Mother Mandelbaum, The Queen of Thieves

Mother Mandelbaum is a stout, middle-aged woman with short, curly gray hair and a commanding presence. She exudes confidence and intelligence with a hint of mischief in her sparkling eyes.

• Alias – Mother Mandelbaum, The Queen of Thieves
• Gender – Female
• Race – Caucasian
• Occupation – Criminal mastermind
• Religion – None
• Allies – Her gang of thieves, including Jimmy “the Kid” Haggerty and “Big” Fred Mace
• Enemies – Rival gangs and law enforcement, particularly the corrupt police officer Tom Byrnes
• Abode/ Base of operations – A large and opulent mansion in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City
• Nationality – German-American
• Languages – German, English
• Alignment – Neutral
• Affiliation (s) – A loosely organized network of criminals and fences throughout New York City

Significant others – None publicly known, though rumored to have a romantic relationship with a fellow criminal mastermind named “Big” Jim Brady

Fredericka “Mother” Mandelbaum is a German-American criminal mastermind who operates a large criminal empire in New York City She is a shrewd businesswoman and a compassionate mother figure to her gang of thieves, who refer to her affectionately as “Mother.” Despite her illegal activities, she is widely respected in her community for her charitable work and her loyalty to her associates.

Growing up in poverty in Germany, Mandelbaum learned to hustle and make a living by any means necessary. She immigrated to the America as a young woman and quickly established herself as a successful criminal entrepreneur. She opened a dry goods store that became a front for her illegal activities, including smuggling, counterfeiting, and fencing stolen goods.

Mandelbaum is a complex character who is motivated by both financial gain and a desire to help those in need. She uses her wealth and influence to provide for the poor and marginalized members of her community, including immigrants and the elderly. She also takes care of her associates, who are like family to her.

Mandelbaum’s criminal activities bring her into contact with other notorious figures of the time, including Boss Tweed and the notorious criminal gang the Dead Rabbits. She forms alliances and rivalries with these characters, and her dealings with them form a large part of her story.

Mandelbaum’s ultimate goal is to build a criminal empire that will provide for her and her associates for years to come. However, she is also aware of the dangers of her profession and takes measures to protect herself and her loved ones. Despite her illegal activities, she is a sympathetic character who is respected and admired by many for her strength, intelligence, and compassion.

Mother Mandelbaum

Medium humanoid (human), neutral

Armor Class: 15 (studded leather)

Hit Points: 180 (24d8 + 72)

Speed: 30 ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
14 (+2)	18 (+4)	16 (+3)	20 (+5)	16 (+3)	22 (+6)

Skills: Deception +11, Insight +8, Intimidation +11, Persuasion +11

Senses: passive Perception 13

Languages: Common, German

Challenge: 14 (11,500 XP)

Actions

Multiattack: Mother Mandelbaum makes three attacks with her rapier or two attacks with her dagger.

Rapier: Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 11 (1d8 + 7) piercing damage.

Dagger: Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) piercing damage.

Fireball (1/Day): Mother Mandelbaum unleashes a 20-foot-radius sphere of fire centered on a point she can see within 150 feet. Each creature in that area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 49 (14d6) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Equipment:

Studded leather armor, rapier, dagger, ring of protection, necklace of fireballs (three beads), potion of healing, 500 gp in various forms of currency.

Abilities

Commanding Presence: Mother Mandelbaum has advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks when attempting to intimidate her enemies or persuade her allies.

Mastermind: Mother Mandelbaum is adept at manipulating others to do her bidding. She can use the Help action as a bonus action, and she can mimic the speech of any person she has heard speak for at least one minute.

Wealthy Philanthropist: Mother Mandelbaum uses her dry goods store as a front for her criminal activities, but she also uses her wealth and influence to help the poor and marginalized members of her community. She gains advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks when attempting to convince others to donate to charitable causes.

Legendary Resistance (3/Day): If Mother Mandelbaum fails a saving throw, she can choose to succeed instead.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), Mother Mandelbaum can take a lair action to cause one of the following magical effects:

• Mother Mandelbaum can make a ranged spell attack against one creature she can see within 120 feet. On a hit, the target takes 22 (4d10) psychic damage and must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened of Mother Mandelbaum until the end of its next turn.
• Mother Mandelbaum can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space she can see.
• Mother Mandelbaum can summon a swarm of rats. The swarm appears in an unoccupied space within 60 feet of Mother Mandelbaum and lasts for 1 minute or until destroyed.

Mother Mandelbaum is a cunning and ruthless crime lord who runs a large criminal organization from her base in the city’s underworld. She has a long history of dealing in contraband and illegal goods, including stolen merchandise and illicit drugs. Her ultimate goal is to maintain control of the city’s criminal underworld, ensuring the profitability and success of her organization.

Mother Mandelbaum is fiercely protective of her subordinates and will stop at nothing to ensure their safety and well-being. She is also known for her quick wit and sharp tongue, often using her charisma and persuasive abilities to manipulate others to do her bidding. Despite her criminal activities, she maintains a strict code of ethics and is deeply religious, often relying on her faith to justify her actions.

Mother Mandelbaum’s lair is a heavily guarded compound located in the heart of the city’s underworld. The compound is filled with traps and other security measures, making it nearly impenetrable to outsiders. Those who do manage to enter her lair will face a legion of well-trained and heavily armed guards, all of whom are fiercely loyal to their leader.