Flesh out your NPCs with memorable quirks

Long John Silver, illustration by N. C. Wyeth from the 1911 edition of Treasure Island.

The idea to make a non-player character in a role-playing game, or for that matter a supporting character in any literature, stand out from the crowd by giving him or her a quirk of some kind is certainly not new. In my experience it is nonetheless something that is easily forgotten in between piles of game stats and the plot of a scenario, especially for NPCs created on the fly, and it is definitely a trick worth remembering. 

A suitable character quirk can often be something relatively insignificant such as a unusual piece of clothing, a frequently used phrase, or a tic. In other cases however a character can become even more interesting if he or she has a great flaw, especially if this is combined with some positive characteristics as well.

As with most similar tips it should not be over done, but if used in moderation it can make NPCs both more interesting for the players, and easier for the game master to portrait. Just beware of anything too annoying, or at least save such traits for NPCs that you know will not play a large part in the story.

I once created an NPC for an AD&D-campaign, a knight (fighter) that suffered from an old head injury. The injury had damaged his brain and made him delusional enough to believe that he was the greatest and noblest knight in the whole realm. He was also generally quite confused, had problems remembering names, and could be distracted by the smallest things. He was however still a capable fighter, loyal to his friends (as long as he remembered them) and extremely brave. It was certainly not the most original idea, but for an NPC in a role-playing campaign it worked well. The brave knight caused the player group all kinds of headaches, but also saved their hides more than once and is fondly remembered for it.

A similar quite famous example is Minsc from the computer game Baldur's Gate. For those that have not played this classic Forgotten Realms game (you should!), Minsc is a Ranger NPC that can join your party early in the story. He is a very strong and capable front line tank, but he also has quite some limitations in the old brain department. Among other things he has a pet named Boo that he claims is a miniature Giant Space Hamster.

Boo, possibly a miniature Giant Space Hamster.

Minsc talks to Boo during the game, and even urges him to help the group in battles (all the while Boo of course sits idly in the inventory, taking up a valuable quick item slot).

"Go for the eyes, Boo! Go for the EYES!"

Minsc's inventory with Boo in the first quick item slot.

Minsc is a great example of a character that is more memorable and endearing because of his apparent flaw, especially since it is coupled with positive skills and traits, in this case his honour and fighting abilities.

Now, over the top personalities with head trauma and strange pets are obviously not necessary to create captivating characters, but if you feel your NPCs are a bit boring, try giving them at least a single good quirk of some kind to make them more interesting and memorable.