The hits keep coming. It won't be a short one today as I talk about a favorite recurring NPC. I talked about one of my own creations yesterday, so today I'll talk about a favorite from a campaign wherein I was a player instead of the GM and one made by the professionals over at John Wick Presents.
One of the other guys was running the weekly live table D&D game when he created this one. It was a male halfling barkeep named, Spittle. He earned this name because of the special drink he served to patrons on the cheap. Every night whatever drink wasn't finished in the glasses and mugs went into a big barrel. On the rare occasion that a wine was tasted rather than drank...the spat out wine would find its way into the barrel as well. As there wasn't typically much ale left in the tankards at the end of a given night, well water and maybe left over soup or hogwash may have been added for consistency's sake. On the plus side those who could stomach it got drunk fast and it only cost 2 coppers a serving. Much money was made in side betting as to whether or not someone was stout enough to keep it down. Spittle was also able to get his hands on rare items that we needed from time to time and he even invented a device that when attached to a person's legs extended his height by a few feet. Unfortunately, it only worked on halflings. Weeks later in a different town we found another 'Spittle's Tavern' that was run by a kobold...We weren't exactly pleased to learn that this location also carried the drink special.
The other favorite recurring NPC comes from the 7th Sea 2nd edition by John Wick Presents. that came out back in 2016. As previously mentioned I ran a Roll 20 Campaign from October of that year all the way until May of 2017. That campaign fell apart before this villain got her proper comeuppance, but that happens sometimes.
Her Name is Lotje Abbing. I'm going to paste a summary of her story for you, and tell you a little about playing 7thSea.
The game takes place in the age of pirates on an alternate world with nations and events that mirror our real history. However, there is also magic and quite a few monsters. Lotje Abbing is from Eisen the systems version of Germany--but it's like Germany by way of Ravenloft.
History:
"Lotje Abbing was born during the War of the Cross to a minor noble family with extensive forested lands at the feet of the Drachenberg Mountains. She was raised strictly and indoctrinated into the family tradition of hunting the bandits and monsters that threatened the family lands.
As a young girl, Lotje savored the hunt. After fighting in the War, and mastering the versatile Drexel
zweihänder style, it became more important for her to not simply catch and slay her quarry. Instead, her enemy had to know he was beaten when she delivered the death stroke. She realized humans, more than any other creature, were able to appreciate their doom with exquisite clarity.
The War killed all her family save her twin brother, Lothar. Inseparable, the two kept each other alive
through all the horrors that beset Eisen, and they returned home set on rebuilding. Lothar assumed
the lordship, and assumed Lotje would support him.
Instead, she arranged a Grand Hunt in his honor, releasing a majestic stag, and while he celebrated over the body of the stag, she shot Lothar and took his head as a trophy.
Now Lotje’s home is a menagerie of pelts, taxidermy and trophies both exotic and ghastly. She has hunted all over Théah to bring its predatory marvels back for her enviable collection of the monstrously macabre.
Hidden from prying eyes, her private suites hold the mounted skulls of her human prey, with Lothar in pride of place. Someone who proves their dedication to the hunt, convincing her they are her equal—without being a threat—could get quite the tour of this collection, and solve many unexplained murders.
Despite her bloodthirsty tastes, Lotje is fiercely protective of the Bauern on her lands. While punishment for crimes is becoming the prey in one of Lotje’s hunts, the Bauern who follow their obligations to their lady are treated with grim respect.
Though neighboring lands still suffer hardship, and frequent missing persons in the forest, she and her huntsmen bring back enough meat to keep her own people surprisingly well fed.In return for this safety, her baueren report to her any vagrants, foreigners or other strangers that pass through.
Some are invited to stay, and some are even seen again. Her public reputation has been maintained
with care, and an invitation to her estate to hunt is still considered a treat by many (subjects), despite
the occasional unfortunate accident." (John Wick Presents: 7th Sea: Heroes and Villains pg. 164)
I don't know if I remember how to do that correctly or not, but it's best to always give credit where it's due in as best as one can. Anyways, who wouldn't want to play as a villain like that? In this game the villains get schemes that they should try to complete to gain their own experience, but you know it's all about the heroes and I would have let her go down had my duelist player stuck around for the final confrontation...but alas, these young college girls let their education get in the way of gaming. Such is the fate of a poor, old GM.
