TTRPG resources: NPC building

TTRPG resources: NPC building

One of the best things about being a GM and world building is filling that world with interesting, engaging characters. NPCs (non-player characters) are the lifeblood of any

However, creating NPCs at scale can be a challenge. Coming up with interesting names, fun back stories, and fitting them altogether into an organic universe is difficult. It can also be incredibly time consuming.

To me, to design an NPC you have to work at three specific levels;

1) The Mechanical level: what stats do they have? What are their spells? What equipment do they have?

2) The Contextual level: where does this NPC fit within your wider story? How important are they, where do they live? How long are they going to be in your story for?

3) The Character level: what is their backstory? What are their mannerisms? This should be developed and linked to the Contextual level.

The more important the NPC, the more time you will likely want to commit to each stage. Luckily, there are plenty of tools out there which can help in forming each level, with some more helpful than others. Some good broad advice I have had is to focus on making the interesting rather than mechanically perfect. You probably won't have to use their skills / combat more than a couple of sessions at most.

Mechanical

D&D Beyond and other character builders obviously offer a full range of options to build a character, but frankly who has the time to do this for each and every NPC? Generating a stat block should be quicker- and thankfully is.

For quickfire (even in-game) NPC creation go to Don Jon (https://donjon.bin.sh/). This is a legendary resource helping GMs everywhere generate names, and top level NPCs at the click of a button. They cover a wide range of TTRPGs and genres, and have a whole range of tools to help with other last minute needs (ever needed to buy some time with an Inn? Don Jon has you covered). You will get a high level stat block and a brief description

For a more customisable version, I would use RPG Tinker (https://rpgtinker.com/). They have a full range of combat and non-combat

As a high-end option for those long term NPCs, Fast Character (https://fastcharacter.com/) offers people the chance to go full character build.

If you want to go old-school and do this by hand, there are options.

- For Pathfinder try: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/npc-classes/non-player-characters/

- For 5e, some thoughts are here: https://nerdsonearth.com/2016/04/and-5e-npc-stat-blocks/

Character

The Character level is about creating a realised NPC, really bringing them to life. Having a description of the character is helpful, but adding mannerisms linked to the contextual layer helps establish a character in the minds of players.

Roll for Fantasy (https://rollforfantasy.com/guides/creating-npcs.php) has some great advice here, including establishing a motivation for each and every NPC. What do they want? Even the most minor character has a motivation, even if that is just to survive. Having this fresh in mind helps the GM react in character. This in turn keeps players in the moment and creates meaningful roleplay opportunities.

RolePlayingTips is a great resource for those looking for an in-depth guide to building characters. (https://www.roleplayingtips.com/rptn/practical-methods-for-making-your-npcs-come-alive/):

Contextual

This is a critical level that helps determine how this NPC exists in your world. You need to understand what the reason for being in the world is, and how that links to the characters own motivations. Often NPCs are a device to keep the plot moving, and you can design them with that in mind. By linking them this with the character level, you can still make this an immersive experience for the players.

For more in-depth NPCs, you should think about what it is they know, who they know, and what they are there to achieve in the story. Dungeon World Fandom has some ideas for quick motivation generation here: https://a-dungeon-world.fandom.com/wiki/Building_NPCs

Bringing it all together

Now you have the basis for NPC generation, and some tools to speed things up where you can. To bring it altogether, I really like the Roleplaying Tips 3 line NPC strategy.

Source: Roleplayingtips.com

Creating one of these for each of your NPCs to have ready when you are in game will make things easier for your management of them. NPCs are important, and keeping them constantly entwined to the story you are trying to tell helps create a coherent world.

Example from Role Playing Tips: