I came up with this DnD NPC back in May ‘21, but it took me months to bother finishing up these sketches. I saw a DnD meme joking about “generic shopkeepers” and it sparked the idea of a shopkeeper who wears a mask at all times which reads “Generic Shopkeeper”.
The shopkeeper wears a simple white dress-shirt over a black knit turtleneck, with a heavy shop’s apron on top, and simple grey wool trousers and cutoff boots. Tied over his face is a white silk cloth written-on with the words “Generic Store-Owner”. Sporting shaggy grey hair, and medium in height and build, he speaks rapidly in a soft-spoken, feathery voice, and seems always slightly anxious around people. If asked, he’ll tell you he’s 45, and has been running the store for nine years (not lying). He speaks politely but humbly, in the way of a servant or an apprentice toward their master, not exactly inspiring confidence as a shopkeeper. However, his competency in work speaks for itself in time to any observers, and he has amassed a number of loyal customers who prefer his shop for the high quality of his potions, charms, and other doodads he sells.
He never removes his mask around customers, but if your party happens to be struggling with a monster or antagonist, and happens to remark on it to him (or even to each other within his earshot), he may offer to help you fight. He is most amenable to Lawful-Good parties and/or parties of youngsters/newbies, and less amenable to Chaotic- or Neutral-aligned parties (gaining his help requires a Persuasion Check on a sliding scale, ranging from 5 for Lawful-Good to 15 for Chaotic-Neutral). He holds a sturdy moral code, and will not help Evil-aligned parties, and will ban them from his shop outright.
If your party succeeds in convincing him to help, he will then remove his mask, revealing a handsome, weathered face one might describe as “the prettiest middle-aged man you ever saw” or “the aging face of a former fashion model”. His bangs are long, an old scar slices up his left cheek, and his eyes seem neurotic, in a shell-shocked sort of way. If asked, he will tell you he was a former monster-hunter and mercenary in his youth for about eight years, but retired some time before opening his shop, and now picks up his blades only to practice. His level ranges between 10–15 based on gameplay requirements. He specializes in lighter weapons, and can fight with either a pair of light swords (rapiers, scimitars, or the like), knives/daggers, or a polearm, and will tailor his choice to the party as needed. He has no magical affinity.
His stats would probably be something like:
Str: 13 Dex: 15 Con: 13 Int: 15 Wis: 10 Char: 8
Class: Fighter (retired)
Lvl: 10–15, tailored as needed
Ideal: To live a Good and peaceful life.
Weakness: Bloodlust (why he retired. Don’t worry, he went to therapy and now it’s mostly cured.)
Wish/Motto: “Please don’t talk to me, I’m nervous. Please forgive me if I overshare, I’m nervous.”
