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View Full Version : [3.5] NPC Vault!



spikeof2010
2014-10-25, 10:18 AM
For upcoming DMs, I think it would be a good idea to have a vault of readily usable NPCs, or little tweaking.

I'll come up with some sooner or later, and make sure to link to any homebrew you may have.

SirKazum
2014-10-26, 07:00 AM
Hmmm... Guess I'll let up on my D&D as Sci-Fi campaign setting (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?368609-The-Haliburn-Galaxy-D-amp-D-(3-5)-as-Sci-Fi-WIP) a bit (plug plug!) and post a few characters I came up with for a humorous story. The idea behind them was stretching the definition of "character" as far as it goes, making a complete party that's as unconventional as it goes. They might make for some pretty surprising NPCs...

Bertrand
Species: Beech
Age: 80-odd
Sex: Monoecious
Large Plant
HD: 4d10+30 (55 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
AC: 14 (–1 size, +5 natural), touch 9, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+10
Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d8+4)
Full Attack: Slam +5 melee (1d8+4)
Space/Reach: 10 ft./10 ft. (tall)
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Plant traits, hardness 5
Saves: Fort +1, Ref +1, Will +1
Abilities: Str 16, Dex 10, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 9
Skills: —
Feats: —
CR: 3
Alignment: Neutral
Languages: Common, Sylvan

Bertrand is a beech tree that was awakened (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/awaken.htm) a few years ago by the druid Wyllbwr. When its master went mysteriously missing a couple weeks ago, Bert and Kerwick (see below) took upon themselves to investigate his fate.

Bert is rather standoffish, having grown used to quite a bit of self-sufficiency, since it's a tree and all. "Don't step on my roots", you could call his motto. It really doesn't like it when people (especially those weird, sweaty, soft mammals) come barging into its neck of the woods and messing up its nice little living, though, and will go to great lengths to uproot problems such as the disappearance of its mentor. And don't expect it to forget a slight or let go of its objectives, either - a tree can be incredibly patient. Well, a perennial one anyway, you can never trust those yearly twerps.

Kerwick
Species: Tawny Owl
Age: 2 and a little
Gender: Male
Tiny Magical Beast (Augmented Animal)
HD: 3d8 (16 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 10 ft. (2 squares), fly 40 ft. (average)
AC: 17 (+2 size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), touch 15, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/-9
Attack: Talons +7 melee (1d4-3)
Full Attack: Talons +7 melee (1d4-3)
Space/Reach: 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: —
Special Qualities: Darkvision 60’, low-light vision
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +6, Will +3
Abilities: Str 4, Dex 17, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 14, Cha 7
Skills: Listen +16, Move Silently +21, Spot +8 (+16 in areas of shadowy illumination)
Feats: Alertness, Weapon Finesse
CR: 1
Alignment: Neutral
Languages: Common

Kerwick (Kerr for its close mates) is a tawny owl who was Awakened (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/awaken.htm) by the same druid as Bertrand the tree, several months ago. When Wyllbwr went missing under mysterious circumstances, Bert and Kerr set off to investigate his whereabouts - though, to hear Kerr tell of it, he's doing all the sleuthing, and just needs the big ol' tree for a perch.

Kerr is a smart-alecky sort of bird, always hooting and tweeting about his exploits in the mean ol' woods, a sharp witty comeback always at the tip of his tongue. He's always looking for an edge, an in, an out, looking over his shoulder and watching for an opening. He's got an annoying tendency to try and fool anyone he finds (especially those gullible two-legged people), but don't take it the wrong way - he ain't mean, that's just his raptor side always looking for opportunity.

Blake, a.k.a. "Blaycalicus the Terrifying"
Species: Display skeleton
Age: About 12
Sex: N/A
Medium Construct
HD: 2d10+20 (30 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
AC: 14 (+4 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: Slam +2 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: Slam +2 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Magic item abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision 120 ft., hardness 5, magic item abilities
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +10
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 10, Con —, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 17
Skills: —
Feats: —
CR: N/A
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Languages: Common, Draconic, Elven, Infernal
Magic Item Abilities:
Base Ability: Animate Objects, continuously-active (16th level)
Intelligent Magic Item (high ability scores at 17): Speech, Telepathy, Read Languages; 3 lesser powers and 1 greater power; 120 ft. darkvision and hearing
Lesser Powers: hold person (DC 14) 3/day, locate object 3/day, major image (DC 14) 1/day
Greater Power: cause fear (DC 11) at will
Item Ego: 13
Item Caster Level: 16th

Blake, who claims its full name is "Blaycalicus the Terrifying" (though that's just something it made up to sound more "wizardly") used to be just a fake display skeleton made of wood and painted bone-white, used as a teaching aid in anatomy lessons in the Wizardly University. Several years ago, some drunk wizards animated (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animateObjects.htm) it as a joke, and later made this effect permanent and gave it sentience, as an intelligent magic item. Despite its indign origins, Blake was happily working as a teacher's aide and inventory assistant in the Necromancy department when a break-in at the university (suspected to involve an allumnus turned evil and megalomaniac) threw the campus into chaos, causing Blake to accidentally release a priceless artifact that was sealed in the vault. Fearing retribution for this goof-up, Blake decided to follow the artifact in its mad quest for justice, rather than return to the university and deal with its (presumably) furious supervisors.

Blake sees itself as a wizard (and also dresses like one, with a purple robe and purple wide-brimmed wizard's hat), and likes to try and impress common people with its powers. It doesn't get why people tend to automatically assume it's a lich, but doesn't really mind the publicity. It's a bit of a glory hound, and tends to exaggerate not just its magical abilities but also its past exploits. A bit of a smartass, Blake can get on people's nerves sometimes with its unasked-for (and often completely made-up) gems of knowledge that it loves rattling off at any moment. Most of the time, though, its easy, fast-talking charm makes Blake a pleasant enough companion. Just don't remind it that it's not "a real boy", or much of a wizard anyway - it can get rather sensitive about these matters.

Gurmdringarr, a.k.a. “Peacebringer”
Species: Warhammer
Age: 413
Sex: N/A
Small Construct
HD: N/A (60 hp)
Initiative*: +1
Speed*: 30 ft. (6 squares) (floating 5 ft. above the ground, counts as walking)
AC*: 12 (+1 size, +1 Dex), touch 12, flat-footed 11
Base Attack/Grapple*: +0/-4
Attack*: Hammer +4 melee (1d8+4), critical x3
Full Attack*: Hammer +4 melee (1d8+4), critical x3
Space/Reach*: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Magic item abilities
Special Qualities: Construct traits, darkvision & blindsense 120 ft., hardness 18, magic item abilities
Saves*: Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +15
Abilities: Str 10*, Dex 12*, Con —, Int 10, Wis 18, Cha 18
Skills: —
Feats: —
CR: N/A
Alignment: Lawful Good
Languages: Common
Magic Item Abilities:
Base Abilities: +4 Dancing, Disruption Warhammer
Intelligent Magic Item (high ability scores at 18): Speech, Telepathy, Read Languages, Read Magic; 3 lesser powers and 2 greater powers (one being a special purpose); 120 ft. darkvision, blindsense, and hearing
Lesser Powers: bless 3/day, cure moderate wounds 3/day, zone of truth (DC 13) 3/day
Greater Power: detect undead at will
Special Purpose: Defeat/slay all undead
Dedicated Power: 15d6 greater shout (DC 22) 3/day
Item Ego: 30
Item Caster Level: 18th

*Only if acting on its own; when wielded, the wielder’s stats are used instead (except that saving throws are either the hammer’s or the wielder’s, whichever are higher), and attacks are made by the wielder. Gurmdringarr’s intelligent item powers are still used by Gurm itself, though always on the wielder’s initiative count. When “dancing”, it’s still considered as wielded for all purposes, except that it may attack on its own (with the wielder’s initiative count and attack bonuses, and at the wielder’s direction).

Gurmdringarr, which means "peacebringer" in the old language of its creators (often shortened to Gurm) is an enchanted warhammer forged by a forgotten order of militant clerics, who made it as the ultimate holy weapon for ridding the world of the undead scourge. A long time ago, it used its greater shout ability too close to a load-bearing column in a precariously-made evil temple and ended up buried beneath a mountain of rubble, where it was found only centuries later by some treasure-hunters, which sold it to the Wizardly University's collection. Realizing its fanatical relentlessness, which made it a pain in the neck to keep around the university's necromancy students, the faculty sealed Gurmdringarr under heavy warding spells that negated its abilities, until an animated skeleton named Blake (see above) accidentally freed it. Gurm then decided to resume its holy quest to rid the world of the undead, aided by its new ally, roaming the world as far away from the University as possible (as per Blake's guidance).

Gurmdringarr is fanatical and unyielding, as befits an intelligent item with a special purpose (destroying all undead). It sees the living dead as a blight on the face of the world, and will stop at nothing to destroy every last one of them it finds. That devotion is rather jarring for people who see it working closely together with Blake (which, of course, is not undead, and does not show under Gurm's detect undead ability). It tends to sound like a rather sanctimonious cleric, always urging its companions to be courageous and keep up the good fight against evil and such. It's not deaf to the plight of the needy, though, having been instilled with a good sense of generosity and justice by its makers. It was made to fly off and fight on its own, so that its cleric wielders can cast spells and attack simultaneously, but with time that ended up making it a bit too self-sufficient, to the point that it often forgets it was made to be wielded and considers itself to be the hero on its own right.

brian 333
2014-10-26, 04:32 PM
Rasita was a recurring villain in one of my campaigns.

She was an evil cleric whose career began with an attempt to take control of a small farming village through fear and intimidation. The level 1 PC's attacked her thugs, but then fell back to regroup before attacking their hideout. Rasita escaped in the intermission and moved on.

By the time the party hit level 4 they were drawn to a caravan-stop where they hoped to purchase some cool supplies and gear. And inadvertently ran across Rasita, who recognized them and mistook their presence as a hunt for her. (Why do villains always take things personally?) She aborted her local plans to dominate a goodly cult and turn them to the dark side long enough to attack the group with the minions she had secured up to that point.

Once again her plan was foiled by the PC's, but once again they managed to defeat her minions and expose her to the cult which had accepted her as their leader. Naturally, she escaped. This time with a serious plan to bring down those goody-goody so-and-sos!

Every three or four levels thereafter Rasita would appear in some part of their quest, and by level 12 the players began to actively seek her out to end her annoying habit of siding with whoever the PC's were fighting. It became a common joke that no adventure was complete until they made Rasita run.

Thing is, they never caught her. Rasita is still out there, plotting her revenge.

ReturnOfTheKing
2014-10-26, 09:55 PM
I like this! The only system I know is 4e, so I guess I could make a fluff-only contribution of two Dragonborn characters. Well, one Dragonborn, one… thing. Bear in mind I made this for the world of Nerath, so the lore might not fit with how Dragonborn work in 3.5e.

There are two characters here - Kron, a character I once played, and his father Kaymen.

Back in the day, Zanthria was a powerful Dragonborn city-state on the edge of the vast and terrible Asazhbul Desert. It was a legacy of the mighty empire of Arkhosia and a beacon of light in the vast wilderness. Their attempts to bring order to the desert led them into conflict with the natives, Wildblood Shifters (basically refluffed Elves who can shift into Primeval's Future Predators) and thus there was war. Kaymen was a prominent general in the war as the heir of an ancient and noble family, and he won many battles for clan and crown. The Shifters saw him as a monster; the Dragonborn saw him as a hero; Kaymen saw himself as a family man who fought for the honour of his deceased father, his family's backstory-related sword (passed down from generation to generation), his wife Zephryos and his son Thrawn.

Anyway, the desperate Shifters decided to opt for their last resort, seeking out Seizmal, a powerful Primal Spirit who controlled the body of an Earthquake Dragon. (This Dragon, by the way, was forced to destroy the Arkhosiam city of Septimus Rift during the Imperial Wars, because everything had to have backstory.) Seizmal forced back the Zanthrian armies and ultimately reached the city itself. Kaymen led the defenders in order to protect his city and his wife; Thrawn was supposed to be evacuated, but he stayed behind to fight.

The Earthquake Dragon decimated the city and sent much of it's infrastructure collapsing into rifts, falling as far as the Underdark. When hope seemed lost for the city even after the battle had raged from evening to morning, Thrawn decided to set a trap. He lured the wounded Seizmal after him into the ruined palace, then smashed through the pillars holding the building up. It worked, and the building collapsed onto the dragon, but at the cost of Thrawn's life.

Zephryos ran forth to grieve her courageous child, but little did she know that the bloody and battered Seizmal still lived. She never heard the dragon coming, only felt a sudden burst of pain as it's jaws enveloped her. Kaymen arrived too late to save either of them, and enraged, he charged towards the dragon. Suddenly, it split the earth beneath him and he nearly fell to his death. He was able to unsheath his dagger and drive it into the wall, just barely managing to hold on, but his family sword plunged into the rift. With nothing more to fight for and nothing left to lose, Kaymen pulled himself out of the rift, and just as Seizmal opened her maw to devour him, he plunged his dagger into the roof of her mouth. Already wounded and dying, this last blow was just barely enough to finish her, so she fell into the rift and was killed. Of course, since she was going to be a recurring villain, the primal spirit itself survived and killed all but one of the Wildblood Shifters for some reason. That one, curiously enough, later joined an adventuring party which my second character is a part of.

So, grieving his family, suffering from severe post-traumatic stress and guilty over his actions in the war, Kaymen left the ruined city, which collapsed into the Underdark to serve as a plot hook later in the campaign. He wandered the Asazhbul Desert for many years, seeking redemption.

I think this would be a good point for him to enter the campaign, because if he appears after Kron enters the picture, his character arc will be pretty much done, not to mention he… well, I'll come to that. Yes, this wall of text isn't yet over :smallbiggrin: :smalltongue:

After a long period of wandering, Kaymen finds some abandoned ruin in the middle of nowhere. Curious, he decides to investigate. The ruins were built by some mysterious and unidentified race. The inhabitants seemed long dead, leaving behind only strange skeletons which resembled a variety of humanoid dinosaurs. Yup, dinosaurs :smallcool:

As it turns out, the ruin was a hatchery. All the eggs were smashed, with one exception. An unblemished egg rested on a shelf, and as Kaymen looked closer, the egg moved. The infant within was alive. Kaymen helped it hatch. The creature within was almost like a Dragonborn, but it was something different. There were two ridges atop it's head, and it had a frill atop it's neck. Further, it bore a tail and it could spit poison. It was like nothing else in the world. (With the exception of it's obvious inspiration, the Spitter Dilos of Jurassic Park.)

Kaymen decided to adopt his hatchling, taking on the task of continuing his clan's legacy as the redemption he seeked. Naming the child Kron, he raised it as a Dragonborn on legends of Zanthria and Arkhosia, teaching it of valour and honour and glory. Together, they ventured through the desert and went on many adventures.

One day, Kaymen went ahead to scout a watering hole and see if it was safe. Telling Kron to stay put, he left to search for potential enemies. Hours passed, then hours more. Finally, Kron decided to find out what had happened. Going ahead, he found his father wounded and dying after an attack by a mysterious enemy. Before Kaymen died, he told Kron the truth about his origins and how he wasn't truly a Dragonborn, nor an heir of Zanthria. However, Kaymen passed on the dagger which slew Seizmal to his child, as generation upon generation of his clan's ancestors had passed down the family sword to their children, and then he died.

Stunned, confused, angry and afraid, Kron wandered the desert, searching for the ruins of the hatchery, Kaymen's killer(s) and for the answers his father hadn't provided. It soon became clear that his dagger, soaked in the blood of a dragon, bestowed upon him unusual powers, the power of a Dragon Sorcerer.

Kron is essentially a refluffed Dragonborn. He often disguises himself as a Dragonborn to avoid drawing awkward questions. I added in the dagger because I couldn't use a sword as a sorcerer.

Sorry for the complication and plot holes, that was the best I could come up with at the time. I kinda wanted to tie everything together, backstory-wise, but I never really acknowledged that backstory other than an "I hate this Wildblood Shifter guy" sub-plot that never really went anywhere.

The campaign kinda sucked…