SHOPKEEPER NPCs 9 he one question every DM hates to be asked "What's his name?" Coming up with engaging, relevant NPCs on the fy isn't easy, especially when you have a party that loves roleplay and ‘wants to realy get to know the tavern owner. (Or the armorer, Or the farmer on the noble's If there's one time that you have to seramble for an NPC, its when shopping you have a sense of what is available, but ‘where? Who sels it, and why? Do they need any help from the party? This collection of 48 NPCs in total makes it easy to come up with engaging roleplaying encounters with minimal preparation, or perhaps allow you to stall while you hastily write up the next part of your campaign - we've all been there. Enjoy! ALCHEMISTS Farian Nogbottle ‘gnome, male Farian is an older gnome with amonacle that rmagrifies hs left eye to disturbing proportions. His. shop is just adjacent to the nicer area of town, and as such he has a tendency to overcharge customers on the basis that his wares are "luxury goods”. Despite this, he is fiercely loyal to his friends and even has some political connections. ‘Quest: Farian has been considering running for office, and he's looking for someone to assess what his competition would be like. Aylene Trangolor fall eladrin, female Aylene is slender and quite tall, with pale blonde hair that nearly reaches her waist when unbound but is usually braided and piled in a heap on her head. Her concoctions have a nasty habit of exploding suddenly, but she charges reasonable prices and offers payment plans out of her small storefront near the docks, Quest: A particularly spark-prone potion caught 2 fairly important client's rug on fire and started a significant blaze. Aylene needs someone to go be sure there's no evidence linking it back to her. APOTHECARIES Timm Huckleberry halfling, male Timm - or Doctor Huckleberry, as the townsfolk know him- lives in a small thatched-roof home Outside of town with alarge and flourishing vegetable garden. While many of the plants in his garden are commonplace, others serve as ingredients for his various concoctions. He has no ‘magical gifts, bt for cornmon illnesses and childbirths his skills are sufficient Quest: Something has been digging through his vegetable patch at night - something large and very quiet Thatcher human, female Thatcher has a greenhouse near the center of town, which she tends by herself. She's short, grouchy, and far too muscled for most to tangle with her, but her herbs are impeccably tended and her prices are fair. She's lived in this town all her life, and if you can get past the armor she may have a few stories. Quest: Thatcher needs some cuttings from the nearby forest, but the baker's daughter is going to give birth any day now and she can't go get them herself ARMORERS Mariette Cooper hhuman, female Mariette looks forall intents and purposes ike a sweet grandmother, but she is also a fiercely skilled craftswoman - although she has been known to bake pies by setting them in a special spot near her forge and rotating them periodically. Her forge is on the outskirts of town, and you can usually hear if Mariette is home or not. Quest: Mariette's somewhat estranged sister, Freyna, has written her aletter. Mariette has prepared a response and needs someone to deliver itARMORERS CONT. Athadna BLACKSMITHS Ghegim "The Maul" Dragonborn, female ‘Athadna has a bustling shop in the main square, with gleaming window displays and a cramped interior. Her work is always bespoke - no ofthe rack armor here. Her prices are correspondingly higher, but it makes her a welcome resource for adventurers looking to upgrade or enchant gear. Quest If characters wish to have their armor enchanted, Athadna is likely to require them to go get any unusual components -at the minimum, a Spell scroll of the appropriate spel. BARTENDERS a jam halfelf, male Everyone has a different tale for how Jar ended up the way he did, but the end is always the samme - "Jam is quiet and alittle odd, but we stil like hir.” Nicknamed for his fondness of all things fruit, Jam rarely speaks but never forgets a drink order. If characters are kind to him, he occasionally brings ther free appetizers. (Quest: Jam has a crush on a young woman in the rmarket, and recruits the party to help him woo her. Nysinil "Nellie" Khalune drow, female Nellie tends to work the later shifts, after the sun has set. She doesn't talk much about how a drow ended up working in a surfacer inn, but the intricately nautical white-ink tattoos that cover her back and atrns right tell sorne of the story. She's lively, vivacious, and sorne would say flirty, but she never sleeps with customers. ‘Quest: Some drow enforcers don't like that Nellie lives so openly with surfacers - other elves, even. Nellie will pay to get thern off her back Sh Like what you see? Check out our other stuff and follow us on Instagrarn @DungeonsandDjinn! Art by Adoomer and used under a Creative Commons 310 heense. Pages 1 and 5: "Simple horizontal celtic not’; Pages 2,3, and 6: "Imladrs Knot" —_—_————————— halfore, male Despite Ghegim's fearsome appearance and nickname, he's surprisingly gentle and specializes in shoeing horses and making farm equipment. His, closest companion is a border colle he has named Princess, who goes with him everywhere. His forge, located on aside street where the noise is less bothersome, is always impeccably clean. Quest: A group of youths have taken to eggin Chegin's coor he doesn't want the party to hurt ther, but he would like the mess to stop. Hannah Erstwhistle ‘human, female Miss Erstwhistle specializes in decorative ironwork, and all her pieces are impeccably shaped, As person, however, she is difficult to work with, demanding half payment up front as well as a lengthy contract. All of ths is delivered in a clipped, authoritative tone of voice that makes any attempt at disagreement frustrating at best. (Quest: Miss Erstwhistle has cultivated a spotless Persona, which would rrake the revelation that she has had an affair with a married man a particularly shocking one. She's willing to pay to keep it secret. BLADESMITHS Errick Kalke human, male Eric looks more like an old wizard than a smith, especially when he puts on a bathrobe to go warm up the forge in the morning. That being said, his remote shop at the end of a winding alley is home to extraordinarily well-crafted weapons at surprisingly reasonable prices. When he's working, he ties up his long beard and throws it over a shoulder, Quest: Long ago, Erick had a daughter, but their relationship soured and he hasn't heard from her in years. He would reward the characters handsomely for bringing him some news, be OA > —BLADESMITHS CONT. Riana llay'onan CARPENTERS Sohan yi Kaleel high elf female Nobody quite understands Riana - she's old, even for an elf, and could be doing anything else, yet she chooses to run a simple but high-quality shop just off the main square. IF asked about it, shell simply smile and say, "This is where | decided to be.” Her Bears simply but impeccably made, nd her pres (Quest: the characters befriend Riana, she might ask them to bring flowers to her human wife's grave, soft telling ther that she liked lilacs and Baby's breath, human, male Sohan is welcoming and kind, serving everyone who comes to him a cup of heavily sweetened mint. tea. His work is primarily done by a herd of assistants, many of whorn he rescued from the streets, Sohan presides over them, happily teaching ther how to shape the wood so that itis both sturdy and beautiful Quest: Sohan is always happy for samples of exotic woods, especialy rare and beautiful ones, but. a gift to one of his apprentices means the world to him, Yikara Sawbone aS halfore, female BREWERS Yikara's shop looks new - because, in fact, its She's always had a gift for carpentry, and loves Tiffany Hanover human, fernale Tiffany surprises most people when they learn that she, not her father, isin charge of her family's brewing operation, At just sixteen, she's already cultivated an exceptional knowledge of hops and used to grow her own yeasts in her bedroom until her parents made her take them out to the brewery Precocious, ifalitte irritating, Tiffany has a precise hand and an inherent instinct for making delicious beers. ‘Quest: Tiffany's father comes to the characters in a panic - Tiffany has been kidnapped! Anteric Cooper teifling, male Anteri isa shy tiefling who prefers making beers and distilling harder liquors to any kind of conversation. That being said, if someone expresses interest in what he does, he's happy to show them around the delicate apparatuses, explaining what each one does in a soft voice. ‘When he's not brewing, he might be found fishing by the local river, abook in one hand. Quest: One of Anteric's many books contained a story of a buried treasure - however, a spidery hand has made notes in the margin indicating that there rmay be some truth to the story. building simple things for her fellow townsfolk However, she's nervous about starting a business anda itl insecure in her skils. Quest Ykarais looking for help attracting CLEANERS Caelita tilling, ernale Caelitais shy and timid around customers, but shell tell her story if asked, She and her older sister have been on their own since she was very stall - her sister works at a bar, but she's too young so she works as a cleaner. Quest: An observant character might notice some Stuises on Caclita’s arms, but she won't say where they come from, Umek Wyverncloak hill dwar, agender It's not that Umek is lazy. At some point, they clearly realized that the ideal job for them was one that allowed them to compose while they worked, 0 they just celebrated their twentieth year as a cleaner. When asked if they would ever make writing music 2 fulltime job, Umek simply laughs and says "That would take al the fun out oft.” Umek has litle contact with their family, but they have received a message from their brother saying that their mother is quite il. They need an escort across the wild lands to where their family Ives.Cooks Pigeon halfling, female Pigeon is just over two feet tall and packs atleast six and a half feet of attitude into her dirrinuitive frame. She punishes thievery with a sharp whack of her ladle to the kneecaps and runs a tense but effective kitchen, Despite this, though, a crowd of street children can often be found outside the back door waiting for leftovers Quest: Pigeon is catering a wedding and is hopelessly short-staffed will the characters be roped in? Harry Frendel harman, male Harry is a dour and skinny man with a greying goatee. He tends to respond to questions, especially about food, with rambling sentences that ray or may not actually answer the question, However, his restaurant is located right by the entrance to the town and as such is a popular destination for tired adventurers too exhausted to look further. ‘Quest: Harry believes someone is sabotaging his restaurant and hires the party to investigate DUNGSWEEPERS Percival Kulenov human, male Percival has an excess of enthusiasm for everything he does. Arrested as a youth and sentenced to hard Tabor, he determined that it must be his divine destiny to care for the physical spaces of others On release, he found a job doing just that, and his ‘work is always immaculate Quest: Percival has been offered a managerial position, and he asks the characters to stop it so ‘that he can remain a dungsweeper. Ghrega goblin, female Ghregs, like many of her kin, has an affinity for things with more shine than valu, and sometimes gets distracted from her work because of it. That Being said, she is fiercely affectionate towards her friends. Quest: Nothing would make Ghrega happier than something new and shiny. FARMERS Rune shadar-kai, male Nobody knows what brought Rune to a peaceful life of farming, but from his missing atm and the scar that lines his otherwise attractive face the story is assumed to be one for the ages. Now, Rune Uses a simple prosthetic made of wood and leather when he tills his land, Despite his ferocious appearance, he's surprisingly gentle and beloved by the village children (Quest: Adventure tends to follow Rune despite his Best efforts to avoid it, and something dark has been haunting his dreams of late Glenda Greenwood half-elf, female Glenda is a willowy older woman with some slightly odd practices. Colorful stones and pieces of beach glass line her windowsills, and the scarecrows that protect her fields are dressed in brilliant, if faded, seraps of fabric. Her personality is equally colorful while kind, she is emotional and seatterbrained, making her a willing but difficult host. Quest: ifany of the characters are spelicasters, Glenda is fascinated and insists that they show her. FLETCHERS Alma Sturmdrang human, female Alma can only be described as plump, but her fingers are astonishingly nimble. She wears her hair in long, elaborate braids to keep it out of her face as she works crafting arrows. For the right taustomer, she'll craft custom ones, but she utilizes het shrewd judgement determining who is worthy. ‘Quest: Special arrows require special materials - at the custorner's expense. Yari Arveene human, genderfluid Yari dresses impeccably and has a fondness for bright silks. Ze express zi style through zr craft as well Yar's arrows are beautifully crafted and lend themselves best to enchantment, as well a costing an equivalent amount. Zir peaceful shop cultivates an ai of luxury, which helps convince customers Quest Yari has total confidence in zirself, but zir aging parents stil fel disappointed by zit work Yari could use help coming up with proof of zir accomplishmentsGrooms Leyana Sil'narin HEALERS CONT. Minerva Hawthorne high elf female Leyana is stocky and well-muscled for an elf from tending to horses all day, but her mannerisms are gentle and her touch deft. She has a natural affinity for horses, which she tends to consider more interesting than humans, Her connection to the animals means that while she will rent horses, she's reluctant to if she feels that the customer will rmistreat them, ‘Quest: Someone has stolen one of Leyana's horses and she demands justice. Kiyik Skarran dragonborn, male Kiyk is large and imposing, able to wrangle even the meanest of horses into submission. He's never cruel, But he doesn’t need the animals to like hien to get the job done. He has a reputation for being an excellent trainer, as wel - even the most difficult animals end up welimannered after a few sessions. uest: Kiyik has been recently adopted by a cat, and PASS (a what ness or howe tke ere oF HEALERS Niji Kasbar ‘gnome, male Nij's healing magic is not always the most powerful, but he's the town's frst choice for minor ailments because of his pack of large and affectionate dogs. Those who have visited him can testify that the healing properties of a mastiff on your chest are unparalleled. Sometimes, medicines and poultices are delivered by the dogs, rather than Niji in person, and it's not uncommon to see a large dog with a basket in its mouth trotting, Unaccompanied, through the streets. Quest: One of Niji's dogs is sick, and Niji thinks that she might have been poisoned - but by who? human, female Minerva is sharp-tongued and her medicines are bitter, but she's bitingly perceptive about what's bothering her patients - be it physical, mental, or emotional. This doesn't make her popular, but it does make her effective. Her practice is clean, neat, and fiercely whitewashed. Quest: A herd of pixies have descended on Minerva's hone and she would like thern removed, Immediately, ifyou please. INNKEEPERS joan Hartt aasimar, female Joan's inn, set on a peaceful side street under spreading trees, is as much a local secret as an inn can be. Locals are reluctant to recommend it out of. a desire to protect joan, the slight and Compassionate proprietor, from those who would take advantage of her kind nature, Tis is wise - Joan has a tendency to offer rooms free of charge to those who make a compelling case for one, and pays bards handsomely to playin her common (Quest: Someone has cast an unholy hallow spell on Joan's common room so that nobody can speak within it, and Joan is frantic trying to work out who. and as importantly, why. Martin McFyr halfling, male Martin is loud, boisterous, and known for telling somewhat lewd jokes. His bustling inn in the center Of town is the site of many a wild night and tall tle, and Martin is justly proud of the fact. However, he is still more proud of the monstrous head mounted Con his wall the lion's head of a chimera that Martin clairns he killed back in his adventuring days. Martin tells many a story of those times, always ending on a light-hearted note, but nobody can recall quite how he made the transition from adventurer to innkeeper. (Quest: Martin comes to the party in dire straits - a Wizard from his adventuring days has caught up with him, and he needs thern to distract this wizard so that the town is not caught in the crossfireLAWYERS Eduard deLoitte human, male Ser deLoite isa particularly snobbish noble who Uses his extravagant mannerisms to conceal that his knowledge of the law is middling at best. For the most par, his cases have been fairly boring property disputes, but he drearns of the day that he gets to work a career-making case. He's not particular about what that case might be, which may someday get him in trouble. (Quest: Ifthe party ends up in rather unscrupulous ‘rouble, deLoitte may be willing to defend them - if he believes them important enough. jayna Milaeni halelf, ferale Jayna is a short and grey-haired wornan who is always found with several leather-bound books under her arm, She's a fierce prosecutor known for putting notorious brigands behind bars, but there are rurmors that she's refused to take bribes in exchange for a change in sentence - even if the proposed sentence is more severe. ‘Quest: jayna’s principles have gotten her in trouble. She's received several threats, and yesterday she ‘woke up to a red X painted on her door. MONEYLENDERS Mad Mark the Wyrd ‘human, male To say that Mark is eccentric is putting it lightly. His lichen-covered house is hardly what one would consider secure, and yet he offers excellent exchange rates, low interest, and secure storage of coin. Each piece of gold that he accepts is examined closely, his magical glass eye detecting even the slightest hint of forgery. Quest: A group of neighborhood boys are claiming that Matk is evil and summons demons - can the party find out the truth? Emmett Zorotur halforc, male Emmett handles the rough customers - the ones ‘that nobody else wants to take and that few could get their money back from. His interest rates are high, his standards low, and his drinks strong, Quest: Emmett's always looking for enforcers - it's ot a glamorous job, Dut the pay is reliable. ScriBes Aikrin Cyldimel aasimar, male Aikrin took a vow of silence many years back, and his impeccable handwriting is now his only means of communication. He spends most of his time researching hidden secrets, but he takes commissions to pay the bil Quest: The party receives a note-Aikrin isin search of arare book and will pay handsomely for it. "Shayla" Sea-Breeze on Rocks kenku, fernale Shayla focuses less on the written word and more fon conveying messages too sensitive to be written down, She's built up a reputation of unparalled trust amongst nobles, merchants, and others with secrets to Keep, repeating whispers down to the very intonation. (Quest: Shayla has gone missing, and the city isin an Uproar trying to work out which of the many factions is responsible. SHERIFFS Ekmeros tiefling, male Ekmeros joined the guard out of a fierce desire to do more with his life than was expected of him. His. fierce integrity has carried him well through his career, and he has litle tolerance for lawbreakers, even well-meaning ones, Quest: Ekrmeros may draft Lawful characters in times of crisis. Humera Stalls human, female Humera died in the line of duty and was returned to life by aless-thar-stilled cleric who left her partially paralyzed, However, her mind is as sharp as ever, even if she sometimes struggles to get the words out, and leads a well-egulated force. Quest: Humera holds a grudge against her killer, and she’s just heard news that he's back in town. >a Seac SES SSSTAILORS Leaf ‘WEAVERS Eleanor Wormwood firbolg, female Leaf works exclusively with plant-based fibers, but her skill asa talor and embroiderer is unmatched. She sells her elegant, unique pieces from a simple stand underneath the tree at the heart of the village, If she likes a character, she may stitch a simple enchantment into the embroidery. Quest: Leafs concerned about a dwarven mining Operation outside town, and the impact it will have fn the nearby stream. Ben Straightwhistle human, male Ben has a joyous spirit that pervades the entirety of his cramped but sunlit shop. His husband helps him manage the books, but Ben crafts all the clothes on sale. He makes decent off:the-rack clothing, but nothing rrakes him happier than getting the chance to update someone's wardrobe, est: Ben and his husband are hoping to adop child, but they're concerned that the person they're ‘working with has more nefarious goals. "TINKERS Owyn Kelrick ‘gnome, male Owyn takes a degree of pride in fitting the archetype of his people perfectly, describing it as the purest expression of his culture, This leads him to treat less conventional gnomes with a certain level of disdain. His workshop is always perfectly clean, every gear polished to a mirror finish Quest: Owyn's tidiness has gotten a little out of. and, and his neighbors are feeling nervous. Helna Angonyu human, fernale Helna learned her trade in Port Nyanzaru working on the waterwheels that power that distant city, which has given her a strong grasp of all things movable. She brought her pet parrot Abdeh along ‘when she moved to this town, and he Frequently repeats odd phrases while she works- if anyone asks, she explains that he was a stray Quest: Abdeh said something yesterday that lit half the workshop on fire, and now his history seems very relevant. halfling, fernale Eleanor learned how to weave from her parents her mother taught her technique, while her father built her the loorn she learned on. Now a young adult, she's moved away from home to learn about the outside world, but she's taken her craft with Quest: Eleanor is homesick and asks that you bring hand-woven bag to her parents as a gift. Hrett the Tall human, male Hrett's imposing appearance rakes his profession seem incongruous, but his face softens when someone asks him about the rugs that he weaves. The designs are lush and colorful and for an extra fee he'll add in a scene of heroic adventurers. Quest: One of Hrett's clients commissioned a strange pattern, and Hrett asks the characters what it means, The pattern in question is a surnmoning. circle. ‘WOODWORKERS Theophilius Goodall halfing, male Theophilius- "Please, call me Theo "is a diminuitive halfing with an astounding handlebar mustache. He specializes in carving children's toys and musical instruments, but he can turn his hand to just about anything small and delicate. He abhors larger construction, however - too crude. Quest: Theo gave a street urchin a wooden horse and someone smashed it. He wants the culprit tracked down and given a stern taking to. Sarthe Khilix dragonborn, male Sarthe is relatively small for a dragonborn. He dresses simply, and keeps a neatly swept shop on the outskirts of town, H's specialty is in furniture, but he can turn his hand to just about anything, His quiet manner makes him a popular mentor for apprentices, but he's selective about who he takes. Quest: Someone broke into Sarthe's shop, but he Can't work out what they were after - they didn't take anything of value.