[A to Z April] P is for Papa Quimby (npc)

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The man known to Coldtreath as ‘Papa Quimby’ is a calm man, not given to violence. This was not always the case.

Quimby was the third son of a minor noble family. As such, he had little choice but to go into military service. The military suited him quite well; he learned rapidly all the skills necessary for survival as a soldier. He is a grizzled veteran of the Teandrocan Wars, the War against the Frustra, and the Chitri Campaigns. Few others can claim those distinctions. He has spilled more blood in his day than any other man in Coldtreath.

Today, however, he eschews conflict and violence. Most believe it was the loss of his left leg that took away his spirit. Others believe that he’d simply reached his limit. Neither case fully reaches the mark.

On a particularly bad day during his final days in the Chitri Forest, Quimby found himself huddled in the hollow formed by the massive roots of an ancient tree. He was being hunted by a squad of Chitri; he was badly wounded with a tourniquet tied around his left leg. The Chitri hunted, in part, by tracking strong emotion. Quimby was highly emotional and, knowing the Chitri, understood that he was going to die.

That was when he felt fur under his hands, fur layered over strong, lithe muscles. Hardly daring to move, Quimby glanced down to find an odd cat laying under his hands, purring at his touch. The cat had six legs, something Quimby had never seen before. He nearly recoiled at the sight, but the animal’s purr was calming him; the feel of its fur beneath his touch relaxing. It felt like the finest silk. To this day, Quimby has no clear recollection of how long he laid there, curled around this animal, petting it and holding it. At some point he knows several squads of Chitri passed his hiding space; becalmed by the cat, they overlooked him. He was found by his men and carried to safety with the odd cat curled on the stretcher next to him, refusing to leave his side.

Today, Quimby is motivated largely by greed and avarice. He has learned much about animals and his cat is still at his side. However, his human relationships are non-existent, and he has filled that part of his lonely life with gold and silver, of which his animal finds bring in sufficient to make him comfortable.

His inability to make connections with any other humanoid keeps him wary towards others, even towards his customers, and especially towards outsiders and strangers. This wariness causes him to make snap judgments based on appearance, first impressions, and so forth. He could probably be persuaded to change his attitude, but it is unlikely that he would ever consider another two-legged being a true or close friend. But even in the worst of conditions, he is unlikely to act on his feelings . . . unless someone were to push him too far. If someone did, they would find he was still extremely competent at his craft.

Quimby is not physically imposing in any way and never has been. Bronze eyes look out from a craggy face topped with black hair. Average height and weight, he’s not overly attractive to the opposite sex, unless it were for his coin purse.

Quimby trusts no one but himself and the cat, which he calls, The Cat, clearly enough that a total stranger can hear the capital letters. He is a sucker for animals of all kinds, except for other humans (particularly female). During quiet times he still feels discontent at where he is in life and who he is, but he tries to drown those feelings with his work.

pAPA qUIMBY, hUMAN wARRIOR 15/rOGUE 1CR8

XP 4,800

CN Medium humanoid

Init +1; Senses Perception +2

DEFENSE

AC 15, touch 11, flat-footed 14 (+1 Dex, +4 armor)

hp 66
Spell Resistance 13 (armor)

Fort +9, Ref +7, Will +4

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.

Melee Sword, Short MW +19/14/9 (1d6+3/19-20)
Full Attack Sword, Short MW +19/14/9 (1d6+3/19-20), brass knuckles +12 (1d3+1), or net +17 (1d2) range 10
Attack Options Sneak Attack 1d6

Space 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.

STATISTICS

Str 16, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 9, Wis 11, Cha 14+2=16

Base Atk +14; Grapple +17

Feats: Armor Proficiency (Heavy, Light, Medium), Mounted Combat, Shield Proficiency, Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Tower Shield Proficiency, Trample, Weapon Focus (Net), Weapon Focus, (Sword, short), Weapon Proficiency (Exotic, Martial, Simple)

Skills: Bluff 9, Climb 3, Diplomacy 9, Disguise 3, Handle Animal 17, Heal 0, Hide 1, Intimidate 5, Jump 3, Listen 2, Move Silently 1, Ride 16, Sense Motive 0, Spot 0, Swim 3

Languages Common
Special Abilities Trapfinding 

EQUIPMENT

+2 leather armor, Cloak of Charisma, Potion of delay poison, Short sword MW, Brass knuckles MW, Net MW

Please note: All my NPCs are free for you to use. Please, feel free to use them. All I ask is a note to let me know if, where, when, and how it was used.

**Many thanks to WotC's "PC Portraits" Archive for the image.

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Previous "P"s:
2014: P is for Plans and Passenger: the Story of a Consular Ship
   2013: P is for Pond Stalker (creature)
2012: P is for Pyramid of Swords
2011: P is for Poushif Bonereader