How to Quickly Create A Well Rounded NPC!

 

So, you have a game coming up soon and you need to come up with a few NPCs to fill your world. You don't want to spend too much time on each one, but you don't want to wing it all the time either. You need a quick way to develop a few NPCs that may or may not become important. Well, here is a guide on how to whip them up quick and still feel prepared. 

There are a few categories you need to fill in to have a well-rounded NPC, and you have something in each category then your NPC will be ready for basic encounters. 

The first is demographics- Race, age, social class, appearance etc. Some people envision these very easily and others get stuck in indecision. Here's a tip: keep a list the races, genders, social classes, and jobs that fit into your world. Include any other basic factors that apply to your world and number them so you can roll a die to decide. You can refer to these lists whenever you want a new NPC. 

Your second feature to address is attitude. This is because an NPC's attitude is the first thing players are going to notice and it sets the tone for their encounter. Here is a resource to browse through 100 attitudes. I would suggest browsing through them and picking out 20 and make a roll table. 

The third step is determined by your NPC's purpose. If your NPC is a bystander to be questioned, then you'll want to add a bit more to their basic information. Players will want to know where they live, what they do, if they have family in the area. Try to anticipate a few of these questions. If your NPC is reoccurring informant, you'll want to prepare a few pieces of info and know how they obtain it. If your NPC is a guide, then you'll want to develop a few notes about what their qualifications or sources are. And the list continues, you'll need a few notes relevant to your NPC's purpose. 

Notice these steps are going in order of what the player will notice or need to know first. 

Next you can quickly add some depth to your character by adding one or two of these things: 

1. Add one quality that will stand out, such as an endearing or ugly quality to the NPC. 

2. Add one piece of the past that might define them, such as a great achievement or a sad tragedy. 

3. Add one habit, quirk, or behavior that stands out. 

You could continue along these lines much more depending on how much depth you want to add, but this is a quick creation. 

Lastly, if your NPC will show up more than once or twice, I suggest giving them a personal motivation. This can be earning coin, pursuing a lover, getting revenge, growing their business, gaining notoriety, and the list can go on. 

With these 5 categories, you'll have an NPC that is ready for player encounters. You only need 1-3 notes in each area and you should have enough to confidently role play with your players. A full backstory is rarely needed, unless an NPC is going to play a major role. Even if, these categories will prepare you for the first few encounters. 

Follow the links I've provided in this post, they are excellent resources. Also remember that all these categories except step 3 can be turned into numbered tables. If you take the time to create these tables, your NPC creation will be cut down to a matter of minutes!

Check back for more tips, tricks, and advice for running RPG games! Feel free to send in questions or talk to me about my services! Happy gaming!