Got some ideas floating in your head about some righteous cutters or barmy sods? Share!
To prod the discussion cattle, here are some things I'm thinking about at the moment:
1. A fiend that tempts academics and logicians.
2. Celestials seeking innovative ways to preach to the masses. Good is working on a PR campaign!
3. Characters that fit on the Outlands but with more unique/interesting takes on what it means to be TN.
I should detail up this slaad character I've been milling over. Belongs to an apparently unique caste (he/she/it refers to itself as a Quiver Slaad). It hangs around on either Ysgard, Pandemonium or the chaos side of the Outlands (doesn't like going to Limbo because they're afraid of being eaten). Hires itself out as a guide for the the aforementioned planes, including Limbo (just so long as the party they're with is powerful enough).
Yes you should *points at the Submit Articles link* get to! 
Hey Wicke,
Friendly, hopeful prod for you to detail that slaad.
thanks,
Sci
Hehehe...this weekend maybe. My job has wrapped up for the season, so I'll have time to work on stuff.
I'm not so great with the mechanics end of NPC creation, but I do know I want this (or something very similar to it):
Quiver(Ex): A Quiver Slaad can shake and quiver, gaining the benefits of a Blur spell. This effect lasts for 1d4 rounds. At the end of the Blur effect, the Quiver Slaad splits into 1d4 copies of itself, with all remaining hit points divided evenly between each individual, rounded up. These copies must wait a full week before being able to quiver again.
The upshot is that whenever a Quiver Slaad quivers, sometimes nothing happens (roll a 1 on the d4) and sometimes four really weak copies spring into existence. I'm considering stipulating some kind of trigger to start the quiver, like taking damage or something along those lines, but I can't think of anything particularly noteworthy.
Dang, you know Wicke I saw something that was like this a couple days ago, now can't remember...
here are two more NPC possibilities:
1. Zariel. I figure her conscious mind is trapped in a hag in Sigil, while her divorced subconscious (along with all her power as a Lord of Nine) is under Bel's citadel in Avernus. I actually had a whole story written up for this that got devoured on the Wizard boards...dang me for not saving it.
2. 4e Astral book had a cool idea they called "Journey into Deep Myth" similar to banhe's Council of Affairs campaign - you go back in time, change the past, come back and see if you succeeded. They also have the deva race, which reincarnates itself over and over. Imagine a deva that reincarnates itself to change an event in the past, forced to travel back in time over and over but continually dying in the past only to reincarnate in the present. PCs start become aware of the alterations he's making as they ripple out and nations, people, even gods appear and disappear.
Long ago, the corpse of a fallen soldier was meant to be laid to rest after the woman died in the war between the Vaati and the Queen of Chaos. Unfortunately, the graveyard was on the Elemental Plane of Air and portals to it were lost after the Vaati died out.
Now, after the passage of ages, a merchant descendant of this soldier has managed to bring the corpse to Sigil. The corpse's spirit lingers, attempt to help her descendant become more confident and patient. The spirit has worked wonders not just for her descendant but for the Lower Ward neighborhood as well. Part of her has found new found joy and duty in service to the community.
Yesterday, a group of adventurers found the location of the graveyard....
I love all of these ideas. I'm not certain if I should post any of my NPC ideas, as some of them are a bit odd. I also have approximately fifteen potential submissions floating around in my head......
Chaotic_Goth1431, sorry I didn't see this post until now - Definitely post potential ideas!
I am mulling on an npc to introduce in my campaign for when my group is sent back in time.
Martiganar, Time hunter.
A tall male, about 3 metres. He looks and appears to be a really tall and limber human, although his skin is dark blue and all over it are tattooes and texts in an almost neonwhite (at times blueish) colour. Sigils, words, scriptures, markings, signs, symbols, seals all scattered across his skin. His eyes burns bright white with a slight golden tinge to it. His hair is short cropped and white, he wears a few jewelry pieces, ear studs, nose ring and some bracelets along with an amulet.
His "formal" attire is a red tunic/tabard with white markings identifying him as a Time hunter of the Timewardens. His function is to seek out meddlers of time, hunt them down and stop them from disrupting and exploiting time. Chronomancy has been deemed too dangerous so it must be monitored, guarded, secured. But there are always some who want to do what they ought not.
Martiganar is like all timewardens lawful in nature, he wears an almost grim expression on his face when he hunts. Playing with time is no small matter and he believes his function is very important. He is otherwise a friendly man, easy to get close to and enjoys good company. Strong of will and body and will do anything to do his job. As such he is not a completely honorable man, the end justifies the means to him, after all his function is important to the stability of the cosmos. Him being a timehunter grants him certain powers and tricks that help him hunt, other than that he has no spells or the like.
Philosophically this leads him to believe that things happens for a reason and according to some plan, otherwise the need for him to prevent meddling with time would not exist.
(those are my thoughts about him for now, I intend for him to meet up with my players as they are thrown back in time, he is on the hunt and might aid the adventurers.)
I'm going to reply with respect to "interesting takes on True Neutral," because it's arguably my favourite alignment. Some of my favourite True Neutral characters and NPCs I've seen have been...
- A chameleon-type character, someone who is vastly different depending on the company they are in; their personality may be strongly exerted or atrophied, but what they purport to believe in is different and tailored to whomever happens to be nearby. The chameleon effectively "cancels out" any work they do for good, evil, law, or chaos, by counteracting it in equal measure. They are a balance of agendas.
- A character who, though similar to the above, does not masquerade as an extreme -- instead, they are wildly interested in all manner of things, intensely believing in seemingly contrary agendas and working towards them simultaneously. The character may be exuberant about it, or more of a silent scholar, but regardless, they are willing to explore all avenues and give anything a chance.
- A little more specifically, there was a Druid PC I had the joy of seeing who joined the Revolutionary League out of a desire to maintain the cosmic balance. They were more cosmopolitan and "urban" than your typical druid, perhaps due to the setting or perhaps only perceived that way due to their comfort in Sigil. Regardless, the character actively worked against all Factions and extremist agendas simultaneously, seeking to ensure that they were all kept in line, and none grew too powerful.
The entire arcanaloth caste.
BoGr Guide to Missile Combat:
1) Equip a bow or crossbow.
2) Roll a natural 1 on d20.
3) ?????
4) Profit!