random NPCs (+sidequests) for your RPG campaigns

"Let's go to the tavern and see if there's some interesting people". A blog where i post the npcs i created for my dnd games. Intended for DMs to read through and then use when they're put on the spot. you can also submit some of your own, if you like (Kassandra, Magnus, Ivellios, Yatari and Jawil are committing a crime by reading this blog. shoo go away.)

[npc-catalogue]

Enwel+Sinderion

alchemy apprentice+master level alchemist

Purpose: introduce characters to the Concept of Alchemy, have a knowledgable alchemist for later on

Enwel:

Can be found: as the party enters an inn, she is talking to the innkeeper about a room for the night

General: female, half elf, good, 25

Appearance: dressed like most commoners; a large cloth bag is strapped around her shoulder-with each of her movements you hear the clinkering of some type of glass objects coming from the bag; you notice that she is leaning on a chair in front of the reception desk, putting most of her weight on the left side; her hair is blonde and reaches her shoulders

Backstory: Has been trying to study magic for a few months but she noticed that it wasn't really for her. Her father, an elf named Irassal, has managed to teach her some cantrips (Mending, Shape Water) but she failed at the spells. She wants to study alchemy instead and is looking for a mentor.

Further information, if Enwel trusts the PCs: Enwel has been suffering from severe joint pains since she was 19 and while her father wasn't able to cure the condition completely, he could linder her pain. Enwel wanted to learn to take care of herself, which is why she initially asked her father to teach her magic. She had left her home 2 weeks prior to look for an Alchemist who could brew a potion and also teach her the recipe. Furthermore, she thinks that being an Alchemist is something she would really enjoy and could also manage to do with the right accomodations (potions) for her illness.

[The condition can be compared to arthritis. Enwel shouldn't be portrayed as weak, she just has a disability and is learning how to live with it.]

(retired) Alchemist in Town: Sinderion

Can be found: in a closed potion shop at the edge of town. Only locals know that he is still in there brewing potions, so the PCs will have to ask around to get this information

General: male, human, lawful [good or evil], 65-70 years old

Appearance: Looks quite old; bald with a patchy white beard; he is very short and skinny, but his hands and arms are very muscular; The sleeves of his long green robe are cuffed in order to free his forearms and they are secured in place with leather straps; There are no traces of alchemy work on his person, he looks very clean and so does his shop.

Quest: Sinderion is willing to brew the Potion for Enwel and teach her the recipe. However, if she wants a full education in alchemy, he requires a favor. He has been working on a potion for a long time and is missing an ingredient that is hard to come by: [Insert any Monster Body part that fits your campaign].

Due to her condition, Enwel isn't able to adventure.

[Lawful Good Sinderion] Enwel brings up the unfairness of his request, upon which he will be embarassed for not thinking about how unlogical it was. He then asks Enwel another favor (talking to some merchants in town to find someone who sells another ingredient he needs) and then turn to the party and ask them to get the monster ingredient.

[Lawful Evil Sinderion] Enwel brings up the unfairness of his request and he will demand that she do it anyway. If the party offers to gather the ingredient instead of Enwel, he will demand that she go with them, since it's for something SHE wants.

[If you haven't guessed already, this story deals with the struggles that disabled people face. Even the Lawful Good Sinderion fails to recognize that Enwel can't fulfill his request, despite learning about her condition a few minutes prior. The Evil Sinderion is basically any Manager/Boss at any Company.]

[npc-catalogue]

Aravel

An enthusiastic ruin explorer who isn’t much of a fighter, but knows a lot about the surrounding area

Purpose: introducing your players to the world and its history, explaining lore, pointing out interesting ruins to explore, inspecting magic items (in exchange for a favor), giving a dungeon-crawl sidequest

Can be found:

intensely studying a hand-drawn map and some books at any inn, tavern or library

resting somewhere along the road (near a ruin), [if you want to add some spice: desperately trying to fight off some wild animal].

General Details: male elf, neutral, ~300 years old, wizard (lvl 3 at most), sage background

Appearance: tall and lanky; short brown unkempt hair; frameless glasses sitting very low on the nose, grey robe with a leather belt around the waist; a notebook and a small pouch attached to the belt; a backpack stuffed so full that some paper scrolls are poking out; closer inspection reveals: scratches on his hands, a barely noticeable hole in the fabcric around the knees (because of a ruin he had to escape from recently)

Personality: Aravel talks very fast, but doesn’t stutter; when asked about something related to history, he may go on an enthusiastic tangent; he is not interested in money, so he can’t be bribed easily; he gesticulates wildly while talking; Aravel is fascinated by the world and its history and has devoted his life to studying it; he doesn’t care much about politics and has no strong opinions.

Quest: If the Party approaches Aravel, he quickly recognizes that they may be Adventurers and shifts the conversation to a favor he needs: There is an old elven ruin nearby that he needs to map out and study. He assumes it was built to protect whoever was inside it, with mechanisms to keep outsiders (based on the historical context, orcs) away. The layout is important for his research on ancient architecture so he wants the adventurers to go inside the ruin, draw a map of it and scribble down any interesting details they may come across. Aravel provides the supplies for mapmaking. He had been to the ruin a while back so a small portion is already filled out. He had to flee because some dangerous monsters have made the dungeon their home. When asked about a reward, he frantically rummages through his backback and pulls out some art objects (worth based on the difficulty of the quest) he is willing to part with. He collected them on his travels and has finished studying them.

[In my version, i will let the players draw the map themselves, based on my descriptions (with dimensions and everything), but running it this way should only be done if your players actually enjoy taking detailed notes.]