From Different Walks

+1 Adventure Hook of Many

+1 Adventure Hook of Many

Players are very good at throwing curve balls at your plans and wandering away from everything you spent precious time preparing beforehand. When this happens it can be tempting to steer and force your players back on course: tempting but not advisable. Today I’m going to give you 10 adventure hook wielding NPC’s that can be picked up and thrown into your campaign when needed, whether it be from a player curveball, lack of preparation time or even an impromptu game session.

Rasgard – Watch Commander

Characteristics: Muscular, Stern, Hand always on sword hilt
Races: Human, Dwarf

Adventure Hook: Rasgard is an overly serious watch commander for a large city. A war veteran and ex-royal guard, he has little patience for commoners and adventurers. The barrel-chested commander will arrest vagrant adventurers on the spot, under the belief they cause more trouble than good within his city. Parties of adventurers need to decide carefully upon their course of action when dealing with Rasgard. Fight their way out and become outlaws of an entire kingdom or suffer through the legal proceedings and possibly serve unwarranted jail terms.

2. Heldris – The Old Crone

Characteristics: Rambles incoherently, Large mole upon face, Filthy clothes
Races: Elf, Eladrin

Adventure Hook: Heldris wanders around the forests and woods near her shanty home. Many people hear her inane babblings and smell her foul stench before they can see her. This sweet mannered elderly human woman will offer food and shelter to any passing adventurers she comes upon. However any that accept her hospitality quickly learn their folly. Any that enter her home are cursed to die unless they complete her quest. Heldris is actually a disguised sorcerer who covets a nearby treasure that happens to be in the hands of a Troll King. The adventurers can either take on the trolls and have the curse removed, or fight Heldris and search for a cure elsewhere.

3. Dante – The Shy Child

Characteristics: Never makes eye contact, Mouse like voice, Clumsy
Races: Human, Halfling

Adventure Hook: Tending to appear apparently out of nowhere within towns and cities, Dante will clumsily try and steal money from the adventurers. Always caught the boy cries and begs not to be hurt while retelling a tale of a life of misfortune and of a guild of thieves that plan to hurt his unfortunate family unless they can acquire a large sum of money. Truthfully, the crafty child is the son of an assassin guild master. The thieves guild and assassins guild of the city are at war, and the believable child hopes to trick adventurers into destroying the thieves for his father. Adventurers can attack the thieves guild or can investigate to discover the truth behind the boys lies.

4. Tefedris – The Caretaker

Characteristics: Warm Smile, Piercing Eyes, Foreign Accent
Races: Elf, Human

Adventure Hook: Tefedris will tentatively approach people as they are making or breaking their camps. With a well-crafted bow slung upon her back, Tefedris politely requests a minute of their time, as she describes the dire fate of her close friend, an adult male silver dragon. The dragon has fallen deathly ill and only a specific medicine, from the nearby elves will cure him. Tefedris would go herself but needs to tend to the dragon as much as possible. The ranger offers substantial reward if the party returns in time to cure the comatose dragon. Adventurers that complete the simple request are rewarded handsomely with one choice from the dragons hoard. Alternatively adventurers who enter the silver dragons lair, find the creature near death, with a massive and substantial hoard beneath it’s failing body. If greed should strike these adventurers Tefedris will defend her friend and mate to the death… revealing herself to be an adult red dragon.

5. Oltaren – The Voyager

Characteristics: Missing three fingers on right hand, Mischievous grin, Outlandish dress
Races: Goliath, Human

Adventure Hook: Obviously younger than most captains around him, Oltaren leads his weathered crew aboard the Nastien, a medium sized cargo ship. The oddly dressed captain can be found on docks and within seedy bars and is willing to offer voyage to anyone that is looking, he will even offer cheaper fare if they are willing to work while aboard his vessel. After a short time in his company, many people become endeared to the extremely likeable young man. His warm laugh and roguish eyes speak little of his amazing skill at the helm. However the charming man holds a dark secret. Hidden within the cargo hold, several young slaves cower in fear. During the voyage they are sold at sea to another vessel. Adventurers can confront the captains of the two vessels and stop the sale, or leave the overly likeable man to his own troubles. Either decision results in the appearance of the Navy who will arrest anyone aboard the vessels after the slave trade has been completed.

6. Rexted – The Honourable Murderer

Characteristics: Void of Emotions, Disturbingly Calm, Calculating Eyes, Soft Voice
Races: Eladrin, Tiefling

Adventure Hook: During a particularly dark night within the city or town in which Rexted dwells, the adventurers are awoken from their slumber by a nearby violent commotion. As they arrive upon the scene they learn that Rexted, a local serial killer, has struck again, only this time he didn’t succeed in his grisly task. The victim is an exceedingly wealthy merchant who offers an extraordinary reward to any that capture his would be murderer. The very next night the adventurers are visited by Rexted, although not for obvious reasons. Appearing from the darkness like a wisp of smoke, the murderer seeks the aid of noble heroes to help him in his dignified quest. Rexted hastily explains his goals to assassinate only the most vile and nefarious of people in order to free himself from a disturbing curse that requires him to kill a hundred people. Enquiries into Rexted’s tale prove him truthful, with all his previous targets being foul and horrid people. The same holds true for his current target who sacrifices the souls of children to acquire more wealth and good fortune. Adventurers caught in this predicament can hastily dispatch of Rexted and receive their reward or take their time and confront the true villain.

7. Preaslin – The Wizard’s Apprentice

Characteristics: Stutters when flustered, Nasal voice, Always dishevelled
Race: Gnome, Dwarf

Adventure Hook: Preaslin can be found stumbling around the marketplace of his city, obviously flustered and clumsily carrying large piles parchment and jars. Rushing along in a world of his own the young scruffy apprentice will walk straight into one of the adventurers, falling to the ground. On the verge of a break down, Preaslin looks away from his ruined items to see the adventurers. Knowing of their prior exploits the apprentice stumbles excitedly over his request for help. Due to the apprentice’s err; his master has been transported to the elemental chaos. Adventurers can undertake this dangerous task for little reward or ignore the stuttering apprentice and continue their more important duties. Adventurers who fail to help Preaslin are revisited by him sometime in the future. Only this time the apprentice seeks no help, but revenge. Having agreed to a warlocks pact in desperation, Preaslin didn’t save his master in time and now blames the adventurers.

8. Groth – A Drunken Adventurer

Characteristics: Boisterous laughter, Viciously scarred, Overly friendly
Races: Half-Orc, Goliath

Adventure Hook: Within a normally quiet tavern or inn, Groth can be found disrupting locals and making unwilling friends with his boisterous laugh and overly touchy manner. With the arrival or discover of other adventurers, Groth will saunter over and regale with several unbelievable stories of his prowess and magnificence. During these ramblings Groth lets slip some vital information about his parties current treasure hunt, revealing the presence and location of a powerful artefact within a nearby dungeon. Adventurers who choose to use this information must battle through the undead infested tower to retrieve a relic that proves as powerful as Groth’s inebriated tales. Adventurers who ignore the information distributed by the drunken warrior, are confronted the next day by the now sober Groth and his party. With a dour look upon his face and an attitude near opposite from the joyous giant the night before, Groth accuses the adventuring party of stealing the relic that is rightfully his. A claim he is willing to fight and die for.

9. Thergin – The Nervous Merchant

Characteristics: Sleazy, Fiddles and Fidgets, Nervously laughs regularly
Races: Gnome, Halfling

Adventure Hook: An unfortunate looking man, Thergin harps his simple wares throughout busy streets and market places. Constantly sweating and always rushing through his words, the salesman seems out of place amongst his competitors. Adventurers that near the little man are waved down emphatically, if ignored the small salesman chases after the party constantly spouting words like excuse me and please wait. When he eventually gets the groups attention, the nervous Thergin requests their help. If they escort him to a hidden storeroom outside the city unharmed, he shall reward them with the treasure trove of magical items stored within; an offer seemingly to good to be true. Thergin acquired the items by clerical error and has been hunted by a group of bandits since he mistakenly received the magical items. Having offered to return the items to the bandits to no avail and only just escaping with his life. Thergin hopes that the bandits will attack him and his entourage on their way to the storeroom, sorting out booth his problems at once. Ridding himself of the horrible bandits and of the troublesome weapons he never wanted. Failure to protect the merchant sees a vile group of zealots complete a collection of unholy armour, unleashing a demonic prince upon the world.

10. Bealis – The Not So Noble

Characteristics: Condescending to everyone, Openly rude and insulting, Pays more attention to her appearance than people.
Races: Human

Adventure Hook: Bealis’ stunning looks and graceful movements are spoiled by her rotten attitude and venomous tongue. The low ranking noble has only one desire, to sit upon the throne of the kingdom, a seat that the young woman is very far away from. To achieve this goal, Bealis wanders her city’s taverns and merchant quarters discreetly looking for adventurers she can hire to kill one of the heir’s inline before her. Bealis offers large monetary rewards and will often spin lies about the character of her sibling or cousin in order to get the heroes to agree. The many adventurers that have declined her offer have found themselves in serious trouble. After being rejected, Bealis will often rush off to complete the foul deed herself, then report seeing the adventurers near the now dead family member. Against the accurate description and word of a noble, most adventurers either flee the law or face an unfortunate end at the hands of the executioner.