NPCs

NPCs are campaign people, creatures, factions, or other named presences the table may need to remember.

What an NPC record includes

An NPC has a title, short summary, longer notes, tags, and visibility. GMs can keep an NPC private while preparing, then switch the record to player-visible when the table meets them.

Use the summary for the one-line table memory. Use the body for deeper context: voice, goals, leverage, secrets, unresolved questions, and session notes.

Visibility

• GM only keeps unrevealed NPCs out of the player view.
• Players shares the NPC with the whole table.
• Selected players shares the NPC with specific players.

NPCs do not use Only me visibility because they are campaign records, not personal note sections.

Good uses

• Recurring allies, rivals, contacts, and monsters.
• People connected to locations, items, sessions, or questlines.
• Private GM prep that can later become player-facing reference material.

Example workflow

1. Create an NPC as GM only while you are still preparing.
2. Add tags like ally, rival, merchant, cult, or loose end.
3. Link the NPC to the location where the party met them and the session where they appeared.
4. Change visibility to Players after the table has enough context.
5. Keep unrevealed motives in a note section instead of publishing them on the NPC record.

Quick player reference

Good NPC records answer player questions quickly: who is this, why do we care, where did we meet them, and what promises or threats are still open? The record does not need to be a full lore article to be valuable.