Dustbound Tollkeeper
Riverfolk Ferryman · Level 18
A whimsical NPC for D&D 5e.
Name the tide, and the tide shall name you.
Abilities
- Strength: 20 (+5)
- Dexterity: 16 (+3)
- Constitution: 18 (+4)
- Intelligence: 14 (+2)
- Wisdom: 17 (+3)
- Charisma: 19 (+4)
Stats
- Role: Problem‑Solver for Lost Travelers
- Bond: He owes a debt to the river spirit that never left
- Flaw: He cannot resist asking for a name, even when it risks his own safety
- Armor Class: 17 (natural armor)
- Hit Points: 210 (30d8+60)
Appearance
A gaunt figure shrouded in sand‑colored robes, gears of brass clicking softly beneath his hem as he stands on the single narrow path of compacted dust. His eyes glow with a soft amber light, and a weathered wooden pole, etched with swirling river motifs, leans at his side like a staff.
Secret
Beneath his cracked skin lies a clockwork heart forged from the last droplets of the river, wound by unseen hands. Each name he extracts is a cog that powers the ancient mechanism, allowing him to keep the toll alive even as the water has vanished.
Hook
Travelers who seek the lost river’s blessing must barter a name with him; in return he may reveal the hidden spring that can restore a fragment of the flow, or grant a safe passage through the treacherous dust for a price beyond gold.
Tags: ferryman, toll, legendary, dust
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