Black Snakes Gang - an AD&D Bandit group

I really like the Men-type encounters in the AD&D Monster Manual. The listings include all kinds of rolls to flesh out the group of ne’er-do-wells, be that Bandits, Brigands (which are, we learn, chaotic evil Bandits), Buccaneers, Pirates (that is, chaotic evil Buccaneers…) or what have you.

Generating them on the fly is a pain in the ass, but during prep/hex stocking you can create the whole group that has a lair and sends out patrols/raiding parties in their area.

Here’s a Bandit group, rolled up by hand:

THE BLACK SNAKES GANG

Leader: 10^th level fighter

Lieutenant: 7^th level fighter

Personal guards: 6 x 2^nd level fighters

Elite fighters: 3 x 3^rd level fighters, 2 x 4^th level fighters, 1 x 5^th level fighter, 1 x 6^th level fighter

No magic-users or clerics.

Regular bandits: 60

Equipment (total no. of combatants: 75):

medium horse, chainmail & shield, sword            10%       7

light horse, leather armor & shield, spear            10%       7

light horse, leather armor, light crossbow            10%       8

leather armor & shield, sword                                   40%       30

leather armor, pole arm                                              10%       7

leather armor, light crossbow                                   10%       7

leather armor, short bow                                            10%       8

 

Lair:

Type: informal camp

Important prisoners: 12

Camp followers/slaves: 15

Treasure: 4,000 sp, 4,000 ep, 300 pp, 40 gems

So this is what you get just from the Monster Manual.

For additional details, I would use my humanoid lair generator. The Black Snakes lair in a ruined manor, they are plagued by inner strife and low morale. Perhaps all those elite fighters are planning a coup.