TEXT: a dozen adventurous rivals • page 1
  a dozen  
  adventurous  
  rivals
  by philip reed
  A Dozen Adventurous Rivals © 2019, 2020 Philip Reed, all rights reserved. 
  Some artwork by Hopsy Graphic Art, used under license.  
  Some artwork © 2015 Vagelio Kaliva, used with permission. All rights reserved.  
  Artwork at right by Bob Greyvenstein. Elite Design Elements © Rising Phoenix 
  Games, used under license. risingphoenixgames.com
  The treasure of the dungeon calls to all who wish for 
  riches, not just the player characters. In their adven-
  tures, it is likely that the party will encounter others 
  who seek fame, glory, and gold, and those fellow 
  adventurers are sometimes already in the dungeon 
  complex that the group has decided to explore today. 
  In such instances, the twelve adventurers described 
  on these pages will help the GM when it comes to de-
  scribing the opposing adventurers.
  As with other works in this series, the characters de-
  tailed in these pages are without game 
  statistics. I have offered up character 
  descriptions and suggestions for power 
  level and carried gear, but you will not 
  find detailed game stats for any of the ri-
  val adventurers. And to be fair, you often 
  need no more than is included if the party enters into 
  a roleplaying encounter with these characters.
  If the meeting results in combat, 
  one very easy way to stat these 
  characters is to make them a 
  near-exact duplicate of one 
  of the player characters. 
  By using the same stats 
  as the characters that 
  are operated by the 
  players, you simplify your 
  workload and can be sure 
  that the opposition is 
  fairly evenly matched to 
  the strength of the heroes.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 2
  anatomy  
  of a 
  rival
  using the rivals
  1. A title, to help set the mood.
  2. Descriptive text detailing the character’s 
  history, info on what the character may or 
  may not be doing when met, and some 
  ideas on how to introduce the rival in your 
  campaign session.
  3. Each rival includes a single illustration.
  4. If the character has any special magic items 
  or valuable treasures, they will be detailed 
  here so that you know what tools the rival 
  may possess.
  The characters that follow may be used as random NPCs 
  that the adventurers meet somewhere in the campaign 
  world, as long-time rivals who are often competing with 
  the party for the best rewards, or as friends of the party 
  who will aid them at times or serve as sources of infor-
  mation and supplies.
  Rivals are divided into three levels of experience:
  • 
  Novice. An inexperienced non-player character who 
  is often just starting out in the world. Novice rivals 
  aren’t all that challenging, even for beginning player 
  characters, but they can be trigger characters who 
  lead the party to an encounter or adventure. Think 
  of novice rivals as plot points and you’ll be all set to 
  use them in your game. 
  • 
  Experienced. These are true rivals to the PCs and 
  should often be of an equal power level to the party. 
  Experienced rivals are those NPCs most likely to be 
  the friendly competition, always looking to clear out 
  the next dungeon and find the treasures before the 
  player characters can get all of the good stuff.
  • 
  Master. These are NPCs who may be significantly 
  more powerful than the player characters. As with 
  the novice rivals, a master rival may be more useful 
  as a MacGuffin, something that is important to your 
  story but is mostly set dressing and not directly in-
  volved in the campaign’s action.
  Regardless of how you use these characters, I hope that 
  they make your campaign a little more fun for everyone.
  1
  3
  2
  4
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 3
  gegrim gran,  
  the claw of kelrob
  Human Druid (Experienced)
  Forty winters of age, Gegrim Gran has spent his adult life in service 
  to the gods and goddesses of nature, doing all 
  within his power to protect the forests as well as 
  the innocent, beautiful creatures that live within 
  the woodlands. He is an experienced adventurer, 
  veteran of countless battles, and explorerer of several 
  dungeons, and he is often in the company of those he has 
  befriended in his many years of adventure.
  Gran is kind and gentle when not pushed, though he 
  transforms into a barbaric and savage warrior when 
  he or his companions are 
  threatened. In combat, 
  the druid relies on his 
  axe (see below) and is 
  not afraid to engage 
  in melee with any 
  enemies he may 
  encounter. He will 
  use spells to aid 
  his efforts, though 
  he turns to magic 
  only when his axe 
  fails to complete the 
  current task.
  If encountered alone and 
  asked, Gran will join the party 
  and aid them if he believes that their plans are just and good. 
  The man will never aid evil and will always, regardless of the 
  danger, take what action he can to defeat evil acts.
  Notable Treasure
  In his travels, Gran has found many treasures, though only two 
  have remained in his hands for over a decade. The druid wears 
  magical fur armor that protects him against attacks and shields 
  him from damage. His magical battle axe, Claw of Kelrob, can 
  sever the head from a goblin in a single blow and augments the 
  druid’s own magical powers; once each day, the axe grants the 
  druid the ability to cast any one druidic spell (as selected by the 
  gamemaster).
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 4
  cali hart
  Human Fighter (Novice)
  Before she chose the life of an adventurer, Cali Hart 
  worked at her father’s inn at the crossroads of two major 
  trade routes where her head was filled with stories of 
  danger, riches, and adventure. The woman resisted the 
  call of excitement . . . until she turned thirty. 
  Shortly after her thirtieth birthday, after a fight with her 
  father, Hart ran from home with a handsome, charming 
  rogue who promised that he would teach her how to 
  defend herself and train her as a thief. The man was 
  kindly enough and convinced Hart that a new life was 
  the answer . . . though he had no intention of doing 
  anything more than selling the woman to slavers he 
  knew. Fortunately for Hart, she overheard the rogue 
  discussing how much money he would make selling 
  her so when the opportunity presented itself, she slit 
  his throat and took what things she could. 
  Cali Hart has had nothing but bad luck since leaving her 
  father’s home. The woman has had no formal training 
  as a warrior, though she has picked up what skills she 
  could by signing on with inexperienced, unknowing 
  adventuring parties and by simply surviving encounter 
  after encounter. Hart has no one weapon that she is 
  comfortable with and is willing to use anything that is 
  close by when forced into battle.
  After an especially bad experience with her last party – 
  Hart killed the company’s mage when he joked about 
  her past – the woman is trying to decide whether or not 
  to return to her father’s inn and beg his forgiveness. She 
  now thinks that the life of an adventurer is not for her 
  and when the PCs meet her, she is struggling with 
  how to best return to the inn.
  Hart is wary of all others and is slow to 
  tell her story to the adventurers. If 
  they treat her with kindness 
  and don’t pressure her, Cali 
  may open up to them and 
  mention her wish to return to 
  her father’s inn. 
  Notable Treasure
  Cali Hart has only a single valuable item: A magic ring 
  that she stole from her father when she fled the house 
  at the age of thirty. She is unable to make the ring work 
  – her father never taught her the command word – but 
  she refuses to trade it away or sell it until she knows for 
  sure what powers it may possess. The ring may have 
  any power that the GM wishes.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 5
  alina sask
  Elven Wizard (Experienced)
  Ever since she was young, Alina Sask 
  has been enraptured by the sight and 
  smell of fire. Her parents once caught 
  her trying to set her bed on fire, just 
  to see what it would feel like. As 
  soon as she was of age, Sask signed 
  on as the apprentice to a wizard 
  and did all that she could to learn 
  the power of flame spells. Her entire 
  career as an adventurer has been 
  devoted to studying the fire magicks.
  If encountered in the dungeon, Sask 
  is suspicious and guarded, being very 
  careful to keep the PCs in her sight at all 
  times. She won’t be the first to attack fellow 
  adventurers, but it takes months – maybe 
  years – for her to fully trust anyone. For 
  that reason, Sask has very few friends 
  and often journeys alone. 
  Sask wishes to one day visit the 
  elemental planes of fire where she 
  hopes to improve her mastery of flame 
  magic and to find other fire-based magic 
  items. If any of the player characters have 
  spells, scrolls, or magic items that use fire 
  magic, Sask will take an intense interest in the 
  PC and the gear. 
  Notable Treasure
  Sask’s most prized possession is the Amulet of the 
  Phoenix, a piece of powerful magical jewelry that gives 
  her the ability to transform into a being of pure flame 
  energy. When transformed, Sask is immune to all fire 
  and flame attacks – magical or natural – and may fire 
  bolts of fire once every combat round; each bolt inflicts 
  1d4+1 points of magical flame damage and she may fire 
  up to three bolts per round. (As the gamemaster, you 
  should adjust the damage of the magical bolts to better 
  suit your campaign’s needs and the power level of the 
  PCs.) The amulet may be activated up to twice each day 
  and gives her the powers for up to 3d6 combat rounds 
  (it is random and the 
  length of time that the 
  power lasts varies from use to 
  use).
  In addition to the amulet, Sask has also 
  located and claimed Gauntlets of the 
  Phoenix. These magical gloves give her 
  claws that also deal fire damage. Between the 
  power of the amulet and the flaming gloves, Sask is a 
  dangerous foe.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 6
  osbert temrudi
  Human Rogue (Novice)
  Temrudi is the son of a merchant and spent his early 
  years traveling the lands with his 
  father. The boy was meant to 
  learn the trade routes, meet 
  partners, and one day grow to 
  take over a part of the busi-
  ness. Temrudi, as his father 
  soon learned, had oth-
  er wishes and was 
  caught 
  steal-
  ing again and 
  again 
  until 
  his 
  father 
  disowned 
  him.
  Now in his late teens, Temrudi has left the merchant life 
  behind and set out on his own. The boy (man, he says, 
  if he hears anyone call him a boy) has a natural instinct 
  for the life of a thief and has been slowly improving his 
  skills as he journeys from city to city. When possible, he 
  joins with an adventuring group in an attempt to gain 
  as much knowledge and experience as possible.
  Unfortunately, Temrudi has not yet learned the most 
  important lesson of all for a rogue who wishes to keep 
  friends: do not steal from your companions or your 
  employer (if there is any chance at all of being caught). 
  When encountered, it is very likely that the boy is again 
  on his own and looking for a new adventuring group 
  to join. Whether or not the adventurers accept him as 
  a part of their group will depend on how kind they’re 
  feeling when the meet the boy.
  If met in a city, there’s also a very high chance that the 
  boy has recently stolen some object or other and may 
  be on the run. You may, if you wish, introduce him 
  to the group by having him try to steal something 
  from one of the PCs when they’re resting in an 
  inn or tavern, but that’s only going to work if 
  the party is generally a group open to talking 
  things through before drawing their weap-
  ons and killing whatever is bothering 
  them.
  In a dungeon, Temrudi may be in over 
  his head and need a bit of rescuing 
  when the party first meets him.
  Notable Treasure
  Temrudi possesses no valuable 
  magic items, though his sword and 
  dagger are of a very fine quality. Both 
  were stolen from one of his father’s 
  guards when he left the merchant life 
  behind. Temrudi will often have a ring, 
  gemstone, or other small object of value 
  that he most certainly stole from someone 
  who is now in search of the boy and the 
  item.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 7
  tansea laurel
  Human Druid (Master)
  Sometimes known as the Wrath of the Woods 
  by those who oppose him, the druid Tansea Laurel is 
  an ancient warrior who is considered a fairy 
  tale by many who have not met the 
  man. Thanks to wishes made in his 
  youth, Laurel is now over 100 years 
  old and, though he looks old, has 
  the speed and strength of a warrior 
  of no more than thirty winters of age.
  Laurel is most likely encountered in a forest and 
  he rarely joins with others on an adventure. 
  The druid has made it his life’s work to 
  protect all forests and woodland creatures, 
  and he often travels from forest to forest by 
  means of magical gates that he generates 
  using spells. 
  PC druids will most certainly be aware of 
  the man’s reputation and stories of his 
  adventures, and there’s a chance that 
  Laurel will thank a PC druid for their 
  service to the cause if they impress him 
  during the meeting.
  In battle, Laurel is a force of nature all his 
  own, using his wand and spells to destroy 
  any who wish him or the forest harm. If the 
  PCs come to his aid in a battle, the druid 
  rewards them with gifts of minor magic 
  items (one-use items, usually a necklace 
  with a single use healing charm that 
  can be actived by touching the item 
  and thinking of the master druid).
  Notable Treasure
  A belt of strength gives Laurel the strength of a 
  giant, allowing him to shatter rocks with his bare hands 
  and kill opponents with one punch. The belt must be 
  activated (a free action) and works once each day for 
  1d3+1 rounds. Laurel also carries a wand of destruction 
  that allows him to fire lightning blasts. The wand has 
  5d20 charges remaining (once those charges are used, 
  the wand will no longer work).
  Laurel wears a Crown of Nature, a powerful magic item 
  that was created for him fifty years ago by a friendly 
  wizard who wished to thank Laurel for saving his life. 
  The headgear grants Laurel the power to summon owls 
  and other birds who will perform one small, simple task 
  on command. The crown’s power may be used once 
  each day. Laurel also carries several healing potions that 
  he uses as necessary.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 8
  kaylynn truthsurge
  Human Fighter (Novice)
  With less than a year under her belt, Kaylynn acts a 
  lot more experienced than she actually is.
  She’s an agile, fast fighter who could have been a rogue 
  had she selected a different path in her younger years. 
  As it is, Kaylynn has the dexterity and speed of a thief and 
  uses both of those traits to her advantage in combat. 
  She prefers to close in tight, slashing and slicing at her 
  opponents until they collapse from many, many tiny 
  nicks and cuts.
  Kaylynn is unlikely to be encountered in a dungeon 
  alone. She’s smart enough to know that she needs 
  experienced, skilled companions before entering a 
  dungeon. That said, it is possible that the party may 
  meet her in an inn or tavern where she’ll be happy to 
  join them in a few drinks and trading gossip.
  If asked, Kaylynn will join the party for an adventure 
  or two, just so long as they treat her as an equal and 
  a companion and do not try to take advantage of 
  her inexperience. She will stick with the party for two 
  or three adventures before she decides that she has 
  learned all that she can from them and moves on.
  If they part on good terms, Kaylynn may be a longtime 
  ally of the group and someone that can return in a 
  future session.
  Of course, the opposite is also true: She could return as 
  an enemy if the PCs do not treat her well.
  Notable Treasure
  Kaylynn prefers light blades – rapiers and 
  daggers – and she wears only light, leather 
  armors so that she can maintain her speed 
  advantage in a fight. She recently found 
  a magic ring that gives her the ability to 
  project a smoke cloud once each day, which 
  she uses to her advantage in combat. (The ring allows 
  her to see clearly through the created smoke.)
  Kaylynn is looking for magical armor and weapons to 
  improve her chances in combat and may be willing to 
  trade her services as a fighter for special gear. If the 
  adventurers make mention of the possibility of magical 
  armors when discussing dungeons they know of, she 
  will pay very close attention to whatever info they share.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 9
  tran boneshield
  Human Fighter (Master)
  Tran Boneshield has dedicated his life to one thing: his 
  own needs. At an early age, Tran exhibited signs of 
  narcissism and was shunned by those who soon 
  learned that he was untrustworthy and looking 
  out only for himself. Tran fled home when fifteen 
  years of age and joined a mercenary company 
  where some of the soldiers grew to hate the boy 
  so much that they disfigured him, scarring his 
  face, chest, and arms with their daggers. 
  Tran swore that he would 
  make them pay . . . and 
  he did, eventually, 
  when he played 
  an active role in 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  mercs. 
  Every member was 
  slaughtered by a rival 
  group that Tran personally led 
  to where his former companions 
  were hiding after a dangerous 
  battle that left them weak.
  Tran has never had loyal friends and is certainly 
  not loyal to anyone but himself, though he did 
  manage to survive adventure after adventure and is a 
  talented and brutal warrior. 
  If encountered, he will do whatever he can to benefit 
  from the meeting, going so far as to lie to get what he 
  wants from the PCs. If attacked, he only runs if it looks as 
  if he is certain to be defeated.
  Notable Treasure
  Tran carries the Fork of Fangs, an ancient magical 
  weapon that was created centuries ago by the dark 
  elves of old. This customized, unusual military fork is one 
  of the strangest pole arms the party may ever see; Tran 
  is a dangerous warrior and has spent years perfecting 
  his skill with this magical weapon. The Fork of Fangs has 
  no special powers; the item merely grants a +4 bonus to 
  hit and inflcts an extra 2d4 points of damage. 
  Tran wears magic plate armor that was crafted for him 
  a decade ago by an evil wizard. Even though Tran is not 
  evil (he is, at worst, a neutral character who is out for 
  himself and tries to let things like good and evil wash 
  over him), he happily paid for this ususual armor that 
  both grants a bonus to defense and gives him a slight 
  magic resistance.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 10
  pegan stormfront
  Centaur Warrior (Experienced)
  Pegan Stormfront is an accomplished warrior and 
  woodsman with decades of experience. The centaur has 
  seen battle as a mercenary, adventure as a dungeoneer, 
  and spent six years as a guard traveling with merchant 
  caravans across the civilized lands.
  Stormfront prefers overland adventures to the cramped, 
  dirty dungeons of the world and will only join 
  in on another dungeon expedition 
  if he is promised a greater 
  share of any discovered 
  treasures. The centaur 
  has difficulty in some of 
  the tighter dungeons and 
  may not be able to pass through 
  every door and hallway in a dungeon. 
  If the party meets Stormfront on the road, he will 
  greet them and invite them to travel with him if 
  they are headed in the same direction. “Safety 
  in numbers,” he tells them. 
  The centaur could make a great 
  friend and ally of the adventurers 
  if they treat him well. He 
  is 
  connected 
  with 
  many 
  adventuring groups across the 
  lands and often has access to valuable information.
  Stormfront is seeking adventure and has no plans 
  to settle down until old age forces him to retire. The 
  centaur warrior hates all goblinoids and will go out of 
  his way to assist in defeating a tribe of goblins.
  Notable Treasure
  Stormfront wears a magical helm and armor 
  that grants him a bonus to resist damage. 
  The helmet, once worn by the elven 
  ranger Heartlimb Windrace, grants 
  him the ability to speak to woodland 
  creatures. Stormfront also wears a 
  belt of giant strength which amplifies 
  his already impressive strength.
  In battle, Stormfront prefers to use his magical bow of 
  true aim. The weapon grants a +2 bonus to all attack 
  rolls and may only be used by a character with a high 
  strength (a strength score of 15+ in most systems 
  that use 3d6 to determine character stats is required). 
  Stormfront carries a quiver of endless arrows.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 11
  behar besk
  Human Fighter/Mage (Master)
  Behar Besk, a master of melee as well as magery, is 
  over forty winters in age and has spent close to 75% 
  of his life either in training, working as a soldier, or 
  exploring the world and its many dungeons. Besk 
  was a member of the Black Heart mercenary 
  company for the earliest years of his life, 
  serving first as a runner for the troops and 
  then – after he was forced to defend himself 
  when the merc camp was raided by orcs – 
  as one of the mercenary 
  company’s grunts. 
  It 
  wasn’t 
  until 
  Besk 
  turned twenty that he 
  started to learn the art 
  of magery, studying with 
  one of the merc company’s 
  wizards. Besk proved a fast 
  study and continued his training 
  as both a warrior and a mage.
  If encountered, Besk is cautious but friendly and is 
  always looking to trade knowledge with others. The 
  man is especially interested in collecting more scrolls 
  and potions – he finds that they make great tools in 
  battle and prefers to use them over taking the time to 
  memorize spells every day – and he will pay well if he 
  runs across a combat potion or scroll that is unusual in 
  some way. 
  Besk won’t sign with any one group, but he can be a 
  powerful ally to those he meets so long as they part on 
  friendly terms. 
  Notable Treasure
  Besk is a powerful, talented fighter and mage who has 
  spent years perfecting his skills. He has also spent that 
  time accumulating magic items that benefit his days as 
  an adventurer. When encountered, Besk will be carrying 
  several magic potions (see The Book of Unusual 
  Potions for inspiration), his spellbook, several scrolls, 
  and a magic staff of cold control.
   
  The staff gives Besk the ability 
  to project ice blasts that inflict 
  2d6 points of damage twice per 
  day. Additionally, once each week, 
  Besk may summon a snowstorm that 
  blankets the immediate area in freezing 
  temperatures and 3d6 inches of snow, regardless of 
  whether or not he is under the hottest summer sun or 
  in the deepest dungeon. The magical snowstorm lasts 
  for only a few moments before it expires.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 12
  barron cragg, 
  the black hawk
  Human Assassin (Experienced)
  Known to most as “The Black Hawk,” 
  the assassin Barron Cragg is a vile, 
  evil man who will take any job . . . so 
  long as the pay suits his needs. The 
  man has no loyalty to anything but 
  himself and his wealth, and he is not to 
  be trusted at any time.
  The adventurers may encounter Cragg if they upset 
  a wealthy noble or merchant; the angered NPC may 
  hire the assassin and charge him with killing the PC(s) 
  who slighted the noble or merchant in some way. If 
  Cragg is introduced to the campaign in this way, the 
  adventurers may have no choice but to kill the 
  assassin . . . or pay him off. Cragg cares not 
  for his reputation and will always accept 
  a bribe. (Especially if it is a bribe that 
  reduces his chance of death and ends 
  a transaction quickly.)
  The party may also meet Cragg at a tavern 
  or inn where he is resting after completing an 
  assignment. The man loves to gamble – dice or 
  cards, he will take any game – and is always looking 
  for opponents who are willing to join him at the table.
  The assassin should never be trusted. He is always 
  looking for the latest opportunity to make a few more 
  gold and has no friends.
  Notable Treasure
  At most any time, Cragg is carrying a coin purse 
  with several dozen gold coins, a few platinum, 
  and several silver coins. He also carries small 
  gemstones at all times that he uses to pay for more 
  expensive objects and services; there’s a 50% chance 
  that any coin or gem that Cragg uses to pay someone 
  is a fake and actually worthless. He uses his charming 
  personality to convince most that the coins and gems 
  are real. If questioned, he attempts to intimidate the 
  taker into accepting the fake coins/gems.
  Cragg uses poisons and will usually have a few different 
  varieties in a pouch at any time. His cloak is a magic 
  item that grants him a bonus against attacks and he 
  uses magical throwing daggers to attack his enemies; 
  the daggers (four of them in total) magically return to 
  his hand one round after they are thrown.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 13
  zilyana llorva
  Elven Fighter (Experienced)
  Llorva has spent that last thirty years in battle against 
  evil, doing everything within her power to fight the 
  forces of darkness wherever they may be.
  The woman has worked as a dungeoneer for most 
  of that time, making it her mission to clear ancient 
  complexes of the evil that spawns within them. 
  She is especailly focused on the undead after a terrible 
  experience with skeletons in her youth. Llorva will 
  go out of her way to attack any necromancer she 
  encounters, ignoring all other enemies so long 
  as a necromancer remains standing and casting 
  dark magicks.
  If the PCs meet Llorva in a dungeon complex, she will 
  usually be with 1d4+1 lower level elven warriors and 
  possibly one mage.  The woman is a bit of a legend to 
  her people and she will sometimes assemble a party 
  of elves to aid her in her self-assigned missions. Few 
  younger elves refuse her call for assistance, choosing to 
  adventure with Zilyana Llorva so that they have a story 
  to tell their children many years later.
  Llorva refuses to work with evil characters, regardless 
  of the circumstances, so if even one PC is of an evil 
  alignment they will not gain her assistance in any 
  task. Additionally, the woman considers anyone 
  working willingly with evil to themselves be of a 
  questionable alignment; she will treat them as 
  enemies.
  She is always ready to trade knowledge for 
  supplies, especially healing potions.
  Notable Treasure
  Llorva wears magical armor that provides a +3 bonus 
  against attacks and grants her a 5% chance to resist any 
  magical assault. Her boots of Elven Agility give her an 
  increased dexterity and in battle she uses the Staff 
  of the Cosmos, a powerful magic item that allows 
  her to cast magical missiles once each round by 
  holding the staff out and aiming it at her target. 
  At will, 1d4+1 missiles fire from the staff and 
  have a 50% chance of striking the target; roll 
  separately for each missile fired that round. The 
  missiles inflict 4 points of damage/each when 
  they hit a target. The staff inflicts normal damage 
  when used to hit an opponent.
  
  a dozen adventurous rivals • page 14
  oswal trakor
  Half-Orc Fighter/Thief (Experienced)
  A towering, giant of a man, the half-orc Oswal Trakor is as 
  skilled in battle as he is at stealing and picking locks. He 
  has divided his study over the years evenly between the 
  two skill sets, Trakor considers both professions to be 
  equally important to his success as a dungeoneer over 
  the years; he has probably stabbed as many enemies with 
  his sword and daggers over the last decade of adventuring 
  as he has picked pockets and locks.
  Trakor is a freelance mercenary, always willing to sign 
  on with an adventuring company so long as they treat 
  him as an equal and give him a fair chance at any 
  discovered treasures. When working with a group, 
  though, Trakor isn’t above sneaking a few extra 
  coins from any discovered hoard; so long as he 
  isn’t caught by his companions, where is the 
  harm in pocketing the occasional gold piece 
  here and there?
  As a half-orc, Trakor is sometimes unable 
  to find a place to sleep or a meal to eat in some of 
  the smaller towns and cities that distrust his kind. In 
  those instances, the half-orc pulls his cloak tight and 
  enters only at night, hoping to pass himself off as a 
  pure human. If he is in a bad mood when rejected 
  because of his race, it is not unknown for Trakor to 
  sneak back late in the night and kill the innkeeper 
  or barkeep who refused to serve him.
  If encountered in the dungeon alone, Trakor will 
  agree to join the adventurers if they ask. As is in his nature, he 
  still tries to leave with more treasure than the others.
  Notable Treasure
  Trakor wears magical leather armor that grants him a bonus to 
  resist damage and, when in the dark, a 25% chance of 
  fading into the shadows and being effectively invisible 
  to anyone, even those with special vision. 
  His daggers are also magical (+4 to damage) and he carries a 
  magical sword that ignites into a flaming blade on command. When sheathed, the sword’s 
  blade vanishes completely, leaving only the weapon’s hilt. This makes it light and easy to 
  carry; the perfect weapon for an assassin.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/A Dozen/A Dozen Adventurous Rivals.pdf