Non-Player Characters

Non-Player Characters (NPCs ) are the soul of the game world: allies, rivals, merchants, nobles, monsters, and wanderers. They have wills, ambitions, and weaknesses of their own, serving to bring the game world to life and make the narrative believable.

More than mere background figures, NPCs are the GM 's primary tool for interacting with the PCs , revealing to them the world, its history, and its secrets.

Creating an NPC

When creating an NPC , the GM should focus mainly on the following traits:

Name

A good name makes the NPC memorable and easy to call on in a scene, helping players recognize faces, form bonds, and remember promises, debts, and conflicts.

Here are some examples of names that might work well for human characters:

COMMON: Angus, Arthur, Barnaby, Bartholomew, Bastian, Bertha, Blanche, Carmel, Casimir, Cosmo, Damian, Deirdre, Dorothy, Elias, Elvira, Finn, Florence, Gavin, Agnes, Isidore, Jacob, Joan, Justin, Lionel, Margaret, Martha, Matilda, Quinn, Ralph, Roland, Ruth, Simon, Thaddeus, Thomas, Zack

NOBLE: Alaric, Amadeus, Antonella, Aurelius, Cassian, Catherine, Constantine, Desmond, Eleanor, Fabricius, Genevieve, Horace, Ignatius, Isolde, Leopoldine, Lucius, Magnolia, Maximilian, Nicodemus, Octavia, Penelope, Quentin, Rosalind, Sebastian, Seraphina, Theodora, Tiberius, Ulysses, Valerius, Veronica, Victoria, Wenceslas, Xavier, Zenobius

TRUSTWORTHY: Alice, Amelia, Arthur, August, Basil, Bennett, Benedict, Bianca, Camilla, Cecilia, Clara, Daniel, Ellaria, Stella, Philip, Flora, Gabriel, Gale, Helena, Irene, Joachim, Jonas, Levi, Lucy, Marina, Matthias, Noah, Olivia, Otto, Paul, Rachel, Samuel, Silas, Theresa, Tobias, Vincent

SINISTER: Boris, Bram, Cain, Carmilla, Corvus, Drago, Drest, Eris, Faust, Goran, Gracchus, Hecate, Igor, Jago, Klaus, Krad, Lazarus, Lilith, Malvina, Morgana, Morvan, Nero, Orlok, Raven, Rurik, Severus, Tacitus, Ulric, Vargo, Vexia, Vlad, Vorlag, Wargo, Xerxes, Zarco, Zola

Problem

Every NPC should have at least one problem they need solved, and to solve it they may need the help of the PCs .

It can be something simple, like delivering a letter in secret or tracking down a late shipment, but it can also be something that demands courage, like rescuing a kidnapped relative or escorting a caravan to the neighboring settlement.

To help you create these situations, the GM can use the Mission Generators in the book's appendices.

Appearance

Mannerisms

Common NPCs

The list below offers a few ideas for classic NPCs the GM can use to populate the game world.

LOCAL TAVERNKEEPER: Always knows what is happening in the village. Offers shelter, rumors, and advice, serving as a starting point for missions and reunions.

VILLAGE BLACKSMITH: A respected, hardworking figure. Supplies weapons, repairs armor, and quietly comments on travelers, mercenaries, and local troubles.

TEMPLE PRIEST: Spiritual protector of the community. Heals wounds, offers blessings, and speaks for faith and morality in the village.

GUARD CAPTAIN: Defends the city's order and pride. Skeptical of adventurers, they may be an ally, a rival, or an unyielding authority.

NOBLE PATRON: Uses influence and resources to get what they want. May pay well, but rarely reveals all their intentions.

DESPERATE VILLAGER: Simple and sincere. Seeks help to save their family, village, or harvest. Introduces the adventurers to real, human problems.

TRAVELING MERCHANT: Journeys down dangerous roads, bringing rare goods and distant news. Sometimes a cheat, sometimes a benefactor, they always have something useful to sell.

REPENTANT THIEF: Lives caught between crime and remorse. Offers valuable information or practical help in exchange for redemption or protection.

OLD SAGE OR HERMIT: A recluse who knows ancient mysteries, forgotten ruins, and prophecies. Speaks in riddles and demands respect before sharing secrets.

GATE GUARD: Watches over the city's safety. Follows orders strictly, but can be bribed, persuaded, or manipulated with the right approach.

LOCAL HUNTER: Knows the forests, tracks, and dangers of the region. Can guide the group, offer shelter, or warn of beasts and dark forces.

RECLUSIVE MAGE: Lives in isolation studying arcane powers. Holds knowledge or artifacts that could change the course of the adventure, but is temperamental and distrustful.

CLUMSY APPRENTICE: An inexperienced youth eager to prove their worth. Serves as comic relief, a rescue target, or an unexpected piece in the resolution.

ECCENTRIC HEALER: An herbalist or mystic who blends wisdom with madness. Heals wounds and offers potions, but demands odd favors in return.

VILLAGE CHIEF OR MAYOR: A civil authority trying to keep the peace in a settlement. Balances duty, fear, and local interests through diplomacy.

WANDERING KNIGHT: A noble warrior driven by honor, oath, or vengeance. May challenge, protect, or inspire the adventurers on their journey.

FANATICAL CULTIST: Disguised as an ordinary citizen, they serve a dark entity. Spreads corruption, lies, and chaos in their master's name.

OLD GOSSIP: Lives to hear and spread secrets. Sometimes irritating, but may reveal information no one else dares to tell.

ROUGH MERCENARY: Brute force in the service of the highest bidder. May fight alongside the group, betray it, or become a rival.

MYSTERIOUS PRISONER: Held captive for unknown reasons. Knows dangerous truths and may be both victim and accomplice to something greater.

CORRUPT PRIEST: Has lost their faith or sold their soul. Manipulates the devotion of others and uses the sacred as a mask for the profane.

HIRED ASSASSIN: Lives in the shadows. Efficient and silent. May be a deadly enemy or a temporary ally, depending on who pays more.

CRUEL FEUDAL LORD: Rules by force and fear. Embodies the abuse of power and the conflict between duty and tyranny.

VETERAN EXPLORER: Has survived ruins and monsters. Carries scars and memories that help the adventurers avoid fatal mistakes.

TORMENTED GHOST: A spirit bound to the world by remorse or vengeance. Asks for help finding peace, revealing secrets of the past.

RETIRED ADVENTURER: Has already lived great deeds. Tells stories, gives advice, and shows what awaits the adventurers in the future, should they survive.

GIFTED ARTISAN: A sculptor, jeweler, or tailor whose skill stirs the greed of nobles and criminals alike. Values the work more than their own safety.

WANDERING BARD: A poet and musician who carries songs, secrets, and truths disguised as stories. Their words open doors and create problems.

DISHONORED HEIR: A noble fallen from grace, trying to win back the family name. Swings between arrogance and desperation.

GUILD LEADER: Controls local trade or crime. Refined and dangerous, they prefer deals to bloodshed, but never without an advantage.

SEER BEGGAR: Clad in rags and delirium, they see what others cannot. Their words sound insane, until they prove true.

OLD SAILOR: Tattooed, superstitious, and foul-smelling, they speak of sea monsters and forbidden lands no one has ever visited.

Social Challenge

A social challenge occurs whenever a character tries to influence the will or behavior of an NPC , whether to obtain information, favors, resources, or permission to act. This ranges from convincing someone to open a gate to negotiating a truce or wringing out a confession.

Reaction

The reaction indicates how an NPC responds to the different forms of social interaction. It reveals how willing they are to listen, cooperate, or resist in the face of the PCs ' attempts.

Trust

Determines the difficulty an NPC imposes when a character makes a Persuasion check against them.

Cunning

Determines the difficulty an NPC imposes when a character makes a Deception check against them.

Resolve

Determines the difficulty an NPC imposes when a character makes an Intimidation check against them.

Approaches

An NPC can have one approach to social interaction in which they are more vulnerable and another in which they are more resistant:

ARGUMENTATION: Persuasion grounded in logic, facts, and conviction. Convinces through reason, appealing to credibility and a sense of justice.

FLATTERY: Exaggerated praise and honeyed words used to please and win favor, even if in an artificial or self-serving way.

COERCION: Direct threats or veiled pressure to force someone to act against their will, exploiting fear, duty, or vulnerability.

EMPATHY: Genuine understanding of another's emotions and motives, building rapport and trust through listening, compassion, and sincerity.

NEGOTIATION: A rational exchange of interests, seeking mutual benefit through balanced concessions and objective arguments.

BRIBERY: An offer of money, gifts, or advantages in exchange for cooperation, favors, or silence, appealing to greed rather than morality.

The GM can use the table below to determine the approaches to which an NPC is vulnerable or resistant. The symbol – means the NPC is resistant to that approach, while the symbol + means they are vulnerable to it.

Social Check

In a social challenge , depending on the approach used, the character must make a check using one of the three social skills (Persuasion , Deception , or Intimidation ) with a difficulty based on the NPC 's reaction to that kind of situation.

If the PC uses a approach to which the NPC is vulnerable, they gain a positive chance . Conversely, if they use a approach to which the NPC is resistant, they suffer a negative chance .

If the check succeeds, the NPC is convinced to cooperate. If it fails, they refuse, and the PCs cannot repeat the check against them with the same skill.