Queen's Men ask the Academy to stymy any efforts by the Hooded Lanterns or Silver Order to gain further footholds in the city #### Academy Demands - **Let the Delerium Flow** - the Academy requires a constant flow of Delerium and does not tolerate any deviation from committed quotas - **Unmask the Queen** - the Academy needs to know who they are dealing with #### Potential Conflicts **The Edicts of Lumen** - if the Queen of Thieves' true goals are discovered, then there will debate within the Academy on whether the Edicts of Lumen should be honored, or whether they should be cast aside and the Academy should support crowning Katarina von Kessel #### Faction Responses The Silver Order seeks to ally with the Hooded Lanterns to counterbalance the growing power of their rivals. The Falling Fire tries to encourage hostilities between the two blocs to further its own aims. {{imageMaskCorner7,--offsetX:10%,--offsetY:-10%,--rotation:0 ![](https://i.imgur.com/lCTAUM3.png){height:100%} }} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page ### Queen's Men + Falling Fire **Difficulty**: *Moderate* to establish in the short term because it requires some compromise from the Falling Fire, *Hard* to maintain long-term due to backstabbing by the Queen of Thieves. #### Shared Ideals **The Perfect City** - Drakkenheim is perfect as-is. Nothing can change that! **Freedom in the Ruins** - We can't allow others to impose their rules on us #### Falling Fire Demands **Protection** - the Queen’s Men must refrain from pillaging helpless penniless pilgrims and should turn their attention to more lucrative targets. **Repentance** - the sincere conversion of a couple of high-profile bandits would demonstrate that it’s never too late to find the path of righteousness #### Queen’s Men Demands **Outer City “Free Trade” Zone** - the Queen’s Men would demand that Delerium recovered from the outer city be fair game for them. The pilgrims can keep the inner city in exchange. **Find the Seals** - the Queen of Thieves would, very carefully, try to manipulate Lucretia into locating the remaining seals. This would be challenging to pull off. #### Potential Conflicts **Repentance (Short)** - the Falling Fire would need to be convinced that there is hope some of the Queen’s Men will see the error of their ways. **Manipulation (Long)** - the Queen of Thieves would most likely abandon the alliance after using Lucretia to locate the seals #### Faction Responses The Amethyst Academy would push the Silver Order and Hooded Lanterns into headlong conflict with the alliance to weaken the competition while continuing to buy Delerium from the Queen’s Men. The Silver Order and Hooded Lanterns would seek out an alliance to retake Temple Gate, drive out the lawless rabble, and reclaim the seals. ### Queen's Men + Silver Order At the start of the campaign, these two factions have major ideological differences. The most likely reason for these two to ally is a temporary arrangement whereby the Queen's Men are hired to assist the Silver Order deal with another faction. The most likely target to deal with seems to be the Falling Fire. It's also possible the Silver Order would work with the Queen's Men to undermine the reunification of Westemar in order to further their goals in Drakkenheim. \column ### Queen's Men + Hooded Lanterns At the start of the campaign, these two factions are in a cold war. The most likely reason for these two to ally would be in response to the Silver Order attempting to burn down the city. But that would be a temporary alliance of convenience and would break apart shortly. It's possible that the Queen of Thieves could be seen as the rightful (or possibly only viable) heir. This could lead to the Hooded Lanterns supporting the heir. ### Improbable Alliances Some alliances seem almost impossible to establish at the start of the campaign due to fundamental incompatibilities in beliefs. It would be very difficult for these factions to proactively work together. There are some situations where an alliance of these factions could occur: - As a temporary response against a powerful PC-led alliance - PCs take over the faction and replace its leadership structure - PCs re-engineer the core beliefs or goals of the factions somehow - PCs infiltrate the faction as “puppet-masters” - PCs dismantle the faction and absorb the pieces into their own In most of these cases, the alliance wouldn’t really be about negotiating and compromise, but instead would focus on taking down a shared threat. It would break down shortly afterwards. {{imageMaskEdge3,--offset:-20%,--rotation:290 ![](https://i.imgur.com/34eqdxl.png){height:100%} }} {{artist,bottom:30px,right:30px Art Credit: Midjourney }} {{artist,bottom:45px,right:30px By: u/cordialgerm }} \page {{wide ## Credits **Written Content** u/cordialgerm **Art**: Midjourney : The wonderful *Dungeons of Drakkenheim* sourcebook by The Dungeon Dudes from Ghostfire Games is the source of the Queen's Men faction that this supplement expands upon. : The monster building guidelines from *Level Up Advanced 5e Monstrous Menagerie* by Paul Hughes were used as a starting point for these statblocks ## Other Drakkenheim Homebrew from cordialgerm - [**Falling Fire Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/tJIrEca1Zy5W) - [**Hooded Lanterns Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/8NiT-tGRTTTo) - [**Silver Order Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/qHBTOcAEoe6U) - [**Amethyst Academy Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/DXpq0hyFho5M) - [**Queen's Men Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/3sFg7k5_MT3G) - [**Drakkenheim Encounters Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/0IhCxBlRAMhB) ## Other Homebrew from cordialgerm - [**Dogs of War - Mercs Expanded**](https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/_oBCNG_smc40) }}