Colorful Characters: The Brothers Grimm (part 1)

The Brothers Grimm

A traveling band of misfits, malcontents, grifters, charlatans and monster hunters.

I created these colorful NPC’s years ago after I had first seen the movie “the Brothers Grimm” staring Matt Damon and the late Heath Ledger. I was looking to add some colorful characters to my homebrew world that we were playing in at the time.

Initially, they consisted of a band of traveling misfits akin to a small traveling circus or gypsy band. They provided minor entertainment as well as bringing some petty crime to town. Then I wanted to add a secret element to the group and thought that witch or monster hunters really worked.

In all of their incarnations, the band has always been run by two dwarves, twin brothers known as the Brothers Grimm. Besides the brothers, none of the other members had been named or stated out as I wanted to keep my in-game flexibility. Their roster always included whatever I needed at the time.

Their merry band almost always numbers a lucky 13 members. This includes a core of permanent named members and is then supplemented with added muscle, replacements, temporary members and specialists.

I had come up with the name “Felonius” for a dwarven rogue character that I played in the D&D Stormreach MMO and I liked him so much that I decided he would be the model for the twin brothers leading the Brothers Grimm. Shortly thereafter it lead to the creation of his brother “Larcenius”.

In the time since their original incarnation, I have played one or both of the brothers in a few one off adventures, including an epic castle seige during an Extra-Life charity game last year.

The current roster of the Brothers Grimm for my 5e game is as follows:

Core Members:

Felonius Grimm - (Male Hill Dwarf Figher/Rogue)

Larcenius Grimm - (Male Hill Dwarf Fighter/Rogue)

Ziljinn Popos Zilwinn Grimm - (Male Tinker Gnome Cleric)

Bulwark - (Warforged Fighter)

Farnum Grimm - (Male Human Bard)

Supplemental Members:

3 Goblin Acrobats (Rogue)

2 Human Swashbucklers (Rogue)

2 Dwarf Savages (Barbarians)

1 Dwarf Mystic (Druid)

Stay tuned for detailed character write-ups on the named members.