How to Create Unforgettable NPCs: The Horror Keeper’s Companion for Any System

Systemless Supplement by Applegarth Games

They weren’t just random encounters or walking plot hooks.
They were the trembling servant who knew too much, the helpful sheriff whose smile never reached his eyes, and the kindly innkeeper who hummed funeral hymns while serving tea.
That’s horror at its finest: NPCs who haunt your players long after the dice are put away.
Stop running forgettable NPCs. Start creating characters that matter.

What Is How to Create Unforgettable NPCs?

How to Create Unforgettable NPCs is a comprehensive, system-neutral toolkit that teaches you to design, develop, and portray unforgettable horror NPCs for any tabletop RPG—Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green, World of Darkness, Kult, D&D, Fate, or your system of choice.
No stat blocks. No mechanical crunch. Just psychological frameworks and practical creation tools that work across all systems.
Perfect for:

• Investigation-heavy horror campaigns
• Quick one-shot NPCs you create on the fly
• Deep recurring characters who drive your story
• Plug-and-play templates for instant use
• GMs of any experience level

What Makes This Different?

Most NPC resources give you generic traits and random tables. The Horror Keeper’s Companion gives you living, breathing characters with:
✓ Psychological depth rooted in real fear responses
✓ The “Rule of Three” for instant recognition
✓ Uncanny valley techniques that create lasting unease
✓ Motivations and stakes that drive compelling stories
✓ Human complexity—victims, accomplices, and everything in between

Your players won’t just meet NPCs. They’ll remember them, talk about them, and agonize over whether to trust them—which makes your horror far more effective.

What’s Inside?

📖 170+ Pages of Practical GM Tools

Fast Creation Tools

• 3-Minute Emergency NPC Method for immediate play
• 12 Plug-and-Play Templates for quick customization
• Modular components you mix and match
• Extensive random tables for instant inspiration

Comprehensive Design Chapters

The Art of Horror NPCs: Psychology of fear and connection, Rule of Three for immediate recognition, universal horror traits, uncanny valley effects, case studies of iconic characters

Building Emotional Depth: Motivations vs. fears, moral compromise, psychological damage, creating sympathetic antagonists

Horror NPC Archetypes: The trauma survivor, the corrupted authority, the keeper of secrets, the unwilling accomplice, mixing and subverting archetypes

Complete Random Table System (18 Tables with 10 Entries Each)

Core Identity:

• Universal Occupation/Role
• Relationship to Horror
• Story Function

“Rule of Three” Observable Traits:

• Physical Appearance
• Speech/Voice Quirks
• Behavioral Tics

Psychological Depth:

• Visible Trauma Signs
• Emotional Mismatch
• Obsessive Behaviors
• Primary Fears
• Personal Investment
• Moral Compromise

Uncanny Valley Elements:

• Impossible Knowledge
• Physical Incongruities
• Behavioral Discontinuities

Secrets & History:

• Dark Secrets
• Past Trauma
• Current Predicaments

Interaction Modifiers:

• Trust Levels
• Information Willingness
• Mental/Emotional Stability

Name Generators

• 20 Vintage Male First Names
• 20 Modern Male First Names
• 20 Vintage Female First Names
• 20 Modern Female First Names
• 20 Vintage Surnames
• 20 Modern Surnames

12 Fully Developed Sample NPCs

Ready to drop into your campaign:

• Father Aldous Crowe (The Secretive Priest)
• Dr. Miriam Voss (The Traumatized Medic)
• Sergeant Roland Graves (The Guilty Authority)
• Lila Morrell (The Hunted Actress)
• Professor Silas Renwick (The Obsessed Scholar)
• Plus 7 more complete character write-ups

Each includes full psychological profile, physical details, motivations, secrets, interaction guidelines, and campaign integration suggestions.

Advanced Techniques

• Recurring character development
• Evolution over time tracking systems
• Character relationship networks
• Integration into ongoing stories
• Managing player attachments
• Horror-specific portrayal techniques

Visual & Organizational Tools

• Character summary sheets
• NPC network mapping templates
• Quick-reference creation guides
• Session prep checklists
• Campaign tracking tools

Safety & Ethics

Detailed guidelines for handling sensitive content
Safety tool recommendations (X-Card, Lines & Veils, Script Change)
Content warnings and boundary-setting advice
Link to TTRPG Safety Toolkit
Respectful portrayal guidance

Works With Any System

✓ Call of Cthulhu
✓ Delta Green
✓ World of Darkness (Vampire, Werewolf, etc.)
✓ Kult: Divinity Lost
✓ D&D (any edition)
✓ Pathfinder
✓ Fate / Fate Accelerated
✓ Powered by the Apocalypse games (Monster of the Week)
✓ Ten Candles
✓ Dread
✓ Trail of Cthulhu / GUMSHOE games
✓ OSR horror games
✓ Literally any tabletop RPG with horror elements

If your game needs memorable NPCs, this toolkit delivers.

How to Create Unforgettable NPCs: The Horror Keeper’s Companion for Any System is available through DriveThruRPG in Print and PDF.

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