by Aaron Harris

Created on: January 15, 2009

NPC's. By far, the greatest tool at a DM's disposal. They take the gold the character's found or earned in exchange for a shiny new item, a meal, or a stay at the inn. They give the character's advice, suggestions and clues to figuring out the many challenges put before them. In a nutshell that's what they're there for. But I'm looking to share my knowledge and advice on this subject matter.

I'm a DM for a small D&D group. My players have gotten spoiled with the quality, and sometimes quantity, of the various NPCs I send their way. Here's the steps I take to create a memorable support character.

1) Reason - Why is the NPC there? Is she there just to give the PC's a small written note, read their fortune, or guide them to the spider cave? Ideally, you (as the DM) would have a quest or challenge planned already. With that in mind, you might need an antagonist for them to track down or a damsel to save from distress. Figure out the purpose of the NPC first and foremost. If you don't know why the NPC is there, then there's no point in making him seem inportant.

2) Name - I give my inportant NPC's memorable names. The barkeep that they will probably see quite often will get a name like Plotus. But the average Joe they pass on the street will get a name like Bob #2 or something similar. After the first game session, the players have learned to figure out which NPC's are important and which ones aren't, strictly based on their name. If you got Farmer Joe on the east end of town and Vagrast Malarou the High Gray Wizard of Ando, which one would you seek out regarding the location of a magical artifact hidden in the area?

3) Abilities - It always makes your job easier if you pre-plan what the NPC can and cannot do. What he does and does not know is also worth noting. The players can be unpredictable. You never know when they will outright attack an NPC or interact with her in a way you didn't plan. Knowing what the NPC is capable of can make things easier on you. Not to mention it'll tell your players that you care about the game enough to come prepared. Plus, it makes the NPC seem more of a threat if they can actually fight back.

4) Persona - Probably the most important part to creating an NPC. How does the NPC react to having a dagger to it's throat? Or maybe a gun to it's head? Usually I look to television or books for inspiration on this part. The main villain in the game might act like Jack Nicholson's Joker character from the Batman movie. Maybe he has a few screws

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