Why the River Kingdoms are called such has always puzzled me, given that rivers are only the second most plentiful resource in the region behind bandits and other ne'er-do-wells who find the largely lawless lands a safe place to practice their chicanery. Thus, no adventure set in the region would be complete without its fair share of cutpurses and footpads, and the Kingmaker Adventure Path is no exception. As such, it seemed only natural to include a number of these nefarious characters in the associated Pathfinder Battles: Kingmaker set coming out later this month.
All three of the set's bandit figures first appeared in print as specific lieutenants of the sinister Stag Lord (whose figure I showed off in the previous blog), but can easily stand in for any number of more generic baddies at your table. So while some may know them as Kressle, Dovan from Nisroch, and Auchs, their common rarity means that they can just as easily represent a whole band of Stolen Lands bandits, shadow rogues, or River Kingdoms ruffians (respectively). All three are humans, and thus stand on Medium bases.
Despite being river pirates, these highwaymen do most of their robbing on the roads that wind their way through the forests and plains of the Stolen Lands, and as such need places to lie in wait for their unsuspecting victims. The set's final piece of set dressing serves as just such a hiding spot! While it might seem unassuming on its own, the large bush figure can easily become deadly if you put the right threat behind it. It's got a relatively flat top as well, so you should have little trouble putting a figure atop the plant to represent that it's literally popping out of the foliage.
Finally, we need someone to keep these common criminals in line and bring them to justice. And who better to do that than the paragon of lawful neutrality herself, Pathfinder: Kingmaker's own Valerie. A rare Medium figure, Valerie makes a great PC miniature or NPC general, and her lack of specific insignia on her shield or livery means she can serve as both ally or enemy without looking like she's wearing some other soldier's armor.
Just one preview left before Pathfinder Battles: Kingmaker releases on October 24, so get your preorders in today!
Mark Moreland
Franchise Manager
