Quick NPCs

For NPCs generated on the fly — during travel, mid-session — when there’s no time for the full resident procedure.

The 90-Second NPC

From Street Magic’s speed variant:

1. Title & Pronouns (30 sec) — their handle, not their name
2. One defining trait (30 sec) — physical detail or behavioral quirk that makes them visible
3. What they want right now (30 sec) — immediate motivation, not backstory

Examples:

• The Weary Merchant (he/him) — talks too fast when nervous — wants to offload a suspicious crate before nightfall
• The Off-Duty Soldier (she/her) — picks at a scar on her jaw — wants someone to tell her the war was worth it
• The Dockworker (they/them) — smells of fish and pine tar — wants to know if the party saw anything strange upriver

Upgrading to a Resident

If a quick NPC gets play — the party talks to them, trusts them, uses them as a source — upgrade them:

1. Add an affiliated landmark (where can they be found again?)
2. Add a faction post (who do they answer to, even loosely?)
3. Run a brief vignette next session to generate a True Name

The quick NPC becomes a resident. They were always real — they just became more pinned.

Every Encounter Offers One Of

When generating a quick NPC during travel or exploration, deliver at least one of:

• Information — something they know about the region, a faction, or a rumor
• Choice — something they need that creates a decision for the party
• Resource trade — something to buy, sell, or borrow
• Future hook — a name, a place, an unanswered question that seeds the lore pool