Free DnD 5e Homebrew NPC
Kess: Informant NPC for DnD 5e
A tiefling College of Whispers infiltrator for DnD 5e, built for false identities, social reconnaissance, stolen secrets, and Ashroad Reavers intrigue that begins long before blades come out.
- Informant
- Tiefling Bard
- Neutral
- Ashroad Reavers
Caution: For GMs Only The sections below contain Kess’s secrets, Blood Oath suspicions, infiltration methods, Reaver relationships, spellcasting, and full table-use information. Players should stop here unless their GM says otherwise. Reveal Full Information
NPC at a Glance
- Role
- Informant
- Importance
- Recurring
- Status
- Alive
- Race / Type
- Tiefling Humanoid
- Class / Level
- Bard 3, College of Whispers
- Alignment
- Chaotic Neutral
- Location
- Nearby towns and trade stops; returns to Köhlerhütte camp
- Faction
- Ashroad Reavers
- Voice
- Warm, precise, Infernal-accented lilt
How to Use Kess at the Table
Use Kess as the Ashroad Reavers’ social infiltrator and information broker. She is the Reaver most likely to be encountered alone in a town, trade stop, or formal gathering before the party knows she belongs to the band.
Her most dangerous move is not a dagger. It is Mantle of Whispers: the ability to impersonate a recently dead humanoid and borrow enough of their memory to make the lie breathe.
Kess gathers intelligence for Serafein, but she also keeps information for herself. She has pieced together that the Blood Oath is probably not real and is deciding what that information is worth.
Roleplaying Kess
Personality
Kess is warm, charming, and engaging in a way that is entirely deliberate and only occasionally sincere. She reads people, adjusts her register, and finds the angle that makes someone comfortable enough to talk.
Mannerisms
She tilts her head right when genuinely interested, uses people’s names too frequently, and her tail goes still when she is focused.
Bonds and Flaws
Bond: She has been looking for a place where she is useful and not merely tolerated. The Reavers are the closest she has found.
Flaw: She collects information compulsively, including information about the Blood Oath that she has not yet shared with anyone.
Combat Snapshot
Medium humanoid (tiefling), chaotic neutral. AC 13 (Mage Armor) or 12 unarmored, HP 19 (3d8+3), Speed 30 ft.
Saving Throws: DEX +4, CHA +5. Skills: Deception +7, Performance +7, Persuasion +5, Insight +2, Stealth +4.
Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10. Languages: Common, Infernal, Elvish. Challenge: 2 (450 XP).
Whispers Bard Features
Bardic Inspiration. Three times per long rest, Kess grants one creature within 60 ft. a d6 Inspiration die for an ability check, attack roll, or saving throw within 10 minutes.
Mantle of Whispers. When a humanoid dies within 5 ft., Kess can capture its shadow. She can spend it to assume that humanoid’s appearance and surface memories for up to 1 hour.
Psychic Blades. On a hit, Kess can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to deal 2d6 psychic damage once per turn.
Expertise. Kess doubles her proficiency bonus on Deception and Performance checks.
Plot Hooks
- The party encounters Kess under an assumed identity while she impersonates a minor merchant official at a trade gathering. One detail slips.
- Kess approaches the party independently with information about Kragg Eisenfall gathered without Serafein’s knowledge. She wants something in return.
- A dead mark’s signet ring leads the party to Kess, who remembers more about the mark than anyone alive should.
Encounter Ideas
- False Name First: the party meets Kess in town before they know the Reavers exist.
- Trade Gathering Slip: she plays a merchant official perfectly until one wrong memory exposes the role.
- Kragg Information Deal: Kess has useful intelligence, but the payment she asks for reveals how much she already knows.
- Blood Oath Leverage: Kess tests whether the party knows enough to make her secret valuable.
Relationships and Location
Kess is deployed in nearby towns and trade stops for information gathering, then returns to the Köhlerhütte camp between operations. She is often the Reaver most likely to appear before the faction is named.
Serafein Ashveil: captain. Kess respects her competence but has not decided whether to trust her. Torvel Grau: watches her, and she watches back.
Nyma Zweifinger: they get along well, mostly because Nyma finds everything Kess does impressive and Kess finds that difficult to resist.
Full Statblock
Show copy-ready statblock
Kess Medium humanoid (tiefling), Chaotic Neutral Armor Class 13 (Mage Armor) or 12 unarmored Hit Points 19 (3d8+3) Speed 30 ft. STR 9 (-1) | DEX 14 (+2) | CON 12 (+1) | INT 12 (+1) | WIS 10 (+0) | CHA 16 (+3) Saving Throws DEX +4, CHA +5 Skills Deception +7, Performance +7, Persuasion +5, Insight +2, Stealth +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10 Languages Common, Infernal, Elvish Challenge 2 (450 XP) | Proficiency Bonus +2 Expertise. Kess doubles her proficiency bonus on Deception and Performance checks. Jack of All Trades. Kess adds +1 to any ability check she is not proficient in. Spellcasting. Kess is a 3rd-level Charisma spellcaster (spell save DC 13, +5 to hit with spell attacks). Cantrips: Vicious Mockery, Minor Illusion 1st level (4 slots): Dissonant Whispers, Charm Person, Disguise Self, Healing Word 2nd level (2 slots): Suggestion, Invisibility Psychic Blades. On a hit, Kess can expend a Bardic Inspiration die to deal 2d6 psychic damage once per turn. Mantle of Whispers. When a humanoid dies within 5 ft., Kess can capture its shadow. As an action, she can assume its appearance and surface memories for 1 hour. The effect ends if she is damaged. Hellish Resistance. Kess has resistance to fire damage. ACTIONS Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) piercing damage. Dissonant Whispers. One target within 60 ft. must make a DC 13 Wisdom save or take 3d6 psychic damage and use its reaction to flee. On a success, it takes half damage only. BONUS ACTIONS Bardic Inspiration (3/long rest). One creature within 60 ft. gains a d6 Inspiration die usable within 10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kess in DnD 5e?
Kess is a chaotic neutral tiefling bard and College of Whispers informant NPC for DnD 5e, working as a social infiltrator for the Ashroad Reavers.
How should I use Kess in a campaign?
Use Kess as a false-identity contact, city infiltrator, information broker, Reaver foreshadowing encounter, or secret-holder who may expose the Blood Oath lie.
What makes Kess dangerous?
Kess is dangerous because of information, social control, disguise magic, and Mantle of Whispers. She can become someone else convincingly enough to change an entire investigation.
What challenge rating is Kess?
Kess is CR 2 (450 XP), with bard spellcasting, Whispers features, strong Deception and Performance, and social infiltration tools.
Is Kess Foundry VTT ready?
Not yet. She is assigned to the runeforgestudio-ashroad-reavers compendium, and the article includes a copy-ready statblock plus token image link for manual setup.