I don't know about you, but I've lost count of the number of innkeepers, stable boys, ship captains or dukes that I've had to invent over the years. When I first got started as a GM (back before rocks had been invented) I often struggled with this, because I felt like the characters I created weren't interesting. I was right- they weren't interesting and the second they left the scene my players forgot about them.
Years later I finally realized why. I wasn't giving them any of the information that would make these NPCs stick out in their memory, so it was hardly surprising my players forgot them. Once I realized the problem I spent months wracking my brain for a solution. How could I improve my NPCs?
After a lot of trial and error I brainstormed a way to bring them to life, and it was definitely worth the effort. I'll never forget the first time I succeeded in making a memorable NPC. When she died after a year of play one player cried. Another sacrificed his character's life to go on a spirit journey in an attempt to save her. So how did I go from flat, boring npcs to living breathing parts of the world?
Asking the right questions
Those who've read last month's column aren't going to find the answer surprising. I asked myself a series of questions about each NPC I wanted to create. Who was this person? What did they look like? What was their motivation? Answering one question often prompted another, and by following this chain I learned who my NPCs really were.
You wouldn't expect one of your players to do a good job playing his character if he didn't have a character sheet or a background. How are we supposed to do any better as a GM? In order to bring NPCs to life you really need to know them. Let's take a look at the innkeeper from last month's article, and see if we can transform him from dull and lifeless to memorable and interesting.
Your party reaches the innkeeper ready to ask him about the tomb north of town. As the GM how do you introduce him? If its off the cuff you might effect a gruff voice and say something like:
"Welcome to the Angry Weasel. What can I do ya for?"
That's not a bad start, but we don't know why our innkeeper said what he did. We don't know what he's going to say next, and while we can make it up it probably won't sound as good as if we knew our NPC better. So what questions could we ask to learn more about our innkeeper?
- What is the person's full name?
- Where are they from?
- How did they get where they are now?
- What is the person's greatest goal? Their greatest fear?
- Are there any mannerisms this person displays?
- Does this person have any unique speech patterns?
Let's answer our questions and see what we come up with. We decide to name our innkeeper Gill Tomasi. He's not from the town, but settled here to be with the woman he loved. This leads us to another question. Who is the woman he loves? Let's call her Mara and we'll make her the inn's cook.
Gill's greatest goal is to create the world's best beer, and to have the king drink a pint. His greatest fear is fire. Gill is terrified of his inn burning down, because he was trapped in a burning house as a boy. Gill also has a tendency to dry wash his hands when he's nervous, and gives a great big guffaw when he laughs. He says fer instead of for, and nah instead of no.
The Improved Scene
How will our introduction differ now that we know who Gill is? Here's how I'd write it:
Standing behind the counter is a bald man with too many chins. His eyes light up when he catches sight of you, and he waits for you to approach before speaking, "Welcome to the Angry Weasel. What can IÖ"
The innkeeper is interrupted as the doorway to the kitchen bangs open. A short women with nearly as many chins as the innkeeper pokes her head through the doorway. Her eyes narrow when they settle on the innkeeper, and her hands settle firmly on her hips, "Gill Tomasi I've told you two dozen times the stove needs fixin. I won't tell you again."
"Please excuse me a moment, kind travelers." Gill hurries over to the portly woman in the doorway, dry washing his hands as he whispers rapidly to her. Eventually the woman gives a sniff and heads back in to the kitchen, and Gill turns to face you, "I apologize for the interruption. Now, what can I get fer you kind folk?"
Now that we know who Gill is we're able to insert all sorts of new details. More will be revealed as the PCs question him about the tomb north of town. Instead of a flat, standard innkeeper from a thousand bland fantasy scenes you have a man with goals, ambitions, fears, hopes and everyday problems. Chances are your PCs will remember Gill as the innkeeper bossed around by his wife the cook, and will likely recall the Angry Weasel if they ever stop there again.
Building a cast of ready made NPCs
This method is great, but what if your well of inspiration is feeling a little dry? In last month's article we covered an exercise to adapt scenes from your favorite movie or book into your campaign. You can do the same thing with characters, and if anything its even easier.
When watching a movie you really like take a good look at a character you want to include in your campaign. Ask yourself the questions above. Try looking for mannerisms, facial expressions or phrases the character uses. Jot those down in a notebook until you have a few paragraphs about the character. Then, sit down and modify him to fit your game. Do this every time you see someone cool in a movie.
Before you know it you'll have an assortment of NPCs who can fill all sorts of different roles in your game. If you need a random innkeeper, mayor or stable master take a look at your notes and see if you've built a profile to match. In most cases you will, and if you don't you can often adapt a profile by changing it to match what you need.
Understanding Motivation
Up until this point I've drawn a lot of comparisons with creating a scene, but there is a fundamental difference between characters and scenes. A good scene will evoke emotion, and if you make it memorable the PCs will always recognize the place you describe.
Characters can and should evoke emotion, but they have something scenes do not. Motivation. If you want to run memorable NPCs you need to have a thorough understanding of their motivation. Why does the evil count want to kill the PCs? What are his ultimate goals? Does he want to be king? Is he acting out of a misplaced desire to seize the throne because he feels he can do a better job protecting the people?
The answers will shape your NPC in many subtle ways. They can transform the cookie cutter evil duke into an anti-hero doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Maybe in stopping him your PCs will learn that he had a valid reason for dethroning the king. That could shape all sorts of plots, but those plots get better as we ask still more questions.
Does the duke have a family? Let's give him a daughter that he loves deeply. How old is this daughter? Is she married? If not is there someone in the group she might be attracted to? How much does she know about her father's plotting? Does she support or oppose his bid to take the throne? How does her mother fit into things?
You can take a half a dozen paths depending on the answers to these questions. Use your imagination and you can see all sorts of possibilities. What started as a one shot 'evil duke' meant to be killed by your party can become the catalyst for an epic adventure. He could even end up being someone's father or mother in law if they marry his beautiful daughter or son.
If you repeat this process for every NPC in your game you'll find that adventures practically write themselves. Understanding motivation is a powerful tool in your GM bag of tricks, and will bring your players back to the table week after week if used correctly.
In Conclusion
Dynamic NPCs with depth, motivation and clear goals are the hallmark of a great campaign. Using the techniques above you should be able to create a cast of memorable NPCs that will bring your campaign to life. This works particularly well if you are already setting great scenes using the techniques demonstrated in last month's column. Next month we'll learn to weave both into a cohesive story, and we'll learn all about giving them The Illusion of Choice.
