NPC Framework

Let's craft some abominable creatures, shy sidekicks, endearing minions, and defenseless bystanders.

Like the infamous Dr. Frankenstein assembled the monster, let us create cool, unforgettable, and easy-to-play NPCs. As the All Flesh is Surplus jam approaches, I figured you all might appreciate some tips on how to build cool NPCs for The Lost Bay.

While I'll address some of TLB RPG specifics, most of what you'll read in the following few lines can apply to any game. We're building a framework of sorts. It's not perfect; it might not even be better, but it works for me. It's fast and nimble, without much reliance on data, stats, or rules. It’s helped me a lot, and I hope it might help you as well!

STATS

NPCs (or the GM) don't roll dice (except for Morale, but that might change). Why? Because they are supporting cast. We want them to have depth and be multi-faceted, but they shouldn't steal the spotlight. NPCs can either do something or not. They don't have attributes or ability scores and won't perform some complex action to get the PCs out of a tricky situation.

NPCs have two stats, Heart and Harm.

HEART represents their ability to sustain damage, physical or otherwise. When their heart reaches 0, they're dead.

HARM represents the default damage they deal. It’s a fixed value that can be as low as 0. Harm doesn't specify how they deal that damage, only how much they hurt the thing they’re damaging. It might be with bare hands, by using a weapon, or even with tentacles (if they have any, that is). Harm by default is the damage they deal at Close range. In other words, it's their default melee damage, unless specified otherwise.

It’s a cool thing to play with that Harm. You can modify the range (ranges are Close, Near, Far, and Beyond), or add some cool effects like BLAST (All targets take the specified damage) or SPLIT (Damage is divided between all targets).

By default, though, Harm expresses basic melee damage in TLB.

PERSONALITY

QUIRKS

TLB quirks have to be simple, a few words at most. Examples include things like Barefoot, Exhales flies, and Full facial tattoo. Easy to memorize for both the GM and the players.

MOOD

Example:

Needy. "I need a new job. Any job, I need cash, now."

or

Mystical. "Your aura is like a rainbow. You're so beautiful."

That little line of dialog allows GMs to set up the interaction quickly and flavorfully. It may just be a short prompt but helps set the tone, and you can build off of it from there.

ROLES

Example:

Scared Witness. Knows valuable information, reluctant to talk.

or

Fake Samaritan. Pretends to help, covert antagonist.

With just a few words, Roles give you a lot of meat for your NPCs. What a way to build cool interactions with the PCs! You're in a dungeon, you encounter a goblin. Are they a Scared Witness who knows where the dark necromancer is but won't talk, or a Fake Samaritan who'll pretend to help while pursuing a secret agenda (I might’ve just recreated Gollum here!)

In addition to the description, Roles can have MOVES. Moves are real fun building blocks for the NPCs. They can be special attacks (in addition to the default Harm), things they're good at, or anything else.

Fake Samaritan. Pretends to help, covert antagonist. MOVES: Lure to wrong places | Steal precious item | Distill lies (yeah, that is Gollum!)

MOVES

Moves are where you can really have fun both in terms of building special attacks, or just flavorful actions.

Examples (taken from TLB random encounter tables)

Bored teens. MOVES: Splash soda at each other and laugh | Call you a decrepit schmuck.

Moonshiner. MOVES: Drink from a silver flask | Complain about outsiders.

Moves can also include special attacks.

Possessed traveling salesman. MOVES: Have demonic convulsions (Horror save) | Vibrastab | Vomit hot slime and flies (2DMG Blast Close)

That's a nasty one!

I'll stop here for now. In a later post, I'll discuss Scary MOFOs and bosses in TLB, who have special moves that get triggered when they give or receive damage that fulfills certain criteria.

Let's wrap things up, and build our little framework!

NPC FRAMEWORK

Name, Pronouns
Heart Weak 1 · Average 3 · Strong 5 ·Mighty 7
Harm, between 0 and 2
Quirk (one memorable thing)
Mood (descriptor + a line of dialogue)
Move (one or more, flavor or special attack)
Role (descriptor, optional Moves)

Any of those things can be random —I've discussed the TLB random encounter procedure in a previous post— or predetermined.

Here are a couple of example NPCs taken from the Quickstart adventure “The Hollow Hitchhiker” and the upcoming core book

Alligator

Top of the food chain in the Sinking Marshes.

MOVES

Retirees, now hikers. Too heavily packed. Want to feel young again and witness the splendor of wild Flamingos.

MOVES

Gear: Multi-purpose hunting knife. Pink Angels: birds and wildlife of the Sinking Marshes book. Compass. Headlamp.

Zombie cat

HEART 3, Harm 1

MOVES