NPC Boons & Gallery
A boon is a quantifiable, non-monetary way an NPC might help the PCs — a discount on goods, a one-time skill bonus, or a small magical benefit only that character can provide. Boons reward PCs for building genuine relationships with the NPCs of your campaign world.
Boons are never wantonly granted. Only NPCs with an attitude of Helpful offer them, and usually only to PCs they have come to trust over time or who have done them meaningful personal services. An NPC is more likely to favour an individual PC than an entire adventuring party. Not every NPC has something special to offer — some simply lack the position or resources to grant meaningful aid.
A boon should feel like a favour between friends, not a life-changing reward. The nature of a boon depends more on an NPC's role in the world than on her class level: a 1st-level young prince may grant a far more impactful boon — a pardon, a financed voyage, a decreed law — than an 11th-level baker. PCs never gain boons they can grant others, and cannot compel boons even from the closest allies.
Boon Types
Any character of any class or social level might offer a favor. Favors embody direct personal aid: a shopkeeper granting a 10% discount, a nobleman using influence to arrange a meeting with a local lord, or a retired adventurer loaning a masterwork longbow.
Favors are the most common boon type and the easiest to improvise on the fly.
Certain NPCs can share expertise or lend influence in a specific field. Skill boons grant a minor bonus on skill checks — either a +2 bonus in a very specific situation (never on all uses of a skill) or a one-time +4 bonus on a specific check.
Example: a famous merchant's signet ring grants +2 on Diplomacy checks with other merchants in his home city's marketplace.
The rarest form — special powers exclusive to a character that fall outside normal class abilities. Examples: a ghost grants a PC the ability to see through a specific illusionist's illusions; an alchemist brews a potion granting immunity to brown mold for 24 hours.
Limit unique boons to a single use or to one adventure to prevent exploitation.
Boons by NPC Class
The following examples show boons appropriate to each of the five NPC classes. Any NPC of any class can grant a boon — these serve as a guide and a starting shopping list. GMs are encouraged to create their own boons suited to individual NPCs and campaign situations.
While users of divine magic are often regarded simply as healers, their wisdom and vaunted positions mean they can have much more to offer.
- FavorFree healing on a single occasion.
- FavorLetter of recommendation to lower-ranking priests, ordering them to help the PCs as required (granting the aid of a 1st-level adept hireling for 3 days).
- SkillFavorable introductions to contacts in a local church, providing a PC a +2 bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence members of that specific church.
- SkillProves especially knowledgeable in mysterious alchemical techniques, granting a PC a +4 bonus on one Craft (alchemy) check made to create an alchemical item.
- UniqueCan brew 4 unique potions that instantly heal the disease filth fever.
- UniqueAllows the PC to commune with the spirit animal of his tribe, granting the ability to speak with animals of a specific regional species once per day.
Aristocrats vary in rank from village squires to emperors, with most having wealth and position that grants them great influence in a community.
- FavorProvides an invitation to an aristocratic event, such as an estate party, royal gala, or public celebration.
- FavorUses influence to save the PCs from prosecution for a crime.
- SkillOffers a day-long primer on local courtesy, granting a PC a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nobility) checks for the city or region.
- SkillAttends a character on his visit to the royal court, granting a +4 bonus on Sense Motive checks on interactions with the court's members during that outing.
- UniqueLoans a ship and provides a crew for a voyage to a distant land.
- UniqueGrants a PC a minor, landless title that affords access to certain local rights.
Although not usually famous or wealthy, commoners have a wide variety of skills and can usually come up with creative ways to repay favors.
- FavorProvides a room and prepares an elaborate feast in a PC's honor.
- FavorProvides a 50% discount on a high-quality, non-magical item made using one of his Craft skills.
- SkillFreely uses his highest Craft or Profession skill for the PC for a month of service (perhaps crewing a vehicle or ship, tending a rare plant, or training an animal).
- SkillShares rural remedies, granting a PC a +2 bonus when using Heal to treat diseases.
- UniqueCreates a map or leads a PC through the local wilderness to a secret location only he knows about.
- UniqueCompetently manages a home or business for an absentee PC.
Skilled craftsmen, professionals, and learned members of society regularly have a wide range of specific talents and obscure information that can prove useful to PCs.
- FavorProvides material for a PC, cutting the price to create a non-magical item in half.
- FavorCan find a seller for any non-magic item or a buyer for any magic item.
- SkillGrants access to an exceptionally well-outfitted workspace, giving a PC a +4 bonus on a specific Craft or Profession check.
- SkillTeaches a PC a trick of the trade, granting a perpetual +1 bonus on one Craft or Profession check that the PC and expert share.
- UniqueObtains membership in a regional guild, providing a PC with a 10% discount on a certain kind of goods in a wide region.
- UniqueCan create a special tool that opens an ancient lock, circumvents an impassable trap, or replaces a part of a broken mechanism.
Professional warriors typically have a wide range of experience and useful contacts among other career combatants, those they serve, and those they oppose.
- FavorGifts a PC one non-magical weapon, piece of armor, or adventuring gear.
- FavorCan guard a precious object or hide it where none will find it.
- SkillRelates his experience patrolling the local sewers, granting a PC a +2 bonus on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks in the city sewers.
- SkillProvides information with which to blackmail a local criminal, granting a PC a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks against local street thugs.
- UniqueCan form a posse, bringing together a group of 2d4 low-level warriors to aid in one specific plan.
- UniqueGrants the secret of a specialized fighting style, providing a PC with a +1 bonus on initiative.
NPC Gallery
For every adventuring party, dozens of nonplayer characters exist to provide vital services, progress story lines, or add flavour between sagas. The following table lists over 80 pre-built NPC archetypes by name, class composition, and CR — a reference for encounters, hirelings, and ad hoc statistics. Statistics for these archetypes appear in the Game Mastery Guide Chapter 9. Each includes a sample boon appropriate to that NPC type.
Although a stat block is titled "Guide," there is no reason a GM cannot repurpose those statistics for an explorer, outrider, or any similar character. Alignments are easily altered, and skills — especially Craft, Knowledge, and Profession — can be swapped on the fly.
| Archetype | Class | CR |
|---|---|---|
| Foot Soldier | Warrior 1 | 1/3 |
| Squire | Aristocrat 1 | 1/3 |
| Village Idiot | Commoner 1 | 1/3 |
| Acolyte | Cleric 1 | 1/2 |
| Bandit | Warrior 2 | 1/2 |
| Barmaid | Commoner 2 | 1/2 |
| Farmer | Commoner 1/Expert 1 | 1/2 |
| Pickpocket | Rogue 1 | 1/2 |
| Shipmate | Expert 1/Warrior 1 | 1/2 |
| Beggar | Commoner 1/Rogue 1 | 1 |
| Cannibal | Barbarian 2 | 1 |
| Caravan Guard | Fighter 2 | 1 |
| Doomsayer | Adept 3 | 1 |
| Drunkard | Commoner 1/Warrior 2 | 1 |
| Guard | Warrior 3 | 1 |
| Initiate | Monk 2 | 1 |
| Prostitute | Expert 1/Rogue 1 | 1 |
| Shopkeep | Expert 3 | 1 |
| Storyteller | Bard 2 | 1 |
| Street Thug | Fighter 1/Rogue 1 | 1 |
| Vagabond | Commoner 2/Warrior 1 | 1 |
| Burglar | Rogue 3 | 2 |
| Cultist | Cleric 3 | 2 |
| Noble Scion | Aristocrat 4 | 2 |
| Prisoner | Expert 4 | 2 |
| Wanderer | Bard 1/Rogue 2 | 2 |
| Barkeep | Expert 4/Warrior 1 | 3 |
| Dealer | Expert 1/Rogue 3 | 3 |
| Guard Officer | Fighter 4 | 3 |
| Pilgrim | Commoner 5 | 3 |
| Slaver | Fighter 2/Ranger 2 | 3 |
| Trapper | Ranger 4 | 3 |
| Turnkey | Warrior 5 | 3 |
| Battle Monk | Monk 5 | 4 |
| Hedge Wizard | Commoner 2/Wizard 3 | 4 |
| Medium | Cleric 5 | 4 |
| Battle Mage | Evoker 6 | 5 |
| Cavalry | Fighter 6 | 5 |
| Fortune Teller | Bard 3/Sorcerer 3 | 5 |
| Gladiator | Barbarian 3/Fighter 3 | 5 |
| Minstrel | Bard 6 | 5 |
| Monster Hunter | Ranger 6 | 5 |
| Raider | Barbarian 6 | 5 |
| Shaman | Adept 7 | 5 |
| Tomb Raider | Rogue 6 | 5 |
| Torturer | Expert 5/Fighter 2 | 5 |
| Traveling Merchant | Expert 7 | 5 |
| Archaeologist | Rogue 7 | 6 |
| Beast Master | Ranger 7 | 6 |
| Conjurist | Conjurer 7 | 6 |
| Hermit | Druid 7 | 6 |
| Highwayman | Fighter 4/Rogue 3 | 6 |
| Holy Warrior | Paladin 7 | 6 |
| Princess | Aristocrat 8 | 6 |
| Watch Captain | Fighter 7 | 6 |
| Guide | Expert 9 | 7 |
| Knight | Aristocrat 2/Paladin 6 | 7 |
| Sellsword | Fighter 8 | 7 |
| Viking | Barbarian 2/Fighter 6 | 7 |
| First Mate | Expert 4/Fighter 5 | 8 |
| Mayor | Aristocrat 3/Expert 7 | 8 |
| Noble | Aristocrat 10 | 8 |
| Priest | Cleric 9 | 8 |
| Slayer | Ranger 5/Assassin 4 | 8 |
| Champion | Barbarian 5/Fighter 5 | 9 |
| Merchant Prince | Expert 4/Rogue 6 | 9 |
| Celebrity Bard | Bard 11 | 10 |
| Chieftain | Warrior 12 | 10 |
| General | Fighter 11 | 10 |
| Guild Master | Rogue 11 | 10 |
| Queen | Aristocrat 12 | 10 |
| Bandit Lord | Fighter 8/Rogue 4 | 11 |
| Bounty Hunter | Ranger 12 | 11 |
| Captain | Expert 3/Fighter 9 | 11 |
| Cult Leader | Cleric 10/Rogue 2 | 11 |
| Pirate Captain | Fighter 7/Rogue 5 | 11 |
| Sage | Expert 7/Abjurer 5 | 11 |
| Saint | Paladin 12 | 11 |
| High Priest | Cleric 13 | 12 |
| King | Aristocrat 16 | 14 |
| Master | Monk 15 | 14 |