How to Create Cute and Lovable NPCs in Dungeons & Dragons
Do your characters look forward to seeing some of your NPCs again? Well, strap in! Today we discuss how to fill your world with Cute and Lovable NPCs that the players will love.
Build through connections in a natural way
A great example starts in a tavern. We all know that Innkeepers have an interesting past, we just don’t delve into it. What if each time the characters came to the inn, the innkeeper offered them a free meal to listen to a story of hers? If they don’t take the hook, then no biggie. But if they listen to the story she shares about some grand adventure or heartbreaking romance it will draw them in. Then repeat this every time they visit the Inn. Free meal for a short story. Great opportunity to expand on the lore of the world in a natural way too. Then, one day they come in, and the innkeeper doesn’t offer them the meal for a story. If the players have shown interest, they may ask what is wrong, and boom instantly lovable quest giver.
Have an NPC take a particular interest in a detail of a character
No matter what character your players make, from the dark brooding rogue to the gallant charismatic paladin, each has something of particular note that the player went out of the way to include in their character's physical appearance. This list ranges from ribbons around the hilt of a sword, perhaps a complex glyph upon their shield, or just dress such as a stovetop hat and a pipe. Whatever it is, the player really added this detail for their character to give it meaning and uniqueness. So how do you think they will feel when an NPC takes special notice of that detail and begins ranting with excessive excitement about it? They will fall for the character and begin to get excited as well. Picking out small details to include in your story from the characters' minute details goes a long way in your players appreciating you as the DM and loving the NPC who loves it too.
Ride the gimmick train
Gimmicks and tropes exist for a reason. Don’t be afraid to use them. Just do it sparingly. Using the same gimmick too much makes it dull and boring, but if you use them just the right amount (mileage will vary). A great example and common trope is the young child with a missing pet. This is sweet and innocent no matter who you are. Roleplaying a child who is worried to death over the loss of his pet cat named Moxy will grab everyone’s heart. The child’s enthusiasm and playfulness make for a great break from the more dark aspects of fantasy. How do the players react when they see cute Johny embracing Moxy in a deep hug, laughing with joy, and dancing in excitement, only for the characters and players to realize the six-legged cat with tendrils isn’t a cat, it's an infant displacer beast. A savage predator that hunts beasts and humanoids.
Pull potential NPCs from the character’s backstory
Much like finer details of a character’s appearance, the backstory is rife with possible NPC ideas. While some players spend more time on their character’s unique story than others. In most cases, each character has some sort of story to be told. Whether it’s an old mentor who taught the character magic, a swordmaster who trained the fighter, or an old ship captain from the sailor’s background. Taking a moment to look into these different options can help the players get involved with them. You can use direct backstory as a tool or even backgrounds, classes, races, or background. Each of these can be used to generate an NPC. It’s worth noting that even if the character didn’t outright say they had an important person in their past, it’s easy to pull it forward from these details. Make sure to discuss the details about what you’re planning to do with a character’s story, as some players may not want to be that involved in it.
These are just a few of the easy ways you can make your players fall in love with NPCs and truly care about what happens to them in the story.
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Unearthed Tips and Tricks
Monster Variant: Artificer Machinist
Infuse Magic (2/Day). The artificer can spend 1 minute infusing an item with one of the spells it knows, provided the spell has a casting time of one action. A creature with an Intelligence score of 6 or higher thereafter can activate the spell as an action The spellcasting save DC and modifier of the activated
item are the same as the artificer's. If the spell targets more than one creature, the creature that activates the item selects the additional targets. If the spell has an area of effect, it is centered on the item. If the spell’s range is self, it targets the creature that activates the item. If the spell requires concentration, the creature that activates the item maintains the concentration as if they had cast the spell.
An infused item remains so for 8 hours, after which point, the magic fades.
Mechanical Servant. Commands a mechanical servant. The servant obeys the master's commands as best as it can, and takes its turn on the master's initiative order. One it's turn, the artificer can verbally command the servant where to move (with no action required on the artificer's part). In place of one of its weapon attacks, the artificer can command the beast to take the Attack action.
The artificer has advantage on attacks it is commanded to make. As a bonus action, the artificer can command the servant to take the Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help action. It takes attacks of opportunity and other reactions without needing the servant master's command.
A mechanical servant has the same statistics as a beast chosen by the DM from the Monster Manual, with the following modifications:
• It is a construct instead of a beast.
• It can't be charmed.
• It is immune to poison damage and the poisoned condition.
• It gains darkvision with a range of 60 feet if it doesn't have it already.
• It understands the languages you can speak when you create it, but it can't speak.
Spellcasting. The artificer is a 3rd-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The artificer has the following artificer prepared:
1st level (4 slots): cure wounds, mending
2nd level (3 slots): blur, enlarge/reduce, magic weapon
3rd level (3 slots): blink, glyph of warding
Encounter: Poisoned Shadows
The city has been plagued by mysterious nighttime assassinations that leave behind no clues about who might have perpetrated them. Divinations from temple of Ioun adherents suggest the guilty parties can be found under a nearby curio shop. The PCs set off. Beneath the shop waits the Poisoned Shadows Assassins Guild, as well as a greater danger than the party expected.
Magic Item: Smite Shard
Celestials are powerful creatures that can leave behind truly amazing shards of divine energy during their missions. In situations where a Celestial clashes with another creature, some of the raw divine energy that is released can crystalize into these shards. The shards are usually small and embedded in the areas where the clash occurred. They glow with pure warm light.
Reagent, Very Rare
When you cast a smite spell of 1st-level or higher, such as Branding Smite, you can add the Smite Shard to the spell’s material components. If you do, a Pegasus appears in an unoccupied spot within 10 feet of you. It disappears if its hit points drop to 0 or after one minute. The Pegasus is friendly to you and your companions for the duration. It takes its turn immediately after you. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it, as long as they don’t violate its alignment. Also, increase the damage of the smite by two of its damage die. The spell consumes the Smite Shard after three uses.
Dungeon Master Tip: Cataclysms
The fantasy world is full of strife, magic, and villainous bad guys. This means that the world is always in motion. Events unfold in distant lands that change the world to many degrees. Whether it’s the gods that like to express their wrath or a natural phenomenon. From fiery mountains to the destruction of great cities, the loss of great advancements to the destruction of city walls and roads, a cataclysm brings ruin upon them all by whatever clever mechanism you can imagine. In doing so, we remind the players that the world exists around them outside the story. Even if only with a few lines of read-aloud text, or an occasional comment from NPCs.
Player Tip: Don’t be a Dick Power Cards
We are all familiar with the fantastic Spell Cards you can get to help keep you organized when expending spell slots and preparing your spells for the next day’s adventures. But why stop there? All classes have a collection of fun abilities that they can use throughout their adventures. Some of these abilities often get lost on the character sheet, or if they are particularly situational, completely forgotten. We recommend taking a bit of time to build unique Power Cards with your features. Grab some 3x5 note cards and write down a single class or racial feature on each card. You can even color coat them for recharge frequency, such as short or long rest. This will not only help you to remember all your fun abilities but will also speed up the gameplay as you have them at the ready.
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Keep your blades sharp and spells prepared heroes!
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