The perfect NPC summary

[Morrus]

The best advice I ever gave myself was this:

Keep it simple. One sentence is often enough. Bob is a grumpy guardsman who hates his job. Jenny is a happy old lady who loves to bake. This is often more than enough to springboard off tons of roleplaying. Too much info can actually be limiting and get in the way.

 

[haakon1]

Heck, if the NPC is important enough, I might even roll up their background on the Life Course my RPG has (it's like a background generator, about birth condition, siblings, parents, who raised you, childhood events, and adulthood events). I rarely do this, but I have on some NPCs.

What RPG is that? The last I remember having a system like that was Traveller.

As for basing NPC's on real people or historical/current events people, I've actually done a lot of that. I don't ever tell people who an NPC is based on, and I'd never base one of a current player in the game. My impression is a lot of authors do this, based on having known some amateur novelists and growing up with English major parents who speculated on this sort of thing.

I also base NPC's on fictional characters, but I think everyone without a randomization system does that to some extent, so it didn't seem worth discussing.

Oddly enough, I don't put as much thought into my own PC's . . .

 

[JamesonCourage]

What RPG is that? The last I remember having a system like that was Traveller.

I made it for my RPG. It's labeled "Optional: Life Course" in the character creation chapter. You can spend tokens (based on your Driving Force, Challenge, and Mystery) along the way to alter your rolls, or just pick results you like. Spending tokens gets you extra benefits, though, whereas picking stuff you like doesn't.

It gives you a bit of history, a few changes (you might pick up a Reputation or be in debt, for example), as well as around 7 NPC connections, on average (whether an individual or a group). The more negative events that happen to you, the more goodies you start the game with. The more good events, the more goodies you lose out on. Either way, lots of RP hooks for each character for the PCs, and a storied history for NPCs.

As for basing NPC's on real people or historical/current events people, I've actually done a lot of that. I don't ever tell people who an NPC is based on, and I'd never base one of a current player in the game. My impression is a lot of authors do this, based on having known some amateur novelists and growing up with English major parents who speculated on this sort of thing.

I also base NPC's on fictional characters, but I think everyone without a randomization system does that to some extent, so it didn't seem worth discussing.

Interesting stuff. I think I see what you mean to some degree about basing stuff on fictional characters, but I'd likely say it's more based on genre-archetypes than actual characters, for me. That line is blurry, obviously.

Oddly enough, I don't put as much thought into my own PC's . . .

The curse of the perpetual GM!

 

[Viking Bastard]

It varies greatly, but lately I've written down a bunch using the following semi-format:


Name
Trope/descriptor
General motivation
+ current motivation


Bob Swearsbyit
Used horse salesman
Desperately wants to be rich
+ Needs to meet boss's quota/desperate to sell this horse

Kirk
Bored guard
Dreams of being a real knight
+ Bored

 

[Elf Witch]

For one shot NPCs I keep it simple name, age, job, one line describing them. A lot like Morrus does.

For recurring NPCs I usually do up a character sheet and write some history about the NPC this fleshes them out in my mind. It is something I enjoy doing so I don't see it as a chore. I have been told that my NPCs are one of the best things about my games.

When I start a game I tend to come up with some notable NPCs I keep them in a notebook until they are needed sometimes I don't use them in the game and they often go into a different game.

I have also taken old PCs that I liked but didn't get much use out of because they died or the game ended and do a little reskinning to make them NPCs.

 

[fletch137]

I didn't know I needed it until I saw it used somewhere else, but I love to have a one sentence quote from the NPC. Something really general I can default to in conversation. Fer instance, if an NPC says "No point coming in out of the rain, the Missus'll just send me back out again," I can get an instant feel for his speech cadence, general attitude and one or two things he might focus on in a conversation. So even if I never use that quote, it's still really easy to fill in a conversation since I now have a fatalistic, henpecked person with a penchant for discussing weather.

I also like the idea of listing a simple "wants to _____ so he can _____" motivation statement. Something like that would help a lot in determining how he reacts to different PC approaches. I'll have to try that as soon as I get the chance.

 

[Will Doyle]

One idea that I have only done on a limited basis but that really intrigues me enough to keep trying it is to pick characters from movies or TV shows that have mannerisms or speech patterns that would help give me a mental image of how I see a particular NPC behaving in front of the NPCs.

I've found myself doing this a lot recently, usually taking characters from TV dramas. Just asking myself "what would X do in this situation" is often easier than wondering what a completely made-up character would do.

This said, one thing I've learned *not* to do is tell my players which character it's based on (usually as a shortcut, "oh, he looks a bit like Hank from Breaking Bad"). That's kind of like looking behind the curtain, and gives players preconceptions about how they'll behave.

 

[Will Doyle]

Note: contains SPOILERS for I6: Ravenloft!

I'm thinking high concept and motivation/goal are the most important NPC descriptors, even for those bit-part shopkeepers. Morrus's single-line examples essentially break down into "[name] is a [personality/role] who [motivation]", and I think that's great for most NPCs. In short, it describes what their role is in the story.

This said, background can sometimes be pretty important (i.e. how they came to be in the story), and if they're to play a long-term role, ideals and flaws seem like good descriptors too (i.e. how they'll react to changes in the story). That's probably all I need for 99% of my NPCs.

How they look and how they act certainly feel distinct from these story elements. Most times a GM just goes with what works best for them. Even so, for the most important NPCs of all, I feel a good module should offer some simple guidance on these points.

In short, I think a good NPC description depends on how important the NPC is to the story, and should expand accordingly. For example:

Simple named NPCs use a single sentence: [Name] is a [high concept] who [motivation/goal].
"Arik is a dour barkeeper who has lost the will to fight against Strahd's evil."

Characters with an important story role to play use two sentences: [Name] is [high concept]. He/she has [short-term goal], in order to [long-term goal]".
"Ismark is the steadfast son of the late Burgomaster, and the brother of Ireena Kolyana. Ismark is determined to reveal Strahd's evil to his latest guests, in the hope they can save Ireena's life and avenge his father's death."

Important characters with a dynamic role have additional background and personality traits: [Name] is [high concept]. He/she has [background]. He/she has [ideal] but is hampered by [flaw]. He/she is [short-term goal], in order to [long-term goal].
"Ireena Kolyana is the unwitting reincarnated form of Tatyana, Count Strahd's ancient love. Ireena was found by her adopted father in the woods beneath Strahd's castle, lost and with no memory of her past. She loves her adopted family, but is terrified of what her past may reveal. With Strahd closing in, Ireena offers to join the adventurers, hoping they will help unravel the mysteries of her past and free her from the Count's evil."

The most important characters of all include details on behaviour and appearance:
[Name]

1: [Name] is [high concept]. He/she has [background]. He/she has [ideal] but is hampered by [flaw]. He/she is [short-term goal], in order to [long-term goal].
2: [Name] has [sensory cues]. When met, he/she is [behavioural cues].

For example:

Count Strahd von Zarovich
"I am the ancient. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past. I am not dead. Nor am I alive. I am undead, forever."

Count Strahd von Zarovich is the scheming vampire overlord of the cursed barony of Barovia. Centuries ago, the mortal Strahd made a pact with darkness to reclaim his youth and win the heart of the beautiful Tatyana: an act that ended in tragedy. Strahd longs for power, but is cursed to endlessly replay the events that led to his immortality - falling madly in love with the reincarnated forms of his lost love Tatyana. Strahd is currently luring adventurers into his realm so he can murder them and steal their identities, extending his malign influence far beyond Barovia.

Strahd is tall and lean, dressed in courtly black silk, with a pale gaunt face and eyes like two bottomless pools of darkness. In person he is darkly courteous with guests, cruelly mocking to victims, and flies into a bestial rage if his evil plans are foiled.

 

[dd.stevenson]

I'm thinking high concept and motivation/goal are the most important NPC descriptors, even for those bit-part shopkeepers. Morrus's single-line examples essentially break down into "[name] is a [personality/role] who [motivation]", and I think that's great for most NPCs. In short, it describes what their role is in the story.

This said, background can sometimes be pretty important (i.e. how they came to be in the story), and if they're to play a long-term role, ideals and flaws seem like good descriptors too (i.e. how they'll react to changes in the story). That's probably all I need for 99% of my NPCs.

How they look and how they act certainly feel distinct from these story elements. Most times a GM just goes with what works best for them. Even so, for the most important NPCs of all, I feel a good module should offer some simple guidance on these points.

In short, I think a good NPC description depends on how important the NPC is to the story, and should expand accordingly.

I think that what's important depends on playstyle; for sandboxes, motivation is paramount, since it's not set in stone what the story will be or what role the NPCs will play in it.

Personally I like to begin with a very simple description (or even no description), and I only upgrade their description when it becomes apparent that they have a significant role to play. In my example above, the items are numbered by priority, so to upgrade the description I just fill in the lower-priority blanks.

1. NAME is a PROFESSION, IN SUCH-AND-SUCH A SITUATION. - Fill in first, for all characters
2. Sensory cues - Fill in for most characters - a few vivid details go a long way
3. Ideals/Flaws/Bonds - only fill in when the NPC will change in response to PCs
4. Quotes (emotional context) - Only fill in when I expect the PCs to spend a lot of role play time chatting to this character

 

[jamesmanhattan]

The answer to stuff like this is straight out of a course on "character development" in a writing class. And sadly I don't think the internet has much in the way of free good answers to this.

Try reading "How to Write a Damn Good Novel" by Frey.

To define a character in the least way possible, give it at least two character traits and a motivation. Hopefully a motivation/goal that conflicts with the other characters, or else why the heck is the character even in the story. By conflict I don't mean ends in violence, just at cross purposes.

Example Character 1
Traits: fat, obsessive
Motivation: Rents mules and wants his mules returned in perfect condition.

This guy could be a dwarf, or a half-orc, or any race really, but of course this guy has a very good chance of coming into conflict with the player characters.


The NPC's in the adventures "Fighter's Challenge" and "Thief's Challenge" are very well done.