--- title: "Instant NPCs" slug: instant-npcs parent: dungeon-world published: true --- ## Instant NPCs Sometimes the players will come across someone who becomes important in the moment. When the ritual goes wrong and a poor captive gets the power cosmic what does that villager do with it? Who were they? When you need a quick NPC all you need is an instinct and some way to pursue it. We call that a knack, it can be anything from a skill to a title to a debt owed. Combine the two and you have an NPC who has something they want and a way to try to get it—you’re ready to go. ### 100 Instincts 1. To avenge 2. To spread the good word 3. To reunite with a loved one 4. To make money 5. To make amends 6. To explore a mysterious place 7. To uncover a hidden truth 8. To locate a lost thing 9. To kill a hated foe 10. To conquer a faraway land 11. To cure an illness 12. To craft a masterwork 13. To survive just one more day 14. To earn affection 15. To prove a point 16. To be smarter, faster and stronger 17. To heal an old wound 18. To extinguish an evil forever 19. To hide from a shameful fact 20. To evangelize 21. To spread suffering 22. To prove worth 23. To rise in rank 24. To be praised 25. To discover the truth 26. To make good on a bet 27. To get out of an obligation 28. To convince someone to do their dirty work 29. To steal something valuable 30. To overcome a bad habit 31. To commit an atrocity 32. To earn renown 33. To accumulate power 34. To save someone from a monstrosity 35. To teach 36. To settle down 37. To get just one more haul 38. To preserve the law 39. To discover 40. To devour 41. To restore the family name 42. To live a quiet life 43. To help others 44. To atone 45. To prove their worth 46. To gain honor 47. To expand their land 48. To gain a title 49. To retreat from society 50. To escape 51. To party 52. To return home 53. To serve 54. To reclaim what was taken 55. To do what must be done 56. To be a champion 57. To avoid notice 58. To help a family member 59. To perfect a skill 60. To travel 61. To overcome a disadvantage 62. To play the game 63. To establish a dynasty 64. To improve the realm 65. To retire 66. To recover a lost memory 67. To battle 68. To become a terror to criminals 69. To raise dragons 70. To live up to expectations 71. To become someone else 72. To do what can't be done 73. To be remembered in song 74. To be forgotten 75. To find true love 76. To lose their mind 77. To indulge 78. To make the best of it 79. To find the one 80. To destroy an artifact 81. To show them all 82. To bring about unending summer 83. To fly 84. To find the six-fingered man 85. To wake the ancient sleepers 86. To entertain 87. To follow an order 88. To die gloriously 89. To be careful 90. To show kindness 91. To not screw it all up 92. To uncover the past 93. To go where no man has gone before 94. To do good 95. To become a beast 96. To spill blood 97. To live forever 98. To hunt the most dangerous game 99. To hate 100. To run away ### 100 Knacks 1. Criminal connections 2. Muscle 3. Skill with a specific weapon 4. Hedge wizardry 5. Comprehensive local knowledge 6. Noble blood 7. A one-of-a-kind item 8. Special destiny 9. Unique perspective 10. Hidden knowledge 11. Magical awareness 12. Abnormal parentage 13. Political leverage 14. A tie to a monster 15. A secret 16. True love 17. An innocent heart 18. A plan for the perfect crime 19. A one-way ticket to paradise 20. A mysterious ore 21. Money, money, money 22. Divine blessing 23. Immunity from the law 24. Prophecy 25. Secret martial arts techniques 26. A ring of power 27. A much-needed bag of taters 28. A heart 29. A fortified position 30. Lawmaking 31. Tongues 32. A discerning eye 33. Endurance 34. A safe place 35. Visions 36. A beautiful mind 37. A clear voice 38. Stunning looks 39. A catchy tune 40. Invention 41. Baking 42. Brewing 43. Smelting 44. Woodworking 45. Writing 46. Immunity to fire 47. Cooking 48. Storytelling 49. Ratcatching 50. Lying 51. Utter unremarkableness 52. Mind-bending sexiness 53. Undefinable coolness 54. A way with knots 55. Wheels of polished steel 56. A magic carpet 57. Endless ideas 58. Persistence 59. A stockpile of food 60. A hidden path 61. Piety 62. Resistance to disease 63. A library 64. A silver tongue 65. Bloodline 66. An innate spell 67. Balance 68. Souls 69. Speed 70. A sense of right and wrong 71. Certainty 72. An eye for detail 73. Heroic self-sacrifice 74. Sense of direction 75. A big idea 76. A hidden entrance to the city 77. The love of someone powerful 78. Unquestioning loyalty 79. Exotic fruit 80. Poison 81. Perfect memory 82. The language of birds 83. A key to an important door 84. Metalworking 85. Mysterious benefactors 86. Steely nerves 87. Bluffing 88. A trained wolf 89. A long-lost sibling, regained 90. An arrow with your name on it 91. A true name 92. Luck 93. The attention of supernatural powers 94. Kindness 95. Strange tattoos 96. A majestic beard 97. A book in a strange language 98. Power overwhelming 99. Delusions of grandeur 100. The wind at his back and a spring in his step ### Names 1. Finbar 2. Hywn 3. One Eye 4. Alhoro 5. Arlon 6. Yev 7. Slime 8. Jocat 9. Ewing 10. Lim 11. Poy 12. Milo 13. Deryl 14. Medlyn 15. Astrafel 16. Daelwyn 17. Feliana 18. Damarra 19. Sistranalle 20. Pendrell 21. Melliandre 22. Dagoliir 23. Baldric 24. Leena 25. Dunwick 26. Willem 27. Edwyn 28. Florian 29. Seraphine 30. Quorra 31. Charlotte 32. Lily 33. Ramonde 34. Cassandra 35. Durga 36. Aelfar 37. Gerda 38. Rurgosh 39. Bjorn 40. Drummond 41. Helga 42. Siggrun 43. Freya 44. Wesley 45. Brinton 46. Jon 47. Sara 48. Hawthorn 49. Elise 50. Clarke 51. Lenore 52. Piotr 53. Dahlia 54. Carmine 55. Hycorax 56. Ethanwe 57. Sinathel 58. Demanor 59. Menoliir 60. Mithralan 61. Taeros 62. Aegor 63. Tanner 64. Dunstan 65. Rose 66. Ivy 67. Robard 68. Mab 69. Thistle 70. Puck 71. Anne 72. Serah 73. Elana 74. Obelis 75. Herran 76. Syla 77. Andanna 78. Siobhan 79. Aziz 80. Pelin 81. Sibel 82. Nils 83. Wei 84. Ozruk 85. Surtur 86. Brunhilda 87. Annika 88. Janos 89. Greta 90. Dim 91. Rundrig 92. Jarl 93. Xotoq 94. Elohiir 95. Sharaseth 96. Hasrith 97. Shevaral 98. Cadeus 99. Eldar 100. Kithracet 101. Thelian 102. Finnegan 103. Olive 104. Randolph 105. Bartleby 106. Aubrey 107. Baldwin 108. Becca 109. Hawke 110. Rudiger 111. Gregor 112. Brianne 113. Walton