D&D 2E [2e/FR, or any ol' "e", really] Let's Create Some NPC Parties!

[Weregrognard]

Let's play a game

Step 1: Randomly generate an NPC adventuring party using the 2e Monstrous Manual (or book of choice)

Step 2: Interpret the results.

Step 3: Share here!

Here are two I made:

Company Name: The Steadfast Company
Symbol: A quartered, purple and blue shield
Info: Chartered in the kingdom of Cormyr. Specializes in bounty-hunting enemies of the realm.

Major members:

Zanster Milner: 5th-level male human bard, LN
- Perceptive, but naive. Holds rigidly to Cormyrean chivalric ideals.

Urthadar: 4th-level male human mage, N
- Aspiring war wizard. Sober demeanor.

Petkas: 4th-level male human mage, LE
- A minor Cormyrean noble. Hot-tempered and arrogant.

Vikor Wyrmsbane: 4th-level male dwarf fighter, NG
- Optimistic (for a dwarf), but craven (again, for a dwarf). Surname was self-given.

Other members/henchmen:

Darhana Windsail: 1st-level female human fighter, CN
- Petkas' henchman/bodyguard. Opinionated, and secretive of her past.

Rauval: 1st-level male human fighter, N
- Easy-going, but exacting. Henchman of Zanster.

Panven Many-Daggers: 2nd-level male human thief, N
- "Reformed" thief. Sarcastic and suspicious. Henchman/partner-in-crime to Vikor.

*****

Company Name: The Frozen Legion
Symbol: A crossed sword and axe, with the blades made of ice.
Info: Xaneak and Corthyra were mercenary clerics in the North. Too hot-blooded for retirement in some temple, Xaneak partnered with Corthyra to start the Legion and brought along some fellow mercenaries for the ride ("Bring ye those two stout whelps of yers, Corthyra!"). Although an adventuring company at present, Xaneak wants to grow the group into a full-fledged mercenary company, and score a sweet, lucrative deal, like the Flaming Fist has with Baldur's Gate.

Major members:

Xaneak Warstout: 7th-level male dwarf cleric of Tempus, CN
- Mercenary cleric. Arrogant and secretive.

Corthyra: 7th-level female human cleric of Auril, NE
- Barbarian mercenary cleric. Uncultured and suspicious.

Fruneiros of Deepingale: Half-elf 6th-level cleric of Mystra/5th-level mage, NG
-Survivor of another slain adventuring company found by the Legion. Will likely leave over personality/religious conflicts. Moody, but kind.

Other members/henchmen:

Quidove: Female half-elf 2th-level fighter/2nd-level mage, NE
- Mercenary "swordmage", henchman to Xaneak. Merry, but suspicious.

Thervyra "Strife's Companion": 2nd-level female human bard, NE
- Mercenary "skald". Henchman to Xaneak. Graceless and uncivilized.

Keven: 2nd-level male human fighter, NG
- Henchman/bodyguard of Fruneiros. Originally of curious demeanor, but has grown vengeful over his slain companions.

Iantlin: 2nd-level male human cleric of Tempus, CN
-Henchman/junior acolyte to Xaneak. Miserly and violent.

Crukul: 2nd-level male human fighter, N
- Henchman/son of Corthyra. Compulsive, but generous.

Nerisora: 2nd-level female human druid of Auril, N
- Henchman/daughter of Corthyra. Suspicious and hard-hearted.

 

[Belzbet]

I used the random Generation tables in the 3.5e DMG (all the NPC's are core). With these changes: instead of their given random table for alignment I used my own: 1-33 Good, 34-66 Neutral, 67-99 Evil, 100 reroll (strangely enough i only rolled one good NPC).
Then I rolled to see which class they are if the alignment of the class is not restricted (monk needs to be lawful, etc.) then I roll for alignment again as follows: 1-33 Lawful, 34-66 Neutral, 67-99 Chaotic, 100 Reroll; then I used their tables as given for race and class.
I rolled a d20 to see what level the NPC's are (if we want lower levels I will reroll the NPC's levels using a d10 or d12).
Lastly, every NPC had a 30% (1-30 on a d%) chance to have two classes (to multiclass), if an NPC did have two classes then I rolled again on the random table for classes and I split the levels evenly (if the level was odd I gave 1 more level to teh first class).


Company Name: The Dire Boarheads
Symbol: A boar being impaled through the head by a spear
Info: Loern and Tallki started this band of bounty hunters many years back. Both Loern and Tallki are strangely adherent to the law, however, this "law" they adhere too are the rules and norms that Loern and Tallki have developed and in which they rigidly follow. Since then many adventurers have joined and left the party. Their main base of operation is stationed in Luskan, where the jobs come easy and the authorities leave you alone (that is if you know the right people).
The Dire Boarheads are infamous around the sword Coast for accepting the jobs that other mercenary bands will not do (be that because the job is too tough or morally questionable for other bands to stomach).

Leaders:

Loern Fatherson: Lawful Neutral Fighter8/Rogue8 Human Male
Loern and Tallki have been lovers for some time know. Both grew up in luskan where they learned to slink around the shadows and steal too survive. Loern grew up in a well off family. His father was one of the Hosttower Mages. Although both Tallki and Loern learned the ways of the shadow (rogue skills) Loern always thought it was his job to protect Tallki from danger. This spurred him to master his melee fighting abilities.

Tallki: Lawful Neutral Rogue15 Half-Orc Female
Tallki was left abandoned by her mother, whom had been raped by an Orc while traveling to Neverwinter. Loern met her when they where young children. Loern ask his father to help young Tallki but after Loerns Father refused to help the "lower class" Loern ran away from home and went to live (and take care of) Tallki.

Other (permanent) Members:

Siltanya: Chaotic Neutral Ranger7 Wood Elf Female
She is paid good money to scout and track for the company. Besides that little is know about this reclusive warrior.

Burty: Chaotic Evil Cleric17 Human Male
Burty has been with the Dire Boarheads for almost as long as the boarheads have been around. Loud, annoying and unscrupulously evil it is a wonder why the company puts up with Burty. However, once one sees him in battle one instantly becomes aware of his worth. He specializies in necromatic spells and summoning and because of this having One Burty on your side is like having a small army fighting for you.

Aaharii: Chaotic Evil Wizard9 Drow Female
Aaharii is the youngest daughter of a powerful Drow family. Her mother is an influential matriarch of the Drow and priest of Lloth. In her youth Aaharii was a gifted spellcaster and had shown real promise as a leader of the Drow. However, she had different plans and the one thing she did not want to do was lead the Drow. So, her mother has her banished to the upperworld. Once above ground she got caught up in a situation with the Boarheads and somehow ended up joining their group. She is a free spirit and no one thinks she will be around the company for long. She is aware of Pauul's love for her and she rather enjoys toying with him and having him at her beck and call. However, behind the tough and mean surface Aaharii may need Pauul more than Pauul needs her and she really does love the guy. Even though the two are almost diametrical opposites (and maybe because of it) they still love and care for each other in their own way.

Pauul Traker: Lawful Good Sorcerer5/Ranger4 Human Male
Pauul's parents recognized Pauul's natural talent for magic ever since he was a child. His parents thought that this was a way for him to become respected around the town (of Luskan). They encouraged him to hone his natural abilities. Pauul never really embraces his magical talents, he thought of it more as a chore that his parents have given him. As he got older he more and more stopped practicing magic and started honing his skills as a woodsman and hunter, which is what his father and his fathers father have done for a living (he met Aaharii on a hunting trip...). Besides Loern and Tallki, Pauul is the only member of the band that has anything resembling a moral compass (and he is the only consistently 'good' NPC in the party). Because of this he is often at loggerheads with other members when it comes to decision making. The only real reason he is still with the party is his immense love for Aaharii. Although he understands that she is despicably evil he believes that she really does care for him (and he is right about that) and that she can change (which is debatable). If Aaharii ever leaves the group so will Pauul.

Leo Fatherson: Chaotic Evil Cleric4 Lizardfolk Male
Loern found Leo as a baby after raiding a tribe of lizard folk. He couldnt stomach killing the poor creature and leaving it would mean certain death so he took it with him. Tallki soon got attached to Leo (a named Tallki came up with) and he has been with them ever since.
As he got older Leo took a unusual interest in Burty and the clerical arts (in fact Leo acts more like Burt than he does Loern or Tallki). And strangely enough Burty has grown rather fond of young Leo.

 

[Belzbet]

Let's play a game
.

What do you have in mind? Unless generating the company is the game then I am on board!

 

[Weregrognard]

You pretty much got the idea. The game, as it were, is to make the NPC party generation as random as possible, and use the results to generate ideas. A mental exercise, if you will. I deliberately kept the stats as short & sweet as possible. The bonus is, we get a nice thread of NPC parties to use in a pinch