D&D 5E (2014) Jimjar question (From the Abyss, minor spoilers)

[Werebat]

I noticed something. Jimjar is a "spy". Who is he a spy for?

 

[Werebat]

I ask because when the party met him, he told them some made up cock and bull story about being a shoemaker and shoe salesman. I figured he probably wouldn't come out and admit to being a spy, but wondered who exactly it is he is spying on, and spying for.

 

[77IM]

I think that just denotes which stat block he uses. They named the stat block "spy" because it sounded better than "kinda-roguish NPC."

 

[CapnZapp]

I noticed something. Jimjar is a "spy". Who is he a spy for?

No, he is a spy. Not a gnome, or a commoner, or a wolf, or a beholder, but a spy.

Check page 349 of Monster Manual (the entry's not in the Basic Rules, I'm afraid)

Doesn't mean he's actually spying for somebody. (But he says a gambler and traveler, so yeah, he's spying )

Take Mev Flintknapper as an illustration. He too is a deep gnome, but he too isn't given some generic svirfneblin stats. His stats aren't the spy, but the veteran.

The way to spot these MM references are if the word is in bold, that's your cue to search the MM! (Check page 103 of OotA and page 350 of MM)

There's a difference between a gnome and a gnome

 

[Psychometrika]

If you read further on in OotA, there is a text box that suggests Jimjar might be more than he says he is...maybe even Garl Glittergold himself. While I am using the Spy statblock for whom he is spying is entirely up to you!

 

[jodyjohnson]

Garl Glittergold probably wouldn't have died to a crit from a Kuo-Toan High Priest of Blipdoolpoolp.

Jimjar: "I bet he doesn't kill me..." Splat.

 

[darjr]

My group has kept jimjar. He's always betting against the odds.

 

[Blue]

Our Jimjar has permanent madness that he's the best at everything. Luckily (for him) he's the best at notice when people are trying to manipulate him by telling him he's the best. Or at least thinks so.

Still, it makes his bets amusing.