Bandits

Summary

Bandits are a hypothetical threat discussed by the party in Session 6 as they plan their journey to New Smoke. The party has heard reports that the road to New Smoke is potentially infested with bandits, prompting them to devise creative deterrent strategies. While the bandits themselves never appear in the session, the possibility of their presence influences the party's decision-making around camp duration and defensive measures.

Details

The bandit threat is characterized as occurring "at the very worst" on the road to New Smoke, suggesting uncertainty about whether bandits are actually present. The party's concern about bandits drives several tactical decisions during their planning phase.

The group devises a deception strategy involving pumpkin decoys arranged to resemble additional travelers, operating on the theory that bandits would avoid attacking a larger group. As one party member explains: "We put a bunch of pumpkins on the cart and make them up like people so that the bandits think we're a bigger group." This leads to discussion of creating "pumpkin snowmen" to inflate their apparent numbers.

Another proposed deterrent involves using a larger Goober (the party's mount or companion) for intimidation purposes. The party debates whether displaying a more imposing Goober would discourage potential bandit attacks.

The bandit threat also creates tension around time management. One party member expresses concern about remaining too long in one location: "I'm just worried that if we stay too long, then the bandits might move in." This concern of attracting unwanted attention competes with other priorities like harvesting pumpkins or resting.

The discussion is explicitly framed as hypothetical, with Vasso, Sucks, Safia, and Cat all participating in the strategic planning despite acknowledging: "We're talking about hypothetical bandits here, right?"

History

Session 6

The bandits are first mentioned as the party plans their route to New Smoke. The initial warning comes when someone notes: "I've heard this road is infested with bandits at the very worst." This intelligence prompts the group to develop countermeasures.

The party proposes the pumpkin decoy plan as a way to make their group appear larger and less vulnerable to attack. They debate the merits of various anti-bandit strategies, including whether to use pumpkin snowmen as fake travelers and whether to showcase a larger, more intimidating Goober.

The bandit threat influences the party's time calculations in the pumpkin field, with some members advocating for a quick departure to avoid drawing bandit attention, while others prioritize resource gathering. The tension between these priorities shapes the session's planning discussions, though no actual bandits are encountered during the session.