Unusual Suspects: A Gallery of NPCs Both Fair and Foul For the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Credits Lead Designer John Ling Designers Liz Courts, Adam Daigle, Tom Ganz, Mike Kortes, James MacKenzie, Hal MacLean, Greg Oppedisano, David Schwartz, Amber E. Scott, Willie Walsh Lead Developer Front Cover Art John Ling Chris McFann & Charles A. Wright Developer Interior Art Greg A. Vaughan Chris McFann Producers Special Thanks Bill Webb, Charles A. Wright To all the Werecabbages who didn’t receive credit in this book. You folks inspire Managing Editor me and push me to get better. This book wouldn’t happen without you. Greg A. Vaughan And, of course, thank you to Gary and Dave, who created a kick-ass game that captured Editor the imagination of a shy, nerdy boy way Dawn Fischer back in 1981 and has held tight ever since. Layout & Graphic Design SampleCharles A. Wright file 1 INTRODUCTION Welcome to Unusual Suspects! Within these pages you’ll find 60 full NPCs, each containing a full history, detailed tactics, and guidelines on how to use the character in your game. And, of course, a complete stat block. And yet, hopefully each page contains more than just some words and numbers thrown together. What else? Inspiration, my friend, inspiration. What we hope is that as you read through these pages, your imagination fires up scenarios — ways for your players to meet the NPCs, or better yet adventures designed to make the NPCs the “big boss” at the end. You’ll find three chapters — Town, Travel, and Tunnel — each containing 20 NPCs covering 1st through 20th level. The chapters are laid out in that order for a reason. It follows the flow of most games.T ypically, you gather up your friends, roll up new characters, and start off in some backwater town or village — maybe in the tavern, or maybe somewhere else. Eventually, those characters form an adventuring party and set off on a journey, both physically and metaphorically. After a brief period of travel, our new heroes arrive at their destination, a site of grand adventure. Oftentimes this takes them underground, into dank caves and maybe even to the Underworld. In Chapter 1: Town you’ll meet NPCs your characters may encounter in the various hamlets, villages, towns, and metropolises they visit during their careers. Some are meant to be friendly — a street guide, a master craftsman, or a hidden sensei. Others are decidedly on the wrong side of the law — a crazed poisoner, a crooked watchman, or a crime lord. Many are vague, though — a fight-club artist, a bastard heir, or one of Hell’s auditors. Whether they become friend or foe is entirely up to your group. Chapter 2: Travel gives you plenty of inspiration with NPCs intended to be used while your party travels from one location to another. These NPCs could be “random” encounters dropped in to spice things up, or they could be the main event. Whether your heroes are setting out to stop the Scourge of the Forest, rescue a pitiless “orphan,” or tangle with the Protector of the Elven Realm is entirely up to you. We close out our collection with Chapter 3: Tunnel. Most of these NPCs are well-suited to be the bosses at the end of adventures, the key players whose machinations inevitably lead the heroes to seek them out to bring an end to their evil ways — the Righteous Claw, the Tunnel Trickster and the alchemist who dabbles in training rust monsters are all worthy of fully developed adventures. Still, there’s room here for good guys too, whether your heroes need a sherpa to carry their loot or seek to gain an audience with the exiled dwarven noble. Inspiration awaits! Dive in, and let the gears of your imagination begin turning as you flip through the pages. Just a word of advice: keep a pen and notepad nearby. You’ll need it to jot down all the ideas! — John E. Ling, Jr. November, 2011 ©2012 Bill Webb, Frog God Games. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. Reproduction with- out the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. Frog God Games, Frog God Games. and the Frog God Games logo, Unusual Suspects is a trademark of Frog God Games. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places, items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Frog God Games, Inc. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. Frog Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the God Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this product. Games Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplay- SampleTough ing Game and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logofile are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and are used under the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility License. Adventures See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility for Tough license. Players 2 Table of Contents Introduction ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������2 Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3: Town Travel Tunnel Mawuu Streetguide ................................. 5 Gillarn “The Warped” Casker Kevren the Loadbearer Sherpa ........... 64 New Feat: Crowd Runner ..................... 5 Penitent Pilgrim .................................... 35 New Feat: Pack Mule ......................... 64 Marius Plomb Barenuckle Fighter ......... 6 Tip Halfling “Orphan” .......................... 36 Kolaivinen Ryökis Fungus Farmer ...... 65 Caesana Threx Horse Breeder ............... 7 Professor Sulanne Parathea Sennan Schmitt Valnetor Dreimond Snake Oil Salesman .............................. 37 Degenerate Geologist ........................... 67 Thrall of the Serpent Within .................... 8 Selwyn Perry Malevolent Plantsmen .... 38 Rasos of Hunger Undead Hunter ......... 69 New Mutagen: Brother of Blades ......... 9 Min-Te The Fugitive .............................. 39 Grizzly Craigoch Tendri MacElsen Watch Commander ... 10 Yosti Crossroads Prankster ................... 40 Paranoid Prospector ............................. 70 Mallory Daruld Bastard Heir ............... 11 Kestra Ashbinder Vel-al-Alar A-Till-Farel Lady Calliende bin Talsen Fighter of Forest Fires .......................... 41 Alchemist Potion Vendor ....................... 72 Ambitious Courtesan ............................ 13 Vanda Moor Army Deserter ................. 42 Arch-Libram Haj Verakuhl New Magic Item: Matagat Raised by Bears ...................... 44 Evil Wizard ............................................ 74 Philtre of Foolishness ........................ 14 Shilerash Forest Ambusher ................... 45 New Intelligent Item: Addusib Richard-Durond, III Adran Gant Shrine Tender ................... 47 The Scarred Tome ............................. 75 Celebrity Adventurer ............................. 15 Elyze Morcia Fiddidus Termingauld Bash Ironclaw Assassin ........................ 17 The Purifier, the Holy Flame, Blind Friar of the Black Stone .............. 76 Szevren the Fabricationary the Mad Maiden of the Pyre.................. 48 New Diety: Grox ................................ 77 Frame-Up Artist .................................... 18 Tairnwen a’Idriss, Eldest of the Creag Klaxia Rust Monster Trainer ................. 78 Baldus Rothstein Heathen Cultist ..................................... 49 New Alchemical Item: Former Bodyguard ............................... 19 New Magic Item: Human-Skin Cloak ............................ 78 Hogan Handlebloom Master Smith ...... 20 The Binder of the Creag .................... 49 Ssenlari Seeker of Magic ....................... 80 New Magic Item: Sorrowsong Scourge of the Coast ......... 51 Geshuwan Labyrinth Lurker ................. 82 Anvil of the Master Smith ................. 20 Liem Draid The Sable Knight ............... 52 Thlyk Warden of the Warrens ................ 84 Aristos Undead Masterpiece ................. 21 Kalevain Legendary Skald .................... 54 Vigebrand Rodbjorn Licenscious Bile Qwellan Strongbow Elven Protector ... 56 Banished Dwarven Noble ..................... 86 The Silent Chapel Strangulator ............ 23 Lady Issavene Skoldre, Ylldrasig Ghaale Green Gaston Walking Dream .............. 24 The Wailing Queen Death Cleric Duelist ............................. 88 Oroth Crimelord .................................... 25 Lady of the Blackwood .......................... 58 Redclaw The Hunger in the Depths ...... 89 New Simple Template: Azyra Witch of the Crossroads .............. 60 Ulrich Gravelstone Tunnel Trickster .... 91 Corpulent Creature (CR +1) .............. 25 Sothgardt Scourge of the Forest ........... 62 Pelicia the Death-Spinner Claviger Planar-City Guide .................. 27 Drow Hunter ......................................... 93 Master Ooglaw New Simple Template: The Hidden Sensei ................................ 29 Spider-Made (CR +1) ........................ 94 Garius Hell’s Auditor ............................ 30 Muirne Legeia Carissa Saboclair Guardian of the Sounding Vale ............. 95 Corrupter of Capitals ........................... 32 Vivatri Sithkaya Obraysha The Righteous Claw .............................. 97 SampleVirif Voice fileof the Dark ........................... 99 3 Unusual suspects Chapter 1: Town Whether your