D&D: Colorful denizens of Sigil!

[DarthLoof]

So my players are nearing the end of Storm King's Thunder, and I'm planning to carry on their characters in the cosmos in a spelljammer/planescape style setting. I really want to hammer in the "not in Kansas anymore" element by maximizing exposure to non-Forgotten Realms races -not just the player races of (say) Eberron and Dark Sun but also weird (not necessarily PC-playable) species from sourcebooks now and past.

So my question to you is: what are some really eye-popping npc concepts for a bizarre extraplanar metropolis?

(PS: it doesn't actually have to be in Sigil itself: they'll probably check out all sorts of places, both in the prime material plane and elsewhere!)

[CharacterIV]

If you've got the time and enjoy a challenge for roleplaying, the Dabus are among the best "holy crap, what is going on here?" races of Sigil.

They speak only in Rebuses. Like, cartoon-style where a word bubble pops up next to them.

[Kaptin Keen]

Hm - I like bariaur. Like, planar centaur, but goats, not horses. In my interpretation, fierce but wise warriors wielding halberds.

I invented a race the name of which I forgot, akin somehow to driders, but smaller, and gnomish in overall appearance (eight-legged spider gnomes, that is). Merchants, more than anything, revered map makers and locksmiths, clocks too ... also, they're all male. Because the females live on their own plane of only spiderwebs, are wildly aggressive, get insulted if anyone harms spiders, get murderously hungry after intercourse ... and of course, despite scaring the living crap out of the males, they are still powerfully drawn to them.

I also invented the Maggotaur - a slow, squaky, weak maggotty creature with a lamprey-like head, no arms, but the ability to drain blood (con damage), and grow eventually into the Maggotarus Rex. Which is the same, just larger.

Oh, and .. the, um, the Harn. Which are large, ogre-like knuckle walkers. Furry, wildly strong, generally capable of minor psionics. Like the bariaur, I present them as spiritual, wise creatures - even if they're sort of low-brow. Wise. Not necessarily clever =)

[Braininthejar2]

Can't go wrong with modrons doing stuff they've been comissioned to do, and being very modron about it.

A baatezu corporate lawyer.

[Eldan]

There's an entire book that's nothing but this. It's called "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil". It's technically an AD&D book, but the way it's layouted, it works across all editions: two or three pages of description of an NPC, followed by a minimalist stat block. I'm sure you can find a PDF somewhere.

[Darth Ultron]

*Dohwar are a curious race of semi-aquatic, flightless avian whose features most closely resemble penguins. They are powerful and wily merchants known throughout the planes.

*Neogi are strange creatures resembling a cross between a wolf spider and an eel. They are slave traders, and consider everything either a slave or an owner.

*Falmadaraatha (or “Fal” for short) are huge, slug-like creatures honest, peaceful, and hospitable geniuses that have the reputation as the scholars of the planes.

*Enduk resemble humanoid bulls with wingspans.

*Pegataurs are similar to centaurs, but instead are a hybrid of elf and pegasus.

*Zwergeist-The dark-cloaked creature resembles a gnome, from Limbo

*Utukku-Standing twice as tall as a human, this creature bears the head of a lion, with long quills radiating out in place of a mane. Its scaled humanoid body is dark brick-red, with a golden-red face and striped black and white spines. Huge, white claws cap its hands and feet. Its bright yellow eyes have catlike blue pupils.

*Hydrax-This crablike creature appears to be formed of deep blue ice. It is nearly eight feet in diameter. It scuttles on six legs while clacking three pincers.

*Kryst-A cluster of golden, quartzlike spikes

*Cortelestial-A cortelestial is a four-legged heavily armored creature from head to tail. Its huge maw functions as a portal to another plane.

*Phaerimm-are powerful magic-using beings that move by natural levitation. They resemble upright cones, the widest part uppermost, and the point ending in a barbed stinger-tail. They are intelligent, inimical, and highly dangerous.

*House hunter mimics are large relatives of mimics. They have lost some of the latter’s camouflage versatility, but they have gained the ability to live above ground. House hunters form hard shells that look like stone, wood, or thatch, lending the appearance of a building.

*Argos resembles a giant amoeba. It has one large, central eye with a tripartite pupil, and a hundred lashless, inhuman eyes and many sharp-toothed mouths. An argos can extrude several pseudopods, each tipped with a fanged maw that functions as a hand to manipulate various tools.

*Dimensional Warper has a snake-like body and stands on two long, thin legs. Its long, thin, flexible arms each end in one hooklike claw. There is a sturdy, wing-like membrane that stretches between the arms and legs ending at the claws and feet respectively. These “wings” are not used for flight. The warper’s head is bald and earless. It has large, round eyes with cat-like pupils. The creature stands about 6 feet tall and has a wing span of about 5 feet. It is covered in a thick, leathery hide and has a long lizardlike tail.

*Zodar are an incredibly powerful race of bipeds. They are all identical, standing exactly six feet tall. Zodar resemble smooth, deep-black suits of obsidian plate armor. This is actually their exoskeleton, which is comprised of material that seems very similar to the crystal shells. They have no facial features except for two small slits, which sages believe are their sensory organs.

*Autognome is a mechanical gnome with gears, pulleys, and bits of magic inside it. The tinker gnomes create the autognome for exploration, rescue, prospecting, and defense in environments hostile to human- and demihumankind. It works just as well as any other gnomish invention. Whichever attack form the autognome uses, it yells as it fights: "Crush! Kill! Destroy! Exterminate, exterminate! Maim! Hurt! Incapacitate!"

[SleepyShadow]

Ratatosks can be fun, too. They're intelligent flying squirrel-people that come from Yggdrasil.

[DarthLoof]

If you've got the time and enjoy a challenge for roleplaying, the Dabus are among the best "holy crap, what is going on here?" races of Sigil.

They speak only in Rebuses. Like, cartoon-style where a word bubble pops up next to them.

Yup. Those guys are great. Probably going to try to get index cards ready. There first conversation with a Dabus is going to be *good*.

Hm - I like bariaur. Like, planar centaur, but goats, not horses. In my interpretation, fierce but wise warriors wielding halberds.

I invented a race the name of which I forgot, akin somehow to driders, but smaller, and gnomish in overall appearance (eight-legged spider gnomes, that is). Merchants, more than anything, revered map makers and locksmiths, clocks too ... also, they're all male. Because the females live on their own plane of only spiderwebs, are wildly aggressive, get insulted if anyone harms spiders, get murderously hungry after intercourse ... and of course, despite scaring the living crap out of the males, they are still powerfully drawn to them.

I also invented the Maggotaur - a slow, squaky, weak maggotty creature with a lamprey-like head, no arms, but the ability to drain blood (con damage), and grow eventually into the Maggotarus Rex. Which is the same, just larger.

Oh, and .. the, um, the Harn. Which are large, ogre-like knuckle walkers. Furry, wildly strong, generally capable of minor psionics. Like the bariaur, I present them as spiritual, wise creatures - even if they're sort of low-brow. Wise. Not necessarily clever =)

I really like your gnome driders. Make them pale and kind of nervous. Always glancing around, tapping their claws. Talk like they're trying to sell you drugs with people watching.

Can't go wrong with modrons doing stuff they've been comissioned to do, and being very modron about it.

A baatezu corporate lawyer.

Holy **** I forgot about Modrons! Yeah those guys are a must-have, huh? Now I have to brainstorm a memorable introduction to them....

There's an entire book that's nothing but this. It's called "Uncaged: Faces of Sigil". It's technically an AD&D book, but the way it's layouted, it works across all editions: two or three pages of description of an NPC, followed by a minimalist stat block. I'm sure you can find a PDF somewhere.

I'm aware of it. Haven't read it yet, unfortunately. Good tip though! I'm getting to it.

*Dohwar are a curious race of semi-aquatic, flightless avian whose features most closely resemble penguins. They are powerful and wily merchants known throughout the planes.

*Neogi are strange creatures resembling a cross between a wolf spider and an eel. They are slave traders, and consider everything either a slave or an owner.

*Falmadaraatha (or “Fal” for short) are huge, slug-like creatures honest, peaceful, and hospitable geniuses that have the reputation as the scholars of the planes.

*Enduk resemble humanoid bulls with wingspans.

*Pegataurs are similar to centaurs, but instead are a hybrid of elf and pegasus.

*Zwergeist-The dark-cloaked creature resembles a gnome, from Limbo

*Utukku-Standing twice as tall as a human, this creature bears the head of a lion, with long quills radiating out in place of a mane. Its scaled humanoid body is dark brick-red, with a golden-red face and striped black and white spines. Huge, white claws cap its hands and feet. Its bright yellow eyes have catlike blue pupils.

*Hydrax-This crablike creature appears to be formed of deep blue ice. It is nearly eight feet in diameter. It scuttles on six legs while clacking three pincers.

*Kryst-A cluster of golden, quartzlike spikes

*Cortelestial-A cortelestial is a four-legged heavily armored creature from head to tail. Its huge maw functions as a portal to another plane.

*Phaerimm-are powerful magic-using beings that move by natural levitation. They resemble upright cones, the widest part uppermost, and the point ending in a barbed stinger-tail. They are intelligent, inimical, and highly dangerous.

*House hunter mimics are large relatives of mimics. They have lost some of the latter’s camouflage versatility, but they have gained the ability to live above ground. House hunters form hard shells that look like stone, wood, or thatch, lending the appearance of a building.

*Argos resembles a giant amoeba. It has one large, central eye with a tripartite pupil, and a hundred lashless, inhuman eyes and many sharp-toothed mouths. An argos can extrude several pseudopods, each tipped with a fanged maw that functions as a hand to manipulate various tools.

*Dimensional Warper has a snake-like body and stands on two long, thin legs. Its long, thin, flexible arms each end in one hooklike claw. There is a sturdy, wing-like membrane that stretches between the arms and legs ending at the claws and feet respectively. These “wings” are not used for flight. The warper’s head is bald and earless. It has large, round eyes with cat-like pupils. The creature stands about 6 feet tall and has a wing span of about 5 feet. It is covered in a thick, leathery hide and has a long lizardlike tail.

*Zodar are an incredibly powerful race of bipeds. They are all identical, standing exactly six feet tall. Zodar resemble smooth, deep-black suits of obsidian plate armor. This is actually their exoskeleton, which is comprised of material that seems very similar to the crystal shells. They have no facial features except for two small slits, which sages believe are their sensory organs.

*Autognome is a mechanical gnome with gears, pulleys, and bits of magic inside it. The tinker gnomes create the autognome for exploration, rescue, prospecting, and defense in environments hostile to human- and demihumankind. It works just as well as any other gnomish invention. Whichever attack form the autognome uses, it yells as it fights: "Crush! Kill! Destroy! Exterminate, exterminate! Maim! Hurt! Incapacitate!"

That's what I'm talking about! Those are all awesome. I especially like the Zodar for a Spelljammer-ish role. Just finding these mysterious black suits, sitting dormant in the ethereal plane or something. What are they? How long have they been here? Could be intriguing :D