Everyone who plays Dungeons and Dragons knows of Boblin, for the most part. Boblin is a notorious NPC, even if you never played the game, who you can tell a lot about by just their name: Bob the Goblin. Boblin.

Not every Non-Player Character, or NPC, can be so iconic as to transcend a given table or game. There are some ways to get close.

Name

Give your NPC a memorable name. Your players will probably ask for every NPC’s name they come across. Your options are two-fold when it comes to names: the fourth-wall-breaking-ridiculous (Boblin) or something that makes sense in the game’s setting. For example, if your game’s setting is a fantastical version of Medieval England, it would be unusual for a character to show up name Leilani – she would either be fourth-wall-breaking, or from somewhere far away, but you had better be prepared to flesh out where she’s from because your players WILL ask. Regardless, the character’s name will need to pronounceable to those playing the game.

Physical Description

The NPC you craft will have to be described in full, and every part of their visual representation will be subject to not only your biases, but your players’. You will have to purposely strive to avoid things like racial stereotypes and cultural prejudices. You will want to make your character’s attire period-appropriate and their hairstyle appropriate for their culture or subculture within your game. Be careful not to make all your NPCs look the exact same.

The sort of things you should expect to describe if they are not hidden are:

• general shape (curvaceous, flat, lithe, or muscular; short, medium, or tall)
• general features (soft, neutral, or angular)
• hair and face shape (hairstyle and if it complements the face or not)
• hair color
• eye color
• general expression

Language and Mannerisms

Often overlooked are the components of language and mannerisms of an NPC. This doesn’t mean craft them their own language (cool, if you do!) but rather the way they use language and their body. Everyone has little tells, little tics, that give away their emotional states. For some, this is twirling a lock of hair. For others, tapping a foot or alternating between being on the ball and heel of their feet. Some people sway, others stare off to one side or blink erratically. There’s also word choice. Multilingual people, in real life, often switch to their native language when angry, for example. Again, you don’t have to craft a whole conlang (constructed language) for your NPCs; having a few choice words or a description of what the language sounds like to a non-native speaker will do.

Personality

This is a big one if your character is not fourth-wall-breaking. Consider some (2 to 3 is fine) personality traits for your NPC and make them the shining example of those personality traits. They don’t have to be traits that are all in agreement, either, and the more those contradict, the more three dimensional your NPC will appear. The more extreme their behaviors, the greater the impact they will have on the players.

Recap

You want a character with a memorable, meaningful, easy-to-pronounce name. The character’s looks should be clearly defined, accentuated by the character’s choice of appearance (hair, clothes, accessories, et cetera), and their behaviors should show their personality.