It’s relatively easy to generate a BX/Old School Essentials character on the fly whenever you need some new NPC adventurers, but rolling 3d6 in order does still take some time. To save some during play, I decided to make a roster of potential NPCs for my Haunted Halls of Eveningstar solo game. For fun, and to simulate the cosmopolitan nature of my (extremely vague) impression of the Forgotten Realms, I used a wide selection of classes from OSE Advanced Fantasy, some of the Carcass Crawler zines, and from 1d4Caltrops’ Monster Classes.
D20 – I’m New In Town
1) Dunsell the Daring
Paladin 1 HP 8 AC 13 XP: 0 Morale 7
Str 9, Dex 7, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 10
Gear: sword, shield, helm, holy symbol
A fresh-faced young optimist. Never drawn his sword in anger before.
Wants: heroic adventure
2) Lurk of Ninemoons
Half-Orc 1 HP 7 AC 15 XP: 90 Morale 6
Str 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Int 10, Wis 7, Cha 6
Gear: spear, hand-axe, helmet, shield
Introduces himself as “the hero who drove the stirges from Chunderly Mill”.
Wants: Fame and respect. Figures nothing is so respectable as money.
3) Mallowthorn of Misthollow
Halfling Reeve 1 (CC4) HP 7 AC 11 XP: 125 Morale 6
Str 15, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 9, Cha 7
Gear: shortsword, shortbow, arrows, leather armor, lantern, oil
Grim-faced halfling ranger. Extremely tight-lipped about where Misthollow is.
Wants: to hunt down a particular wizard and his band of brigands, who know the way to Misthollow.
4) Deyla and Stonescale
Beastmaster 1 (CC3) HP 7 AC 9 XP: 0 Morale 7
Str 12, Dex 6, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10
Gear: Shortsword, leather armor, lantern, oil, rope, bag of dried crickets
A weathered old woman from the hills around Guido’s Fort. Bonded with a lava lizard from the caves in that area.
Wants: gems to feed Stonescale so he’ll grow larger and develop a more colorful shell.
Stonescale
Lava Lizard (Young)
HD 1+1 (HP 5), Attacks 1 x bite (1d4), AC 14, Movement 120 (40), Morale 7
Usually rides on Deyla’s shoulders. Flashes his skull-gem at people who annoy him.
Basker: Stonescale is immune to fire damage.
Burn: when Stonescale bites a creature it must save vs Dragon Breath or take 1d4 fire damage.
Growth: for every 2,000 gp in gems and valuable metals that Stonescale eats, he gains +1 HD. His HD can never exceed Deyla's.
- 2 HD: bite damage increases to d6, AC 15.
- 3 HD: burn damage increases to d6, AC 16. Too big to ride on Deyla's shoulder.
- 4 HD: AC 17. Fiery Shell: when Stonescale is struck by a non-magical metal weapon, the wielder must Save vs Wands or the weapon melts into useless slag.
- 5 HD: bite damage increases to d8, burn damage increases to d6.
- 6 HD: Heat Aura: when Stonescale is angry or afraid, all creatures within 20' suffer 1d4 fire damage per round.
Wants: chin scratches, treats (bugs, spiced wine, hot peppers, coins, gems)
5) Nogi of Firedeep
Dwarf 2 HP 12 AC 10 XP: 2,310 Morale 7
Str 13, Dex 4, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 5, Cha 10
Gear: great-axe, helmet, gold rings (100 gp), firedrop earrings (100 gp)
Motivated by strange dreams of the coming darkness.
Slayer: +2 on Saves vs Death, each permanent injury grants +1 HP. Refuses to wear heavy armor or use a shield.
Wants: death in battle, preferably against a troll.
6) Rudeam of the Ruins
Fighter 2 HP 8 AC 17 XP: 2,200 Morale 7
Str 14, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 12
Gear: spear, shield, leather armor, mail
A solemn warrior from a hidden valley. Speaks an archaic form of the Common Tongue.
Wants: the rite of kingship requires that he return with a dragon’s heart.
7) Ellis of Otterhall
Thief 1 HP 4 AC 10 XP: 0 Morale 7
Str 7, Dex 9, Con 11, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 12
Gear: shortsword, shortbow, arrows, lockpicks, lantern, oil
A bastard daughter of country nobility, out to make her fortune.
Wants: to return home with a carriage, a chest of gold, and a dozen fine dresses.
8) Sheyla Silverstrings
Bard 1 HP 6 AC 11 XP: 100 Morale 8
Str 12, Dex 11, Con 10, Int 11, Wis 12, Cha 13
Gear: sword, harp, leather armor, wine
A former bandit. Dresses entirely in green to offset her silver-chased harp.
Wants: wine, women, and song.
9) Sab the Swindler
Thief 3 HP 11 AC 9 XP: 2,400 Morale 9
Str 14, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16
Gear: staff, lockpicks, garlic, holy symbol, holy water, lantern, oil, mirror, rope, wine, dungeon map, monster manual
Face like a potato. Tries to sell adventuring gear.
Wants: to do schemes and scams. Motivated by the love of the game as much as by the money.
10) Pious Oddle
Cleric 1 HP 4 AC 17 XP: 80 Morale 5
Str 11, Dex 10, Con 5, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 5
Gear: mace, shield, leather armor, helmet, mail, holy symbol
Extremely old, sour-faced, and withered looking. A stern enemy of evil.
Wants: swift justice to evil-doers everywhere; an end to licentiousness, gambling, and dancing.
11) Pearl Osgrey
Cleric 1 (Necromancer, CC4) HP 6 AC 10 XP: 150 Morale 6
Str 12, Dex 11, Con 11, Int 9, Wis 16, Cha 8
Gear: mace, holy symbol (rune-carved skull), gold-chased thigh-bone flute
Plump, pretty, and robed in pink. Unsettlingly cheerful for a necromancer.
Wants: to expand her knowledge of dark magic.
12) Frund the Firelord
Magic-User 1 HP 4 AC 11 XP: 125 Morale 7
Str 9, Dex 14, Con 11, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 12
Gear: dagger, spellbook, torches (x6), fire powder (produces colored smoke), gold juggling rings
Spells: Light, Ventriloquism
Wears an elaborate costume of layered flame-colored ribbons. Extremely vain.
Wants: to be the most powerful wizard in the world.
13) Seena, the Blue Witch of Patos
Magic-User 2 HP 8 AC 7 XP: 2,625 Morale 7
Str 10, Dex 3, Con 10, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 10
Gear: glass orb, lantern, oil, potion of healing, cards
Spells: Detect Magic, Light, Magic Missile
A traveling fortune-teller with blue-dyed hair.
Wants: to avert the prophecy.
14) Idris Darkelf
Elf 2 HP 12 AC 13 XP: 4,000 Morale 8
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 13
Gear: battle-axe, shortbow, arrows, leather armor, helmet, potion of Sleep, bagful of 12 10gp gems
Spells: Shield, Sleep
An exile and friend to dwarves. Dresses entirely in black.
Wants: to hunt goblins.
15) Mirru One-Eye
Elf 3 HP 16 AC 17 XP: 8,800 Morale 6
Str 16, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 16, Wis 8, Cha 7
Gear: greatsword, shortbow, arrows, leather armor, helmet, mail
Spells: Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil, Bless
A grim elf-woman from the White Mountains. Dresses in ermine, owl-feathers, and grey felt.
Wants: to find worthy companions for a quest far to the North. If anyone takes her up on this you might run Blizzard Pass and then something like Rahasia, Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, or Stormcrows Gather.
16) Chessak Red-Stripe, of Great Swamp
Lizardman 2 HP 12 AC 16 XP: 1,575 Morale 5-8
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 10
Gear: spear, javelins (x6), shield, bolas, odd rations (banana bread, turtle soup, raw fish)
A mercenary and gourmand with a taste for human cooking.
Slow Metabolism: Chessak only looks for work when he’s hungry, but lizardmen don’t need to eat as often as mammals do. Chessak begins with Morale 8. After a successful adventure his Morale drops to 5. Increase it by 1 for each week Chessak does not go on an adventure (maximum of 8) until hunger drives him to go out again. He spends his off weeks reading, sleeping, and thinking about what he’d like to cook next.
Wants: money can be exchanged for goods and services unavailable in Great Swamp, so it is useful to have.
17) Oa
Living Statue 1 HP 9 AC 15 XP: 0 Morale 7
Str 13, Dex 11, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 11
Gear: None
Carved in the likeness of a serene woman in antique helmet and dress. A large white gem is set into her breast, flickering with the light of her life.
Wants: to recover her lost memories.
18) Mimbelyon Clique
Flitterling 1 HP d10 AC 15 XP: 190 Morale 8
Str 6, Dex 13, Con 9, Int 11, Wis 7, Cha 13
Gear: None
Hither & Yon: the individual fairies that make up Mimbelyon Clique come and go as the whim takes them. Reroll their HP every expedition. Each hit point represents one fairy.
Spellsongs:
3+ HP: Light
6+ HP: Sleep
9+ HP: Obscuring Mist
A flock of tiny fairies puppeteering a suit of mismatched clothes and pretending to be a man. “Clique” is the fairy word for an informal group or association (roughly akin to a family or tribe in function, although the association is more casual), and “Mimbelyon” is the name of this specific fairy group. Each fairy also has a personal name, and the fairies sometimes call out to each other when coordinating a movement. This habit, along with their broad-brimmed hat and layers of swathed fabric, gives “Mimbelyon Clique” a sorcerous reputation.
Wants: Mimbelyon Clique is whimsical and motivated by caprice.
19) Chichik-Chaumea
Arachne 1 HP AC 12 XP: 140 Morale 7
Str 9, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 9, Cha 11
Gear: spellbook, milkstone lantern (doesn’t burn, must be shaken every hour to rekindle light), silk rope, small hammer, pitons.
Spells: Charm Person, Protection from Evil
Venomous Bite: 1d6 damage, save vs poison or Sleep (as the spell)
Web: as the spell, 1/day
A huge spider with a sweet, girlish voice. Nervous and very polite.
Wants: to share the sheer joy of scholarship and practical research.
20) Tzarbo 2
Beholder 1 HP 8 AC 14 XP: 430 Morale 7
Str 7, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 10, Cha 10
Flight: 30 (10)
Bite: 1d8 damage
Glare: may stare at a spellcaster, who must save or have their spell interrupted.
Eye Stalk: Charm Person
An unnaturally sociable beholderlet, Tzarbo 2 is merely vain, self-centered, greedy, and rude. Claims to have “budded from the most powerful eye ever grown”. Very annoyed that more people are not impressed by this.
Wants: to build a dungeon for itself, a task it currently imagines is something like an underground garden with tastefully arranged treasures, slime, and mushrooms.
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| all in a day's work |
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