And as such, it is the responsibility of the game designers to create NPCs with names and backgrounds deeper than say, Bob the Sword-Seller, or Grrr the bad Orc who kidnaps young Elves.
An example of a possible NPC we might use in SoN, is a character I designed, named Adhemar de Rigandi.
The name sets the tone, and is quite often the most important step for me. Once I know the race, sex and what the NPC will be responsible for, I go for the name. Sometimes I use random name generators, sometimes I use existing names in history and rework the spelling, while other times I straight make the name up. All other ideas about the NPC follow the naming.
Just minutes after coming up with the name Adhemar de Rigandi, these ideas came to me:
Adhemar de Rigandi is a man apart. A man with a need to prove himself, both to others and more importantly, to himself. Why he feels this need however, is still a mystery.
Adhemar forsakes all other skills in pursuit of the purity of the blade. Adhemar is a man dedicated to the mastery of the art of dueling.
Wandering through the Field of Flowers, always alone and challenging any he may come upon. Adhemar wears only blacks and grays, with just a touch of red. Whether that red is a dye, or an opponent’s blood is not clear. What is also not clear, is when was the last time Adhemar lost a duel.
This idea is rough, I admit, but this NPC has the potential to motivate players to seek him out, and challenge him. With a bit of work on his history and skills, and perhaps even the way he speaks to the players, this could be a fun NPC to help populate our world.
Adhemar de Rigandi will be just one of many fascinating NPC characters that will fill the world of Nightside. We hope you get to meet them all!
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I agree .. the name can be a powerful force when creating.
I usually have an idea of what I want an NPC to be .. but coming up with the name can make or break the character. Sometimes the names jump right out and are perfect … sometimes finding a name has delayed the rest of the writing for weeks.
The name of the character sometimes even alters the quest and history that I was working on.