D&D: 10 Underrated NPC Character Ideas To Flesh Out Your Next Campaign

Players are always full of different character ideas for themselves, but concepts for dozens of Dungeons and Dragons NPCs can be far harder to create. Dungeon Masters oftentimes have to voice multitudes of NPCs, from common farmers and merchants to noble lords giving players their next quest. It’s difficult to make every NPC a party encounters interesting, especially within the scope of a unique setting.

NPCs are sometimes watered down into basic archetypes, with nothing really separating them as anything more than set pieces in any given location. For those looking to make their campaigns memorable, the non-playable D&D characters they introduce should be as interesting as the players, either through their motivations or the role they play in the larger world.

Retired Military Commander

An Old Veteran Might Have Many Tales

One NPC idea could be a Retired Military Commander, either forcefully by an army they served or by choice. A veteran like this could offer fascinating insights into a military group, such as a collection of guards for a city or an army of a much larger nation.

This type of character is great for campaigns that have a focus on various civilizations, as a retired commander could be one with many victories and failures from older conflicts. For example, this commander might be a former military leader of a nation that got conquered while they were forced into exile.

Old commanders could be stuck in older ways, have brilliant strategic minds, or have a variety of perspectives players wouldn’t run into normally with ordinary NPCs. This character archetype might even be antagonistic, trying to reclaim the power or military might they may have once had in the past to challenge any party of adventurers.

Struggling Artist

Different Passions Can Create New Bonds

Having a wacky artist in a campaign isn’t completely new, but a Struggling Artist adds a level of realism to a campaign that might appeal to a party immediately. Seeing an NPC with a clear passion for their art be down on their luck might spark some empathy from your characters from the start, leading to them offering a donation or purchasing that NPC’s wares.

An “artist” can mean many things in any ongoing D&D adventure, from a traditional painter to any kind of sculptor, musician, smith, writer, theater performer, and many more ideas.

If characters opt to help a Struggling Artist, that character’s gratitude can directly translate into some benefits for a party. Whether that NPC gives the party their last valuable Potion to clutch out a future battle or offers important information they heard related to a major plot point, this type of figure is one that reward kind players for genuine concern.

Overzealous Gambler

Have Someone Challenge Characters To A Game

Downtime in populated areas can oftentimes leave players confused as to what to do, so an Overzealous Gambler can offer a point of interest right away. A master of dice or cards in the middle of a hot streak, just itching for a challenge, can entice players into trying to be that NPC’s first loss.

This can open up a variety of tricks in the arsenals of a party’s characters, whether it’s a suave Sleight of Hand to cheat or a great Insight roll to see if the Gambler has stacked the deck themselves. A Gambler might even invite other players to bet against each other, invoking some friendly competiton that could escalate quickly.

If this Gambler is good enough, they can also cause a party to lose something important in any trickery involved with the NPC. The cost of money or loss of important goods can easily attract a party’s attention, creating stakes that feel far more personal than your standard BBEG can muster.

Organization Whistleblower

Reveal Many Secrets With The Threat Of Danger

Some of the most intense D&D encounters don’t need to be large battles with monsters, but rather tension-filled moments with serious NPCs. An Organization Whistleblower can provide this type of interaction easily, mainly by revealing the secrets behind a group that a party of characters knows about.

Having a Whistleblower suffer a dark fate after revealing secrets to a party is a good way to deepen the impact of any information they gave. However, for this information to be believed, this NPC must have some connection to the organization they speak about.

This organization could have been one that helped the party in the past, or even provided them with the quest that brought them together in the first place. However, the right Whistleblower in the right place could warn of betrayal, corruption, or hidden plans that shift a party’s focus. Not only does this greatly impact the tone of a campaign, but it also gives players a sense of immersion as schemes are made behind the scenes.

Young Prodigy

Incredible Potential Tempered By Experienced Party Members

The concept of a Young Prodigy is an interesting one for any D&D NPC, as it creates a talented character, but one lacking the experience a party of characters might have instead. This instantly builds a sharp contrast, highlighting a hidden potential that shapes over the course of a campaign.

This character could be an extremely talented spellcaster in the making, a naturally gifted musician, or a wizard at some particular skill. However, perhaps the pressure of becoming the best in their talents weighs heavily on them, just as a big quest creates a burden on a party. If characters find this kind of NPC interesting, they can make for a powerful ally through the potential their abilities hold.

Corrupt Politician

Figures Of A Broken System Make Excellent Obstacles

Kings and lords of all types are common in D&D adventures, but any type of government made by those figures will likely give rise to at least one Corrupt Politician. This kind of character mimics the “evil advisor” trope, but with far more nuance. This kind of character could be someone with shifting agendas behind the scenes, either being responsible for a party’s woes or connected to different antagonists in a campaign.

Some Corrupt Politician characters could even have regrets for their actions, continuing to do so out of a threat to anyone they hold dear. This can help your campaign’s villains exercise greater control over the world, lending more severity to their actions as players discover them.

Corrupt characters in political systems are not always masterminds, but they tend to be wreathed in protections that come from their office. This builds up unorthodox obstacles for your players that can’t be solved through any violent acts alone. Even if players aren’t invested in a Corrupt Politician individually, the failings in whatever institution they represent is priceless world building you’ll want to take full advantage of.

Ambitious Scholar

Strong Knowledge Provides Crucial Information

An Ambitious Scholar NPC is a character whose academic drive means everything to them, giving them a huge knowledge base players can ask about. These types of characters are more than happy to share what they know, providing crucial context to secrets or mysteries players are trying to make sense of. In some ways, these NPCs can almost be mouthpieces for the DM to explain information that still has some characters confused.

The quirks of a scholar are quite fun to play around with too, as their eccentric nature might make them far different from other NPCs players encounter. Furthermore, an Ambitious Scholar could have a goal they pursue, offering great rewards or magic items in D&D to the party if they offer to help.

This can range from hunting for a specific artifact, investigating old ruins for historical secrets, or offering to be a guinea pig in a magical experiment. In any case, the most entertaining kind of Scholar is sure to leave a mark on players through their sheer enthusiasm for their chosen subject.

Relentless Bounty Hunter

An Enemy That Understands Every Character’s Weaknesses

In many campaigns, sometimes player characters get on the bad side of the law, becoming wanted figures in a given setting. However, most of the time, the consequences of building a wanted status rarely come up unless a party visits a town and has to lie low. There’s no better way to have a party’s fugitive status known than to have a Relentless Bounty Hunter chase them down without stopping as they travel.

Enemies who want to cash in on a party character’s bounty are nothing new, but if a party is notorious enough, it may attract the attention of a professional. Like Cad Bane from Star Wars: The Clone Wars or The Combustion Man from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a truly ruthless and intelligent Bounty Hunter can make for a terrifying enemy and equally mysterious NPC.

These type of characters are best used when they aren’t a run-of-the-mill enemy, but rather a foe who plans ahead. The most impactful Bounty Hunter NPC is one who understands a character’s weaknesses, such as a Paladin’s low Dexterity score or a Bard’s lack of Strength.

Off-Duty Guard

Endless Possibilities With An Unexpected Figure

Players bumping into an Off-Duty Guard NPC immediately raises tension, as they’ll have found an extension of the law in the place they least expect it. This could be from a guard getting a drink after their shift in a bar, jumping into an illegal fight pit when no one is looking, or just walking to their home before discovering a wanted party accidentally.

Some Off-Duty Guards are perfect for setting up a stealthy encounter during a campaign, especially if players need a uniform to disguise themselves while sneaking into a restricted area.

Should a party already be wanted in a certain area, the surprise appearance of this type of NPC forces a quick decision. Do characters knock out the Off-Duty Guard, or try to appeal to them to look the other way? These questions are what make an Off-Duty Guard such a versatile NPC, especially for a more chaotic party.

Rival Adventurer(s)

Direct Competition Will Embolden Every Character

Normally, the adventurers of D&D players are uncontested in every quest, being the sole champions of a task that they set out to do. However, in rare cases, Rival Adventurers can steal a party’s thunder, serving as competition that form intense rivalries. A whole group of NPCs to contrast your player’s group will no doubt get their blood boiling as others seek to undermine them.

Some homebrew rules in D&D even allow a DM to create a party of NPC adventurers that level up alongside the main player characters. This could create a mainstay team of rivals that are constantly a thorn in the players’ side, trying to take their glory from various missions.

It doesn’t matter if these Rival Adventurers succeed or fail, as their mere presence alone is sure to give more drive to the main player character’s actions. In an effort not to be outdone, players will constantly think about the NPCs that act against them in Dungeons and Dragons, perhaps even more than any sort of BBEG.