100 NPCs To Meet On The Docks

Port cities are centers of culture and trade, and they tend to act as a mixing pot for an entire region. From merchants and diplomats to travelers, pirates and military ships, you can find a bit of everything if you sit in one place and take the time to watch. If your game involves a port city of any real size, then making it feel like an organic part of the world can be a huge burden on you as a Game Master. However, the following NPCs can be used to really flesh out the kinds of people the party is likely to encounter when they spend time in the docks district. Some of them provide valuable services, and they could act as allies to the party. Others might be antagonists whose goals are counter to what the PCs are trying to achieve. And some will just be there for fun and flavor. Which NPCs are which, however, is entirely up to you to decide! This PDF supports Adobe layers and the page backgrounds and images can be disabled to make printing easier. Here are some sample results: Crassock Lightfoot: Short even for a halfling, Crassock's brown hair is turning white, and his green eyes are usually dull and unfocused. Good-natured and soft-spoken, Crassock tends to carry the aroma of strong pipe weed wherever he goes. He doesn't like to talk about the nature of his trade, but the dock would grind to a halt without the pint-sized necromancer's efforts. After all, there aren't many who can ensure the meat shipped out from the port will be free of rot and decay when it gets to the other end of its voyage. Laraina The Gull Woman: A ragged-haired gnome with wild eyes and threadbare clothes, Laraina earned her name for her habit of conversing with the feral birds that caw all throughout the docks, and which can be found up and down the beaches. While she's a little unsettling to talk to, she does have an uncanny knowledge of everything going on in the district... almost as if the birds really are talking to her. While she might share her secrets, the things she asks for in payment are confusing to most who go to her. She might ask for a brass button off of one's coat, a compass out of a person's pocket or even a trimming of a man's beard... she'll never accept coins, though, as money simply has no value to her. Garland, The Sea Devil: Typically dressed in a long black coat and a pair of whipcord breeches, Garland tends to stand out in a crowd. The tiefling has blue skin, teeth like a shark, a tongue like a serpent and black claws on his feet and hands that gleam like obsidian. The first mate of the privateer ship Vengeance, Garland is fiercely protective of both his ship and his crew. While there are rumors about where this loyalty comes from, it's said Garland would kick open the gates of hell itself to drag one of his crew back out. Dorus Dearling: An ironworker who specializes in chains, this dwarf's work is always in-demand all along the docks. With her long, black hair typically worn tied back in an intricate braid, most can easily recognize the smith from behind, even if they don't recognize her from the front. Confident in her work, Dorus offers a 10-year guarantee on every chain she's sold, provided it is used within the weight it's graded for. While most of her clients are merchant mariners, it's said she deals with a number of nobles and militias who have... alternative uses for the links she forges. Argrim: A man with obvious orcish heritage (to judge from his jutting tusks and heavy shoulders) he often lingers in the docks to watch the crowd. Far from merely idle observation, though, his narrowed, piercing eyes are always searching for someone... or possibly several someones. The bounty hunter makes a tidy living collaring those who are trying to leave the city (or who are fleeing across the ocean in some cases), but it's said he ignores local residents... especially if the purse for them isn't very large. A courtesy to those he considers his neighbors, most have learned not to abuse this rule. Those who have... well, they act as object lessons about what happens when Argim's patience is stretched to its limit, and how that seldom works out for the one who did the stretching. One page is the front cover, one the front matter and one is ads. Play YouTube Preview Click on an image to check out other NPC supplements More fantasy NPCs to meet Keep checking back to see if more are added