Werebat
Explorer
Hemeth is one of the least detailed NPCs in OotA, and he will likely end up joining the party for a time.
I've been having a lot of fun with him. I cast his as the captain and sole survivor of his merchant vessel, one of three that the party has been using to cross the Darklake to Gracklstugh. He's irascible, grumpy, and hard working, constantly berating his new "crew" of PCs and NPCs for being "soft" and "lazy" and not doing their work "right". He often does this by making a point of working harder than anyone else, to the point of redoing work that they didn't do "right" the first time -- shaking his head in disapproval and re-coiling a rope or re-setting a sail. He exudes his belief that everyone else in the party is a lazy incompetent who can't be trusted to do their best, not even when their lives depend on it.
Meanwhile, he's been dependable in a fight, and even offered to share the rations on his boat with his "crew" -- provided they keep quiet about his having them (the PCs involved agreed to this, as did Jimjar, although Jimjar may end up gambling with some of his ration with the other characters).
He's been exhibiting more flavor as the party journeys accross the Darklake than any other NPC -- even Jimjar, and that's hard.
I also found the perfect voice for Hemeth. It's Korgan, from Baldur's Gate 2. I happen to have a bunch of his quotes saved on my iPhone (I use a lot of such quotes in my games), and many of them are actually quite in character for a grumpy duergar.
For example, when Sarith (who is a PC in my game, taken over by a new player who liked him) tried speaking in drow to see if Hemeth could understand it, I used the quote: "Nay speak that vile tongue to me, blackskin! If can move, I've killed it, but if it be DROW -- I've tortured it fer days first!"
When he got badly injured by a troll on an island and turned invisible to run to the healers -- "Git me some healin', ye blasted bloody fool! Do it! Now!"
And of course, the ever popular, "I'll do as ye wish... fer now..."
When someone wants to rest (when he himself was at one hit point and busy repairing the boats on the island after the troll was defeated): "So ye be tired? We care not! Sleep when death takes ahold of ye -- which would be a welcome respite fer tha rest of us, God knows!"
Fun stuff. And if the party ever gets tired of him and kicks him out, Korgan has a great speech for that too -- "FINE, THEN, londcloppers(?)! I've put up with yer fribblin' long enough! I've work to do, and it'll not be with the likes of this girl-waisted loon crew!"
I think most of Korgan's quotes are up on Youtube now. Would make a great resource for bringing Hemeth to life at the table.
I've been having a lot of fun with him. I cast his as the captain and sole survivor of his merchant vessel, one of three that the party has been using to cross the Darklake to Gracklstugh. He's irascible, grumpy, and hard working, constantly berating his new "crew" of PCs and NPCs for being "soft" and "lazy" and not doing their work "right". He often does this by making a point of working harder than anyone else, to the point of redoing work that they didn't do "right" the first time -- shaking his head in disapproval and re-coiling a rope or re-setting a sail. He exudes his belief that everyone else in the party is a lazy incompetent who can't be trusted to do their best, not even when their lives depend on it.
Meanwhile, he's been dependable in a fight, and even offered to share the rations on his boat with his "crew" -- provided they keep quiet about his having them (the PCs involved agreed to this, as did Jimjar, although Jimjar may end up gambling with some of his ration with the other characters).
He's been exhibiting more flavor as the party journeys accross the Darklake than any other NPC -- even Jimjar, and that's hard.
I also found the perfect voice for Hemeth. It's Korgan, from Baldur's Gate 2. I happen to have a bunch of his quotes saved on my iPhone (I use a lot of such quotes in my games), and many of them are actually quite in character for a grumpy duergar.
For example, when Sarith (who is a PC in my game, taken over by a new player who liked him) tried speaking in drow to see if Hemeth could understand it, I used the quote: "Nay speak that vile tongue to me, blackskin! If can move, I've killed it, but if it be DROW -- I've tortured it fer days first!"
When he got badly injured by a troll on an island and turned invisible to run to the healers -- "Git me some healin', ye blasted bloody fool! Do it! Now!"
And of course, the ever popular, "I'll do as ye wish... fer now..."
When someone wants to rest (when he himself was at one hit point and busy repairing the boats on the island after the troll was defeated): "So ye be tired? We care not! Sleep when death takes ahold of ye -- which would be a welcome respite fer tha rest of us, God knows!"
Fun stuff. And if the party ever gets tired of him and kicks him out, Korgan has a great speech for that too -- "FINE, THEN, londcloppers(?)! I've put up with yer fribblin' long enough! I've work to do, and it'll not be with the likes of this girl-waisted loon crew!"
I think most of Korgan's quotes are up on Youtube now. Would make a great resource for bringing Hemeth to life at the table.
