High Programmer > Alan De Smet > Games > Role-Playing Games > Tips for Game Masters > Random NPC cheat sheet

Random NPC cheat sheet

All too often the players will grab some faceless NPC and ask the terrifying question, "What's your name?" You quickly flounder around and end up with something inappropriate or silly.

The solution is easy: pregenerate a list of random names and print it out. When the characters ask a random townsperson for their name, just pick one, cross it off, and use it.

You can extend this by having lists of random traits to give the characters a bit of color. Just fill the list with things like: loud, shy, has a comb-over, and evasive.

Random names:

Random name generators are easy to find, here are just a few:

Random names based on the US census.
Everchanging Book of Names, excellent Windows program.

Random traits

OpenRoleplaying.org NPC Profiler is based on the first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide, but is suitable for almost any use.
NPC Template Generator - While designed for fantasy games, is actually quite flexible. Includes name generation. backup link
The Wheel of Tics is very Paranoia specific, but is good.

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