More Big Bads - Zara Harlowe, Pork, and Bean

Last year I posted about Hit Point Press Big Bad Booklet Patreon. It gave an overview and discussed the two big bads I had, Daniel the flesh golem and the Conqueror Worm. The big bads and magic items from the patreon were collected into two books. However, you can also snag the individual pdfs. Today I'm going to talk about two Big Bad pdfs that are available for free (at least at the time of this post).

Pork & Bean are an odd pair. Bean is a raging goblin berserker and Pork is a subtle bugbear assassin. Originally enemies, the pair was struck by lightning and became bound to each other. They subconsciously know each others moves. While they bicker and would never admit it, the two are deadly together and rely on each other. The currently work as murderers for hire. Tactics, traits, and roleplaying tips are included. We also get three adventure hooks. The pdf includes stats for Bean's magical shackles and Pork's magical bracers. Pork is a Challenge 8 bugbear assassin and Bean is a challenge 6 goblin berserker. They are quite dangerous together and get a total of 5 Legendary Team Actions when within 60 feet of one another.

They can be thrown in to virtually any setting. Personally I could see them being hired by one of the masterminds from Waterdeep: Dragon Heist to take out the party (or get revenge on them).

Zara Harlowe is a truly frustrating villain. By day she is the highly successful chief of the city guard. She's taken out several organizations and operations. She is greatly respected by the nobility and has celebrity status among the common folk. However, at night she is Nix, the head of the most successful criminal organization. Her day job allows her to have a monopoly on crime. Overall the guild doesn't do things quite as brutally as before, so she justifies her actions. Halowe is a Challenge 5 roguish foe. We also get stats for her muscle Holly, a Challenge 4 blue dragonborn wereboar, and Hock, a Challenge 5 half-elf necromancer. The trio are challenge 10 when together or Challenge 11 when together and in one of the two lairs mentioned in the pdf. We get roleplaying tips, traits, and tactics for the trio. 

I think the best way to use Harlowe would be to have her as an ally of the party. Build up the relationship before the big reveal. Like Pork and Beans, she fits into most settings, but I think she'd be a great addition to Waterdeep: Dragon Heist. If you go this route, I would make Nix the leader of the Zhentarim opposed to the Manshoon. If you go this route, she definitely has her eyes set on capturing the Black Viper.