Creating a Memorable NPC

When we develop worlds what do we remember most? The sprawling landscapes, the epic adventure, or the great bartender in the tavern where the adventure started? NPCs craft the adventure, give it a human aspect and make it memorable. As one of the most important pillars of gaming why is it that some GMs neglect them or fail to do more than create voices in which to give out quests? What’s needed to create a truly memorable NPC?

Play up Traits

The most fun I have when playing an NPC is playing up some of their traits. Most recently my players encountered a fat man, and I mean a morbidly obese probably needed a wheel chair to move around kind of fat. So I chose to play up the fact that the gentleman was overweight. Specifically when he would get nervous he’d eat sweets, his weight just began to imply he was a fairly nervous man. When the players eventually started grilling him for information he began to root around in his pockets to pull out a candy bar and began chewing at it while responding to questions. It made for a fairly quick trait that became easily memorable to the players, especially when he got so nervous he began smearing chocolate all over his face. Laughter definitely helps make a scene memorable.

Use Voices

I use accents and vocal traits for all of my characters, it helps me not only get into character but literally develops the characters voice. While I can do a fairly competent impression (I do a pretty good Ernie/Kermit impression) I only have a small repertoire of voices. My trick around this is to change my vocal speech patterns. While it makes it hard to repeat without notes (or recording myself) it does quickly establish the character and how they speak. So even speaking just a little higher, using a different lilt to your speech helps create a new character. Personally I tend to borrow speech patterns from shows I watch; it’s how I picked up on the northern English accent of Christopher Eccleston.

Devil is in the Details

Keep a notebook on hand to jot down the details of your NPCs. It’s something I have a terrible time remembering to do, but if you keep a running log of names, accents, and traits you’ll be able to quickly pick up where you left off. I’ve found that repetition is really what solidifies the awesomeness of any NPC. Having a one great scene with an NPC isn’t enough; you’ll need to be able to channel that character again and again in order to make them truly memorable.

What are your tips for making a memorable NPC? What do your players remember the most about some of your characters?