Riptide NPCs!!

Yo everyone! Dungeon Master G here. Here is a big update and catch up drop of all the NPC concept art I've had made! If you've read my previous art posts, you know that I like to invest a lot of time into writing out the process and thoughts for each design, but unfortunately that has clearly held up just getting them available to you patrons way too much! From now on, I'll try to get them up as soon as possible, and perhaps make videos for the Behind the Screen tier patrons about the processes, so that they're getting a little more than just DM Notes.

For this post, I'd like to write a sentence or two about each NPC!! But first...

Kira, Kuba Kenta, Aslana, Amanda Rinn, Zamia, & Alasse were done by REN!
Ensa, Caspian, & Marshall John were done by SHAN!
Lizzie was done by ORGAN!
Igneous was done by SATURN!
Tricelle & Petlen were done by SAKUSHINI!

Thank you to all the wonderful artists that work with me & help me bring great characters to life. 

KIRA

You might start sensing a theme, but some NPCs are based off of my real life friends so that I have a more personal connection with them and can play them more realistically or at least more genuinely. Kira is definitely one of those characters who I attribute to one of my longtime friends in Australia. 

Condi and I decided at somepoint that Jay having more people from her backstory to connect to/with would help him a lot. I was really into making NPCs based on D&D statblocks at the time too, and so i was like, "what if your best friend when you were little was this little girl with a tiny unicorn horn," and he was like "yes."

Having a rival & also someone who is kind-hearted represent both R.A.F.T. and a different path Jay could've taken added a lot to the world and the story.

Her design was meant to show that Captains have more lenience with their uniform, so she's able to be more casual with the rolled up dress shirt & her coat on the shoulders. She's hella cool like that.

KUBA KENTA

Now Kuba is inspired by Rakshasa, which I'm sure many of you have noticed with the tiger-like features and backwards hands. The thing is though, Rakshasa CAN change their appearance, and often do, to blend in better and easily manipulate their victim. Kuba doesn't do that, & doesn't need to. His lore & his place in R.A.F.T. is a little bit more complicated than meets the eye, and he's not completely just like a Rakshasa would be too, theres more there so that you can't guess everything just by reading a D&D statblock.

The Vice Admiral's all have different colors associated with them. Every rank below them is only white & red, whereas Kuba wears a black blazer & Jayson wears a red one. 

Doing his voice actively kills my vocal chords so I'm glad he's dead! For now. Hehe.

ENSA

Ensa is another one of those characters based on my real life friend. I hope Ensa represents how optimistic, compassionate, and motivated she is.

In the Canella art post I referenced how Grass took inspiration from some Latin America architecture, so I wanted this inspiration to carry into the designs of the people, though I'm sure I could've done better. Ensa is POC with inspiration from my IRL friend & latina women. I'm still learning on writing better rep and design diverse characters.

She's also inspired by characters like Winry from Full Metal Alchemist, & Franky from One Piece. 

Eventually, I think she will join the crew more full time on the ship. She's already apart of their little family, helping take care of Ollie & his mom. 

ASLANA

I wanted Aslana to be more unique & more important in the world & the story because she was very well loved by the players and by you guys. So I decided her mother was a queen, and she was the first mermaid princess that had the ability to sprout human legs for a short time. I've had some plans for her in the background for a LONG time now, ever since she left to the capital of the undersea with her mother. BUT, it hasn't had the chance to come up!! I almost brought her back again after EP 100, but no where was fitting!! Anyhow, stuff is going down. I hope she'll have a place again soon, especially now that she can sail with The Riptide Pirates. 

I think her swim suit and her colors are so pretty. Aslana's designs make my partner, who ADORES mermaids, very happy, and that makes me happy. 

LIZZIE!!!

No one better to represent strength and power while carrying an unbelievable burden causing emotional turmoil than my very own CAPTAIN ELIZABETH LAFAYETTE!!! Out of all the NPCs i've made, I have a very personal connection to Lizzie. I know what it feels like to have massive ambitions, but not know who you are yet. I know the heartbreak she feels, that loss of strong true love that can drive someone to extremes. I get that overwhelming sense of loneliness and inflexible introversion despite having people who would love to help or have your company.

Thank you Organ for helping me redo Lizzie's design. Organ taught me a lot about black representation in character designs & black-coded characters for fantasy races, a lot of knowledge I was able to put to use in recent NPC designs. I really appreciate the kindness through this process & a look for her that fits her character so perfectly. If anyone is curious to see my own first draft of concept, and then a variant oufit Organ drew, take a look!

No matter what happens for her in the future of the story, I don't have plans for her to leave it without the chance of a happy ending. I want to see this character heal, despite being on a destructive path. Slay.

CASPIAN

I have nothing to say other than Caspian is the goat. He is holding the water whip Gill got him for his birthday!! Now he matches his captain! How cute!!

Caspian represents a person who is able to live in the present moment and take care of the things that matter today. He lives without the weights people can sometimes put on themselves, like grudges. He doesn't hold hate for the people in his past, or even for RAFT. Of course, he's not a pacifist either. 

MARSHALL JOHN

Incase it wasn't clear, Marshall John's D&D races is a Shifter! Can't wait for him to turn into a bear man. The ultimate Grizzly self-insert that no one expected. I love John, he is the man. The first NPC the players grew attached to. 

Amanda Rinn

Ren is a big fan of this character & surprised me with the design concept when I mentioned she'd be making a short return. Thank you Ren. Perhaps her name should be Amanda Ren now. I'm sure she will girlboss her way out of RAFTs clutches and find Chip again in the future. I have no idea how that is going to go because I haven't thought that far ahead LOL!! I really love her gardener pirate vibe, it's so unique and pleasing. She's adorable. My favorite part is the leafs headband, like a mandarin might have.

THE SURVIVORS!!


ZAMIA ARAMOIA

Now we're at my most recent NPCs, all including more fantasy-esc races, names, designs, and better black-coded representation! I'pm incredibly proud of these designs, and happy to be playing these characters. Zamia was a paladin to Emperor Zetysus who ruled over Onawa Country, living in the Spider Lily Capital, inside Daphne Palace. She had an Oath of the Crown, but has since loss it and the powers of divinity that came with it. I hope we're able to see The Riptide Pirates help her save her partner Star. 

IGNEOUS

I've been dying to write & design an Earth Genasi for a LONG time, and I love the way this design came out. He's fuckin' GAWGEOUS and a totally homie. I saw some comments asking if I took inspiration from Hobie Brown, & for the accent and mannerisms, I definitely was inspired. That was my favorite spiderman from the ATSV movie. Although, there's just no way I can be as cool as Hobie & the actor that portrayed him, so I tried to make the type of person my own, and give him more of his own quirks and ideals. He's another character that is quite burdened by the circumstances brought on by The Black Sea, but tries to keep it underneath his literal rock hard exterior, & his laid-back approach to living. 

ALASSE KRISLEE

Alasse (Al-a-say) was definitely inspired by a recent movie, Nimona. With the punk attitude, and being absolutely unapologetic about how badass they are, and they're vibrant and confident appearance. I was actually nervous and had no idea how to voice her so that was where the "YUH." came from out of improv and I'm glad less is more worked there. I also played Final Fantasy 16 recently, and I felt something missing from my world buildling lately was the amount of side characters that felt and looked real, but had specific roles like being a blacksmith. I feel like we've been neglecting these opportunities to make memorable and diverse side characters for the sake of expedience and pace. 

TRICELLE ROLFAERA

I'm not quite sure if Tricelle will get more of a spotlight, because she's an interesting character but not necessarily useful to the party in the sense of infromation and plot. I think that's okay though, because not every NPC needs to serve the story directly. Her design in my head was way too beautiful to not get art for. I love the different seasonal Eladrin, and I felt like a woman of knowledge, a teacher, would be interesting to explore how they survived this dystopia if it came up. I'm not thinking that she could have been reading a book by Finn Tidestrider, but of course, don't tell the players that teehee. Might change, might never come up!

PETLEN

I just really love the harengon race of rabbit people, and honestly I'm a fan of animal races in D&D in general. I wanted to make one and have him be the sole survived merchant of this once prosperous island. I also like to think that many have crossed from the Feywild into Mana just as The Riptide Pirates did once the other way around. So when Petlen said the sweet smell reminded me of home, I was thinking about where he might have been born in the Fey, and how closely the two planes are to one another. 

If you have any questions of the characters, or any curiosities, let us know! Also, please, feel free to share resources on designing characters that would represent you!