NPC Concept: The Eccentric Zoologist and his Assistant

Overview:

This is a concept that I've used before, although sparingly. This NPC is one that my players don't see often, but they remember him.

The concept is for a type of scientist, and I'll be referring to the scientist as "he" because in every iteration, I've always had this scientist as male. However, he definitely doesn't have to be. I classified him as a zoologist because his field of study is exceptional and magical creatures. He has a covered wagon that he travels with that's far bigger on the inside. The inside is a huge zoo, filled with creatures of every imaginable sort.

There's also a second part to this concept that is optional, but I think it makes for a great character dynamic. That's the assistant role. They're either studying under the zoologist, or they're just hired help to handle care for the creatures. That's up to your discretion.

Function / Motivation

I've always played the zoologist as eccentric, loud, intelligent, but definitely not very perceptive or wise. I've also always made him interested in the ability to essentially create new creatures that are hybrids of creature types (for example: creatures that have fey and elemental traits, and are therefore considered to be "felementals.") So, he does a lot of experiments with what I've explained as a kind of "magical gene splicing" to my players. His assistant, on the other hand, is stressed, overworked, underpaid, and a little incompetent, especially under pressure. They don't understand the experiments and they have no desire to. This is the NPC that the players interact with the most, but chances are (if your players are like mine) they'll like them less than the zoologist himself.

I've used this pair as quest-givers before. Their quests almost always involve the assistant messing up in some way (a creature gets loose, the assistant has other work to do and can't go searching for a creature his boss wants) and then the party having to fix it before the boss finds out. This is honestly my favorite way to play these NPCs because they can also give really good rewards. This pair is the perfect way to give your players a pet, if you wanted. They breed several magical creatures so it wouldn't be impossible for them to part with one for free. I've always kind of had them be travelers too, so they can show up anywhere where the party might go and they'll almost always have some kind of quest for the party to complete. How many times a creature is offered as a reward is honestly up to the DM's discretion. I know some groups don't really enjoy the whole "pets" thing.

Another potential quest could include one of the zoologist's experiments going awry. That experiment could, honestly, be something contained. It could only threaten the covered wagon the zoo is in, or it could only threaten the town the wagon is in at the moment. The experiment could also, absolutely be something potentially world-ending. I can totally picture the zoologist thinking to himself, So... what would happen if I spliced a tarrasque and a beholder together? Then, he'd try... and now you have a creature with all the resistances of a tarrasque and all of the beholder's eye rays, including the anti-magic cone.

That would be, from a player's perspective, one of my worst nightmares. From a DM's perspective though, that's a very credible threat.

You could also have the spin where the zoologist is creating dangerous creatures with the intent to use them to destroy the world. Now the zoologist takes on an antagonist role. Maybe the assistant starts out helping their boss, but then defects to try and help the party because "he's gone too far."

There's definitely potential to be explored with this pair of characters, and I think their demeanors compliment each other in either presented scenario.

Why Should I Include This?

Well... why not? Do your players want pets? This pair will give them one. Do your players want to fight cool magical creatures? Now they have a reason.

This also gives a particularly creative DM the chance to homebrew their own interesting creatures, or bring in other content creators' homebrewed creatures. Explore that idea of "magic gene splicing" with them, and see if it has potential somewhere else. For example, my players in my Tri-Panthonic War Campaign have contacted the zoologist before to see if he could cure a disease that one of their beloved NPCs had developed - a disease that was determined to be genetic. He's working on it.

These are the kinds of NPCs that your players will remember, and if they see them again or spot their wagon, if you play them in an engaging and enjoyable way, your players will run towards them.