This generator randomly creates NPCs for D&D 5e. This tool is designed to provide short, useful NPC descriptions with minimal fluff. The NPCs can be used as-is for minor characters or as a base to build a more in-depth NPC upon. Whether you're looking for inspiration while planning your next session or need a quick NPC for a game you're currently running, I hope this generator helps.
Simply click the 'Generate NPC' button below to randomly create a wide variety of NPCs. You can click the refresh button to the right of each field to regenerate just that field while keeping the rest the same.
Male human, 41 years old
Physical Appearance: Short stature, bulbous nose, moustache
Clothing: Red shirt, blue overalls, red cap
Voice & Speech: Stereotypical Italian accent
Personality & Behavior: Mario is determined and loyal to a fault
Profession: Mario is a legendary plumber.
Motivation: Mario seeks to free Princess Peach from the castle.
About the NPC Generator
This generator creates an NPC by randomly selecting from a number of databases to assemble the various characteristics that make up the NPC. The information is presented in what I think is the most useful order for a GM running a game. First comes the NPC’s name, race, and age for quick reference. The rest of the information is arranged according to what the players would usually notice first about the NPC. Physical appearance and clothing come first followed by the NPC’s voice. The NPC’s personality comes next with their profession and motivations bringing up the rear. More details about the generation process can be found below.
The generator starts by selecting a gender and name for the NPC. The gender options are male, female, and non-binary. There is a 45% chance of selecting male, 45% chance of selecting female, and 10% chance of selecting non-binary. The NPC’s name is generated based on the selected gender, pulling from lists of male and female names (non-binary names are pulled from both lists). The vast majority of the names used in this generator were pulled from Wiktionary’s lists of English names.
Next, the generator selects a race and age for the NPC. Currently, the list of races includes all available races in the core D&D 5e rulebooks. I will be expanding this range in the future as well as implementing an option to select/deselect the races you want to include in the generation. Each race has a maximum age value assigned based on information given in the D&D 5e source material for that race. The generator calculates a random value between 16 and the race’s maximum age to determine the age for that particular NPC.
The NPC’s physical appearance and clothing are generated next. Physical appearance is described using three traits: stature, hair, and an identifying feature (i.e. athletic build, short blonde hair, a scar on their face). The description of the NPC’s clothing is broken up into three parts as well: a descriptive adjective, the outfit itself, and an additional accessory (i.e. dirty overalls with a wool cap). I think that together these fields paint a fairly detailed picture of a character without getting too wordy.
Personality is generated next. The NPC’s personality consists of two parts: a trait and a behavior or quirk. The trait is a broad description of the character’s personality such as “friendly” or “stoic.” The behavior is meant to provide some additional color to the NPC’s personality and give you as a GM some more guidance on how the NPC may behave when interacting with the players. Examples of behaviors include “likes animals more than people” and “is a bit bossy.”
Finally, the NPC’s profession and current motivation are generated. The profession is selected from a long list of professions that are mostly themed around a fantasy/medieval era society. The profession is then paired with a word to describe roughly how good the NPC is at their chosen profession. For example, a character could be described as a “legendary plumber” or a “failing blacksmith.” The NPC’s motivation is simply selected from a list of simple motivations. This is not the NPC’s only motivation in life, but can serve as guidance for what this particular character may be seeking at this point in time.
Wherever possible I've done my best to make these characteristics as system and setting agnostic as I can, though I did use D&D 5e as a starting point so many of the descriptions are focused around typical high fantasy. I have plans to add an option to select specific environments/genres (space, nautical, western, etc.) to give you the ability to generate more specific NPCs.