I had some time to kill today, so I decided to give creating some NPCs with the plethora of tables inside Knave 2e for an upcoming game with some friends. > [!success] TL;DR: Check it out > I really enjoyed using the tables in Knave 2e to generate NPCs. I can definitely see how easily ideas flow from their use which can result in a vibrant and unique game world that feels alive. > > If you're interested in checking out Knave, you can find it digitally at [DriveThruRPG](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/484910/knave-second-edition?filters=45582_0_0_0_0) among other places, or in print at [Swordfish Islands](https://shop.swordfishislands.com/knave-2e/) So let's dive in. --- # The Process In rolling up these NPCs, I tried my best to stick to using the first result that was rolled on the tables. I think I only re-rolled two or three times when I felt like the results really didn't fit. In most cases, I rolled twice on each table to give a little more contrast to each NPC. Here's a list of tables that I used: - Male and Female Names (p54) - Surnames (p55) - Personalities (p56) - NPC Details (p56) - Professions (p57) - Goals (p57) - Assets (p59) - Liabilities (p59) - Relationships (p60) - Mannerisms (p60) - Factions (p50) In addition to the random determination of NPC gender: | d100 | Gender | | ------- | ---------- | | 1 - 33 | Male | | 34 - 66 | Female | | 67 - 00 | Non-Binary | --- # Results ## Webster Evermont I didn't plan on it, but the results from the first NPC that was generated served as a springboard for the rest of this NPC generation session. Here is what I rolled up: > [!abstract] Webster Evermont > **Personality**: Gossip, Ditz > **Details:** Bony, Rosy Face > **Profession**: Duke > **Goals**: Fame Faction, Restore Faction > **Assets**: Powerful Ex, Disguises > **Liabilities**: Prison Record, Bad Liar > **Relationships:** Contact, Right Hand > **Mannerisms:** Grave, Quaint Sayings I could just picture this NPC in my minds eye. I was really happy with the results that came out. With this single NPC generated, I also had fuel to keep going. I now had seeds for Webster's: - Powerful Ex - Right Hand -- Having one fits his profession. - Contact -- which I decided to be his Faction Contact. - Faction ### Filling in the Details To get the juices flowing, I decided to loosely define the seeds I listed above. **Powerful Ex:** [[#^c5109d|Redmaine Mugmarch]]. **Right Hand:** Godwin Buxmorl. **Faction:** [[#^e995f1|Secret Society]]. This contrasts really well with his liability of being a bad liar. **Faction Contact:** [[#^564d9e|Euphemia Silvercliff]] At this point, before moving on to fleshing out the other NPCs, I decided to randomly create the details of Webster's Secret Society. ## The Secret Society Here is a list of the tables I used to generate this faction: - Clothing (p40): For their dress code - Fabrics (p41): Same as above - Treasures (p42): What they consider valuable - Weapons (p43): Their preferred weapon(s) - Buildings (p47): Where they meet in secret - Inn Names (p48): For the faction's name - Faction Traits (p50) - Missions (p51) - Rewards (p51) > [!question] Faction Names Table? > Unless I missed it, I couldn't find a table for rolling a faction's name. This was a bit of an oversight in my opinion. I decided to use the Inn Names tables instead. With that minor gripe aside, here's what came out: > [!abstract] Secret Society > **Name:** The Harmless Lion > **Clothing:** Cat Hair Tunics > **Treasure:** Cursed Gemstone > **Favored Weapon:** Tiger Claws > **Meeting Place:** A Curiosity Shop (The Frosty Comb) > **Faction Traits:** Feared, Stealthy > **Missions for PCs:** Clear Dungeon, Humiliate NPC > **Rewards:** Renown, Guide > ^e995f1 I thought it was hilarious that the secret society turned out to be cat-themed. Random chance must be a lover of cats. Anyway, I decided to roll who the society wants to humiliate and the general themes of the dungeon they want cleared. - NPC to humiliate: Emil Pemberstaff - Dungeon to clear: A mausoleum - Themes: Restless Dead, Tests and Trials The above items could easily be fleshed out using the tables in Knave 2e, but I decided to wait out that and finish with the other two NPCs related to Webster first. I will cover creating dungeons with these tables in another post. ## Webster's Relationships > [!abstract] Redmaine Mugmarch (Webster's Ex) > **Personality**: Arrogant, Chummy > **Details:** Cropped and Filthy Hair > **Profession**: Artisan > **Goals**: Conquer City, Publish Work > **Assets**: Powerful Friend, Book Expert > **Liabilities**: Weakness, Jealousy > **Relationships:** Business Rival > **Mannerisms:** Hiccups, Droning ^c5109d > [!abstract] Godwin Buxmorl (Webster's Right Hand) > **Personality**: Blunt, Melancholy > **Details:** Dreadlocks, Craggy Face > **Profession**: Duke's Aide > **Goals**: Lead Faction, Get Revenge > **Assets**: Mechanical Expert, Stealthy > **Liabilities**: Family Enemy, Vampire > **Relationships:** Undead > **Mannerisms:** Ominous, Gravelly > [!abstract] Euphemia Silvercliff (Webster's Secret Society Contact) > **Personality**: Toady, Flirt > **Details:** Lumpy Face, Crooked Teeth > **Profession**: Gardener > **Goals**: Protect Artifacts, Destroy World > **Assets**: Spell, Master Mage > **Liabilities**: Flirts Constantly, Weak Willed > **Relationships:** Idol, Master Mage > **Mannerisms:** Crooning, Grave ^564d9e It is easy to see just how much more details we can fill in using the tables that could make the game world feel real and alive. For Redmaine, we still need to define: - Which city does he want to conquer and why? - What works does he want to publish? - Who is his powerful friend? - What kind of books is he into? - What is his weakness? - Who is his business rival? For Godwin, we still need to define: - Which faction does he want to lead? The Harmless Lion or a different one? - Who does he want to get revenge against? Perhaps Webster himself? - Who is his family's enemy? - Who is the vampire? Why is the vampire after him? - What is his relationship with the undead? Is he a necromancer? For Euphemia, we still need to define: - Which artifacts does she want to protect? The Cursed Gemstone, or more? - Why does she want to destroy the world? - Which spell does she know? - Who is the Master Mage? Are they also her idol? I'll stop here, but it just goes to show you that we could probably keep going until my clothes come back into style again. # Conclusion: I had a lot of fun making these NPCs and other details. I will for sure keep using them in my own campaigns and adventures to help fill out my worlds. I highly recommend checking it out for yourself. >[!success] Rating: 4/5 >I would have rated it higher if it wasn't for the missing Faction Names table.