Cattle Call
Archetypes for
Non-Player Characters

Lowlife NPCs

By Larry Granato
Art by Bradley K. McDevitt

1. The Hobo - A talented vagrant with a conscience. He has a urge to wander that causes him to move on periodically after doing someone a good turn.

2. The Derelict - A no good, incoherent, stinking bum. Good for rumors when he's sober (about 20% of the time.)

3. The Sleazy Salesman ~ He enjoys preying on the elderly and poor, and is not beyond conning the party. Quote: "Can you afford not to have one of these babies?"

4. The Panhandler - A lazy street beggar, always looking for a handout. Equipment: sign that says "Will work for food," except that he won't.

5. The Dropout - He rejects society, work and regular bathing. Quote: "Hey, man, like ... (rest of sentence)"

6. The Runaway - A pitiful boy or girl. Probably an orphan, they will attempt to attach themselves to a member of the party.

7. The Addict - This thin, wasted individual is desperately searching for a fix. Nothing else matters. May resort to violence if desperate.

8. The Rebel Without a Cause - This young man or woman is filled with vague discontent. Equipment: black clothes.

9. The Hustler - A street-smart hustler, always ready to make a bargain. Equipment: suspicious merchandise in trunk of car.

10. The Slob - He's crude, rude and lewd. Equipment: loud shirt and large quantity of messy food.

11. The Bimbo - A bleached blonde with few brains. She has the natural ability to zero in on characters with money and will extract as much as possible.

12. The Escapee - A edgy, dangerous fugitive from justice. The law is on his trail.

13. The Brute - A dimwitted mountain of muscle. Quote: "Duh, I tink he went dataway."

14. The Ex-Con - He's asking for a second chance, since he's paid his debt to society. But his past, in the form of scheming former associates or vengeful victims will come back to haunt him.

15. The Informer - This cowardly, rodent-like guy always has good info, but it'll cost you plenty.

16. The Lunatic - A mumbling, erratic nut case who sees things that aren't there and has some very odd ideas. Usually, he is insipid; sometimes, he is inspired.

17. The Gambler - A guy addicted to games of chance. He can't resist a bet, but he's also a card shark and grifter.

18. The Dealer - A sleazy purveyor of illicit items and activities. Equipment: long, dirty coat.

19. The Traitor - This person will befriend the party and then betray or tattle on them, especially if they've done him a favor.

20. The Phony Professional - A shyster, a quack doctor or a guy with a piece of paper from a diploma mill, who's only out to make a quick buck.

Cattle Call Archetypes for Non-Player Characters


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