When I ran the Adventure “Tabi Hunt” for my Players, I introduced a character called “De’Ath” who was a Nagpa Historian. I had always planned to convert this race for players, and so began to do so.

Nagpa are a race of creatures originally found in the “Creature Crucible” for BECMI / RC Dungeons & Dragons. They also featured in an Issue (Episode?) of “The Voyage of the Princess Ark” from Dragon Magazine. But they were later expanded upon in a nice book known as “Top Ballista.”

“Top Ballista” was a part of the “Creature Crucible” Series, which like the Gazetteer Series, detailed places in Mystara. However, the Creature Crucibles (Code PC) focused on countries or locations that Humans either didn’t exist or were the minority, and Non standard races were dominant, in the case of “Top Ballista,“ the city of Serraine was detailed.

Serraine is a flying city made by gnomes, and it includes many other races living on it. Humans are by far the minority, but one of the more obscure things in the book is the rules to play Nagpa.

Some very Helpful people on the Mystara Facebook Group gave me a link to follow of someone else who was working on this (In his case, the entire Top Ballista conversion to 5E (Here if you are interested).

And while my version is slightly different from the one Coronoides presents in that link, It was a great help for conversion for me. I am going to take the notes I made from them to change my format on the Woodrake that I made earlier.

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The Nagpa PC for 5E

Course there be things uglier ‘n more unpleasant than a nagpa — though none come t’mind right now.
—Branwys Skyratchet

Horrobin lumbered onward, leaning on his ornate staff, motioning his entourage to follow, and wheezing at the continued effort. “I see that the attractions of the Fun Park have taken from our midst those of you untouched by the complexities of intellect, For the select few remaining, a tour of some scholastic areas appears in order.
“I am also flattered to have received a query about my own people, and so I shall answer this as we stroll to the Great Library. I spend much time in that splendid and excellent institution. Indeed, all Nagpa are highly studious creatures, given to much careful and objective study of history. Perhaps our ignorance of our own origins has something to do with this urge towards learning. Many tales are told of the coming of nagpa to this world, The most plausible, in my learned opinion, is the claim that we came here, via some wormhole or gate, from a far advanced and very learned culture on some far distant world of our own. The trauma of the voyage was such that we forgot our origins, and can remember them only in hints and fragments, in half-glimpsed scenes in our dreams.
“We are not only a learned people, you know. We regularly retire in the afternoon to engage in kariwa, I believe that your debased term for this would be daydreaming, but for us it offers the chance to glimpse creative insights and also hints as to our past lives. Nagpa are reincarnated, you know. After all, no Immortal would create such a splendid creature only to cheapen it with but a single lifetime, would it — not even with a long lifetime such as our own,
We love knowledge, the more arcane and obscure, the better. No knowledge is useless, and the world is lessened if some fragment of wisdom or learning is lost to it. For this reason, we nagpa collect books and manuscripts avidly. We build and maintain libraries where true scholars of the world may come and study.
“While knowledge of any subject is valuable, we do not live in ivory towers. Not unless we built them, ha ha. Nagpa like to plan, and oversee the construction of, architectural works of note. Those of you with powers of discrimination may admire the roseate towers of the west wing of the Great Library ahead of us; some of my own work. Generally, I must say, we do tend to prefer tombs and mausoleums and that sort of thing. Nagpa are not given to frippery or frivolity, We are a serious people. There is also the fact of our reincarnating. Through kariwa, we tend to recall much from our past lives in this world, and thus we have seen much of life in our sojourns here. Frankly, I have to say that much of it is very substandard and overrated. Some of the work done by certain Immortals, I mention no names, is just plain shoddy. Just look around at the endless tracts of desert and pointless bare steppes and hills.
“As I was saying, the world is a disappointing place to the discriminating mind blessed with exceptional intelligence and wisdom. For this reason, a certain degree of healthy cynicism and world-weariness is to be found in the thought and expression of most nagpa. There are days, frankly, when it’s all such a bore that the only thing to do is to stay in bed and pull the wings off flies.
“For much the same reasons, we nagpa live mostly solitary lives. Nagpa partnerships are rare, not least because the partners have the daunting prospect of spending some thirty years raising a young brat if they decide upon a family. Frankly I can ‘t imagine any other reason for putting up with a female, can you? Ha ha, just a little joke madam, no need to take offense, Oh dear, your handbag seems to have suddenly rotted away, must be a touch of corruption about. Ha ha.
“Solitary lives, there you have it. But nagpa usually have friends and servants to deal with the chores and tiresome necessities of everyday living. For example, when my designs are complete I only have to submit them to the gnomes here and they begin work right away. At home, I have a personal manservant, a homunculus no less, which deals with the dusting and polishing and similar tiresomeness. Some of us also find uses for the bodies of the departed when they have shuffled off the tedious mortal coil. No, madam, we certainly do not eat them! What a disgusting thing to suggest. If you say such a thing again, I shall have to make your frock burst into flames, and then you’ll be sorry. Now, here we are at the great gate of the library. Please have your admission coins ready for collection.“

MORE ABOUT NAGPA:
Horrobin is not being entirely frank or detailed about his race. He is aware that many other creatures find nagpa horrible to look at, and certain aspects of his race and culture might only make their horror deeper.

HOME SWEET HOME:
Nagpa dwell, in most cases, in gloomy subterranean crypts and mausoleums. They may indeed actually design them and have them built — often by slave labor. They enjoy the atmosphere of corruption and death in such places and are very careful to keep such places very dry, because of their prized books and tomes.

STENCH OF DEATH:
Nagpa will, in fact, eat carrion, but they usually have a more sinister use for humanoid corpses — animating them as skeletons or zombies, to serve as mindless guards and for menial work. They are careful to keep this fact secret if they are in any way associated with humanoids!

THE NAGPA AND YOU:
While many nagpa do live solitary and isolated lives, some of them live in and work with other creatures. Because nagpa are not physically strong, and desire to spend all their time in thought and reverie, they need other creatures to work for them. They also need creatures to build the constructions they plan. Some of this can be achieved with undead and slaves, but access to libraries and learning may require nagpa to use less coercive methods. To disguise themselves, nagpa place a very high value on magical items which obscure or alter their appearance.

ANCIENT MEMORIES:
The kariwa of nagpa is important. Nagpa must spend at least half an hour in this reverie each afternoon. For player creature Nagpa, this means during the post-lunch adventuring day, which may certainly be inconvenient at times! If this is not done, the Nagpa must save vs. Wisdom (DC15) at dawn the following day. Otherwise, the nagpa falls into a deep slumber for 1d4 hours and cannot be awoken. If the save is made, and no kariwa is had the next day either, the nagpa must save the following dawn, this time at DC17, sleeping for 1d4 + 1 hours. This saving throw and extra hour of sleep penalties accumulate (+2 DC) until either the nagpa enters the kariwa state or falls asleep. There is also a 5% (cumulative) chance each day without kariwa that the nagpa develops some form of insanity — extreme claustrophobia, fear of the dark, paranoia, etc.

NAGPA CYNICISM:
Nagpa are cold, cynical creatures. Even those who are not actually evil are manipulative and have a strong sense of their own superiority. They seek to dominate those around them. Be most careful about allowing nagpa PCs in your campaign.

NAGPA BIRTH:
Nagpas are cursed creatures. When they die, they are reincarnated in their same bodies, from eggs in a mound at the very heart of their Homeland (Varellya, on the Vulture Peninsula).

OBSESSION WITH KNOWLEDGE:
One of the defining characteristics of a Nagpa, is their absolute obsession with learning. One aged Nagpa has put forth the theory that this stems from a need to understand the source of their curse, and a desire to end it.

Nagpa usually choose a specialty field of study that they will obsess over, and try to learn absolutely everything about. These are usually Historical but may be culture or trades related. A Nagpa’s choice is always scholarly, and never a physical or social skill.

NAGPA RACE TRAITS
Creature Type: Humanoid
Ability Score Changes: Nagpas are physically weak, and have -2 penalty to Strength, however they gain many other bonuses. You gain a +1 bonus to your Dexterity, and a +3 bonus to all three of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
No beginning ability may begin higher than 20.
Size: Nagpastandbetween 4 feet and 5 and a half feet tall, they are Medium
Speed: 30 feet
Life Span: Nagpa are “born” again when their old form is destroyed. It takes them about 8 years to reach maturity. They may however live to nearly 200 years before their old bodies fail and they are reborn again.

Languages: You speak Nagpa, and two other languages. Nagpas gain the ability to learn additional languages for every 2 levels gained above normal monster status (3^rd Level). This is in addition to any extra languages they have learned by virtue of their high Intelligence. However, this is not always as useful as it may seem. Nagpa will always prefer to learn arcane and ancient languages, if possible, since these aid them in their literary and scholastic pursuits. Also, languages of any sort are not learned overnight just because a creature gains a level. The language must be learned from careful study or by conversing with those fluent in the language.

Natural Armor: Nagpas have naturally tough skin, and feathery bodies that makes it hard to hit them as they gain levels.

This ability changes based upon the Nagpa’s total level count. (Monster and all classes) like his proficiency bonus. (See the chart below for the natural AC)

Ugly: Nagpa’s initial reaction is usually one of disgust, until one hears them speak. If there is an initial reaction before the Nagpa can speak, they will treat the Nagpa as if his charisma is 10 points lower than it is. (So, a Nagpa with 16 Charisma will be reacted to as if it was 6). Once the Nagpa has had a moment to speak, the Charisma returns back to normal

NAGPA LEVEL ADJUSTMENT
A beginning Nagpa normally starts at a 4HD level. What this means is that they must have earned their way through 3 levels as a child, or young Nagpa before taking a class.

This is easily solved by 2 ways:

• Start the young Nagpa as a 4^th level character (3 levels in Nagpa, 1 in their class of choice)
• Have them earn their way up through the 3 levels of Nagpa before allowing them to “Multiclass” into a class of choice.

Note: If the Nagpa chooses the second choice, they cannot raise beyond level 3 as a “Monster”

HIT POINTS
Hit Dice: ld8 per nagpa level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8+ your Constitution modifier

Hit Points at Higher Levels: ld8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per nagpa level after 1^st

PROFICIENCIES
Armor: None (nagpa that learn how to use armor, will need specially made armor for their odd body shape.)
Weapons: Nagpa have proficiency in small, one-handed weapons, crossbows, and slings
Saving Throws: Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
Skills: Choose any two academic skills

EQUIPMENT
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a dagger
•  (a) a scholar’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack

Nagpa Monster Class & AC

Level	Notes	AC
1st		11
2nd		11
3rd	Normal Monster	11
4th		12
5th		12
6th		13
7th		13
8th		13
9th		14
10th		14
11th		15
12th		15
13th		15
14th		16
15th		16
16th		17
17th		17
18th		17
19th		18
20th		18

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