TOP 10 NPCs

I started playing the 2nd Edition of D&D in 7th grade, and continued through my sophomore year in high school, at which point too many people lost interest in the effort it took to get together for us to continue playing regularly. In the Spring of 2001, Jake introduced me to 3rd Edition, and graciously added me as a player in his veteran game, whereupon I had the time of my life, and a dormant passion was renewed.

Over the last nine years, I’ve played in nine games and run six of my own, and while I’m fond of many of the characters I’ve played, the most communal experience our group has as players is shared fondness / disdain for particular NPC’s that have crossed our path on one or more occasions. The following is a list of the top ten NPC’s we’ve encountered over the last decade, and why I feel they are / were so special (HINT: the secret to a great NPC is the way you react to them and how it inspires you to play as a character).

10. El-Hamanid, Created by: Dave, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: DuPontaine Swashbucklers

The bait and switch is a classic NPC tactic – create an NPC ally / acquaintance who the players come to trust, only to have them turn out to be the “big bad guy” they fight in the end. Of all the bait and switch NPCs I’ve encountered as a player, El-Hamanid was definitely the most unexpected. The reason for this was probably Dave’s ability to immerse us in a world of intrigue where we suspected everyone else. To us, El-Hamanid was simply Trader Joe, a completely different NPC staple – the universal shopkeep. For the first time in my playing history, though, the shopkeep did it.

9. Herb, Created by: Chris, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Fantabulous Mage-a-Tron

Herb was your classic wise man – lives in a small town, knows every secret in the game, is folksy and charming. But Chris’ specialty is folksy and charming, which gave Herb a twinkle Burl Ives couldn’t manage. In a world of high fantasy and magic, Chris’ hardy, New England farmer take on Herb was so convincing that I’ve often found myself wishing he were real so I could go to him for the answers.

8. Malkawa, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Mouthus’ Journal

Every Star Wars game that takes place in the Old Republic era is bound to have a Jedi mentor in it. Malkawa could have been that mentor, were she not surrounded by a group hell-bent on re-routing the moral compass of the galaxy to their own whims. In the defense of the players, Malkawa was pretty insufferable; she was a Wookiiee, which made it difficult for her to communicate with most of the players, and she had a tendency towards righteous indignation that rubbed many of the players (particularly Chris and Daniel) the wrong way. I have no doubt that many will disagree about her inclusion; however, her influence alone kept the party from descending into a complete moral vacuum – once she was written out of the game, the criminal elements reigned supreme.

7. Jesus (Egg Pilot Edition), Created by: Dave, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Rapture

Jesus in an egg jumped every possible shark imaginable in Dave’s D20 future setting, propelling the story towards a speedy and premature conclusion. While this was regrettable, the character in itself was something of a masterstroke, and indelibly a creation of his DM. Dave’s Jesus was painted in the broad strokes of a Washington Post political cartoon – confused, out of sorts, and blindly poking at straws, the savior of mankind didn’t so much orchestrate his deification as he did stumble into it.

6. Soljus, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Dominici, The Fantabulous Mage-a-Tron, The DOPP

Soljus is a hybrid character, and this is important because his genius lies not in his creation so much as his development. When he first appeared in my Dominici game, Soljus was a common criminal polymorphed into a monkey by an Archmage; he later regained his human form only to become a monkey again later. In Chris’ hands, he took on a new life: Soljus’ curse was more than just a new form – he was granted an unnaturally long life, and lived so long that wisdom at long last found him after years of stubborn refusal. In my opinion, this makes him a truly amazing NPC – one who achieved real growth and change.

5. Doogal, Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: The Order of the Abbey

The top 5 is crowded with Jake’s creations, and few can compare to Doogal. Doogal has been the subject of more discussion than any other NPC I can remember. We respect him, but we fear his potential. Some want to kill him, while others see his value as an ally. Doogal has caused us more trouble than any other NPC on this list, and yet of anyone who has enjoyed “bad guy” status with PC’s, there are few characters we’ve wanted to kill less (with the notable exception of Dave, who kind of wants to kill everyone), and yet in spite of that, we’ve killed him twice. We’ve also spent hours of our lives discussing politics, playing concerts with, and just trying to outwit the guy. Plus, Doogal is the Doogie Howser of international commerce warfare. That concept alone has to be unique to the modern role-playing game.

4. Charles Fox, Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Most of them.

Charles Fox is the epitome of the recurring character. He’s appeared in most of Jake’s games, and most of Chris’s games as well. He’s the frustrating, cryptic, elusive mysterious man in the forest, yet he’s witty, urbane, and quite possibly smarter than everyone else in this joint. In his purest form, Fox is the least fractured element of Jake’s personality when he’s running a game – a moment for him to step in and say, “guys, I know the players determine the direction of the game, but you really need a tour guide right now.” The funny thing is, a character like that (who inevitably leads you around by the nose to where the DM wants you to be) is typically boring, predictable, and makes the game less fun. Charles Fox not only contradicts those traits, he defies your expectations at every turn. That’s special.

3. Father Pious, Created by: Chris, Games in which NPC appeared: The DOPP

The DOPP were men of science. Father Pious was a man of faith. These two forces will butt heads, and the results will not be pretty – it’s that simple. That story has been told over and over, and the dichotomy works when you’re deeply involved in the story, but to an outside observer, it’s rote. Not Father Pious. Perhaps it was his real world inspiration (a priest we knew from our Catholic college days) that brought Father Pious so vividly to life, but I don’t think that really gets to the heart of the matter, because the player who got the most of out of Pious was the one of us who had never met the real guy. Once again, it was a vivid, imaginative, and detailed performance on the part of the DM that gave Father Pious that spark, and made him the enemy you most love to hate.

2. Nordogast, Created by: Joey, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Con-Agra, Superheroes, Mouthus’ Journal, Serenity (infant cameo)

Nordogast was a true asshole, and you loved him for it. The key to Nordogast is that he was basically a PC – albeit a powerful PC with seemingly unlimited resources. It’s just that Nordogast was playing a different game than the one the players were involved in, and when he crossed paths with you, you were typically after the same MacGuffin. If you weren’t on opposing sides, however, Nordogast was the kind of guy you might like to sit down and have a drink with. In every game in which he has appeared, Nordogast has survived his first encounter with the PC’s (and always from the approach that he is a bad guy) by talking his way into their good graces. You know things will end badly. You know he is planning to screw you. You know you should just kill him now. But you can’t help yourself. It’s Nordogast.

1. Malus (Captain Evil), Created by: Jacob, Game(s) in which NPC appeared: Ravensfeast Trio, The Valley of the Fallen Stars, The Order of the Abbey

The first time PCs met Captain Evil, he was popping the head off of a 5th level cleric and marching towards a fight with a Vecna high-priest that promised to be so bad, the players opted to destroy the entire city in lieu of witnessing it. It would be easy to dismiss Captain Evil as a pile of cool stuff on a high-level warrior, but that would serve to underestimate the guy’s effect – the dude made our knees tremble no matter what level we were, and it was every inch attitude. A man who ate war, death, and destruction for breakfast, Captain Evil has seen and endured more mind-bending grief and torture than you or I could ever imagine. Even the admittedly ridiculous nickname we gave him way back at the beginning cannot mitigate the terror that comes with facing off with this guy. In his time, he has been associated with or appeared alongside some major baddies – Linus, the Horned King, Voltare, Visgoth, Asgaroth (Jake’s no slouch when it comes to scary-ass villains) – but if you were to ask us who’s the one guy we’re scared to fight? Look no further.

Honorable Mention: Celeron, Wyfierd (Galathian), Jeanette Tiso, Garam, Brown Tornado, Goldschmiddt, Won-Huong Lo, The Horned King