The Retired Archaeologist

Credit: Peter Nijenhuis

Hello and welcome to my world building blog!

Today, referencing the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Design Kit by Harold Johnson and Aaron Allston, published in 1988 by TSR, Inc., we'll be discussing allies and neutrals.  In Book III: Adventure Cookbook, Johnson and Allston mention:

"One of the most entertaining parts of dungeon-mastering is the opportunity to portray some interesting NPC - in effect, to chew up the scenery with some entertaining character, both to spice up the game and to challenge the players to play their own characters more vigorously.  Here are several such ALLIES and NEUTRALS which can be part of your adventure."

And they go on to list a handful of NPCs one could use for such a challenge.  My random generator chose the Crusty Old Professional.  The book describes this person as follows:

"The heroes need an expert in a certain field - this time a craft or art, such as blacksmithing, engineering, horse-training, or whatever.

"The only or best professional they can find is an aged expert.  He's crusty, cranky, and sharp-tongued; he constantly complains about the food, the weather, his companions, the decline in skill of his co-workers since he was a young man, the road conditions, his working conditions, the rotten pay he's receiving, and so on.  You can have him actually possess a heart of gold or be just as nasty as he sounds.

"Character level and Abilities:  Experience level just below characters' party average."

I like the idea of an old, retired archaeologist that had explored the Ruins of Azamar long before the Cult of Ithaqua moved in.  He would be long lived, a little too long lived, in his most venerable years; very forgetful, and on the verge of senility.

Since they live a long time, and my setting is high fantasy, I would be tempted to use an elf.  But elves are sharp-minded, and sometimes arrogant, so full of themselves.  Somehow, an elf would not make a good fit for a crusty professional.

Dwarves are crusty enough, especially when they get up in age.  But, the gruff old dwarf is a bit cliché.

I was thinking a gnome could fit the bill.  They can live up to 500 years, and some of them could get rather brusque.

But what would be fun is an elderly halfling.  They can live up to 200 years, and even that is pushing it.

The party's ally:  A female halfling by the name of Sylula Earthdance.  She was Azamar's renown explorer and recoverer of ancient artifacts.  Now retired, she lives in a village destroyed by the aberrant, cultish monsters.  When the heroes find her, she is living in ignorant bliss as if nothing has happened.  She has a lot of stories of the past, especially stories of her time within the Ruins.  Sylula knows all the nooks and crannies of the derelict structures, which should seem promising to the heroes.

When the heroes encounter her, Sylula would try to convince them she would be the best asset they could have, like a living map.  Reliving her glory days, she wants to return to the Ruins, and she could lead them within, find all the traps, and skirt the baddies.  At least, that's what she would tell them.  Obviously, we, as the adventure designers, know that Sylula Earthdance is whacked out of her mind.

If the party decides to let her join their journey, that's when the complaints kick in.  And then, when they arrive at the Ruins, she gets turned around and confused.  But she's not completely useless.  After all, she is a professional, and all that archaeological knowledge is at the forefront of her memory.  She could be used to notice differences in rock formations, subtle disturbances in the dirt, or maybe she has some latent, magical power that makes her a fantasy metal detector.  This NPC could go a long way.

But that's my take on the Crusty Old Professional.  In the book, they describe many other allies you could use for your adventure.

Next week, we'll discuss the one behind all the chaos in the kingdom of Azamar, the one based out of the Ruins of Azamar; the Master Villain.

I hope you enjoyed the read, and until next time, thanks for reading.