OSR: 3 Rival Adventuring Parties

Very much inspired by Arnold K.

Assume the first one in the Cast section is their boss (+1HD), and that each member of the Cast has HD equal to the average level of the PCs. Roll or pick the party that best suits your campaign best. Assumed for B/X rules (Knave, OSE, LotFP).
Also note: there are Molekin here. Replace by Goblins, Halflings or Gnomes if those fit your game's setting better.

Scroll to the end of the article for a long ramble on Rival Adventuring Parties.

1) Auriola and the Crows

Capable, Divided, Versatile, Brass.

Truths:

• Auriola will accept any sword duel. And throw one to solve any disagreements.
• The group is divided. The Buttercheeks see Auriola (and the young Amusko) as too bold. Serafin and Brosco are doing their own thing. Changing the group's composition will tip the current balance.
• Serafin will kill ANYONE to have his voice back. If he believes his cords can be restored, he will betray whoever.

Cast:

• Auriola Yudego, the Dancer. Hair short, silver nose ring. Black leather and a rapier. Wants to be the best swordswoman in all of Maienstein. And she's pretty damn good. +2 to hit and damage if wielding a sword. But she's currently training her left hand (so no bonus). If a fight looks serious, she'll switch hands.
• Serafin "Birdsong". Young human wizard, with an untended beard and a red scarf. Had his throat slit once, but lived to tell the tale. Kind of. Now he can only speak through his crow familiar. Knows two spells: grease and glue. Wields a trusty repeating crossbow of his own invention (attack again on 19-20; gets stuck at 1 and needs d4 rounds to repair). Dreams of recovering his own voice.
• Amusko the Thief. 15 young human lad, with an innocent smile. "Secretly" in love with Auriola, will do anything to impress her. Brass, impulsive. Wields two sharp knifes. Keeps jewelry of his victims, which he aims to offer to Auriola when the hoard is significant enough.
• Zoila & Sorospen Buttercheeks. Thief halfling sisters. They regret every single decision that brought them to this point in their lives. They use bows, bear traps, ropes and bells with efficiency. Despite their nihilism, they carry on with the group.
• Brosco Ironheart, the Fighter. Halfling with ginger muttonchops. Short guy with a bad temper. Wields a hammer and a shield, and he will fuck up your kneecaps real bad. Morale 12. When he would fall to 0HP or below, he instead regains d6HP. Adrenaline that wears off after the battle, only applies once per day.

Tactics:

• Preference: outside, with the cover of trees or elevation for the Buttercheeks and Serafin to pepper with projectiles. A narrow pass works wonders for them. Under parley, Auriola will demand a one-on-one duel with the best fighter on the other side to resolve disagreements. Or just test/show her skill.
• Preparation: Serafin's raven will scout ahead. The Buttercheeks will prepare a couple bear traps, and put some rope with a bell hanging from a tree as an alarm in the selected spot. Serafin will conveniently "glue" the area, making it tough as nails to flee. Amusko will hide in nearby bushes to get the flank.
• Action: Auriola will march forward with Brosco to meet the enemies, whilst the Buttercheeks and Serafin loose projectiles. Amusko will wait for a window to sneak attack, fiercely protecting Auriola if the need arises.

2) Bookyn Nine-Nine

Boisterous, Fighty, Numerous, Reckless.
 
Truths:

• More a warband than an adventuring group, they all come from the moot town of Bookyn. Itzai used to be the constable there, until a series of unfortunate events forced him to leave the town with his lackeys and whoever had the guts to follow him.
• There's 18 (!) of them. The 9 that compose the adventuring group, plus the 9 animals: 3 mastiffs, 3 mules, a warhorse, a black cat, and a yellow parrot. The mastiffs fight if Alvin commands them to do so.
• They're into adventuring for the carousing, plain and simple: fight hard, get rich, die young. Will drink any liquor, try any drug. Playing with their egos is a valid proposition.

Cast:

• Itzai, the Constable. A human of law turned barbarian. Sword and shield and mohawk. Wearing his old constable uniform, and on the warhorse whenever possible. Charismatic, jovial leader as long as he gets what he wants. A monster if he gets denied. Has to play the macho role to keep leadership of the group, and is particularly weary of Vivian.
• Pimple, the Cleric. A limping molekin wearing black leathers, with a shield and a sickle. Worships Rotwurm, the Blind Hunter. Has a hard time patching everyone together after a battle. Surprisingly stealthy, has a collection of worms in a jar and is into rare herbs.
• Diofantos, the Scout. Is a human with a hunched back and a lot of finesse, who likes to be on his own. He only speaks in sentences one word long. Diofantos is a God in opportunism: arrives at the perfect and most critical moment. Has the exact item to overcome the challenge (and yes, he has it all in his sack). Most remarkably, he's an excellent bow shooter, and skilled with the shortsword. Has mirrors, caltrops, fake jewellery, disguises, smoke bombs, and much much more.
• Alvin, the Beastmaster Scout. A gnarly dwarf. Shaved, short ginger beard, arms full of bite-marks, ears full of rings. Is the only one really taking care of the animals: inventory, feeding, etc. Wields a whip and a spear to poke at the dogs and make them excited for battle.
• Eleder Jamjar, the Fighter. Halfling, failed alchemist in Bookyn, joined the group picking a spear and a shield, and has learned a trick or two from the others. Has a bag of flash powder that when lit emits a blinding flash of light, as well as several bottles of strong, fast-drying dye in a variety of bright colors. Can be used to stain objects, clothes, and even skin in different hues. Eleder applies warpaints on his compadres before battle.
• Torkild, the Barbarian. This dwarf will drink about anything offered. Either his blackened liver absorbs it, or it gets puked immediately. Has a 2d6 acid breath weapon. Obsessed with liquor, death, and crows (wants one for the party).
• Vivian, the Über-Barbarian. BATTLEAXE. SHOUTS AND COMMANDS. TORKILD'S AUNT. THIS DWARF LADY USED TO BE A PORK PIE BAKER BACK IN BOOKYN. NOW SHE HUNTS WHATEVER BEAST IS IN FRONT, COOKS IT AND GIVES IT TO THE BOYS. MOTHERLY, PROTECTIVE, AND LOUD.
• Nuño, the Berserker. Human in his mid-thirties. Mustache and pipe. He's cool. And the shortest temper. "Why are you looking at me?" "Why aren't you looking at me?" "You got a problem?". Shortswords and daggers galore. Quick. When the little patience is gone, he's vicious.
• Justino, the Second Fighter. A human with a wide grin, horse teeth. Scars on the face, seems to have been used like a chopping board. Was a woodcarver. Resents Eleder, who's half the size, but twice the fighter.
  

Tactics:

• Preference: They are a fucking mess, and a mix of warcries and showing off. But they're tough as nails, and have good numbers. Anyone who perils is quickly replaced, to keep the Nine-Nine name.
• Preparation: Diofantos might set some clever tricks: caltrops cutting an enemy's exit, a hidden pit, bear traps, etc. He will appear in the best possible moment (for the Nine-Nine), and finish whatever is already wounded. Nobody knows where he came from, but he's a lethal sneaky bastard. The rest of the gang doesn't prepare, at all. Pimple tries to avoid a mess, but fails every single time.
• Action: WAAAGH!

3) Jackson Five

Religious, Scheming, Meticulous, Secretive.

Truths:

• Will try to immobilize and interrogate all enemy priests/clerics/scholars. Ulrik can tell them apart, and Jackson will record every detail spoken in his keen mind.
• Can be bribed with religious texts. Fermin and Itzalle get to split all the loot (that's why they've stayed so far), since the zealots care little for other treasure and coin.
• Jackson can alter his form with spells (excluding his clothes), and impersonate any humanoid convincingly (he's a good actor).

Cast:

• Jackson, the Wizard. Stocky dwarf with grey beard in a braid, and a brown robe. Speaks in whispers, and prefers to listen first. Has arm-sleeve tattoos of snakes that animate under his command (2 poisonous snakes, 2HD each, bite attack deals 1 damage + 2d6 poison). Deals in secrets and is obsessed with religious texts and The Game. Tries to please Agent Daximona, and have contact with that deity. He's failed so far.
• Fermin, the Hafling Fighter. Straw hair covered by a red bandana, mace and shield. Fights as dirty as it gets: spits, bites, goes for the nuts; you name it. Gets to attack + do a stunt each turn. Has a treasure map sewn inside his bandana, which he's hoping to find one day (but keep from the others).
• Itzalle, the Scout. She's a scarred human that should've retired long ago. Covering for 14 grandchildren with her share of the loot. Cooks an excellent stew. Uses a crossbow if needed, and has smoke bombs. But she's here mostly to crack doors open and disarm complex traps.
• Ulrik, the Cleric. A dwarf that can smell any cleric or man of faith. Can't stand his own stench. Plate, shield, and hammer. Worships Sin, the Enigma of All, so he will use any situation to laugh and cheer, no matter how untimely.
• Stye, the Torchbearer. Old molekin with a crooked back. Joyfully carries all the equipment, food, and loot for the others. He's useless in combat, and will beg and hide. Has a pet mastiff called Pitt (2HD, bite attack d10 damage + knocked prone on hit), which is far more capable and protective of his owner. Ulrik spared him once, so Stye ows his life to him and will blindly follow the Cleric.

Tactics:

• Preference: will try scouting, subterfuge, espionage or parley. They're the bunch that promises help and acts the way until they steal your treasure while you're sleeping. If all fails, they attack with surgical precision. Will concentrate on enemy priests and clerics first. And they'll retreat or negotiate if things look sour.
• Preparation: Jackson will use a disguise or illusion spell to scout the enemy days ahead. Posing as a beggar on the road. Or a helpful merchant. Will learn as much as it can about them. Itzalle will prepare her excellent stew and offer it (poisoned). She will bury smoke bombs in retreating points, activated on pressure if they need to flee. Fermin, Stye and Pitt will hide as a last resort.
• Action: Combat is not favored by the Jackson Five. They will have no interest in it if the scale isn't properly balance in their favor. They do their homework, and do it thoroughly: will know the weak links of the enemy, their composition and relationships, if they have any Clerics or Wizards, etc. and use it to their advantage.

Ramble on Rival Adventuring Parties

Goblin Misfits, by Anthony James Rich

Avoid at all costs. I'm being serious. There are several problems associated with using a Rival Adventuring Party (RAP from now on). Here a few:

1. There's a big chance to overshadow the PCs. Or that the players think you are in a power trip. We don't want that.
2. They are complex to roleplay. This is a group of misfits as rich as the PCs, and it's hard to make them justice.
3. They are hard to play in combat. They should have abilities, spells, magic items. This adds up, fast.

Why even bother then? There are several reasons, and things could go in any direction.

• A RAP doesn't have to stay in the antagonist corner forever. They could team up with the PCs, eventually. Roleplaying and interactions can become very rich.
• To show contrast. The party is careful and meticulous, taking no risks? Make the RAP fast, brass, violent. And vice versa. Are half of the PCs magic users? You bet your ass the RAP will be full of inquisitor clerics wanting to burn their spellbooks and cleanse their souls.
• To introduce competition and timers. What happens if several RAP are after the same McGuffin at the temple of Jon McLich? It means the players have to be fast in their goal. It means they could arrive to only see the dragon slain, the gold sacks being carried by the RAP. Change of plans! But we came prepared to fight a dragon, not a RAP! Yeah...
• For verosimilitude. If the game is a heavily focused megadungeon chances are that several groups are trying to plunder its riches. In OSR games the PCs rarely play The Chosen Ones, and this helps to reinforce that idea.

But I cheated. The disadvantages I listed before can be circumvented, or at least mitigated. See, we should:

1. Foreshadow and use standard OSR procedures. Reaction rolls. The full deal. Making recurring obstacles and antagonists are hard in TTRPGs, but in the case of a RAP, it can pay off immensely. What if the RAP was sponsored by the local authorities?
2. Make a member of the RAP mute. Or speak alien languages that can only be understood by other members of the RAP. Or add some beasts and animals (dogs, elephants, basilisks, you name it). It also helps if you have a strong RAP theme, and a clear leader/face that will be interacting with the PCs.
3. Ditch the idea of making N character sheets, or giving them templates (for the GLOG). All they need is one or two distinctive abilities each, because of how long a combat will take in general. Do go nuts with the tricks if needed; RAPs are bosses in their own right.