Dark Sun NPC Thread

[Damian]

So often when you’re running a campaign, your players want to talk to a random person in a tavern, or on the street, and it helps to have a handful of semi-statted NPC’s at the ready, that you can use off-hand. We’ve all made them for our campaigns, so let’s post them here to create a resource that we can all use when we need a random Dark Sun-specific NPC plucked out of thin air.

They don’t need to have stats, just enough of a description to use on the fly. And they don’t have to be super-heroic, or super-villainous, a down-on-their-luck; a starving street urchin is just as useful as a famous ex-gladiatorial star.

[Damian]

Old Maret

Maret is an 81 year old female half-elf woman. She has short, curled, brown hair and cyan eyes.

She is 6’1" tall, but stands a little shorter due to being stooped with old age. She has a plain, squarish face, covered in wrinkles and the lines of old age.

She has spent her life labouring in House Tyrtherni’s noble’s faro fields. She was a slave for most of her life. Following Tithian’s First Edict, she reveled in her freedom, but old as she was even then, faro was all she knew, so she returned to Tyrtherni’s fields, seeking paid employment. She is easily out of breath. She performs less labour-intense tasks now, such as sorting each harvest, and checking for vermin and yield volume and quality. She will never be an overseer, but that doesn’t bother her; she’s happy working to keep herself busy, doing what she knows; she no longer seeks more out of life.

She had a husband, but he died decades ago, and she never sought another. She is a hopeless romantic, seeing the good everywhere around her. While she has a modest apartment within the servants’ wings of the Tyrtherni estates, she likes to head into the city-state every now and then, accompanied by Loyal, her guard; rich, ostentatious settings make her uncomfortable, as do overly crowded areas, but she likes to see how the city has changed.

She venerates Ul-Athra, the Dust Kraken. In truth, she knows little about the primordial power, but she has heard whispers over the years, and her lonely life and romantic nature has formed it into an ancient hero of sorts within her head.

Str 5 (-3) Dex 7 (-2) Con 6 (-2)
Int 10 (0) Wis 14 (+2) Cha 12 (+1)

Loyal

When Maret heads into the city, she is accompanied by Loyal, her mul guard. A one-time gladiator, Loyal’s mind was largely destroyed in a gladiatorial match, and has never really recovered. He is slow and dim-witted, rarely talks beyond an instructive grunt, and is quite overweight; his days of being an effective combatant are behind him, but he is more than up to the task of accompanying Maret, who he dotes on like an old mother.

Str 19 (+4) Dex 11 (+0) Con 16 (+3)
Int 5 (-3) Wis 7 (-2) Cha 8 (-1)

[Damian]

Jiras of Urik

Jiras, originally of Urik, is a non-descript human woman. She has long black hair, which she keeps up in a rough bun to keep out of her face, and has a thin, hawkish nose which gives the impression that she is always leering.

She was a gladiatorial slave in Urik, having been sold into slavery to pay off heavy gambling debts. Not suited to the rigours of combat, she never excelled, but was spared the fate of being canon fodder for fighters of greater renown in Urik’s arena; she was sold to a gladiatorial ludus in Tyr, and the caravan she and other slaves were being transported in was raided en route west. She became part of the raiding slave tribe for a while, but even there, she never really fit in; she didn’t have the looks for a concubine, and didn’t have the muscle to fight. Following the Rebellion in Tyr, she joined the influx to the Free City, free of the threat of a life of servitude.

Unfortunately, her fortunes did not improve. She managed to find work in odd jobs here and there, enough to make a simple life for herself, and even enough to save on top of that. But her old ways returned, and she was lured into Tyr’s gambling halls. She now owes the Crystal Spider a great deal of money, and has been forced to work poor, labour-intense jobs to repay it. She has escaped a life of forced servitude, only to find another, where her servitude is of her making.

Jiras is a dark cloud. She has no prospects, and little hope. She spends her life in toil for others, and manages to sneak away for a cheap drink to escape from it all when she can.

Str 10 (+0) Dex 12 (+1) Con 11 (+0)
Int 12 (+1) Wis 7 (-2) Cha 9 (-1)

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Great Idea!
I will try to add some in here, in the mean while. If anyone can use any of the AI art I have generated, please go ahead, have a ton of images on the discord server. Discord

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Need a group criminals for my game:
Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: “Grandma” Hamma

Age: 63

Sex: Female

Close Family: Her adult son, far away

Race: Human

Grew up in bad part of town and got pregnant early. Per parents found her a husband, but Hamma wanted more. Hamma’s husband died in an unfortunate accident and Hamma started her criminal carrier. Her son was send far away, and trained as a craftsman.

Over the decades she has attracted a group and violent and criminal people, and her criminal activities spread far and wide. Illegal components, prostitution, theft, protection money, murder for hire, blackmail, gambling, transporting runaway slaves to safety or selling them on - if they cannot pay and so on. You have a friend if you treat her right, and she has many templars in her pockets. And many templars, nobles, traders and other criminals comes to her for rumors.

Her network spreads far and wide and few know as much as she does. But treat her wrong and you got an enemy for life. Her judgment will never come swift, but will hit you when you least expect it. Hamma fears no one, and none of her enemies should feel safe. If one of her own people double crosses her, that person will see someone they love have a cruel fate.

Hamma is in no way afraid of using direct violence, especially towards her own, who has betrayed her. Hamma rarely dresses up, preferring to stay neutral and not making a spectacle when in public.

Hamma is always surrounded by her halfgiant body guard, Mank. And often a handful of the dozens of people making up her criminal enterprise. Several other criminal factions have tried to take her out, none have succeeded so far.

Keywords: crime boss, leader, effective, intelligent,

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Sa’ram

Age: 81

Sex: Male

Close Family: Many mul and dwarf children, but no contact

Race: Dwarf

Sa’ram is the right-land-man of Grandma Hamma. He is sharp and keeps her books, and does much of the planning with her. Sa’ram is very loyal and enjoys his life with Grandma Hamma. He is a bit flamboyant and loves blue clothing and lapis lasula jewelry. All of them quite masculine. He is considered a handsome man, even for his age, among dwarfs.

Sa’ram was once a quite famous gladiator, but lost a foot to a great beast in the arena. His owner set him free and for decades he has been part of Grandma Hamma’s gang. He is in great shape, even though being an older man. Grandma Hamma trusts him and let him take important decisions in the leading of the gang.

In his youth Sa’ram was well known breeding slave, and other slave owners would pay his owner well to breed him to human and dwarf woman. Know how many woman would have died in childbirth from giving birth to his mul children is a trauma for him and his life goal is to find them and give them at better life. Sa’ram spends many of his resources trying to find his children.

Sa’ram have never taken a woman after being freed. His asexuality might come from trauma from his time as a slave or latent homosexuality.

Sa’ram is a hard man, who has no problem ordering other gang members to perform violence or killings, but now a day’s rarely gets his hands dirty, himself. Sa’ram has learned to spot an ambush many years ago, and have saved Grandma Hamma from several assassins.

Keywords: smart, accountant, ex-gladiator, leader, crippled, flamboyant, planner

[Damian]

Excellent timing! I’m just starting to flesh out an underground criminal organisation for an up-coming Tyr-based campaign, so these NPCs are just what I’m looking for.

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Mank

Age: 33

Sex: Male

Close Family: Wife and two sons, several brothers, sisters and cousins, all of them in or close to Grandma Hamma’s criminal organisation. Amoung them his cousin Nuazrik.

Race: Halfgiant

Mank is the main bodyguard of Grandma Hamma. He is enormous, big even for a halfgiant, and as strong as they come, and equally dumb. He is very entuned with Grandma Hamma, and just a slight nod from her is enough for him to attack with a furious rage, riping anyone to pieces. Mank have been working for Grandma Hamma for more then a decade and likes his work. He likes to dress fancy, but his boss prefers him to be more neutral, but at parties and similar he loves to show of fancy clothing and jewellery. His fashion sense is atrocious though.

Mank has a wife and two sons, the sons are as dumb as him, while his wife takes care of the economy stopping him from spending all the families’ money on shiny stuff.

Grandma Hamma requires him to keep training, and dutifully he does, making him a dangerous opponent.

Keywords: Dumb, large, strong, fiercely loyal, flamboyant

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Korik “Honey-tongue”

Age: 27

Sex: Male

Close Family: His elderly mother, Lady Marga Grassridge, born Sandthorne.

Race: Half-elf

Was the illegitimate child of a the third daughter of Lord Sandthorne, an influential nobleman. Had the child been born human, Korik might have had a place in the household of Lord Sandthorne, but not a half-elf. Instead the child was given away and grew up in the slums. Korik grew up on the mean streets and soon learned his devilish handsome looks and eloquence could get him far, and Grandma Hamma saw potential too. Korik is a pickpocket and thief who use his good looks and charisma to charm his way to peoples riches and secrets. He is good actor and takes on the personality of anything from a nobleman to a homeless beggar.

Korik still keeps in contact with his biological mother, Marga Sandthorne, who throws him his allowance every month. They are close and Korik have not told anyone about this contact.

Korik love beautiful women, clothing and jewellery, and dreams about being a nobleman one day. Seeing himself as one, from his bloodline.

Korik knows enough about reading and writing to get in trouble should he get caught, but also to find information on people.

Korik would sell anyone, except his mother, if the money or status was good enough.

keywords: slick, seductive, liar, thief, handsome

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Kaelin “Blades”

Age: 25

Sex: Male

Close Family: None

Race: Mul

Kaelin is one of the rare muls growing outside slavery. No one knows who his parents are or how he ended up in the bad part of town, but he has been a part of Grandma Hamma’s gang since he was very young. Been in a criminal world his entire life he knows nothing else, he is not the sharpest tool in the shed and violence comes easy for him. Kaelin is the type of man who takes what he wants, when he wants. And he enjoys the the power he gets from being part of Grandma Hamma’s gang. He is always armed, and has amazed quite a collection of weapons. He thinks himself far smarter than he is, and dreams about becoming the leader himself one day.

He is quite slim for a mul and can pass as human with a hood or similar simple disguise.

Kealin likes women and wine, but are not popular with the girls, both the ones charges by the hour and the civilians.

keywords: violent, dim, loud, ambitious, takes what he wants

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Gar

Age: 30

Sex: Male

Close Family: His much younger sister, Lyra

Race: Human

Gar is an expert in hand-to-hand combat and is skilled in various weapons. Gar lost his parents when he was around 12, and had to take care of his sister, Lyra, after that. Living in a bad part of town he knows the streets, and having to take care of his sister, he learned more. Early on he showed his proves with weapons and drew the attention of Grandma Hamma, who has made good use of his abilities. Gar is a strong man, who does not shy away from violence when needed.

Gar is smart, but also easily lured with the promise of easy money. Gar and Lyra are close, and they dream of one day making enough money to get out of the slums. When Lyra grew of age Gar found her a place in a brothel, a clean place where the girls are not mistreated, she makes money and the save them.

Gar has several times have had problems with gambling, and have lost some of the savings he and Lyra have made, she does not know this, and he have repaid most of it.

Gar is loyal to Grandma Hamma and would never betray her, but leave without a moment’s notice the moment he has enough money.

keywords: weaponsmaster, effective, loves his sister, slight gambling problem,

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Tarkla

Age: 19

Sex: Female

Close Family: None

Race: Human

Tarkla grew up in the bad part of town, and was thrown out by her parents a couple of years ago, for stealing, lying and causing trouble. On the street she soon found one of Grandma Hamma’s strongmen who were susceptible to her charm.

Tarkla is a thief, she is good at it and she knows it. She has a cute smile and eyes that can get her out of most problems. She often dresses like a maid and sneaks into houses, to rob people blind. There is little Tarkla won’t do get ahead.

Tarkla is petit and nimble, often surprising people with her abilities to crawl through windows or up a drain. She always sets herself first, and will often scheme if she can get ahead. Grandma Hamma has a soft spot for her, and she is always sweet and brownnosing around her.

Tarkla can be the center of the party and love being so, but she if professional enough to disappear when it is needed. Tarkla is a fair actress and can show sexappeal, authority and higher class when needed.

Keywords: smart, thief, charming, scheming, loves being the center of attention

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Banen

Age: 21

Sex: Male

Close Family: None, with whom he has contact

Race: Human

Banen is the second son of a craftsman, so had little chance of inheriting anything, and even with some education, he was not the type of person who could keep a steady job.

Banen is young fierce man. He has some impressive psionic abilities, which he uses in his trade. Banen loves being a bad guy, he loves the attention, the respect, the fear it causes. He is violent by heart and gets a kick from a fight - that be fair or not, most often not.

Banen have a great carrier in front of him, he has the abilities, the strength, the ambition, the will and the brutal charm to get far. So Grandma Hamma keeps an eye on him, since she knows he will betray her someday. But right now she can use his abilities. He loves to show off his wealth, and is often broke from mad spendings. The other members of Grandma Hamma’s gang loves to party with Banen who will always buy drinks and women for them when he has the money, plus its always entertaining to see him get into a fight and winning by using psionics.

keywords: violent, ambitious, capable, aggressive, psionocist, young, impulsive

[rubberlizard (oejlen)]

next three should be up’n’running

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Name: Ashash

Age: 41

Sex: Male

Close Family: His young son, and the women who takes care of him.

Race: Human

Ashash grew up on the mean streets and a life of crime came quite natural to him. He is a quite type and very intelligent, but in many way unschooled. He is streetwise and knows every trick in the book. He is a psionocist, but rarely shows his abilities, and few people know of their full extend.

Ashash have been a member of Grandma Hamma’s gang for many years, but slowly started to withdraw from the life of crime. He dreams of something else, never having left the city state he has little idea how he would change his life.

Two years ago a young whore he was seeing came to him for help, she was pregnant and told him it was his child. The woman died in childbirth, but Ashash took in the boy, naming him after himself, and found a wet-nurse who takes care of the boy. Ashash have grown to love the boy and sees him as his own, dreaming of taking the boy and the wet-nurse somewhere better. Ashash was very loyal to Grandma Hamma, but crime is a young man’s game and if the price was right Ashash would leave.

Being a psionocist have been a big help as a criminal for Ashash, and he has a good reputation in the underworld.

Keywords: father, intelligent, aging, psionocist

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Mistella:

Age: 57

Sex: Female

Close Family: Her gang of street children

Race: Elf

Mistella was once a prominent member of an elven clan, she was fast, strong and had power. But she broke her foot and could not continue, so she was left to die. With pure willpower she managed to survive the desert and get into a city state. Having a limp and being left by her tribe, all other elf looks down upon her. Even though her limp is minimal and she walks fine without her cane, the fine tuned senses of an elf will always be able to spot her handicap.

Mistella haved lived on the streets in periods since she came to the city state, and it was there she found the scheme that makes her the most money. Finding the orphan street kids and forming them into a gang of thieves and pickpockets. She will make a small family of the kids for a while and live of their earnings. Mistella is smart and knows how to exploit the children, but will sell any of them of, when the price right.

Mistella is hateful for her life and will sometime go benders of drink and drugs, leaving her kids to fend for them self when it happens. The hard life and living on the street have made her look far older then she is.

Grandma Hamma early saw how much she could earn on Mistella and her gang of kids. But is annoyed how untrustworthy Mistella is when she goes on benders.

Mistella always carries a big bag with her, and often have just what is needed in the right situation. She carries a cane, though it is not needed, it is enchanted and carries quite a punch. Which her kids learn when they don’t deliver enough of the stolen goods.

Keywords: bitter, hateful, cruel, frowned upon by other elfs, substance abuse,

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Miiri

Age: 15

Sex: Female

Close Family: Mistella and the other children

Race: Halfelf

Miiri’s mother was a servant for an upperclass family. They were not impressed by her giving birth to a halfelf, but allowed Miiri’s mother to stay. Whe Miiri was old enough to work, she helped in the house. When Miiri was around 10 years old her mother died and she was kicked out of the house. She hated the family whom she had known her whole life for doing this and swears revenge. Miiri had some rough years on the street and there were little she did not do to survive.

Mistella found her and started training her. Quickly Miiri caught on and is an excellent thief and pickpocket, she is charming and cute. Even with the few pieces clothing she owns, she can completely change her appearance, and can change voice and mannerisms enough to be someone else completely, a boy, a servant girl and so on. Her ears are large though, almost as large as an elf.

Miiri is charming and is Mistellas favorit of the children, but Miiri knows how Mistella is when she drinks and makes sure it is one of the other children who gets the cane when she has misbehaved. She is streetwise, smart and knows to survive. Making good use of her psionic abilities, when it comes to making money or food.

Keywords: young, pretty, streetwise, vengeful, master of disguise, pickpocket

[rubberlizard (oejlen)]

Throw them add me!!!

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Madame Lalila

Age: 38

Sex: Female

Close Family: Her son Bythal, templar aspirant

Race: Human

Lalila grew up in the bad part of town, but her parents were honest hard working people, who did what they could to keep her and her siblings out of trouble. But her parents came in trouble with the templars and were sold off as slaves. Lalila managed to escape with the help of neighbor, when her family were send off to a far away mine, farm or as caravan slaves. She never found out.

Having few skills, but a beautiful face and great style, she ended up as one of the many ladies of the night. A violent pimp took her under his wings, and she Lalila learned she could not live like that. A few sweet words to templar made him go away forever.
Lalila’s good loocks, friendly demeanor and the ability to look amazing, even in rags, made her popular with the more picky costumers and she made a lot of money. Being smart she did not spend it on jewelry and drink like the other girls, but instead invested the money, after getting cheated several times she learned about money, and how to make them.

Today she runs one of the finest brothels in the city state, catered by templar, nobles, guild leaders and wealthy traders. Running a thing like this is impossible without paying of criminal gangs and templars, and Lalila does both. For almost a decade Grandma Hamma’s gang have supplied protection and have fought several other gangs in violent wars over the control of the brothel. Nysah works part time in the brothel.

To day it is an important part of Grandma Hamma’s rumor gathering and black mailing operation. Lalila is open about her opinions about opposing slavery. The only she has ever owned was Ria, who was freed after a few days.

Lalila would prefer to have complete control if her place, but it is impossible for now. She treats her girls well, and hand picks them for their beauty, personality and ability to make money for her.

Lalila has a son, Bythal, who was raised by another woman but have had contact with her his whole life, and Lalila have fought all his life to get him away from the slums. She is very proud of him becoming a templar cadet.

Sizzkus and Lalila hate each other!

Keywords: beautiful, smart, madame, high class, treats her girls well

[rosemaryJ (Rosemary)]

Grandma Hamma’s gang:

Nuazrik “Nua”

Age: 30

Sex: Female

Close Family: Several brothers, sisters and cousins, all of them in or close to Grandma Hamma’s criminal organisation. Amoung them her cousin Mank.

Race: Halfgiant

Nua is not the sharpest tool in the shed, but she is effective and does what she is told. She likes the simple life of doing what she is told.

Nua works in Madame Lalila’s brothel, where she cooks, cleans and throws out troublesome costumers. She is a surprisingly good cook and dreams of once having a restaurant, she is not smart enough to be able to do it alone, but maybe with the right partner.
She is very loyal to Madame Lalila and loves her job. She is quite feminine and the girls of the brothel makes friends with her. When they have time Nua having them set her hair and put on makeup. The girls finds this fun, and being friends with the bouncer is always good. Nua and Nysah are close.

Keywords: effective, loyal, great cook, feminine, friendly