Instant NPCs.

        In the midst of playtesting there reaches a point where you don't focus on any story. Instead you sort of plow through random encounters that create a certain feel you are looking for, so that you can test the specific mechanic it question. In an attempt to expedite that random encounters and keep them interesting, I made a random NPC generator. Now I'm sure there are countless versions of these floating around, just sharing mine.

Instant NPCs

Get 1 of each die (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12) and roll it, arrange it in order from smallest die to largest die, and make up a story. When you take notes it is easy just to write the 5 numbers that define an NPC so you can easily jump back into the character. Also these tables are by no means set in stone, so get creative.

d4	d6	d8	d10	d12
Thin	Very Short	Attractive	Deceitful	Lustful	1
Average	Short	Ugly	Honest	Gluttonous	2
Muscular	Average	Long Hair	Cowardly	Greedy	3
Fat	Average	Short Hair	Brave	Lazy	4
	Tall	Poor	Shy	Envious	5
	Very Tall	Wealthy	Out Going	Hot Headed	6
		Foreign	Paranoid	Proud	7
		Scared	Trusting	Cynical	8
			Kind	Crazy	9
			Cruel	Imbecile	10
				Humble	11
				Zealous	12

A few example rolls:

Fat, Average, Scared, Paranoid, and Lustful: So I imagine the players have walked into a tavern and are looking for a lead. They come across this NPC who is fat, of average height and scared. His eyes dart around the room analyzing people, lingering uncomfortably long on the females. It turns out he is an official from a neighboring city with an over indulgent streak a mile wide. One day in a drunken stooper he groped the lords wife and propositioned her. She pulled out her dagger and slashed his cheek wide open before going to find her husband and tell of the man’s vulgar display. This man now fears for his life, worried that he may be found and punished for his transgressions.

Thin, Average, Short Hair, Deceitful, and Crazy: They decide to look for other leads. The party comes across a very thin woman with a head that has been freshly shaved bald, a few specks of dried blood dot her scalp. She has a strange and erratic tick as she gives them the evil eye. When asked who she is, she replies “I am the lady of this land and you will address me as such, dog or worm … dog”. Okay, so maybe we should keep looking. “WORM”

Thin, Very Tall, Ugly, Cowardly, Envious: As the party moves on they come across a very tall man, his long gaunt face hanging behind his hawkish deviate nose. As the party approaches he seems to attempt to withdraw into the robes that already threaten to swallow his narrow frame. It seems as though he wants something from the party as he has watched them since they entered the pub. Side Quest! This guy is going to attempt to lure them back to his house and give them sleeping drugs dissolved in mead. When they awaken he will announce that now they can all be companions, forever, as the party now resides in his caged basement. This guy is lonely, very lonely and desired their camaraderie, he just doesn't know how to do it right.