GM Tips: Make Great NPCs
Today we’re going to talk about a thing I’ve really kept my eyes and ears open to and tried to implement: Making compelling NPCs.
Whether you’re running a long-form campaign with hours of prep or or even winging it session to session, NPCs are kind of the lifeblood of your world. They provide context to the world and generally are how your players connect to the story emotionally. And I promise, building good ones isn’t complicated.
Forget stat blocks for a second - most of them don’t need one anyway. What really makes an NPC compelling is three simple things. Literally they are so simple, I’ll be surprised if you need more than like a few minutes. And we’re going to build three together in this video. I’ll walk through examples, and I’d love for you to build one alongside me or think of an NPC you’ve already made and check: do they have these three things? If not, maybe this will help you backfill them, if it makes sense to do so.
Their role, title or context in the world
Basically, in what capacity might the PCs interact with them.
Two things they are and two things they are not
These traits give your NPC a backbone. Something consistent to act from. You don't need a ten-page backstory - you just need a compass to direct their behaviour. You can figure out later why they are who they are but you very much do not need that now.
What do they want:
Every character wants something. Is it small? Like getting through the day without an issue at work? Or is it huge? Like bringing their lost child home from across enemy lines?This is what gives an NPC’s actions weight. They have something to lose.
So the first NPC we will create is a highly decorated army person who ends up being a quest giver. Her name is Major Maya Bharani. Two things she is - professional and no-nonsense. Two things she is not - warm and casual. The thing she wants is to mount a rescue operation to get her squad back from a particularly dangerous expedition they were lost on.
Just from that description, you can pretty much tell how stiff her uniform is and how slicked back her hair is and how her words are clipped.
So number one - Her context in the world is that she is a highly decorated member of a formal powerful institution who ends up being a quest giver. Being highly decorated means she is respected within the framework of the institution.
Number two - Her personality, at the start, is defined by mainly what she is and, equally as important, what she isn’t. What she is is professional and no-nonsense. What she is not is warm and casual.
Number three - What she wants informs how she navigates the world and interacts with the PCs. In this case, I’ve made the thing she wants related to the quest she gives the party - she wants to get her squad back.
Let’s do another NPC that isn’t so directly tied to giving the quest but is maybe just someone the party meets, His name is Dev Khatri and he is an old friend to one of the party members, and a fairly senior person in the merchant’s guild. The thing he wants is to not be a desk jockey but he is. Two things he was, a himbo and overly familiar. Two things he is not is serious and reflective.
So now you can picture him: big open grin, arms wide for a hug, calls the PC a childhood nickname in front of their whole party, and probably launches into complaints about filing requisition forms.
Number two - His personality, again, is defined by what he is and, probably even more, what he isn’t in this case. He’s probably very chatty about stuff he knows because he isn’t suspicious of ulterior motives.
He’s not there to give them a mission but he might accidentally give them a lead because he just talks. Or complicate things. Either way, he feels real.
Number three - In this case, I’ve made the thing he wants to basically be doing a different job. This doesn’t even need to be relevant, it’s just a thing that’s true that can colour certain interactions if it comes up. It’s just added texture that took no time at all to add.
Let’s do a final one of an NPC that the PCs will meet as part of a quest they are on. Let’s say you have a blacksmith named Brina. Two things she is is a perfectionist and suspicious of outsiders. Two things she isn’t is that she’s not easily impressed and she is not into gossip. The thing she wants is to make the orphanage she grew up in even better.
You can already picture her: well-muscled, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, sizing up the party before saying a word. She doesn’t waste time or energy on pleasantries. She keeps to herself, focused on her craft, and doesn’t care much for flattery. But underneath that guarded exterior, there’s someone who takes pride in her work and very much cares about the people who care about and those who are particularly vulnerable. She’s probably just not particularly approachable and friendly.
So number one - Her context in the world is that she is a point of interaction on the quest the PCs are going to encounter and she is a blacksmith.
Number two - Her personality, again, is defined by what she is and what she isn’t. She’s probably going to take a minute to warm up if the party tries to just appeal to her and ingratiate themselves to her. She probably won’t respond super well to threats of violence.
Number three - In this case, I’ve made the thing she wants easy enough for a transactional relationship in case they can’t get her to warm up to them.
So there you have it — three quick steps to build better NPCs:
The context of how the players meet them.
Two things they are, two things they are not.
What they want.
So that’s it. Hopefully now you’ll have the tools to whip up someone interesting on the fly. Someone with a voice, a goal, and a reason to matter and make your world vibrant.
That’s the magic of great NPCs: they show that the world is full of people with their own hopes, challenges, and perspectives. It reminds players that the story doesn’t just revolve around them - it expands because of them. The world feels more alive when everyone in it, not just the party, has something they care about.
