CONJECTURE GAMES PRESENTS:

NE
the niversal NPC emulator
By Zach Best
Artwork by Matthew Vasey

Nothing happens unless first we dream. Carl Sandberg

One day one of my little nephews came up to me and asked me if the equator was a real line that
went around the Earth, or just an imaginary one. I had to laugh. Laugh and laugh. Because I didnt
know, and I thought that maybe by laughing he would forget what he asked me. Jack Handey

Dedicated to Claire.
I hope your imagination will be as wild and large as the sea.

Written by Zach Best

Artwork by Matthew Vasey (http://www.users.fast.net/~rrv311/digitaldemiurgemain.html)
Published by Conjecture Games (conjecturegames@gmail.com, Tip Jar at PayPal.com)
Special Thanks to Matt Mooney, Aaron Zeitler, Keith Emery, and Scott Rieger for playtesting,
editing, and general commenting.
Very Special Thanks to my wife, Katie, who believes in me and supports me in every way.
Anyone may freely distribute this work as long as it is not used for
commercial purposes and it is distributed in its original form. The work
may be used to create resulting derivative works as intended by this work
for commercial use as long as acknowledgement of this work is
accompanied by said published derivative work. Permission from the
authors must be granted if this work will be used for any other purposes,
including but not limited to, reusing any artwork or text for a separate or
derivative work. All text is Zach Best (2007). All artwork is
Matthew Vasey (2007) and used with permission for this work. The
mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not
a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.

A Tale of a Table

Introduction

Alex: You three are hot on the trail of the evil

dragons servants. You recall they have stolen
the scepter of your king.

The role of a game master (GM) running a

tabletop roleplaying game can be a tough one. Not
only do they have to maintain a handle on the
stage they are setting, but they also have to keep
things interesting. A lot of times a GM will look
towards a pre-made adventure many of which
require players to do A then B then C to get D,
etc. to save some time in the game preparation.
Just as many times, players will start at A then send
their characters to X, destroy C, and then run away
from D to get to M. All the GMs planning in the
world cannot account for every action the players
want their characters to take.
Perhaps the worst situation in which a GM
can find himself results when a player character
(PC) is trying to have an unforseen conversation with a non-player character (NPC). For
example, the Mayor that Dooley wants to meet.
The GM could just ignore the players request and
say that the Mayor says nothing interesting.
Another GM could use the Mayor to get the PCs
back on track with the prepared adventure. A
GM could take a break to flesh out the area the
PCs want to explore.
This supplement attempts to help a GM
create interesting NPCs on the fly so that if the
third option is taken, the task is simpler and the
results fun. Instead of just a stereotypical Mayor
(whatever that may be), with a few die rolls a
Mayor can be created with a history, motivations,
and even a reason to speak with the PCs. The
best part is that this supplement is universal. It
was designed to work for every genre from fantasy
to horror, space opera to post-apocalypse
adventure.

Bob: Is there a town ahead?

Alex: Yes. Carol, you know this area well and
know there is a town about 10 miles or so away.
Bob: Good. I need to stock up before we hit the
dungeon.
Alex (smirking): Up to you guys.
Dooley: Are we there?
Alex: Yes.
Dooley: I want to talk with the Mayor.
Alex: Oh. Okay, sure. What about?
Dooley: I want to see if the town has any
problems of their own, and feel the Mayor out.
It is my sworn job as a paladin of the king to
uphold the law and make sure only the good lead
those of faith.
Carol: That sounds cool. I dont know why we
care about the scepter anyway. It wasnt even
magic. I am sure the king has plenty
replacements.
Bob (whining): I want treasure.
Alex: Uhhhhokay. Can we take a break
for an hour. I need to figure out what to do
then. Or, I have prepared the adventure to the
dragon. You guys can do that.
Dooley: We can wait.

Abbreviations
GM = game master, usually the person running
the game.
PC = player character, a character played by
one of the players.
NPC = non-player character, one of the many
characters a game master will act out in order to
further the story through interaction with playerrun characters.
d# = a die with # of sides, for instance a d100
is a die with 100 sides.

What is NE?
NE is a supplement for just about any pen
and paper roleplaying game to help facilitate the
creation and playing of an NPC.
NE is universal. It was designed to be run
with almost every standing genre in tabletop
roleplaying. Some terms must bend a little more
depending on a genre. A shopkeeper or wizard
might not be apparent in a space opera, but you
might look respectively to Quark from Star
Trek: Deep Space 9 or Mr. Universe from the
movie Serenity as reasonable examples of those
professions in that genre. The terms are not
definite answers; they are ideas to get the
creative juices flowing.
NE is focused on the NPC aspect of a
game. Often a GM will hesitate to include a
variety of NPCs for fear that they will seem trite.
Alternatively, a generic role may need to be
filled and the GM fears that the NPC that fills it
will be viewed as a prop, not as a person. With
NE, a simple NPC can become a true character
in the story with just a few die rolls.
NE is an emulator. It can be used without
a GM, and in fact some of the best results may
occur when a whole group of players uses it.
This particular emulator is not a complete
replacement for a GM-driven NPC.
Nonetheless, when a GM is absent or is not
inspired to create a new NPC this emulator will
shine.

When to use NE
The supplement should be used when the
game is stuck. More specifically, when the game
is stuck on who? and there is a problem with
how to proceed.
This typically arises is when a player wishes
to have her PC interact with an NPC that was
created as a prop. An example could be a
burglar about to break into a trailer-home, and
one of the neighbors comes out for a smoke and
a drink to up the difficulty of breaking and
entering. As a prop the neighbor serves merely
to deter the PC or increase the difficulty. The
problem occurs when the PC engages with the
neighbor. Is the neighbor brash? Will the he
run inside the moment he is threatened? Is he

friendly enough to share a smoke with a stranger

wandering around the trailer park? What if the
PC escalates the situation and gets into a fight,
or even worse kidnaps the neighbor?
Other examples of prop NPCs needing
further depth include: a merchant of whom a PC
requests an abnormal favor, a waitress used as an
information delivery prop with whom a PC starts
to flirt, or an enemy that is interrogated with
unforeseen questions.
Undeveloped NPCs also commonly occur
when a player wishes his PC to seek out a general
NPC he just created. The example of Dooley
wanting to speak with a mayor, as described
above is not uncommon. A player decides his PC
knows somebody, or at least knows they exist, and
seeks them out. The problem occurs when the
PC starts interacting (usually requesting
something) with the NPC. It compounds when
the PC continues to return to that NPC on many
occasions.
Many skilled GMs develop this information
on the fly. However, even the best GMs can get
stuck in an adversarial or clich rut. An
adversarial-rutted GM will make the neighbor as
antagonistic as possible. The neighbor will be
brave, undeterred by any threats, and possibly be
the first to resort to violence so as to force the
PCs to stay on track. A clich-rutted GM will
snag the first idea that pops into mind, and it
will usually be the most clich.
This is when to use NE It will give the
NPC meaning and depth that will not burden the
game with stalling moments or GM-rutted ideas.
NE can be lightly used when the NPC concept
is pretty much solidified, but the supplement is
most useful when an NPC is pulled out of chaos.

Designer Notes on NE
Dropping the Reins
The first convention of tabletop role-playing
that this supplement breaks is the paramount
control of the GM. Random creation will
usually cause some amount of control over the
game to be lost. Consider a treasure won at the
end of a dungeon. A strict GM may have
customized the treasure specifically to each
character. A lax GM may just roll on the

treasure tables. Neither is the correct way. The

correct way should be tailored to each group.
But, it is important to understand a randomly
rolled treasure may change the game in
unforeseen ways. Without a GM, the game must
be played so that unforeseen events continue to
occur.
This convention breaker is directly applied
here because this supplement assumes that
NPCs in your game are more than props. They
are people that allow for interactions beyond
what props can deliver. If they are not props,
then the NPCs will likely affect the story. If one
is randomly created its affect on the story might
be one never contemplated by the GM (or the
players).

Collaborative Gaming
The second broken convention is that of
players controlling only their own characters.
The supplement works best when the rolling is
done with everyone chiming in. Think of it as a
crucible. A lot of inappropriate ideas might be
thrown in, but a mixture might create a gem.
However, the possibility of metagaming PC
action based on player knowledge, not character
knowledge rears its head. If the NPC is rolled
up to be an evil villain with the demeanor of a
saint some players will not have as much fun
because they already know that the NPC is evil,
while their PCs dont. The GM will have to
decide based on how the group finds their fun,
whether to allow players to help create NPCs
using this supplement or to keep it a surprise.

Preconceptions
The battle will always be preconceptions
versus the random terms rolled. In the prior
example, Alex might want the Mayor to be
rotting the town from the inside out, but all the
terms that NE provides point to a saintly Mayor
who goes out of the way to help the passage of
snails. The GM (or group) will have to decide
which ideas to throw away. If the preconceptions
are strong, they may overshadow or conflict with
anything rolled. Of course the goal in the design
of NE was to have most characteristics be as
complementary as possible. This is not always

feasible. Coming upon a hermit that has lived in

the swamp for thirty years, and then rolling
drifter may cause a few problems. The
appropriate method is to see if a few ideas get the
rolled terms to join with the preconceptions to
create a NPC with depth (such as a swamp hermit
who lives in a houseboat floating around the
swamp). If they conflict too greatly, just toss out
what does not work.

The Rule of Negative Inference

Some terms will have to be thrown out. The

conflict between the preconceptions or other
rolled terms will be too great to utilize them in
such a way that the fun of the game continues.
It is always better to keep moving forward than
to spend a gross amount of time trying to
reconcile some terms. However, it is beneficial
to ask when paring down terms why does this
term not work? This will not only strengthen
your NPC concept, but it may also provide more
depth to the preconceptions and terms that are
left on the table.

Term Design
Users should feel free to replace any terms
they wish. If a group or person solely plays a space
opera roleplaying game, some of the NPC Nouns
could be replaced. NPC Motivation Nouns can
also be edited for specific systems according to
groups of NPCs, goals or actions unique to the
setting, etc. NE should definitely be edited to
be more specific if necessary.

Story Creation
One of the easiest ways to create an
adventure is to create numerous NPCs and then
make a tangled web between them all. Have the
players sort out who is right, who wins, etc.
NE works well for this GM exercise because it
eliminates much of the time consuming
applications of character creation. The results
(and gameplay) may work out surprisingly well,
even when little time can be given to
adventure/story creation. A separate appendix is
available to see an example of this type of
exercise.

NPC Creator
The NPC Creator can be used for many purposes. First and foremost, a strong idea for an NPC can be
created from nothing in a very short time. The NPC will have a stereotypical title, motivations, and a
sense of the NPCs power in comparison to the players. The NPC Creator can also be used to expand on
the NPCs inner workings. A GM might know that a certain NPC has information pertaining to an
artifact the PCs are seeking, but what will drive the NPC to want to give it to them. With a motivation
or two, a GM will know what actions the PCs will have to take in order to acquire that information. As
mentioned above, if preconceptions overrule what is rolled, use what works best. Do not be afraid to
discard terms, especially in the case where speedy creation of an NPC trumps depth.
1. Determine what the NPC is. Roll a d100 to obtain an NPC Modifier from Chart 1. Roll a d100 to
obtain an NPC Noun from Chart 2. Combine the two as if forming a simple sentence. For example if a
21 is rolled followed by a 45, the sentence would read Inept Actor. If some facts about the NPC are
previously known, merely use what works and discard what does not.

Chart 1: NPC Modifier

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

superfluous
addicted
conformist
nefarious
sensible
untrained
romantic
unreasonable
skilled
neglectful
lively
forthright
idealistic
unsupportive
rational
coarse
foolish
cunning
delightful
miserly

21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

inept
banal
logical
subtle
reputable
wicked
lazy
pessimistic
solemn
habitual
meek
helpful
unconcerned
generous
docile
cheery
pragmatic
serene
thoughtful
hopeless

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

pleasant
insensitive
titled
inexperienced
prying
oblivious
refined
indispensable
scholarly
conservative
uncouth
willful
indifferent
fickle
elderly
sinful
naive
privileged
glum
likable

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

lethargic
defiant
obnoxious
insightful
tactless
fanatic
plebeian
childish
pious
uneducated
inconsiderate
cultured
revolting
curious
touchy
needy
dignified
pushy
kind
corrupt

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

jovial
shrewd
liberal
compliant
destitute
conniving
careful
alluring
defective
optimistic
affluent
despondent
mindless
passionate
devoted
established
unseemly
dependable
righteous
confident

Chart 2: NPC Noun

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

gypsy
witch
merchant
expert
commoner
judge
ranger
occultist
reverend
thug
drifter
journeyman
statesman
astrologer
duelist
jack-of-all-trades
aristocrat
preacher
artisan
rogue

21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

missionary
outcast
mercenary
caretaker
hermit
orator
chieftain
pioneer
burglar
vicar
officer
explorer
warden
outlaw
adept
bum
sorcerer
laborer
master
ascendant

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

villager
magus
conscript
worker
actor
herald
highwayman
fortune-hunter
governor
scrapper
monk
homemaker
recluse
steward
polymath
magician
traveler
vagrant
apprentice
politician

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

mediator
crook
civilian
activist
hero
champion
cleric
slave
gunman
clairvoyant
patriarch
shopkeeper
crone
adventurer
soldier
entertainer
craftsman
scientist
ascetic
superior

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

performer
magister
serf
brute
inquisitor
lord
villain
professor
servant
charmer
globetrotter
sniper
courtier
priest
tradesman
hitman
wizard
beggar
tradesman
warrior

2. Find the NPC Power Level. Determine the R-level of the scene by assigning a numeric value ranging
from 1 (fairly boring) to 5 (surprises at every single turn) based on the extremity of the situation (chaos,
confusion, disorder, etc.). The R-level can also represent a difficulty level where the higher the R-level
the harder the challenges. Roll a d100 to determine the NPCs power level relative to that of the PCs
using Chart 3. For example if the R-level of the scene is 4 and a 76 is rolled, the NPC will be Slightly
Stronger than the PCs.

Chart 3: NPC Power Level

R-level
1
2
3
4
5

Much Weaker
1-2
1-4
1-5
1-8
1-12

Slightly Weaker
3-10
5-15
6-20
9-25
13-30

Comparable
11-90
16-85
21-80
26-75
31-70

Slightly Stronger
89-98
86-96
81-95
76-92
71-88

Much Stronger
99-100
97-100
96-100
93-100
89-100

3. Determine the NPCs Motivations. Roll a d100 for an

NPC Motivation Verb in Chart 4, and roll a d100 for an NPC
Motivation Noun from Chart 5. Combine the two as if to
form a simple sentence. Repeat this two more times. If
successive rolls result in two Motivation Nouns from the same
column, discard the second one and re-roll.
For example, the first roll is a 24 followed by a 94, giving
Chronicle Animals. The second roll is a 60 followed by a 7,
giving Account Opulence. The final roll is a 21 followed by
an 89, however 89 is in the same column as the previously
rolled 94; therefore that NPC Motivation Noun must be rerolled. NPC Motivation Verb rolls never have to be re-rolled.

Chart 4: NPC Motivation Verb

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

advise
obtain
attempt
spoil
oppress
interact
create
abduct
promote
conceive
blight
progress
distress
possess
record
embrace
contact
pursue
associate
prepare

21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

shepherd
abuse
indulge
chronicle
fulfill
drive
review
aid
follow
advance
guard
conquer
hinder
plunder
construct
encourage
agonize
comprehend
administer
relate

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

take
discover
deter
acquire
damage
publicize
burden
advocate
implement
understand
collaborate
strive
complete
compel
join
assist
defile
produce
institute
account

41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60

dreams
discretion
love
freedom
pain
faith
slavery
enlightenment
racism
sensuality
dissonance
peace
discrimination
disbelief
pleasure
hate
happiness
servitude
harmony
justice

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

work
accompany
offend
guide
learn
persecute
communicate
process
report
develop
steal
suggest
weaken
achieve
secure
inform
patronize
depress
determine
seek

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

manage
suppress
proclaim
operate
access
refine
compose
undermine
explain
discourage
attend
detect
execute
maintain
realize
convey
rob
establish
overthrow
support

Chart 5: NPC Motivation Noun

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

wealth
hardship
affluence
resources
prosperity
poverty
opulence
deprivation
success
distress
contraband
music
literature
technology
alcohol
medicines
beauty
strength
intelligence
force

21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

the wealthy
the populous
enemies
the public
religion
the poor
family
the elite
academia
the forsaken
the law
the government
the downtrodden
friends
criminals
allies
secret societies
the world
military
the church

61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80

gluttony
lust
envy
greed
laziness
wrath
pride
purity
moderation
vigilance
zeal
composure
charity
modesty
atrocities
cowardice
narcissism
compassion
valor
patience

81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100

advice
propaganda
science
knowledge
communications
lies
myths
riddles
stories
legends
industry
new religions
progress
animals
ghosts
magic
nature
old religions
expertise
spirits

4. Combine all the terms to create an NPC. The creator should now have a rough sentence describing
the qualities of the NPC. For example: A corrupt recluse, slightly stronger than the party, guards
moderation, abuses pleasure, and communicates prosperity. The next step is to decide the why or how for
each term. The examples that follow will expand on this process. Having context is the best way to
determine how the created sentence will generate an NPC. Try to link the terms not only to the overall
game or setting, but also to the story, campaign, chronicle, or adventure itself.

Completely Random NPC Creator Examples:

Georgey Mal the Wizard

The party members walk into a tavern to seek out a mercenary to help them in their latest quest.
The setting is in a generic fantasy RPG.
Step 0: No facts are known about the mercenary prior to the NPC creation.
Step 1: Rolled 40 on the NPC Modifier chart to get hopeless, and rolled 87 on the NPC Noun chart to
get villain.
The players easily agree that this is the towns villain whose great plans for domination are
constantly being thwarted by simple undoings. The race and class of the hopeless villain are unknown,
but one of the players speaks up and talks about a wizard in an old cartoon that was constantly foiled by
little blue creatures. The players agree that the fit is good, and name the new NPC Georgey Mal.
Step 2: The R-level of the scene is 3, and a 22 is rolled giving the NPC comparable stats and powers to the party.
Step 3a: The first motivation is rolled for 38, comprehend, and 56, hate.
Step 3b: The second motivation is rolled for 65, learn, and 57, but because 56 and 57 are in the same column,
the latter is re-rolled to a 13, literature.
Step 3c: The third motivation is rolled for 74, achieve, and 29, academia. Note that the second and third
NPC Motivation Verbs came from the same column. This does not require a re-roll, as a re-roll is required only if
successive NPC Motivation Nouns are from the same column.
The players decide that Georgey does not understand what it means to be a villain, going along
with the hopeless modifier. He might be constantly trying to do evil things only to find out that they
were not evil at all (in some cases even helping his would-be victims). Therefore, one of his motivations is
to learn to be an evil villain. Georgey also tries to learn a lot from books. With a light-hearted game
already in place the players decide that many of his books are in the vein of How to be a Villian and
Evil Things for Dummies. One of the players notes that in a more serious game the books Georgey owns
might be an ancient memoir of a lich lord. Finally he may have been kicked out of wizard school. Now
Georgey is enacting revenge on the world for not having a diploma of wizardry. Satisfied with the
character, the characters join Georgey at his table in the inn.

The Spirit of the Lair

In a game heavily set on animism and the spirit world, the characters come upon a spirits lair.
Step 0: The only known fact is that the NPC is a spirit.
Step 1: The dice are rolled and prying and hero are obtained.
One of the players jokes that it sounds like their own spirit-totem companion, and surprisingly the
rest agree that this spirit is a totem companion for another person or group. The spirit is always poking at
the affairs of its own companions, but usually helps to save the day. One of the players is disappointed
that the type of the spirit is not yet apparent.
Step 2: The chaos of the scene is a little more than normal, but the spirit is rolled to be roughly the same power
level as the party members.
Step 3a: The motivation is rolled to be produce the wealthy.
Step 3b: The motivation is rolled to be ascertain modesty.
Step 3c: The motivation is rolled to be refine peace.
The players agree that the latter two motivations are in accord, but the first motivation is a
problem. One of the players asks, how can you become modest while making rich people? For a
moment the players ignore the first motivation and decide the spirit will be a Spirit of Enlightenment.
However, the spirit, due to its prying nature, is more of a judge than a teacher. It demands much from
those that seek it. A player mentions that the wealth it gives might not be silver and gold, instead it is a
wealth of personal spirit.
The players send the PCs into the lair wary that their characters are probably going to be judged
and possibly sent on a quest for atonement.

NPC Association Emulator

NPC Response Module
The NPC Response Module is used in circumstances where the NPC has the ability to say yes or
no. Questions are best because most of the time you will get either an affirmative response (i.e.,
question answered mostly truthfully) or a negative response (i.e., no answer or a lie). Statements of
motivation and fact are also good if the NPC can react definitively. The Response Module does not work
as well with more ambiguous questions (Where is the ring?) or statements of feeling (Road kill makes me
sad). The NPC Response Module can also be used in making sweeping generalizations of whether an
NPC will be helpful or not.
1. Determine the NPC Relationship to the speaking character. This is the long term variable in this
emulator. It should rarely change from use to use unless major in-game effects occur between the NPC
and the speaker. That is not to say an NPC cannot go from neutral to hostile in the course of the scene;
only that this change should be strongly justified in game.
2. Determine the NPC Conversation Mood to the speaking character. This is the short term variable in
this emulator. This can change from sentence to sentence or scene to scene.
3. Get the Binary Speech Response. Roll 1d100 and reference Chart 6 below. The numbers are split
between affirmative and negative responses (usually an affirmative response is not a lie). An affirmative
response will be the middle number or lower; while a negative response will be higher than the middle
number. A very affirmative response will be the left number or lower, and a very negative response will be
greater than the right most number. For instance, if the NPC Relationship was distrustful but the NPC
Conversation Mood at the moment was helpful, the numbers would read 14/67/93. A very affirmative
response would be 14 or lower. An affirmative response would be 15-67. A negative response would be
68-93, and a very negative response would be 94-100.

Chart 6: NPC Binary Response

NPC Relationship

loved
friendly
peaceful
neutral
distrustful
hostile
hated

5/30/87
9/45/90
4/25/85
8/38/88
4/21/83
7/33/86
3/17/81
6/28/84
2/13/79
5/24/83
2/9/77
4/18/81
1/5/75
3/12/79
withdrawn
guarded
NPC Conversation Mood

12/60/93
10/51/91
9/45/89
8/39/87
7/35/86
6/27/84
4/19/82
cautious

15/75/95
13/64/93
11/56/91
10/50/90
9/44/89
7/36/87
5/25/85
neutral

18/81/96
16/73/94
14/65/93
13/61/92
11/55/91
9/49/90
7/40/88
sociable

21/88/97
19/82/96
17/76/95
16/72/94
14/67/93
12/62/92
10/55/91
helpful

25/95/99
23/91/98
21/87/98
19/83/97
17/79/96
15/75/96
13/70/95
forthcoming

NPC Discussion Module

This emulator should be used when you have no idea what the NPC will want to talk about. In a
story almost every actor has a purpose. This emulator can be used to help figure out why the NPC
appeared, or what purpose that NPC will bring. Instead of dealing with binary responses using the NPC
Response Module, you can use the NPC Discussion Module to quickly focus the conversational aspect of
the NPC.
1. Determine the NPC Bearing. The NPC Bearing is how the NPC regards the focus of the discussion.
If there are enough facts to do so, choose the demeanor of the NPC from the top of Chart 7. Otherwise
roll a d100 or d8 to determine the demeanor. After a demeanor has been determined, roll a d10 or d100
to find the NPC Bearing using Chart 7.

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Chart 7: NPC Bearing

1-10 (1)
11-20 (2)
21-30 (3)
31-40 (4)
41-50 (5)
51-60 (6)
61-70 (7)
71-80 (8)
81-90 (9)
91-100 (10)

1-10 (1)
11-20 (2)
21-30 (3)
31-40 (4)
41-50 (5)
51-60 (6)
61-70 (7)
71-80 (8)
81-90 (9)
91-100 (10)

scheming
1-12 (1)
intent
bargain
means
proposition
plan
compromise
agenda
arrangement
negotiation
plot
inquisitive
50-62 (5)
questions
investigation
interest
demand
suspicion
request
curiosity
skepticism
command
petition

insane
13-24 (2)
madness
fear
accident
chaos
idiocy
illusion
turmoil
confusion
faade
bewilderment
knowing
63-75 (6)
report
effects
examination
records
account
news
history
telling
discourse
speech

friendly
25-36 (3)
alliance
comfort
gratitude
shelter
happiness
support
promise
delight
aid
celebration
mysterious
76-88 (7)
rumor
uncertainty
secrets
misdirection
whispers
lies
shadows
enigma
obscurity
conundrum

hostile
37-49 (4)
death
capture
judgment
combat
surrender
rage
resentment
submission
injury
destruction
prejudiced
89-100 (8)
reputation
doubt
bias
dislike
partiality
belief
view
discrimination
assessment
difference

2. Determine the NPC Focus. Roll d100 to find the NPC focus of the conversation using Chart 8. If
possible the NPC Focus should be regarded as pertaining to the PC of the player rolling, the PC that will
be speaking, or the party members in general. It may be helpful to put the word PCs or your in front
of the NPC Focus if there is a question. It is also helpful to narrow the NPC Focus. If last story was
rolled figure out what the last story was. What happened during the last story that made this NPC want
to discuss it?

Chart 8: NPC Focus

1-3
10-12
19-21
28-30
37-39
46-48
55-57
64-66
73-75
82-84
91-93

current scene
parents
wealth
skills
campaign
allies
flaws
experience
community
current story
weapons

4-6
13-15
22-24
31-33
40-42
49-51
58-60
67-69
76-78
85-87
94-96

last story
history
relics
superiors
future action
last scene
antagonist
knowledge
treasure
family
previous scene

7-9
16-18
25-27
34-36
43-45
52-54
61-63
70-72
79-81
88-90
97-100

equipment
retainers
last action
fame
friends
contacts
rewards
recent scene
the character
power
enemy

3. Combine the NPC Bearing and NPC Focus to determine the basis of the NPC Discussion. The
words should be combined as in a simple sentence; for example, the insane NPC speaks of madness
regarding the PCs allies. That sentence will be the substance of what the NPC will want to discuss.

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Completely Random NPC Association Emulator Example:

A band of soldiers at war in a foreign land comes upon a derelict motor home at the side of the road.
The sniper in the party had seen a person inside the motor home, and the soldiers decide to investigate.
NPC Creator determines that the person inside is a dependable merchant that sells his wares at the village
and city markets. However, he is doing what he can to make sure he stays at the top of the food chain,
and doesnt want the cultural upheaval the war is likely to bring. (If you want to see under the hood
dependable merchant comparable in power level, motivations: burden progress, attend the populous, and achieve
poverty).
The commanding officer silently motions for the grunts to get in position in case the person is
dangerous. He then knocks on the door.
CO: Please come out, sir.
The merchant steps out.
M: What can I do for you, gentleman?
CO: Sir, is this your vehicle?
This is a question with a binary response so well use the NPC Response Module. The merchant is distrustful
of the soldiers (stories of horrible things they have done to the country) and is guarded (the less said the sooner they
will leave). This gives us a 5/24/83 from Chart 6, and a 9 is rolled. Therefore the merchant will give an
affirmative response, meaning he will not lie. This does not mean he will be forwardly honest (that could get him
in trouble). Also, the soldiers will have to decide for themselves if he is lying, depending on how separate the
omniscient players knowledge is with regards to character knowledge.
M: Thankfully it is not. I was checking for parts to sell at the markets.
The commanding officer motions for his men to stand down and then to hydrate. There is some small
talk between the commanding officer and the merchant as both feel each other out.
The players are not sure how this encounter should proceed. The merchant is not openly hostile. They dont
have any more questions they wish to ask the potential enemy, but they feel that there might be more to the
merchant than is evident.
This is the time to use the NPC Discussion Module, when it is not apparent what the point of the NPC is, but
the players wish to continue an exchange (or the characters are forced to). It is not apparent what the demeanor
of the NPC is to the commanding officer or the soldiers, so Chart 7 is used to determine the demeanor. A d8 is
rolled and 7, mysterious, is obtained. A d10 is then rolled to get the NPC Bearing: 1, rumors. Then Chart 8 is
used to determine the NPC Focus: 22, relics.
Thinking he might be able to make a quick buck, the merchant pulls off his pack and pulls out a few
artifacts, apparently from the regions ancient times.
M: I have a few curious wares to sell, that I think you might be interested in. This knife is said to contain
the unrequited love of an ancient priestess, and if it is laid in the bed of a lover, that lover will never leave
you. This compass is said to have been used when this land was sea, not desert. It is said that it will point
to water if you ever thirst
And so on. The NPC has now been given purpose in the story. It might have little do to with the soldiers
mission, but the encounter might prove more useful than a mere combat scene.

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