Actually I just need ideas for interesting NPCs. At the moment the campaign I'm running has the PCs in a lot of sea travel. It's about 3 months tops for whats planned. The PCs are on an elven run ship with with 20 crew member including captain and the first mate.
Since this is such a long trip I want them to get to know their fellow crew mates, especially if someone dies. I'd hate for deaths to just be nameless elven sailor#3 even though they've been traveling with them for months.
Any ideas? I'm looking for names and interesting personalities.
Thanks ahead of time.
I this thread on /tg/ earlier so far this is what I got.
-An elven trio one short of a former barbershop quartet (the former fourth member left because of creative differences
Van Oaken - The gentlemanly one, and a skilled banjo player, also a crack shot with a pistol.
Haggis McMaple - a rather un-elvenlike person, large and strong. He speaks with a Scottish accent and has a love of the caber toss.
Sawtree Bill - Short and stout, one might mistake him for a dwarf. He has a love of gold and riches.
As a possible event to transpire mid-route, the trio return to their old singing ways, crooning on about old sailors tales and the sea, and refuse to work. Their song must be broken to continue the voyage, but beware, for they are skilled at both singing and rhyming, so the PC's will have some trouble coming up with lyrics or words to break the song.
-Four of them go by the name Hamish, but only one of them is telling the truth. No-one on the ship actually knows which one is really called Hamish. They don't even look alike, and one's a woman!
Aktion wrote: Actually I just need ideas for interesting NPCs. At the moment the campaign I'm running has the PCs in a lot of sea travel. It's about 3 months tops for whats planned. The PCs are on an elven run ship with with 20 crew member including captain and the first mate.
Since this is such a long trip I want them to get to know their fellow crew mates, especially if someone dies. I'd hate for deaths to just be nameless elven sailor#3 even though they've been traveling with them for months.
Any ideas? I'm looking for names and interesting personalities.
Thanks ahead of time.
Define run ship. Is this a merchant, pirate, or military vessel. I'm horrible with names, but I can certainly suggest crew positions and personalities.
It's a merchant vessel, however, the elves on it are all navel officers.
The one big thing about sea travel in this world is that most people travel by sea portals that reduces travel time to a mere 15 miles from port. That's not to say everyone in the world does that but these elves have never really traveled more than a few days from port. This will be their first time at sea for an extended period of time.
Aktion wrote: It's a merchant vessel, however, the elves on it are all navel officers.
The one big thing about sea travel in this world is that most people travels by sea portals that reduces travel time to a mere 15 miles from port. That's not to say everyone in the world does that but these elves have never really traveled more than a few days from port. This will be their first time at sea for an extended period of time.
One final question. Does your answer bolded above mean that the non-officer positions are not necessarily filled by elves, and that just the officers are elves? Or is it a merchant crew that has been requisitioned by the navy? But...
Officers-
Capt. Arven - A very competent marine, serious to a fault who is oddly incompetent at sea. A man who is trained and excels at amphibious warfare, but is too stubborn to realize when he does not know what he is doing. The party may have to subtly convince him of his errors since he would consider questioning his judgement on a war vessel to be mutinous. Otherwise, generous with the party.
First Mate - Curuion - An older more experienced elf of the sea. He spent some time in the merchant navy before joining the military, but his time aboard kept him away from court, and, therefore, promotions. He now serves second fiddle to a younger less experienced captain. This is well-noted by the crew who prefer Curuion to Arven, and can put the two at odds. Especially, when the first mate oversteps his role as advisor to the captain. Curuion is talkative, though, and will regale the party of his time at sea. Likely an excellent resource for rules and customs you want to introduce to the party.
Quartermaster Prestadven Humanborn- The only half-elf among the officers. He has risen through the ranks by being sharp and fair. His fairness, however, is both personal and professional. If you anger him, don;t be surprised if you suddenly have a smaller ration of soap, wine, and powder. The opposite is also true. He has a strong fondness for unusual items, and will often engage the group to help him obtain exotic goods. Also, unusual finds can be traded to him for more "rare" equipment. Personality note, secretly in love with the carpenter, and he is actually trying to come across items with which to woo her. The romantic side can be an interesting reveal if you play Prestadven as initially greedy.
More to come....
Carpenter - Gilchel - a dark-haired elf maiden who has picked up a swarthy complexion from her time at sea. She is enamored with travel, and loves the freedom working in the navy provides her. She is a skilled hand with tools and magic in keeping the vessel afloat, and is probably the saltiest hand among the officers. She is full of quips, humor, and sarcasm about the glut of landlubbers weighing her baby down.
Bosun - Nimorn - The man in charge of the crew. A lower officer, and one newly joined to the ranks of officer. Tasked with overseeing able seamen much more experienced than himself, and on his first trip away from land, Nimorn quickly succumbs to the cabin fever. Through a preexisting friendship with the captain, his stranger and stranger requests (cleaning obscure, multiple organizing of minute pointless items, and weird morning exercises). Feel free to play this as frightening or hilarious as you want, perhaps alternating over time.
That's it for the naval officers. Make note, that all these officers except the carpenter are expected to fight in ship battles. I will sprinkle in some crew after my last post is responded too.
pobbes wrote:
One final question. Does your answer bolded above mean that the non-officer positions are not necessarily filled by elves, and that just the officers are elves? Or is it a merchant crew that has been requisitioned by the navy? But...
Everyone on the crew is an elf. All 20 of them are navel officers. They're just using a merchant vessel for the moment.
Thanks btw. This is all gold! =D
Aktion wrote:
Everyone on the crew is an elf. All 20 of them are navel officers. They're just using a merchant vessel for the moment.
Thanks btw. This is all gold! =D
I don't think I can kick out twenty crew, and I was hoping others may jump in, but I will see if I can help a little more. It would be rare for the entire ship to be of officers. Yet, that provides a little more tension as officers are doing the work of the regular crew. Will post just a few more characters tonight.
Able Seamen - Nimaya - Nimaya is the mounted arms expert for the elven vessel. Whether it be crossbows, ballistae, or cannons, Nimaya can aim, fire, and fix it. She assists Gilchel most of the time, and the two women have come to share a friendship. She is designing a sidearm catapult sling for a bladed disc designed to curve in flight (like a firsbee) so it can fly along the length of a ship, from any angle, and slice rigging. Nimaya comes from a defensive background designing fortifications while serving for her husbands hold in the woodlands, of which she speaks fondly. The time away from her husband has made her prone to home sickness and would gladly reward anyone who had a way of sending or receiving word with her family.
Deckhand - Orseras - The greatest rapier duelist of the black fir glades or so he would have you believe. A young, capable elf who bemoans his position as lowly deckhand. Despite having spent time in the courts, he was still given the lowest of jobs aboard, perhaps, implying his skill in diplomacy is not on par with his swordsmanship. He will tell everyone he sees how he is so far above swabbing the decks, which Nimorn has been ordering with greater degrees of alacrity. Hotheaded, Orseras is probably the first to blurt out his thoughts, but it is this trait that makes him reliably honest. If the group fights beside him, they will find that his skill with a sword is almost as good as he talks... almost.
Musician - Lyon - Lyon walks around as if he were captain, and issues orders accordingly. He pipes down whenever Arven or Curuion is around, but is otherwise incorrigible. Lyon is the very optimistic soul of the ship. His pranks and attitude are as much a blessing as a curse as he does keep the voyage exciting. If tempted to justify his behavior, Lyon replies, "Sure, without you this ship would sink. Without my music, the ship would stay afloat, but you'd all go mad keeping it that way." (Note: Nimorn never listens to Lyon play). If Lyon likes the party, he will both prank them, and enlist them is pulling off other pranks on shipmates.
Marines - Thalost (M), Castien (M), Mirwen (F) - A trio of grumpy marines. More suited to combat then sailing, but they take a long view of the work at hand. They can play a very straight man or woman as a foil for other NPCs as they simply fulfill their duty. In their history, the three of them have fought together for over a hundred years. They are fiercely loyal to one another, and fight as one cohesive unit. They don't like being split up. If befriended tell alot of old war stories, and may reveal that the three of them have outlived comrades, family, and spouses on the battlefield together. Every story of theirs' is a mix of adventure and hardship.
Navigator - Vardamir - Because Elf ships do most of their long-range travel through gates the position of navigator has fallen into some disuse, and for this voyage the ship is having to make do with the "best available" Elf for the job. Being a stuffy, academic wizard from the astronomy department of a prestigious university recalled to service for this mission has not endeared Vardamir to the crew, and vise versa. But he has earned some grudging respect for the way he absently clambers his way up to the top of the main mast in order to get the best possible view of the stars.
I’m honestly not being snarky, just friendly FYI.
If this is going to be a 3-month campaign strictly at-sea and your entire NPC crew is going to be as you say, and if you are going to do any amount of email or hand-outs, you may want to correct the spelling/usage of “navel” to “naval.”
Some may find the idea of sea-faring elves picking at their bellybuttons humorous and even justified, but somehow I don’t think that’s what you were going for. :D
jtokay wrote: I’m honestly not being snarky, just friendly FYI.
If this is going to be a 3-month campaign strictly at-sea and your entire NPC crew is going to be as you say, and if you are going to do any amount of email or hand-outs, you may want to correct the spelling/usage of “navel” to “naval.”
Some may find the idea of sea-faring elves picking at their bellybuttons humorous and even justified, but somehow I don’t think that’s what you were going for. :D
Ah, I see what you did there. However not changing it could lead to a strangely sexy alternative to sea travel.
Aktion wrote: jtokay wrote: I’m honestly not being snarky, just friendly FYI.
If this is going to be a 3-month campaign strictly at-sea and your entire NPC crew is going to be as you say, and if you are going to do any amount of email or hand-outs, you may want to correct the spelling/usage of “navel” to “naval.”
Some may find the idea of sea-faring elves picking at their bellybuttons humorous and even justified, but somehow I don’t think that’s what you were going for. :D
Ah, I see what you did there. However not changing it could lead to a strangely sexy alternative to sea travel. Midriff-baring uniforms for all? :D
jtokay wrote: Midriff-baring uniforms for all? :D I think this campaign just took a turn for the best.
Aktion wrote: jtokay wrote: Midriff-baring uniforms for all? :D I think this campaign just took a turn for the best. And with that-
Aranira and Caunilla - Twin elven sorceresses. After that sinks in... They are brought on to be standard deck hands, but the captain often under utilizes them (this is due to his opinion of their class). However, the twins very much dislike getting "special" treatment. Despite how foreign or intriguing they appear to other people, Aranira and Caunilla are most comfortable with one another. This is not because they are twins, but because they treat one another as mundane. Their individual exotic abilities are simply normal to each other, and they want others to see them that way. The party could benefit from two powerful allies if they find a way to convince the twins that they also see them as equal as the rest of the crew.
That's my last character post for the crew. I hope you have some fun.
pobbes wrote: Aktion wrote: jtokay wrote: Midriff-baring uniforms for all? :D I think this campaign just took a turn for the best. And with that-
Aranira and Caunilla - Twin elven sorceresses. After that sinks in... They are brought on to be standard deck hands, but the captain often under utilizes them (this is due to his opinion of their class). However, the twins very much dislike getting "special" treatment. Despite how foreign or intriguing they appear to other people, Aranira and Caunilla are most comfortable with one another. This is not because they are twins, but because they treat one another as mundane. Their individual exotic abilities are simply normal to each other, and they want others to see them that way. The party could benefit from two powerful allies if they find a way to convince the twins that they also see them as equal as the rest of the crew.
That's my last character post for the crew. I hope you have some fun. =D thanks for your help!!
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