I have an adorable D&D 5E NPC for you to steal today.

Todd-Robbin, the portly and sweet son of the Adventurer’s Guild head in Waterdeep, is a playful and kind young boy with mad recorder skills and a propensity to get kidnapped.

Let’s get to know Todd-Robbin (and his best friend, Tonky).

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Meet Todd-Robbin

Todd-Robbin Brushkey was one of the last NPCs I created using my “old method” (aka no method). He is proof that some of the best ideas can come from nowhere, so don’t despair if you are a GM who tends to wing it more often than you feel is “responsible.”

Todd-Robbin’s Origin Story

My party decided to check out the Adventuring Guild in Waterdeep because I mentioned I had built an entire system for them to enjoy, stemming from some Waffle House hash brown inspiration. While they were talking with the guild boss, I accidentally had the NPC’s son fetch him something to show the adventuring party.

My mistake.

I didn’t mean to give him a son. It just came out of my mouth. But now my table humans want to know about the boy, of course.

The music I had playing for at the time was a YouTube video by Todd Terje. I saw TODD in the tab, and for some reason, with the boy’s father working around nobility but not having many resources himself, I thought of Robin Hood. So, Todd-Robbin became the boy’s name. But with 2 B’s, because that’s what my mouth said when asked.

Poor Todd-Robbin. Then I found a stock picture of this kid who seemed perfect, and he became the one and only Todd-Robbin. Isn’t he cute?! My players adore him and will do anything for this kid. They check on him routinely.

A Little Help From Your Friend

If you find yourself often having to come up with NPC details on the fly, take a look at our guide for making your life a little easier there. You’ll find Todd-Robbin featured here as well!

Todd-Robbin’s Personality

Todd-Robbin is a sweet, innocent, and vibrant little boy. He is about ten years old and has curly brown hair. He is excited to get any kind of attention from adventurers, and wants to impress them with his mad musical skills. He eats a lot of sausages and wears tight-fitting tunics that often show a bit of his chubby belly. He loves anything having to do with music, and is especially talented at playing the recorder. He is very excited to put together a band for Battle of the Bards; he’d love if a certain group of adventuring heroes would help secure his win.

Todd-Robbin’s Family

Todd-Robbin’s father is the head of the Adventurer’s guild. His name is Bartholomew “The Boss” Brushkey, and you can find more information about him here, if you’d like. He would like to see his son show more interest in fighting, athletics, and warrior-esque pursuits.

Todd-Robbin’s mother died in a tragic wagon accident about a year ago. She was hit by a wagon full of criminals running from the city guard along the high road. Feel free to incorporate your own bad guys or gangs into that story if you find it convenient.

Optional Side Quest

His father, the guild master of The Adventurer’s Guild, wants Todd-Robbin to compete in and win The Children’s Race to help his self-esteem. Due to the child’s inability to perform well athletically, he will need a bit of “help.”

Hi, you guys! Wow, I’m so excited you’re finally here! You’re real heroes, aren’t you? I heard you rescued a raccoon once! Wow, that’s so cool! I love animals! My best friend is a squirrel named Tonky. He’s so cute and I love him a lot. Want to hear me play the recorder?

-Todd-Robbin

How He Helps You, GM

Todd-Robbin, when wielded enthusiastically to a party of non-evil beings, is extremely helpful. Have a quest you’re dying to have your players embark on, but they just… haven’t? Looks like a rescue mission.

Maybe Todd-Robbin wants to be escorted by an adventuring party to a certain location to find a rare species of wood. He wants to carve a new recorder!

Perhaps you just want your players to have a bit of lighthearted fun in The Children’s Race. There are loads of possibilities.

Connections

By helping Todd-Robbin, the party is helping the Adventurer’s Guild master, Bartholomew “The Boss” Brushkey. This man knows a lot of important people and has access to significant resources. You can wield this how you see fit.

The Most Helpless NPC Child in the Entire Multiverse

Todd-Robbin frequently finds himself in “a bit of a pickle!” Sometimes he is injured or kidnapped. Other times, he is simply bullied by some local kids and needs a bit of extra help to make his day-to-day life a little easier. Either way, Todd-Robbin is a fun, lighthearted NPC that can be tossed into pretty much any scenario. Once you’ve built a relationship between him and your players, you can expect them to work very hard to keep him happy and safe.

Why This is a Problem

Todd-Robbin is not JUST unlucky. Important, intelligent enemies have their sights set on the kid. Not only is he the son of the Adventurer’s Guild master; somehow this little dork is also important to a certain adventuring group! Villains love to kidnap or threaten people who are close to the heroes.

While you probably don’t want to constantly put poor Todd-Robbin in danger, keep in mind that the stronger the connection your players have to him, the more powerful a pull he will be if he’s in danger. I like to save it for very important quests, or when my players seem to be a little “too” content just running their tavern, instead of being active heroes.

How this NPC Works In-Game

In game, Todd-Robbin is very excited to meet new adventurers, especially ones that have recently completed local quests or tasks. He will idolize any heroes that dress in a fancy way, and is especially inquisitive of becoming a bard. If there is a bard in your party, regardless of attitude, alignment, or anything else, that character will be Todd-Robbin’s clear favorite.

Todd-Robbin never goes by Todd, T.R., or any other shortened version of his name. He will frown and possibly start crying if called something other than Todd-Robbin. When pressed, you can find out that his late mother used to call him Toddy-R, and he doesn’t want anyone else to abbreviate his name.

Todd-Robbin longs to fight crime and seek vengeance for his late mother, but he lacks a sense of self-efficacy. He knows he is not athletically inclined.

Instead of training to become a warrior like his father, he plays his recorder and dreams of becoming a famous musician. If you’d like, use this YouTube video to show off his recorder skills. It’s the one I used in our game, and it made my players realize how epic a recorder can be.

NPC Locations

The Adventurer’s Guild

Todd-Robbin can usually be found at the Adventurer’s Guild with his father, Bartholomew. He and his father live in quarters located above the guild, so he will eat, sleep, and do most of his hanging out here.

Shops, Parks, and Graveyards

On nicer spring and summer days, Todd-Robbin will also be spotted at music supply shops, or playing his recorder by himself in a park or graveyard. He doesn’t have many friends, but he does like to chat with the squirrels as they run by. He believes one of the squirrels is named Tonky, and is his best friend. He will always say the closest squirrel is Tonky. It’s up to you if this is accurate or not.

Need a Little More NPC Help?

If you need help setting up NPCs and you’re not sure where to start, I have an article on that. I also have a guide on how to effectively deliver NPCs, if you want to take a look.

Find More NPCs at The Lorekeep

If you want more NPCs, make sure you check out our NPC library, The Lorekeep. It’s updated as we add more characters to the site.

Closing Thoughts: Todd-Robbin’s REAL Charisma Comes From You

Todd-Robbin’s dorky lovability, innocence, and enthusiasm all have to come from you. You have to give him 100% effort and make him someone your players will want to check up on from time to time, or even go on a rescue mission for. Your players will love the enthusiasm you’re putting into your NPCs and will probably want to talk with Todd-Robbin often. Have fun with it, and he will surely bring love, kindness, and sympathy to your party.

Did you put Todd-Robbin into your game? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below!

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