My friends and I recently came up with a new world in which to play. The characters Knights Natalis, who protect the North Pole and the world from primeval terrors. Ideas for characters and organizations danced in our heads like sugar plum fairies. As we came up with this polar world, I grew excited to fill it with lots of interesting people. I want these NPCs to feel real and to engage the players. So, how do I make my NPCs come to life?
One way I came across to make your NPCs come to life is through their actions. In addition to verbal interactions, I will try to make the characters come alive as they interact with the scene around them. Their actions will convey a great deal about who the character is and give the players access to their internal thoughts.
Get Your Characters Moving
Without action, RPGs drag to a stop so GMs need to keep the characters moving. NPCs should not just stand motionlessly as they talk to the player characters. An NPC with something to do will appear more three-dimensional and the players will be more likely to remember them.
But what should they do? Your NPCs can perform behaviors that reflect their background or they can continue to do whatever it was they were doing when the PCs interrupted them.
Background
As you invent characters, provide them with a brief backstory. These backgrounds do not need to be complicated. A couple of words are sufficient to give insight into the character’s past; even a one-word description can also suffice. For example, you can decide that this NPC grew up working in a flour mill (a miller’s daughter) or made their first million in the business of catching squids (squid entrepreneur).
Once you have decided on their past, reflect on how a character might portray their background without ever mentioning it. Instead, their behavior does the talking for them. Brainstorm two actions that they would have done in their earlier life. Inserting those actions into your conversation will make the character come to life. (Here is my brainstormed list of Background Actions.)
Let’s use an example. In my last session, the players chose to find the lodgings of a suspected ally of the primeval Darkness. The woman, a Mrs. Higsen, who runs the boarding house answers the door. As a GM, I could assign her to be the miller’s daughter who is now many years away from the flour mill. However, as she invites the Knights Natalis into the parlor, Mrs. Higsen could offer them some tea and some freshly baked bread. Later, when the knights ask Mrs. Higsen about the room where the previous tenant lived, the miller’s daughter exhibits her nervousness by trying to brush the flour from her apron (just a nervous habit). Both of these actions help Mrs. Higsen to come to life and the scene will feel richer because of the effort.
Current Events
While background could refer to the character’s childhood and upbringing, it might also reflect things that had occurred just hours or minutes before the PCs arrived. The NPC might still have these things on her mind when the PCs entered the scene. Show the players that the NPC has more of a life than just interacting with them by describing the evidence of other work that needs to be done. For example, Mrs. Higsen the boarding house owner, might be preparing dinner when the knights arrive. She might have to leave the knights in the parlor momentarily while she checks on the food that is cooking. Mrs. Higsen might also wipe her face a couple of times because it feels like there might be flour on her cheek.
Depending on the circumstance, the NPC might invite the player characters to join her because the current business is pressing. That is, rather than the NPC meeting the PCs, they have to go to the NPC’s location. In this way, the players get to know much about the person that they are interacting with.
A quick sidenote
It might go without saying, but as the GM, you could also physically mime the actions that your NPC is taking. Your mimicry does not need to be larger or flashing. Pretend to hold something as you greet the characters and then set it down on the table. Brush your hands on your apron before you offer to shake hands. These small actions can go a long way to increase immersion in your game world.
Conclusion
Whether you mime your actions or simply describe them, keep your NPCs moving. Take ideas from the character’s background or their current work to provide actions to take. As your characters interact with the world, it will provide more information for your players and help everyone immerse themselves deeper into the game world.
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