4d4 Smugglers' Lair
Smugglers are naughty chaps; intent on dodging the lawful taxes of the realm they work at night to bring in valuable or illegal items destined for the black market. Thus, smugglers’ lairs are (or should be) flavoursome and different to a “normal” dungeon.
Use these lists, the add depth and flavour to the smugglers’ dens in your campaign:
Things to Find in a Smugglers’ Den
Smugglers often lurk in hidden, isolated caves. Such locales provide the perfect base from which to pursue their nefarious profession. However, such places are rare pristinely tidy and without points of minor interest to exploring adventurers.
A discarded sack lies against one wall; grain—now rotten—spills from a rip near its base and covers the floor. Footprints are evident in the grain and could give the PCs a clue about who has recently passed this way.
A crude map depicting the coastline and showing several little known isolated coves and sea caves covers one wall. Drawn in chalk, the smugglers try to rub it out if they know they are being attacked as it shows the locations of several of their secret caches.
This area smells of sweat and faeces. Several sets of manacles are affixed to the wall with iron chains running through loops driven deep into the stone.
Several sets of wet, homespun clothes lie draped over several natural folds in the cavern wall. Damp from immersion in the sea, the clothes are encrusted with salt.
Things to Find in a Smugglers’ Rowboat
Once the heroic characters have defeated their smuggler enemies, they’ll no about search their enemies’ boat.
Three black hooded cloaks are stuffed under one of the rowboat’s benches. They are all slightly wet, and smell of salt.
A thick sack shoved into the rowboat’s stern holds a small leather bag filled with hard tack, three water flasks and a small half full flask of brandy.
A wooden bucket with a rope handle lies on its side at the bottom of the boat. Nearby lies a couple of simple fishing rods and a pouch containing a half-dozen colourful lures.
A large piece of canvas is draped over the boat’s stern to create a sheltered, but cramped, cabin of sorts. Within, lies a single damp bedroll along with a change of plain, but sturdy peasant’s clothes.
Minor Treasures to Find in a Smugglers’ Den
Smugglers’ lairs can offer up a great store of treasure for adventurers intent on stamping out their nefarious doings. Note, many of the items listed below are not ordinary or typical examples of a smuggler’s normal inventory and should be used to round out the gang’s inventory.
Two small kegs of brandy stamped with the seal of a famed distiller. Each keg weighs 10 lbs. and is worth 50 gp.
The lid of this small coffer is sealed with white wax. The coffer feels light if picked up as if it were empty. In reality, it contains ten sealed packets of exotic spices each sealed with wax and stamped with a seal depicting a stylised sailboat. The whole is worth 150 gp.
One bolt of blue silk and one bolt of red silk wrapped tightly in an oversized sack. Each bolt contains enough material for five cloaks and is worth 75 gp.
A lidless chest holds six large clay jars packed with straw. Each of the jars holds peaches steeped in whisky. A current favourite among the local nobility, each jar is worth 20 gp.
Things to Find on a Smuggler’s Body
Smugglers pick up many things on their day-to-day travels. Perhaps they've purloin a little bit of merchandise from a shipment or engaged in other nefarious activity. No matter how they came into his possession, a smuggler is bound to have some small knickknack about his person when encountered by the characters.
This small, dented steel hip flask is full of cheap brandy. A terribly engraved crest of a sailing ship decorates one side.
This pouch contains a black scarf large enough to be wrapped around the lower part of its owner's head. It smells of salt and sweat.
These fine, much-worn, but well maintained, thigh-high leather boots conceal a thin dagger in a specially made sheath sown into the left boot.
This voluminous scarlet cloak has a similarly all-concealing hood. Several hidden pouches sown into the cloak's lining are large enough to contain a full coin pouch or several pieces of jewellery and the like.
Want More?
This article is an extract from the Thingonomicon which is available here for immediate download. Alternatively, check out the 4d4 Archive for more handy, flavoursome and time-saving 4d4 articles ready for immediate use in your campaign.
