Thristan "The Puddle-Prince" Ripple, a Water Genasi Rogue — D&D 5e NPC portrait
#0135

Thristan "The Puddle-Prince" Ripple

"Exiled Jester of the Stratus Citadel"

Male (He/Him) · Young Adult, 26 years

Ability Scores

STR
10
+0
DEX
18
+4
CON
14
+2
INT
12
+1
WIS
10
+0
CHA
16
+3

Combat

Armor Class
16
Studded Leather + Dex
Hit Points
38
Hit Dice: 5d8
Initiative
+4
Speed
30 ft. (Swim 30 ft.)
Proficiency
+3
Passive Perception
13

Attacks

Wit-Siv (Melee/Thrown)+71d6+4 psychic
Wit-Siv (Bonus Action)+71d4+4 psychic

Personality

Personality

He speaks in rhythmic, Vaudevillian cadences and frequently interrupts serious moments with a self-deprecating pun. He juggles glowing psionic sparks when nervous.

Ideal

Levity. If you can make a man laugh, you've already disarmed him—spiritually if not physically.

Bond

The 'Basement Urchins,' a group of thirteen runaway children who treat him as a mix between a big brother and a god of mischief.

Flaw

He is pathologically incapable of staying silent when he thinks of a good comeback, even if it might get him killed.

Backstory

Thristan was once the 'Lowly Lyricist' of the Stratus Citadel, a floating palace of Cloud Giants who appreciated his humor only because it was beneath them. His downfall came during the Centenary Gala, where he performed a bit entitled 'The Humidity of Hubris,' a slapstick routine involving a literal rain cloud and the King’s prized silk slippers. The joke didn’t just land; it saturated. Thristan was banished, cast out of the clouds to fall miles into the soot-stained canals of the surface world below. He survived only because he struck the water with the grace of a teardrop, a feat that awakened the latent psionic potential in his genasi blood.

Now, the jester dwells in the 'Dripping Wards,' the subterranean slums where the city's forgotten congregate. He never intended to be their hero, but in the dark, people need a light—and a laugh. Thristan discovered that his mind could weave the very water in the air into 'Wit-Sivs,' shimmering blades of turquoise light that don't cut the flesh so much as they scramble the ego. He spends his days refining his 'Manifesto of the Wet Whap,' a philosophical treatise on how a well-timed pratfall can defeat a tyrant, all while ensuring the orphans of the dregs have a warm dry place to sleep.

Abilities & Actions

Wit-Sivs (Psychic Blades)

As an action, Thristan manifests shimmering, turquoise blades of psionic water. These count as simple melee weapons with the finesse and thrown properties (range 60/120). On a hit, they deal 1d6 + 4 psychic damage. If he uses his Action to attack with a Wit-Siv, he can use a bonus action to manifest a second one and attack again (1d4 + 4 damage).

The Perfect Punchline (Sneak Attack)

Once per turn, Thristan deals an extra 3d6 psychic damage to one creature he hits with an attack if he has advantage on the attack roll or an ally is within 5 feet of the target. This damage is described as a sudden, overwhelming psychic realization of the target's own absurdity.

Slapstick Manifesto (Reaction)

When Thristan is hit by an attack, he can use his reaction to perform a 'fluid stumble.' He adds +3 to his AC for that attack as he seems to turn into liquid momentarily. If the attack misses, the attacker must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or be so baffled by his clumsiness that they have disadvantage on their next attack roll.

Psychic Whispers (2/Day)

Thristan can establish a telepathic link with up to 4 creatures within 30 feet. He uses this mostly to broadcast sarcastic commentary during combat without alerting his enemies, or to tell bedtime stories to the urchins through the sewer walls.

DM Notes

Thristan reacts to hostility with a sigh and a 'tough crowd' remark. He never strikes first, always waiting for the 'set-up.' He frequently mimes pulling an invisible rope or walking against a psychic wind during conversations. If a PC makes a truly funny joke, he will grant them a 'Puddle-Prince's Boon' (equivalent to a Bardic Inspiration die).