Step-by-Step RPG City Creation
Part 2 of 4: Populating Your City
This is Part 2 of a series and is best read if you’ve already read Part 1. Then be sure to read Part 3 – Adding Factions to Your City next!
In my last post I promised to share the “eighth” step of my city creation framework: populating the city.
Cities need people. They need guides, rivals, allies and quest-givers. People are what bring your city to life. Maps and descriptions set the stage but the characters provide the friction, flavor and surprises.
The Seven Steps for Creating Your NPCs
I create my NPCs with the same steps I use to create the city:
1. Concept
Start simple. You don’t need a backstory. Try to think of a way your NPC reinforces or contrasts with the vibe of your city. Come up with one thing that will make them interesting or exciting to meet. Then give them an ancestry and profession that fits that one thing.
Optional: A connection to one or more of the player characters.
2. Name
If your NPC is a native of your city, their name should match the style and sound of other names in your city. If they’re foreign, lean into that contrast. Whatever you do, pick a name that’s easy enough to say that your players will actually use it.
3. Description
Try to describe the NPC in 2–3 sentences. You’ll use these sentences at the table, so they should immediately tell the characters what to expect. Try to add some item, scent or accent to reinforce your concept.
Optional: A quote can reveal a lot about the NPC and help you play them.
4. Landmarks
Don’t lock your NPC to one spot, waiting to be found. Instead, create a short list of locations they might be and why. That way, you can drop them into the story whenever it feels right.
5. An event or situation
Everyone has something going on. Think of what the NPC is most focused on right now. This will help you understand their motivations and know how they’ll react to different situations.
6. Hidden Information
This is where quest hooks live. What can the characters learn from this NPC? How can the NPC help them? Reward the characters for interacting with your NPC!
Sometimes the NPCs event or situation from step 5 is the hook.
7. Secret Information
How does your NPC connect to the bigger picture? What lore or hints can they deliver? Use this information to reward characters for following the quest hooks in step 6.
Note that Secret information should be an optional bonus. If the information is critical to the adventure or campaign it should be Hidden, not Secret.
Putting It All Together
Here are some NPCs I made for Taremu, Fortress of Lions. First, one who represents their martial culture:
Zahotep
Lionfolk, Senior Patrol Captain in the City Guard
“Do you hear the drums warming up? That’s not music, friend. That’s the sound of the lion waking!”
Loud, loyal and fair. Always up for a drink or sparring match when off duty. Has a booming laugh when happy and a chillingly calm voice when serious. → Scheduled to compete in the Lion’s Maw. [Mutual romantic tension with Heshmetta.]
Crimson Palace, Saffron Quarter, Sentinel Wall, ports: Will show up if there’s a disturbance or may pass by if on patrol.
Crimson Market, any tavern: A regular. → Investigating Heshmetta’s missing brew during his off hours.
Lion’s Maw: A repeat minor champion. Can be a partner or opponent in unarmed or golem matches. → Wants to continue his investigation but can’t forfeit without offending the gods.
Ember Baths: Ritually cleanses to renew his guardian vows and before competitions.
Next, one connected specifically to the Festival of Blood:
Heshmetta
Lionfolk, Brewer-Priestess of the Third Ferment
“You want peace? You want vision? Then sit and drink. The beer knows the way.”
Earthy, brash and full of life. Sees brewing as holy work. Smells of hops and dried fruit. Hands stained red from sacred brews. → Worried about a missing batch of holy red beer. [Mutual romantic tension with Zahotep.]
Crimson Palace, Crimson Market, any tavern: Makes deliveries and handles administrative tasks. → Handling most deliveries herself because she fears another batch might get stolen.
The House of Crimson Joy: A Drunken Temple in the Saffron Quarter. Fiercely protective of the temple, the brewers and the brew. → The brew-priests are rushing to replace the missing batch. She hates that the beer won’t be up to her usual standards.
Ember Baths: Her brewers will force her to take a break when she becomes overworked.
Lion’s Maw: A repeat minor champion. Will be a late entrant, but only if she recovers her lost supply.
Then, an outsider with a connection to one of my players’ characters:
Mivven Bes
Halfling, Master of the Crimson Caravan
“Anything you’ve heard about me is a baseless rumor, unless you believe it… In which case, hush now.”
Fast-talking, flamboyant and always up to something. Goes by a different name in every town. Knows Seraphina as “Isabella Rosewood”. → Plotting to steal the Emberleaf Codex and will happily recruit the characters.
Crimson Market, Lion’s Maw, any public space: Presenter for the caravan’s performances.
Crimson Palace, Saffron Quarter: Likes to “take in the sights.” → Planning his heist.
The ports: Dealing with logistics. → Watching for the Codex’s current owners to arrive.
Finally, a native of the nation but not the city:
Ametekh
Ibisfolk, High Scribe of the Thousand Quills
“Thoth-Ra gave us ink to remind us that even gods must be recorded.”
Calm, careful and deeply curious about foreign nations and ancestries. Speaks like he’s drafting scripture unless he’s excited. Smells of incense and ink.→ Deeply disturbed by recent omens and celestial signs. [Wields a mystical ceremonial stylus carved from a fallen star.]
The House of Celestial Ink: A temple-library dedicated to Thoth-Ra.
Crimson Palace, Crimson Market, Drunken Temples, ports: Obsessed with keeping proper records.
Crimson Market, Lion’s Maw, any public space: Will buy characters food and libations in exchange for answering questions about their ancestries and homelands.
The Eighth Step
Good NPCs are only half the picture when populating your city. Guilds, gangs, cults, and other groups shape the city on a bigger scale. Creating factions is just different enough that I’ll cover it next time.
Other Thoughts
Beau Rancourt’s NPC advice started me thinking about my own process:
Colin Spiridonov starts with 2-dimensional NPCs and fleshes them out when they become important. Good advice for Step 1:
Copy/Paste Co-Op share how they created NPCs for their own book:
Daniel at Bandit’s Keep has an awesome method for developing NPCs on the fly based on player expectations:
Deficient Master’s 3 questions are a great starting point for NPC concepts:
