NPCs populate the D&D world. With so many faces and personalities, how do you keep them straight? In this case, less people is more.
Give Everyone Something
A normal dude is boring and forgettable. If you are going to populate your world with an NPC they should be memorable. It’s the worst when your PC’s forget who gave them their mission or forget someone who was important along the way. Make these characters stand out! There are so many interesting features to choose from, why choose a “brown hair, brown tonic, normal guy?” This is a fantasy game! Make something exciting!
Now also don’t go overboard and give one NPC everything; A pink hair, one armed, giant with a polar bear familiar and a Scottish accent is too much. Pick one! Also try to keep their name fairly simple. NPCs with long and oddly spelled names are harder to keep track of. Try to concentrate on one attribute and mention it multiple times so the PC’s pick up on it; something the NPC is wearing, doing, a tick, a physical feature… Anything that sets them apart.
Keep It Simple
Less Tolstoy is usually better. Instead of having 100 different forgettable characters, can you fold them into a few well thought out ones? Rather than having many, no name, NPCs, players will feel more connected to a few, well thought out ones. Use the same quest giver more than once. When they go missing, the players will notice and care!
As with locations, make sure each NPC serves a purpose. If they don’t “do” anything for the story, cut them out. If the PC’s talk randomly to someone in an inn, weave them into the story rather than making them disappear.
An NPC
NPC
Name: Dara Longstrider - human tanned, blonde
Purpose: Guide players toward location of item
Wants: Gold or players can trade a juicy rumor
Unique: Dara is a dancer. She wears a bright, silky, frilly red dress that shuffles as she moves. Players portray it as a tiny dragon when she spins. If she’s threatened, there’s a dagger hidden in her stockings.
Every time Dara appears she should be wearing her dress. The players should connect the dress to this NPC. She doesn’t need a 20 page backstory, she just needs to serve her purpose in a fun way.
Keep on rollin’
Bond
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