Crowdsourcing: 1001 planar NPCs

[Zaq]

I'm going to start a new campaign soon, and I'm setting it in Planescape. (I'm using Legend for the system and I'm going to be adapting the old Tales from the Infinite Staircase module from 2e, if that matters.)

I haven't GMed in a long time. It's not my strength. But I'm doing it anyway because sometimes it's just the right thing to do.

I call upon the Playground for help: Please help me come up with as many quick-hit NPCs as possible to flesh out the world and use in random (noncombat) encounters and stuff. Don't stress about the mechanics (like I said, I'm running Legend and adapting D&D 2e material anyway) too much, but who are some interesting bashers that the party could encounter if they go poking around Sigil or the Infinite Staircase or whatever? I want to have material to draw from so I'm not caught 100% flat-footed if the party goes a little bit off the beaten path.

Write as much or as little as your muse chooses for you. Ideally I'd at least like a name, a one-sentence description, and a minor hook of some kind, but please, by all means feel free to write more if you like! Any help is appreciated.

[Efrate]

Lemtal Bjorgin, illumian antique dealer who specializes in rare and old manuscripts. He recently acquired a tome that discusses dark speech. Terrified of language being perverted he locked up the book because he cannot bear to destroy writing. He dutifully checks on it every night but a few days ago it went missing from his safe. Nothing else was disturbed in his shop. He seeks to rediscover his manuscript before it is used and submit it to the library of Thoth for safekeeping. Unfortunately the only things he has turned up are several dead scarab beetles around his shop.

[smasher0404]

K'Thar'Zak, imp and banker, runs a simple operation in Sigil. Need a loan of gold? Come down to K'Thar'Zak's stall and we'll set you up with a fair low interest loan, no questions asked. We'll even match or beat any interest rates that other moneylenders offer! However, I highly recommend that whatever you do, don't default on the loan. His collections officers tend to go after less tangible assets: souls, memories, knowledge, etc.

If you are desperate and down on your luck, K'Thar'Zak will hook you up.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by smasher0404
His collections officers....

I think we need to see at least one of these collections officers, just to give the PCs the full experience.

[Zaq]

Great start! Keep 'em coming!


I think we need to see at least one of these collections officers, just to give the PCs the full experience.

How about two?

Gamallu Fendrix, a shadowy fiend who doesn't talk much in K'Thar'Zak's presence but who is surprisingly talkative if you can get it alone. Oddly enough, seems to be native to Hades rather than Baator; why is it working for a baatezu? Welp, no time for that, time to collect on that debt. Should I take your voice or your memories of your spouse?
Rayelle Silverdaughter, a dwarf from the Prime who seems to have ended up in K'Thar'Zak's service after she tried to wiggle out of a debt. Most sods who owe a debt like this aren't given the chance to work it off, oddly enough. Wonder what's different about her? Especially considering that she tends to act like a brutish enforcer rather than anyone who could take the usual intangible repayment. Maybe it's the sheer gusto with which she takes to her work...

And a few others of my own!

Hanson Flatsides, who's obviously a somewhat barmy gnome with a taste for illusion magic but who is very invested in conveying that he's actually a dabus. Sometimes he slips up and speaks, but he mostly just tries to make dabus-style rebuses in the air with his illusions. Smart enough to always have an excuse for why he doesn't need to set foot in Sigil proper (despite allegedly being one of the Lady's prized servants) but mostly leatherheaded otherwise.
Inkmeister V, a fun-loving bariaur who peddles rare inks and dyes from across the Great Wheel. Acts like he's on the side of the celestials and raises his prices for folks he thinks are up to capital-E Evil, but he's oddly quiet about why they're some of his best customers anyway.
Lady Queya, a deposed marid noble who's gone all-in with the Sensates and who views the loss of her estate on the Plane of Water as the best opportunity that ever happened to her. Absolutely refuses to acknowledge being called anything other than "Lady Queya," but she otherwise is remarkably relatable for a genie.
The Rider, who appears to be a halfling on a pony. He's never been seen off his pony, and he has a tendency to turn up in places that would be remarkably challenging for a pony to get to (up a tree, on an island in the middle of a Gehennan lake of fire, walking on a wall as though the plane had subjective gravity even if it doesn't). Seems incapable of processing that this is perceived as unusual. Remarkably well-versed in military history. Doesn't need any particular help but is happy to accept a good meal from you.
Yikka, an unusually plump elf who works as a body collector for the Dusties (mostly collecting on berks in the dead-book who'd sold their corpses while they were still breathing). Absolutely hates the work and won't shut up about it. Seems to think that doing the work will somehow "purify" her.

More, please, I beg of you!

[daremetoidareyo]

If i remember correctly, there was a spell in 2e that only affected devils and demon infiltrators would sneak into wizard labs and libraries and transcribe it into spellbooks.

Blizzbee, vrock rogue infiltrator

[DeAnno]

Chain Lightning, an Electricity Elemental on the plane of air. Not generally unfriendly, but paranoid, and he hates lies. Extremely fast and hard to kill or even hurt, but only mediocre at actual offense relative to those other two things.

He wants to help another NPC trapped in the grips of something or someone he can't defeat alone, but his personality makes it pretty difficult for him to actually recruit assistance.

[TiaC]

Arbiter 313-C is a kolyarut who accepted a long-term planar binding to judge and enforce the laws of one of Sigil's market districts three centuries ago. However, this has not achieved its goal of creating a just and fair place for commerce. The most powerful merchants have gone to great lengths to make the laws as convoluted, fuzzy and exploitable as possible so that the law will always be on their side. The contradictions in the laws it is required to uphold are slowly driving Arbiter 313-C insane.

Marshov Lebneck, a cultured, debonair, and haughty banker in the finest tailored suits, who has invested in many of Sigil's businesses. He is also a mind flayer, but he's unlikely to be seen eating anyone's brain. He's smarter than you, richer than you, and just plain better than you, and every interaction with him will rub all of those things in. It's best not to ask where he finds brains.

Selistina, a succubus who claims to be redeemed. Maybe she's telling the truth, she doesn’t act particularly evil, and magic doesn't detect evil on her. However, she doesn't seem particularly good either. She claims to be sitting out the Blood War in Sigil, just living her life without caring for any great struggle between alignments. On the other hand, she might just be running a long con.

The Astral Architect is the alias of a reclusive mage. She appears to be an Ice Para-Genasi, and is abrupt and reserved in her interactions. Contacting her is difficult, and will likely require paying a large number of information brokers. However, once contacted, for a king's ransom she will create a stable, custom demiplane with whatever traits or impossible geometry needed.

Gwendolyn Webster was a young Prime studying magic when she found a strange manuscript describing a complex equation that purported to define the nature of planar boundaries. While taking notes, she inadvertently described the form of a planar transit, and suddenly found herself in the Outlands. She has a unique form of planar travel, and seems half-mad, obsessed with deriving new forms of her equations. She can be found in the strangest places on the planes, scrawling numbers and symbols in her latest notebook.

Al-ramir-rahalinah Mikshalavomaiud is a planatar who took a poorly considered oath 67 years ago. Now, whenever a Prime in Sigil says "Al-ramir-rahalinah Mikshalavomaiud, please help me", she is bound to appear before them, unless she is already helping another mortal. She is not required to actually offer the mortal any help, but she is bound not to harm any Prime in Sigil. After 67 years, she is just done, and will usually just give Primes a withering look and teleport away.

E. D!-5* (pronounced Jik) is a Slaad entrepreneur with a new venture every day. 9 out of 10 fail horribly, but enough succeed that they employs hundreds of beings. Despite this, they can usually be found pitching angel-down pillows or gourmet coal for fire elementals or something of the like.

Heshfuuush, is an Invisible Stalker who knows things. She? hears information on the many breezes of the city, and will sell it for the right price. Her? usual haunt is the Blue Zypher, a hookah bar. She? enjoys how the smoke mingles with her? air.

[Doctor Despair]

Hogan Stronghammer, a Half-Undead (Gheden) Human Paladin with the Troll-Blooded feat that is convinced that the power of his lord brings protects him to fulfill a higher purpose. He is very conspicuous as a recurring character whenever he appears as he prosthetalizes to crowds nearby. At some point, allow the PCs to learn the secret of his "immortality" (e.g., vulnerability to fire and acid) via observing him in combat, a knowledge check of some sort, or an NPC of some sort who wishes him ill. Shortly after the PCs learn this, he announces his intent to battle a CR-appropriate fire creature. It behooves the PCs to either aid him, or convince him that his "protection" is not all-encompassing, challenging his faith, or allow him to die.

[Chaos Jackal]

The image of Souto Teckle, accomplished gnome illusionist and planar traveller extraordinaire, maintains a small bookshop with the aid of her personal construct assistants. It's packed, with an eclectic collection of volumes from at least a hundred planes.

The real Souto is a shorter-than-average, pink-and-white haired gnome of 250 years. Friendly and chatty, she's a researcher of the practical kind who loves to travel in order to witness things up close. She has a tendency to use basic illusion spells to create 3D models in order to emphasize and detail her explanations and descriptions, and if left to ramble she can turn even the most common topic into a full-blown meticulous presentation. She is also fond of pranks, again with illusions, and can take them as well as she dishes them. Just don't use any short jokes with her.

Her image shares her personality and quirks.

She is rarely seen in the flesh around the place. However, both she and her image are always eager to share information on recent happenings in large planes. Also, if you want a book, she'll do her best to get her hands on it, if only for the thrill of travelling somewhere she hasn't visited before to get it. You'll probably have to listen and see her story after she comes back though.

[smasher0404]

Belford is an unassuming human noble at first glance. Walking through the streets of Sigil, you wouldn't give him a second glance except maybe on his particular lack of oddities. However, Belford is foremost a gourmand of the exotic. Belford wants to eat everything that has ever existed, from the mundane pork roast and steaks, to the exotic Unicorn shank or Bulette snout. Some even say that he is a cannibal, having tasted his fellow human, as well as every humanoid race under the sun. Exotic herbs that only blossom once a thousand years, fruits that can only grown in soil blessed by a high priest. If it exists, Belford will want to try to eat it, and will pay a king's ransom for it if he hasn't had it before. Those less interested in being his food suppliers might still do well to befriend him, as a natural consequence of trying to eat everything, Belford has also developed a near encyclopedic knowledge on how to SURVIVE eating everything including the deadliest of poisons.

[Efrate]

Ohp-eethrisea a warforged (or awakened/incarnate construct, not sure on warforged and sigil interact if at all) binder who doesnt really get this whole soul business. He is a guide on the infinite staircase with an excitingly detailed memory. After a sojourn to the positive energy plane guiding some adventurers he came back changed.

Vestiges seem to influence him more than usual, speaking in first person among other things. He suddenly gained knowledge of extreme detail from ages so far in the distant past even scholars are puzzled how he came across it. The memories and experiences of his binds seems to flow into him well above and beyond normal vestigal 'leaking'.

Curiously he retains all of this and seems to amass more and more as time goes on. When asked how he knows so much he merely states confusedly that he always has, even if shown proof that a mere month ago he did not appear too.

He also has a habit of never binding the same vestige for multiple days, seemingly without reason. Caught on the right day he could provide unknown Insight beyond the greatest of divination about any place he knows of on the staircase. Unfortunately, he does not seem to know that he knows until until a very detailed question is posed.

Unfortunately all information is not relevant, and he might remember a great battle fought somewhere and all the details speaking as Amon, or he could remember the exact amount of seasoning on a meal held on an unremarkable wednesday.

If one can handle his peculiarities he remains an excellent guide on the staircase, even if your guide may be something different each day, enough of him remains that your goal is reached just with various color commentary.

[Evoker]

Sendalar is a Doppelganger. On it's own, this would not be surprising. What is surprising is that, most of the time, they appear to be a doppelganger. When they originally arrived in Sigil, they saw it as a great opportunity for theft. Fortunately, they were smart enough to realize that anyone worth stealing from in Sigil wouldn't be fooled by their talents when they attempted to detect thoughts in a crowded marketplace, discovering the high number of otherwise ordinary merchants with some form of protection from mind-reading. Now, they have found an... alternative use for their talents, as a high-priced courtesan (making ample use of their mind-reading and shape-shifting abilities). They've, purposefully or not, picked up an awful lot of information about the intrigue and plotting in Sigil from their clients, and if suitably encouraged they might be willing to share some of that information.

[illyahr]

"Rose" (real name not revealed for risk of being used against her), an Erinyes mercenary. Assigned by her superiors to influence a group of adventurers into a contract, she is stuck in Sigil as they found a way in and opened a planar mercenary guild. To continue with her assignment, she works for the adventurers-turned-guildleaders in their guild.

[smasher0404]

So this is one I actually used in a real campaign (with the names changed to dodge the specific quirks of the campaign).

Aefylwyrd is a Great Wyrm Red Dragon with an unusual hoard. Aefylwyrd also has an unusual trait among dragons, he does not keep a physical hoard. Instead of a physical hoard, Aefylwyrd founded a merchant company in Sigil known as the Palacian Corporation. The Palatian Corporation is known for being the largest arms dealer on the planet, becoming the predominant supplier of magical weapons across the planes. The Palatian Corporation controls the entire supply chain, from the paid volunteers whom they harvest Liquid Pain, to the Midgard Dwarves who forge the weapons and armor, to the imps, formians, and other outsiders who carry orders across both Sigils and the many planes of existence or run the couple of storefronts the company keeps in Sigil.

Aefylwyrd, himself, spends the riches that he keeps for himself on luxury items: fine wine, curious antiques, and masterfully drawn paintings. Most of the time, he can be found shapechanged into the form of a gray bespectacled human, sitting in his office reading human literature. However, while Aefylwyrd does not often move himself, he is a huge player in the politics of the planes. He uses the resources and threat projection of the Palacian Corporation to subtly maneuver things behind the scenes. For example, a small discount on a weapon shipment to some Devils in the Blood War might cause them to win a battle they would normally not, which in turn forces some Demons to flee to other planes, where they may cause a high-ranking Paladin to be dispatched to deal with, which in turn causes the Paladin to be faced with a certain temptation and fall, which in turn causes the forces of Evil to recruit said ex-Paladin as a blackguard, which in turn forces the ex-Paladin to buy expensive new gear during the transition.

[Zaq]

These are marvelous. Please, I'd love even more.

Whanny, a human mage who fancies himself a chef. He's not actually very good at cooking, but he's remarkably good at sculpting foodstuffs into inanimate or even animate shapes. Not really the best cutter to cater your wedding, but his tofu golems actually make excellent nonthreatening scalable sparring partners. His price? A new recipe from anywhere on the planes.
Momma Vivianna, a no-longer-young githzerai druid who's always in the company of some poor lost creature (often four-legged, sometimes two-legged... or, well, y'know what I mean, no offense to the bariaurs and lillendi and such out there) who's wound up on the wrong plane. If you're in trouble and aren't on the plane you're comfortable with, Momma Vivianna wants to help you get ensconced somewhere safe. They call her Momma for a reason, and those in her care are indeed treated as her children. However, for some reason she takes umbrage at the suggestion that she help her children back to their home plane. She wants to help them find a NEW home but bristles at the idea that their old plane is where they really want to be. Why might that be?
Magatris Graveltoes, a halfling who's a loudly self-proclaimed "sneak thief." Has never been observed doing anything even remotely resembling thievery. Is she just that good that you really can't tell, or is she just that much of a liar? She never wants for money, but she's also got a seemingly legitimate business running an acclaimed brewery that really wouldn't seem to leave her with much time for heists. Still, she does seem to know an awful lot about the arts of stealth, so who knows?
Nhawhissh, an air mephit who somehow feels completely at home roughly ordering around a humanoid mage he calls his "summoner." The summoner grunts now and then but doesn't speak; Nhawhissh does all the talking and really does seem to be in charge. Isn't it usually the other way around?

[Falontani]

Alister the "Human" Demonologist. He's been around for a good hundred years. The blood in his veins glow a fiery orange, visible through the skin. Yet he claims to just be your average human. He's from some world called "Draegmar", a world where the gods of good fought and died, yet no one knows how to reach. He believes demons are truly better than devils, yet Asmodeus seems to owe him something. He acts like your normal day to day scholar as long as he is left alone. His ambitions don't seem to be quite what you would expect. His fire has all but gone out.


Medani the Tsochar Druid/Ardent that inhabits an Adult Red Dragon's body. He uses magic to keep his body fresh. He has been around Sigil for a while, yet seems to dislike it here. He seems wary, as if something is going to suddenly teleport to him and attack him. Where has he been, and what has he done?

[daremetoidareyo]

Pierce director of the crystal horde: a psion whose psi-crystals have psi-crystals who have psi-crystals with their feats from HD. There's a lag in how they coordinate as Pierce's will needs to trickle through all of the intermediaries. Like anyone with too many cats, dealing with all of them has made Pierce wierd. He uses short direct sentences and warns about how not to disastrously misconstrue understanding those sentences with wierd imperative commands.

E.g.: "So you want a djorje?"
Don't steal it. Trade for it."