The Holistic Setting Part 2: Characters & Quests

In this post, I will present a way to generate NPCs and subsequent Quests they might have for the players in a way that creates overarching themes by using the same motifs as when making the region.

Introduction

In the previous posts, I showed how to use random tables and a list of 10 motifs as a template for generating and creating a region with broad areas and specific sites. In this post, we will use a similar method to populate it with characters and things to do. In the next one, I will create a whole region using these approaches.

Using random tables never makes truly random results, because tables are always tailored to fit a specific type of theme, story or setting. The tables in these post are tailored to generate elements which fit a dark but whimsical fantasy world - think Warhammer meets Alice in Wonderland, or Elden Ring meets Howls Moving Castle. I encourage you to take these random tables and modify them, so they better suit your particular setting. Alright, let’s get started

The Procedure

We will need the table of Motifs from the last post:

Creating NPCs

Making interesting and lifelike Characters and creatures that your players can meet is not always easy. In my experience, their depth is often something that emerges during play. As such, the following tables are not meant to give you a fully-fledged NPC with a complete backstory and intricate personality; instead, it will give you some basic but important and gameable characteristics which are immediately useful.

Start by rolling a Motif for the NPC. Next, generate the fundamental aspects of the character: 1: its ambition, 2: its “being” in the world, 3: something players can exploit, and 4: something players might want from it:

1. Motivation: The first column will decide what the NPC wants - its reason for being pro-active and affecting the world on its own accord.

   1. A cure could be a standard medicine for their disease stricken village, or a cure to remove the evil in the hearts of men.

2. Being: The second column represents the NPC’s initial being or place in the world. Whereas Motivation tells us something about what they want, State of Being tells us something about what they are, their essence so to speak. This, just like Motivation, can be subject to change as they interact with the PCs.

   1. If an NPC is dreamy, it could mean that they are aloof and mellow, and could appear in odd and tranquil places, whereas a hunted NPC could always be on the run, be paranoid and hide in inconspicuous places.

3. Burden: The third column represents something related to the NPC that the PCs can exploit - leverage so to speak. Players’ reason for interacting with NPCs is usually motivated by wanting something from them and giving them the possibility to discover a way to leverage the NPC is always a great roleplaying opportunity. As such, this aspect is important in making the NPC interactable. It gives them depth, and it gives players a distinct way to deal with the Character - if they can figure it out.

   1. A liability could take the form of an NPCs frail sister, or their home which they poured their whole fortune into. An NPCs passion could be exploited by indulging in their interest in order to gain their trust.

4. Asset: The last column defines something that the NPC has which the PCs could be interested in. In a sense, it can either give the NPC some leverage over the PCs, or it can make leverage against the NPC valuable if the PCs are significantly interested in the thing.

   1. A key could be a literal key to a door they need to unlock, or more abstractly something that allows passage through some area. An ability could be a skill or magical power which the PCs need in order to succeed.

You can roll any number of times on each column. The more times you roll, the more intricate and complicated the NPC will become.

Now, I don’t want to spend too much time on appearance and specific character traits. I think these will emerge when figuring out the other aspects and the initial Quest they might have for the players. Nevertheless, here are a couple of tables to kickstart your brain, and hundred more scattered across the internet:

Roll each column once to get inspiration for the NPCs appearance.

Roll on each column once to generate a positive and negative character trait.

If you want to put a spin on your NPC, you can make them into a non-human agent as well, which can completely change the meaning of the aspects your generated. As you can see, this table is geared toward beings we would expect to meet in Wonderland:

Now you should have some quite interesting combinations of character features. Next we will generate a Quest for them to give the players if relevant and end the article with some examples.

Lastly, a list of names is always a good idea to have at hand when making characters. I’m going to use this fantastical resource to do this.

Creating Quests

Notable NPCs want certain things and do certain things for certain reasons. The following tables can help you generate the nature of a specific request the NPC might make to the PCs.

Start by rolling on the Motif table. Then roll for the Objective, the Subject, and the Location of the Quest:

Next, decide whether the Quest will be straightforward, or whether and which each component will have a certain twist to it. If so, roll on the corresponding twists table:

Draw inspiration from the NPC you made, the connected Motifs, and the nature of the Quest. Answer the following questions: Why does the NPC need the PCs help? What makes them unable or unwilling to do it themselves?

By tying an immediate Quest to the NPC, we not only give them something actionable to present the players with - we also anchor the NPC in the world by directing their motivation towards something concrete. This Quest can say as much about the NPC as the overall setting. Think about the NPCs relation to each aspect of the Quest.

Example

NPC: Arnvild Halftansson

Motif: Mercenaries
Motivation: Power
Being: Desperate
Burden: Liability
Asset: Creature

Description: Arnvild Halftansson came to the lands by ship in order to make a new life for himself and his daughter. Shortly after their arrival, his daughter was kidnapped by unknown people. Now he, and his trusted falcon work as mercenaries to earn money while tracking down the whereabouts of his daughter. Being at his wits end, he will do anything to acquire the means to bring her back.

We have more than enough information for using Arnvild in an adventure. Making him a mercenary is the straightforward way to use the Motif, but this is also an opportunity to consider how you can tie him into any other area, site, NPC or quest which also share the motif. Let’s utilize the last tables just for fun.

Style: Morbid
Material: Leaf
Color: Orange

Appearance: Arnvild is clad in dirty clothes and a weathered chainmail, all splattered with dried blood from his various jobs. He wears a cloak of leaves sewn together, perfect for hiding in the wilds. From his hood spill greasy orange hair and a braided, orange beard.

Trait 1: Loyal
Trait 2: Paranoid

Personality: Arnvild, because of his prolonged desperate state, has become quite paranoid, especially because he knows that the kidnappers are aware of his attempt to get back his daughter, but as he doesn’t know who they are, they could be anyone. Once his trust is gained, however, his loyalty becomes unwavering.

Quest: Dagger of Thorns

Motif: Fey
Object: Investigate
Subject: Weapon (Twist: Dangerous)
Location: Ruin

Description: Arnvild has heard rumors of a magical weapon able to summon the powers of the Weald, created by a notable fey, but lost in some overgrown ruins. He believes that with this weapon, he will be able to overcome the kidnappers of his daughter. As he is currently assigned a profitable task, he hires the players to investigate the weapon and bring it back to him, if able.

Unbeknownst to Arnvild, the weapon is dangerous not only to its victims, but to whomever grasps its hilt, as drawing blood makes it envelope both victim, bearer, and all nearby creatures, objects and structures in a sea of thorny vines.

Arnvild will be quite grateful to the players if they bring back the weapon, and besides paying with silver, will provide them scouting services with his falcon.

Any other Area, Site, Quest and NPC that has the Fey motif (which to me represents nature, otherworldliness, magic and mystery) can be connected to this quest to create an overarching theme. Because Arnvild is the one issuing this Quest, he is easy to use in conjunction with other Fey-themed plots.

Outroduction

In this post, I showed you how to create NPCs and Quests from random tables, but this approach will truly show its strength once I use it and the previous methods to generate a whole region with multiple interconnecting Motifs spread across areas, sites, NPCs and quests. Stay tuned!