Over the DM's Shoulder: character list

Showing posts with label character list. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Taverns and Barkeeps Reference

The tavern is a classic standby for Dungeons & Dragons. Many adventures begin in taverns, and taverns are the most reliable place for adventurers to hold themselves over between adventures. The bottom line is, you're going to have your party end up in a tavern eventually, and that's just the way that it is. But taverns are colorful, noisy places, and each one has the potential to be a unique experience. By characterizing a tavern in particular, you open the possibility that players will want to return to those specific taverns they enjoyed.

But it can be a lot of work to improvise an entire tavern. Much in the same way as with NPCs, it's helpful to have a list to roll for and just have a premade tavern. So below I've posted an expansion of a list I use, which includes a variety of information to make it simple to drop these taverns into your gameworld. Use these taverns to add some flavor to the party's pit stops and meal times, and focus on the big picture stuff instead of grasping for tavern details. Roll a d100 and subtract 50 if your roll is over 50. The information is presented as [Tavern Name] - [Barkeep Name] - [Quality of Food and Drink] - [Unique Trait].

The Rusty Blowhorn - Horton Darkwater - Average food, good drink - Daily arm-wrestling competition, reigning champ is Charlie Breakneck
Hardiman's - Deena Hardiman - Good food, average drink - Deena and all the other employees are a troupe of performers
Home Away from Home - Irisil Lennox - Great food, good drink - Irisil is doting and motherly to all patrons, asking personal questions and offering advice and support
The Drunken Bell - Jacob Ivorykeys - Good food, great drink - A favorite hangout for hunters and trappers, who are suspicious of non-hunter/trappers
Galvin and Dobbs' - Galvin Hunnam and Nick Dobbs - Average food, great drink - Galvin and Dobbs have a slightly antagonistic relationship and prank each other while working
Parsons' Creek Brewers - June Ingersoll - Good food, fantastic drink - These human brewers are obsessed with quality; their prices are somewhat high, but well worth it for the product
Sebastian Cliffracer's Tavern - Sebastian Cliffracer - Good food, good drink - Sebastian is an ex-adventurer who tells tall tales about his glory days to any patron who will listen
The Knotty Sycamore - Heidi Golddew - Average food, great drink - The go-to hangout for law enforcers in the settlement
The Open Door - Freddy Cillinel - Good food, great drink - A hangout spot for local Thieves' Guild members, including Freddy's role as a fence
Dragonbrew - Victor Marblesmasher - Great food, fantastic drink - Known for its hearty dwarven comfort food and "Dragon Ale," a heavy brew of dwarven ale and spices known for its alcohol content
The Feirmor Standard - Dez Winnow - Fantastic food, great drink - This large diner and bar is known for its quality food of all cuisines and its sizable stage, where nightly shows take place
Oats and Water - Florence Teakettle - Average food, bad drink - This tavern caters to travelers with a naturalist perspective; the food are drink are nutritious but not very tasty
The Lucky Lady - Gwenivere Xallia - Good food, average drink - Regular customer Bryce Callithur plays a running game of the card game Three Dragon Ante, hustling unsuspecting patrons
Bastard Bill's - Bill Durberry - Average food, fantastic drink - Bill himself is very confrontational and strikes up arguments with customers over anything he can manage
Zoopillio - Flick Dominio - Good food, good drink - This bizarre gnomish bar has walls adorned by mechanical devices and blueprints, and Flick can be seen trying out a mechanical employee
The Morning Tides - Grimla Thanadew - Fantastic food, great drink - This restaurant is built in a circle around a stage which hosts alternative music performances regularly
Chapter Nine - Victoria Redland - Good food, great drink - This bar is an addition on to a public library; the menu focuses on fine wines
The Victor's Circle - Vincent Agincort - Good food, fantastic drink - This bar is always introducing new drinks and holding daily contests for the most popular beverages
It Wasn't the Best Idea - Jurk Drent - Good food, average drink - Jurk is obscene and irritable, and he complains to anyone who will listen that his bar was supposed to be named something filthy but the signmaker refused
Quittin' Time - Nusk Wrelt - Great food, great drink - This tavern is a standard hangout for hard larborers, especially orcs and humans
The Night Haunt - Helga Wide-eyes - Good food, great drink - This spooky, macabre tavern is run by fortune-teller Helga, who tries to foresee the future of her patrons
Grob - Serk Cranet - Great food, average drink - This tavern, named for the island homeland of the orcs, is home to orcish people and frequent wrestling competitions
Ribskibildon - Mildy Doublescoop - Great food, good drink - This gnomish bar is decorated with flying devices, from personal helicopters to makeshift biplanes
The Unicorn's Advice - Flien Fillien - Fantastic food, great drink - This upscale elven tavern is named for an elven saying "The unicorn's advice is not given but bestowed"; employees are known for upselling the patrons
Hector's - Hector Jaskins - Good food, great drink - The tavern is in the process of being robbed when the player characters enter; Hector is bound in the back of the bar and will reward the party with free drinks if they rescue him
Joy in a Tankard - Francis Stumpsplitter - Average food, fantastic drink - This tavern is dominated by dwarven brewing and offers a special "Dwarven Heritage Ale"; the tavern's name comes from the dwarven saying "Wise men find joy in a tankard"
The Exiled Fox - Gloria Cleanblade - Fantastic food, great drink - No menus exist in this tavern; the chef, Linda Cutbone, interviews the patron and crafts a custom dish for each person
Atir Brewery - Erosile Doherty - Great food, average drink - This tavern, named for a half-even city, is run by a married couple; half-elf Erosile handles bartending and orders and her husband Daniel cooks; they are openly affectionate and have creative names for each order
Your Favorite Chair - Phillip Triskil - Good food, great drink - While most taverns have the cheapest seating available, this tavern features oversized armchairs in a variety of sizes throughout the bar
The Xenolith - Ed Mill - Average food, fantastic drink - Brothers Ed and Eli are master distillers and can make excellent versions of any distilled beverage; they named their tavern after the demigod said to cause earthquakes
Westunder's - John Westunder - Great food, great drink - Bartender John is rapid-talking, silly, and comically confrontational; he wants to entertain his patrons and parades around the tavern making scenes for everyone's amusement
The Rattling Die - Reggie Strawbale - Average food, bad drink - This tavern is an absolute dive bar complete with graffiti on the walls and a curious odor; another patron throws up when the players arrive
Firebreath's - Tina Crenshaw - Bad food, fantastic drink - Tina is an intermediate spellcaster who enchants each drink with a harmless effect, such as the consumer's skin turns blue for one minute or the consumer becomes one foot shorter until the drink is finished
The White Rose - Gordon Amperville - Good food, average drink - Gordon is a heavy alcoholic who guzzles booze between taking orders and often makes mistakes because of his inebriation
Breezefield - Maude Whistle - Great food, average drink - This tavern is decorated with enormous pots of flowers everywhere, spreading pleasing colors and scents across the tavern
The Bar Without a Face - Linda Winnow - Good food, great drink - This tavern does not have a wall on the front of the building, giving the entire tavern the impression of being a patio bar; things get a little rowdy here with the lack of boundaries
The Empty Dipper - Peter Nevermore - Average food, average drink - This tavern is overrun with the poor of the town as its prices are extremely low; the decor reflects the focus on cheap production
Olidammara's Kitchen - Rudy Freehand - Fantastic food, great drink - This relatively upscale tavern employs innovative ways of cooking, boasting a flash-roasted boar, creamed vegetable pie, and twice-baked bread, among others
Prayers and Nook - Blaine Hugo - Average food, good drink - This tavern dedicates half of its real estate to being a mid-range tavern and half of its space to being a mid-range brothel; it offers one sex worker of every category to satisfy demands
Hollop Central - Williel Prosperity - Good food, fantastic drink - This elven tavern focuses on the elven drink hollop, a drink distilled of an elven root vegetable; many patrons are regulars for the fine beverage in all its varieties
The Kingdom - Deerka Pellisonger - Good food, good drink - This tavern employs carefully trained enchanted animals to staff the business; patrons may have their order taken by Spot the labrador, their drink made by Lonnie the moose, and their food made by Lightfoot the wolf
Yesterday - Luther Ritter - Great food, good drink - This tavern is decorated in fashions long since passed and is home to a stage where musicians can play the hits of years passed
The Carved Skullplate - Gromor Alk - Good food, great drink - Each table of this tavern has a humanoid skull, each intricately carved with astronomical symbols, fixed in the center of the table as decoration; Gromor is unwilling to divulge where the skulls came from
Roadside Relaxation - Nolan Knotfort - Great food, average drink - This tavern doubles as an inn with above-average treatment for travelers, including hot baths, breakfast buffet, and quarters for mounts
First Snow - Hammond Howard - Good food, good drink - Hammond recently recovered from a bandit attack and is still on crutches; he offers the party payment if they will track down the bandits and exact justice
The Curse - Jenny Peafeather - Great food, great drink - Jenny jokes with her customers that eating here will cause a curse where other taverns will never be as enjoyable again; she plays this joke up no matter how patrons react
The Scraps - Jade Ollintree - Fantastic food, great drink - Jade specializes in soul food and publicly announces that her ingredients are subpar, but the result is always incredible; sample dishes include rat stew and chicken gizzards
Chivalry - Derek Hammersmith - Good food, great drink - Before being allowed into the tavern, patrons must recount a good deed they have performed in the last week; bouncer Pluck Frunk judges whether the patrons are good enough to enter
The Caged Bird - Yancy Bigstocking - Average food, great drink - Inside the tavern, at the center of the room, is a massive cage with a parrot inside; the parrot has plenty of room to move around and yells profanities at patrons
The Slow Pocketwatch - Orson Huxley - Fantastic food, great drinks - Orson warns patrons that meals take extra long here as chef Bryson Deerfellow is thorough; to accommodate patrons, he offers the patrons' second drink at half price

With this list of taverns, you'll always be prepared to drop your players into a bar where you don't need to work as hard to characterize things. If a detail goes against something you had planned, then just ignore it, but certain prompts can even expand the range of your adventure (like #45, which has the beginnings of a quest tucked in). The important thing here is that tavern experiences are interesting and unique, and these will allow you to step in that direction.

There are other ways to get into the details of a tavern: the food and drinks offered by each. To that end, I'm posting lists of food and drinks you're likely to get from each ranking of the quality of food and drink above. You'll notice the list only has a few entries for genuinely bad or unremarkable quality, which is done on purpose. Having a bad meal out should be a rare experience unless the party is looking for it, while in order for a restaurant to survive, they have to be at least pretty decent. In any case, here is a full menu for each quality of food and drinks you can encounter:

Bad food: Skirt steak and boiled potatoes, white bread and hard cheese, dried venison and hard tack, roast wild boar and fresh greens, baked salmon and rice

Bad drink: Basic light ale, human-distilled whiskey, halfling wine, orcish stout, gnomish gin

Average food: Strip steak and mashed potatoes, grilled chicken and brown bread, roasted hare and roasted carrots, grilled trout and roast broccoli, smoked venison and peas

Average drink: Gnomish red ale, elf-distilled whiskey, human wine, halfling stout, orcish vodka

Good food: T-bone steak and creamed corn, roasted veal and roasted potatoes, grilled halibut and spiced cauliflower, fried chicken and fried okra, baked turkey and stuffing

Good drink: Elven floral ale, gnome-distilled whiskey, dwarven wine, human stout, orcish rum

Great food: Porterhouse steak and grilled asparagus, pulled pork and garlic mashed potatoes, dried elk and dark bread, baked swan and creamed spinach, grilled red snapper and roasted sweet potato

Great drink: Halfling light ale, orc-distilled whiskey, gnomish wine, dwarven stout, human brandy

Fantastic food: Ribeye steak and mushroom gravy with grilled leeks, roasted pork and corn chowder, bacon and brussel sprouts, grilled tuna and roasted beets, roasted goat and grilled artichokes

Fantastic drink: Crindlin (halfling distilled drink from the sap of a tree), hollop (elven distilled drink from the vegetable jaswop), dwarven amber ale, dwarf-distilled whiskey, elven wine

Providing a menu for player characters to order may seem like a silly way to spend your time as a DM, but consider this: your job as DM is to fill in details that make the players' experiences more interesting. And as small a token as it is, being allowed to order specific food makes the players happy. You can offer taverns that will short-order cook any meal requested to allow the players to get really creative, or you can use these menus to provide options at a variety of more restricted taverns. And feel free to get granular with the details--substitutions, prices, the personality of the tavernkeeper--all of them will add some color to the otherwise routine experience of going to a tavern.

One final consideration of taverns is how much things cost. This depends on how you've decided money operates in your setting, but I've offered some guidelines that are true in my world and will likely carry over to yours. For reference, I set a single copper piece at the value of a single basic drink and expand from there.

Bad food: 1-3 copper pieces, depending on the quantity of food

Bad drink: 1 copper piece

Average food: 2-4 copper pieces, again depending on the quantity of food

Average drink: 1-2 copper pieces, depending on the establishment

Good food: 3-5 copper pieces, again depending on the quantity of food

Good drink: 2-3 copper pieces, depending on the establishment

Great food: 4-7 copper pieces, again depending on the quantity of food
Great drink: 3-4 copper pieces, depending on the establishment
Fantastic food: 5 copper pieces to 1 silver piece (10 copper pieces), again depending on the quantity of food

Fantastic drink: 4-8 copper pieces, depending on the establishment

The key with prices is to reflect real world prices: you can eat at a fast food restaurant for a few bucks, but an upscale restaurant will charge you upward of 20 dollars, so a ratio of 1:10 is about right. Similarly, you can get a cheap beer for a few bucks in the right place, but a fancy cocktail will run you 15 bucks in some establishments. Keep in mind that spending big money on food and drinks is something only wealthier characters can manage, so don't have the poor, huddled masses of your city dropping coins in an upscale tavern unless there's a good reason.

Now that I've given you everything you need to drop a tavern in your game, get out there and adventure! A host of unique taverns will be waiting for you when your adventure is over.

Coming soon: how to write with story beats, how and when to fudge rolls, and how to improvise encounters. Until next time, happy gaming!

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Saturday, February 27, 2021

NPC Database

If you're like me, you enjoy coming up with the connective tissue of a story when you're GMing. How do the players get from point A to point B? What challenges arise? What are the details that give these movement life? How does the story represent itself even in the background? I love this part of GMing. It's improvisation mixed with writing, and it's probably what your players find the most compelling. After all, it's these details which are more or less unique to role-playing games. But you can't focus on these kinds of details if you're worried about more small-scale aspects of the game. For me, coming up with NPCs to drop into the world can be fun, but it takes a lot of mental energy I would rather spend on story stuff. So I created a series of lists of NPCs with enough information to be complex and three-dimensional at a glance. I thought I'd share it, as it will be highly useful to GMs who want to focus their creative efforts in other places.

A few notes before the lists: I have fairly specific naming conventions for each race in the standard D&D collection, and you'll notice that I stick with them. If these don't fit your world, of course tweak them to make them fit. But I think most D&D settings can use what I have here. Also, I include the vital information on a character (name, age, race, alignment) as well as personality traits--I use these so that each NPC isn't just a different skin on the same plot-progressing machine. But these are as much jumping-off points as complete characters, so use these however is useful. If they help even a few GMs, I'll be very happy.

Finally, I recommend using dice to select NPCs to drop into situations. You can roll a d8 to select the race of a character (the seven races in the 3.5 Player's Handbook is what I've gone by, with humans accounting for two rolls since I have two distinct bloodlines of humans in my homebrew setting), then a d100 to select an individual name (33 names on each list, so you can convert a roll higher than 33 by subtracting 33 or 66 from your roll to get a usable number--if you get a 100, I suggest using an established NPC). That's a total of 264 characters to work with! Some of the characters I've used from these lists have become major parts of campaigns, and others have been one-time appearances never referred to again. That's fine by me--I just want to have a character to work with without having to come up with them on the spot. So good luck with the lists and your campaigns!

Humans

Zed Clanton, 65, NE, selfish, aggressive, curious
Susan Plainview, 18, NG, bold, idealistic, haughty
Gabriel Herndon, 24, LE, controlling, gregarious, disapproving
Nancy Painter, 36, LN, patient, ambitious, jokester
Clarence Porter, 51, NG, reflective, blunt, unsentimental
Anne Lecky, 40, CG, practical, neat, determined
Peter Overstreet, 37, N, serious, aloof, inattentive
Claire Matthews, 43, NE, studious, intellectual, dismissive
Lorne Nelson, 19, CG, creative, abstract, bizarre
Catherine Howard, 20, CN, imperturbable, bright, kindly
Preston Turner, 43, LE, stable, arrogant, determined
Eva Wyatt, 15, N, protective, spiteful, hypocritical
Aaron Brown, 45, LE, personable, trusting, temperamental
Bertha Cooper, 54, LE, private, industrious, slow
Carmine Dixon, 25, CN, stoic, laid-back, devious
Della Eckman, 31, LN, thoughtful, conventional, opportunistic
Ezekiel Ford, 49, CG, innovative, devout, giving
Frances Gant, 26, NG, perfectionist, extroverted, idealistic
Gil Huston, 23, LG, innocent, unfortunate, carefree
Hetty Innsbrook, 61, LE, violent, driven, calculating
Ira Jeffers, 47, NG, industrious, passionate, serious
Jen Kimmel, 39, NG, adventurous, insistent, dependable
Klaus Laird, 32, NE, unyielding, headstrong, dishonest
Linda Morgan, 45, N, organized, playful, dramatic
Marcus Nast, 24, NE, shifty, leader, impatient
Norma Opal, 37, CE, vengeful, irritable, talkative
Owen Prince, 51, LE, resourceful, creative, noble
Posie Quarterlane, 36, CG, intense, intuitive, friendly
Quint Randolph, 12, LN, pointed, curious, outspoken
Rhonda Skinner, 53, CG, leader, sensitive, warm
Sid Travers, 33, CN, imaginative, bleak, childish
Trish Updike, 20, CE, pushy, energetic, reactive
Ulric Vance, 43, LG, artistic, spiritual, private
Violet Ware, 11, N, logical, reserved, polite
Yancy Zorn, 28, LG, systematic, resilient, diligent
Zora Archer, 59, LN, performative, jealous, philosophical
Melvin Yamhill, 51, LG, brilliant, guarded, uncertain
Liddy Brenner, 14, CN, sincere, guilty, outraged
James Sheffield, 16, CE, perfectionist, greedy, addictive
Blessing Briscoe, 17, CG, knowledgeable, rebellious, affectionate
Heidi Trane, 29, CE, forceful, dismissive, sarcastic
Gunther Lawrence, 32, NG, introverted, self-conscious, contemplative
Wanda Ewing, 21 NG, faithful, mature, rowdy
Riley Malone, 9, CN, risk-taker, insecure, charming
Emmitt White, 40, LN, frenzied, weird, shy
Ophelia Purdue, 31, LE, secretive, listener, timid
Marvin Toome, 37, LN, cooperative, observant, respectful
Harriet Redman, 50, CN, sneaky, argumentative, worried
William Fortune, 27, N, foolish, friendly, mysterious
Helen Briggs, 45, CG, industrious, guarded, helpful
Jason Kline, 60, NG, soft-spoken, humorless, secretive
Kyra Winnow, 23, LE, snobbish, ignorant, bewildered
Vanessa Wharton, 54, N, suspicious, careful, dreary
Chester Harkin, 41, LN, devout, faithful, supportive
Howard Hyde, 47, LN, attentive, decisive, quiet
Abigail Turnbuckle, 43, NE, critical, cowardly, nervous
Donald Connors, 88, LG, serene, empathetic, mindful of simplicity
Candace "Caddy" Williams, 35, CN, somber, gentle, restless
Earl Sumner, 46, CE, possessive, irritable, resistant
Catherine Haskill, 39, CN, adaptable, aloof, brave
Niles Nelson, 20, CN, entrepreneurial, argumentative, underhanded
Elliott Swiftblade, 30, NG, adventurous, brave, confident
Hera Dixon, 38, CE, immature, noisy, sensitive
Lancaster Beale, 76, LG, helpful, curious, reserved
Shyla Compson, 26, NG, spontaneous, impertinent, ambitious
Geraldine Hoffman, 33, N, rebellious, intuitive, loyal

Elves

Davil Prenille, 265, LG, world-weary, skeptical, giving
Valerica Achilleos, 954, LG, resourceful, principled, dorky
Hakari Huri, 564, CN, spunky, uninhibited, accepting
Corbell Sispen, 137, NG, grounded, outspoken, idealistic
Quarsa Fielt, 145, LN, considerate, competitive, indulgent
Toniel Gla'asa, 526, N, brilliant, calm, quiet
Megalla Quintar, 891, CG, protective, faithful, patient
Achiel Miltari, 194, CN, irreverent, innovative, expressive
Barim Nustar, 438, CG, realistic, resourceful, joker
Coriel Ossitar, 271, NG, capable, easy-going, persistent
Dinoska Pillas, 1007, CE, vengeful, irritable, sly
Echira Quanisa, 177, CG, practical, neat, determined
Forihim Ruskinil, 999, NG, friendly, dramatic, adventurous
Gemila Sappol, 671, LG, bold, self-involved, eager
Higella Ternala, 190, CE, enthusiastic, restless, harsh
Illthar Urmar, 185, LG, tentative, cordial, forgiving
Junym Visyl, 817, NG, guiding, patient, heroic
Kastra Wymora, 850, CE, selfish, artistic, reckless
Lorasta Xarkas, 787, CG, strange, absent-minded, loving
Merwin Yannorin, 654, NG, focused, defiant, confident
Nyrill Zylora, 874, LE, charismatic, proud, studious
Othar Arsys, 897, NE, bossy, ignorant, scornful
Pethana Bresyra, 174, NE, authoritative, systematic, oppressive
Quandyl Cosbell, 465, CG, impulsive, outgoing, selfless
Ruthil Derwynn, 763, CN, helpful, outgoing, parental
Sorildyn Eleris, 1114, CG, dedicated, honorable, optimistic
Tothali Folwyn, 320, CE, brutal, careless, possessive
Ulen Gemalkin, 596, NE, petty, disruptive, impractical
Vascala Hellewin, 954, N, maternal, businesslike, friendly
Worion Idaro, 890, LN, quiet, timid, dutiful
Xoala Julastin, 1058, LE, bored, inconsiderate, power-hungry
Yano Kosandoral, 960, CN, trouble-maker, bold, wacky
Zaida Lenala, 644, CG, independent, thrill-seeker, capricious

Half-Elves

Webster Xan, 34, N, studious, cautious, driven
Xillia Yarborough, 339, CG, adventurous, grateful, paternal
Algar O'Dell, 345, NG, faithful, quiet, solemn
Dewey Tynellin, 329, NG, cooperative, generous, principled
Edmund Biriel, 56, CN, mature, absent-minded, calm
Lynette Adoma, 109, CG, gregarious, inventive, silly
Gilbert Topperill, 154, CG, curious, procrastinator, temperamental
Norma Disseel, 184, LN, traditional, curious, reserved
Fintik Barber, 389, CG, fussy, thoughtful, humble
Sigil Tanner, 393, LG, ambitious, imaginative, realistic
Kinta Harmon, 25, CN, honest, hard-working, artistic
Ivell Cardham, 21, LN, patient, kind, imaginative
Alles Finch, 152, CG, rebellious, merciful, entrepreneurial
Uvi Pinetop, 226, LN, cheerful, thoughtful, sly
Talya Birdsong, 94, CE, insincere, neglectful, clumsy
Riash Zimmer, 125, CG, headstrong, naive, unlucky
Tianel Stoutman, 259, CN, creative, open-minded, intuitive
Gimiel Wortham, 354, NE, spiritual, dissatisfied, distracted
Haleira Yamhill, 47, CG, elegant, affectionate, leader
Iljor Ashford, 171, CG, protective, temperamental, logical
Janet Biquinial, 65, CN, devout, mentor, organized
Khyrym Coleman, 25, CN, harmonious, principled, passionate
Lisaro Dunmere, 356, LG, self-controlled, strong-willed, assertive
Marietta Eritora, 80, NG, patient, courageous, impulsive
Nicole Fyrra, 402, NG, introspective, loner, wise
Osharia Golfaren, 38, CG, balanced, trusting, open
Perry Holcomb, 211, N, fair, responsible, decisive
Qesterin Iludi, 340, CG, vulnerable, curious, unconventional
Rychell "Rye" Jamseon, 20, LN, future-focused, unafraid, gravely ill
Sandy Lombard, 158, CN, opportunistic, unfortunate, skittish
Tessimar Moore, 73, NG, moderate, diplomatic, energetic
Urym Niwenys, 273, LG, obsessive, indulgent, frustrated
Valerie Orson, 33, CG, dramatic, insightful, humble

Dwarves

Tane Stonehauler, 336, LG, hopeful, inspiring, generous
Madeline Dustsifter, 164, LN, imaginative, anxious, easily confused
Viola Goldsmith, 349, NE, happy, childlike, philosophical
Davenport Hidesplitter, 284, LE, authoritative, organized, vicious
Damon Stonesplitter, 15, LG, vigilant, dutiful, humble
Wanda Earthmover, 314, LG, helpful, trusting, uncertain
Savannah Rockshaker, 223, N, opinionated, hopeful, forgiving
Heidi Throatstomper, 341, NG, detail-oriented, devout, maternal
Jacob Marbleminer, 336, LG, well-respected, peaceful, teacher
Meredith Sandmover, 290, CG, ambitious, inventive, confident
Emily Muddigger, 153, LG, bold, original, contemplative
Gordon Treeclipper, 200, LN, prepared, visionary, principled
Lana Golddigger, 168, NE, joyous, self-destructive, personable
Maxwell Hammerpounder, 24, LG, narrow focus, ambitious, regal
Frances Oakcutter, 231, LN, studious, reserved, spiritual
Heathcliff Mudcarver, 303, LG, disagreeable, competitive, proud
Charlotte Rockhewer, 334, CG, acclaimed, hardworking, dedicated
Edgar Grassgrower, 361, CG, determined, confident, reluctant to change course
Korkner Barkeater, 36, NG, decisive, hopeful, future-oriented
Arlene Granitebreaker, 190, N, defensive, perseverant, wounded
Peyton Copperminer, 209, NE, exhausted, struggling, worried
Carlisle Blessedforge, 298, NG, enthusiastic, risk-taker, expressive
Dolly Bronzebane, 278, CG, passionate, charming, thrill-seeker
Ethan Alegrip, 320, LG, generous, independent, warm
Fallia Hammermaster, 174, LE, inspiring, assertive, inventive
George Mudgrog, 217, LN, deliberate, watchful, survivor
Hector Steelhelm, 69, NE, forceful, intimate, intuitive
Isha Blackchain, 379, LE, affectionate, businesslike, spiritual
Juniper Deepforge, 90, LG, exuberant, harmonious, energetic
Karl Hidegrip, 172, CG, dissatisfied, self-absorbed, bored
Lanier Goldlace, 338, LG, grieving, regretful, defeated
Molly Silverstone, 367, CG, sentimental, kind, blissful
Norris Anvilback, 403, LN, indecisive, dreamer, principled

Half-Orcs

Delia Primm, 70, CN, deep thinker, future-focused, burnt out
Larski Brot, 13, LG, content, proud, principled
Shav Krink, 76, CN, joyful, peacful, personable
Blet Scran, 63, NG, creative, intuitive, intimate
Trall Kort, 53, CE, visionary, empathetic, subtle
Ruk Frenk, 33, LE, spiritual, imaginative, soothing
Dulk Sart, 5, CG, diplomatic, wise, caring
Feln Trapp, 60, CG, intelligent, truthful, just
Gint Larb, 16, CN, indecisive, compromising, struggling
Nerk Zanf, 26, LE, lonely, betrayed, spiteful
Dort Grott, 19, CE, meditative, anxious, lost
Charf Nilt, 58, CN, disappointed, hostile, self-interested
Rilka Brek, 41, LG, sad, suppressed, in need of guidance
Tigug Ulgan, 24, LG, cunning, independent, witty
Vriska Kilug, 7, CN, confused, powerless, angry
Globat Borbal, 77, CN, imaginative, practical, personable
Ghorza Rulfim, 11, CE, depressed, exhausted, desperate
Shelur Farghed, 52, N, defeated, distrusting, forlorn
Xurl Dugorim, 43, N, knowledgeable, honest, impulsive
Larek Ragash, 60, CN, fierce, intellectual, direct
Shadbak Uloth, 13, N, clever, truthful, respectful
Grat Sharn, 14, CE, rational, impartial, leader
Gul Dombuk, 35, LE, practical, opportunistic, clarity of purpose
Nagh Murzush, 57, CN, flexible, playful, focused
Bula Lazgar, 70, CN, cooperative, prepared, passionate
Yotul Lagahk, 63, CN, greedy, resistant, impatient
Lazgar Mazoga, 47, NE, insecure, ill, disapproving
Lash Bagdurash, 73, NE, reflective, patient, unconventional
Bolar Rogmesh, 28, CN, generous, authoritative, leader
Orzul Gharol, 40, CE, diligent, focused, curious
Yazgash Mog, 56, LG, hardworking, self-reliant, refined
Zubug Pargu, 9, NG, traditional, helpful, charitable
Zilg "Z" Vigdug, 31, LE, responsible, common sensical, trusting

Halflings

Clover Loom, 77, N, unwavering, cautious, thorough
Kirk Tumbler, 97, NE, realistic, industrious, principled
Tabitha Tealeaf, 221, N, nurturing, down-to-earth, resourceful
Jordine Spoke, 110, NG, patient, dependable, modest
Augustana Belt, 101, LN, apprehensive, hurried, righteous
Lisa Keyhole, 291, LN, cocky, incoherent, shrewd
Burton Cuff, 257, LE, shameless, composed, irreverent
Greta Lock, 180, NG, formal, plucky, pious
Josephine Glass, 115, N, inspiring, emphatic, self-doubting
Abner Rainfellow, 76, LG, devout, lost, inconsolable
Betty Bluebottle, 200, NE, arrogant, vicious, unrelenting
Connor Yarn, 54, NE, self-centered, practical, imaginative
Daisy Littlehill, 238, CG, curious, self-assured, unflappable
Eddy Nailtop, 288, N, sneaky, irresponsible, unlucky
Felix Manykeys, 221, NE, gregarious, braggart, easily manipulated
Georgia Goodbowl, 290, CG, principled, dishonest, wise
Harry Stoutleaf, 55, N, restless, aimless, easily manipulated
Isla Razor, 188, LG, inventive, directionless, brave
John Wirebrook, 230, LG, knowledgeable, aloof, passive
Kassie Wheelspring, 244, LG, helpful, scared, heartbroken
Louis Goodeye, 133, NE, outraged, violent, principled
Maude Crazygoat, 189, LE, irritable, jokester, temperamental
Nathaniel Soap, 68, CN, driven, obsessive, self-destructive
Opal Bookdale, 143, CN, self-absorbed, oblivious, possessive
Paul Shortwick, 130, LN, straightforward, loving, simple
Quinn Goodbarrel, 105, CG, forgetful, desperate, clever
Ralph Warmpipe, 51, N, practical, paternal, artistic
Sally Cloudworth, 253, LG, gruff, negative, strategic
Tenille Brushlock, 149, LG, incredulous, irritable, hopeful
Omar Slowhand, 399, CN, bold, private, in control
Vicki Mooncloak, 155, NG, authoritative, tough, direct
Wendell Farbutton, 95, NG, loudmouthed, addictive, unruly
Sarah Freeshadow, 183, LG, stern, protective, talkative

Gnomes

Strut Galili, 414, LE, decisive, vicious, calculating
Cecil Corbo Blink, 268, NG, taciturn, dedicated, action-focused
Melodrome Boddynock, 38, N, principled, brave, mysterious
Haftra Fiskinspark, 81, LN, happy, trusting, nervous
Beep Tolnackle, 595, CE, loner, defensive, surprised
Skip Liddle, 165, CN, spiteful, motivated, uncertain
Tavar Tock, 489, N, quiet, exacting, sneaky
Finny Laskinack, 32, LE, loud, violent, short-tempered
Tinktink Clicksteel, 281, LN, faithful, persistent, reserved
Goldie Thistlespark, 115, N, heroic, volatile, dreary
Dinlo Fastfizzle, 129, LN, dark, misanthropic, inquisitive
Quilp Wobblebonk, 128, N, suspicious, defensive, cloying
Olbiglius Swizzlepipe, 226, CG, confused, idealistic, scientific
Gorbulus Boffins, 588, LG, adventurous, unassuming, dutiful
Lyssbetonk Cogswagon, 276, LE, sneaky, calculating, opportunistic
Bixi Thenbabrick, 375, CN, open-minded, intellectual, well-rounded
Dimly Sadpockets, 222, CE, strategic, careful, resourceful
Mimble Ladlesworth, 480, CN, devout, charismatic, nurturing
Queen Bobrick, 376, NG, depressed, directionless, handy
Arcwitz Jellyroll, 99, NG, reserved, inconsistent, productive
Bolt Cogsmith, 8, LG, comical, critical, animated
Gilbin Bottlefingers, 36, CN, reckless, open-minded, zany
Arcalena Greenyellow, 345, LN, tentative, nimble, anxious
Dizzy Doublecannon, 191, LG, self-aware, creative, caustic
Spark Bumbletumble, 443, N, renegade, strategic, bold
Jerylin Hatstink, 209, LE, knowledgeable, gentle, charismatic
Trifffft Penderflerflur, 491, LE, mysterious, self-serving, crafty
Seven Fifteen, 364, LN, perceptive, exacting, responsible
Lorelai Cobblewobbles 152, CG, conflicted, helpful, unfortunate
Warble Zarzaphod, 92, NG, over-the-top, ingenious, bizarre
Darcy Fortypigs, 421, NG, calculating, idealistic, organized
Bart Zazezizozuz, 584, CN, driven, empathetic, grounded
Sippikup Magee, 137, N, investigative, principled, pushy

A final note: if you want to come up with a resource like this for yourself, here's some advice. For names, I find it easier to make up a name if I have initials to start with. So I'll list the alphabet down the page and go from there. (If you look at most of the name lists, you'll see this pattern.) Ages and alignments are easy to pick randomly given the race of the character. And for the personality traits, you can use all variety of methods: envision a personality and describe it; use lists of personality traits (like this one); look at your favorite books/movies/video games/etc and describe your favorite characters; I even used my tarot decks to create a good chunk of the personalities in this list. Any jumping-off point that works for you will be good. And if you find that good-aligned characters have negative traits and evil-aligned characters have positive traits, that's fine! It makes for more complex storytelling if the evil person is actually superficially nice or the good person is a pushy snob. Remember alignment is about tendencies, not personalities.

Hopefully, this resource is helpful to a few DMs out there. Next time, a write-up of the mystery campaign I've been using these names for with more information on how to craft an ongoing mystery campaign.

Coming soon: how to deal with critical rolls, how to create in-game documents, and how to design a dungeon. Until next time, happy gaming!

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