One of the first sections I wanted to tackle when making a Dungeon Master journal is a collection of Non-Playable Characters, or NPCs for short. These are the characters that you encounter in games that give you quests, or try to sell you items, or they provide you with bits of story, usually in the form of a tall tale, superstition or urban legend. They often help guide you through bits of story and provide you with warnings and some even earn a beloved space in our hearts and story-line lore. A couple of the most notable NPCs from the last decade or so are characters like Cortana from Halo, GLaDOS from Portal, Navi from Zelda, Tom Nook from Animal Crossing, and my personal favorite, Tiny Tina from the Borderlands games.
Why are you adding NPCs into your notebook?
I’m not great at coming up with characters on the spot.
If I try to improvise, I end up with 20 NPCs who all share the same personality. I forget who runs which shop, who gave which quest, and who my party already met three sessions ago.By keeping a pre-made catalog of NPCs in my Dungeon Master notebook, I can pull characters into the game instantly. When my party decides to talk to a random hobo on a street corner, that hobo suddenly has a name, a background, and a place in the story my players are weaving together.
Aren’t there resources for this already?
Yes—there are, and I use them!
One of my favorites is RPG Tinker because it’s incredibly comprehensive. It can generate NPC stats, basic facts, personality traits, and even guidance on how a character might react in certain situations.
That said, I don’t use the generated NPCs as-is. I modify features, tweak traits, and pair them with reference images so I can better visualize how friendly—or dangerous—they might be.
Having everything combined in one Dungeon Master NPC journal lets me update and refine characters as the campaign evolves.
Why I Prefer a Physical DM Journal
I don’t want dozens of tabs open behind my DM screen.
While digital tools are great for some Dungeon Masters, a physical notebook fits my personal style and vibe much better. Flipping through pages, jotting notes, and keeping everything in one place helps me stay immersed in the game.
If these are story-line NPCs, why do they need stats?
Because players are unpredictable.
My players can choose to talk to, ignore, antagonize, fight, kidnap, sweet-talk, or rob anyone they meet. In every one of those scenarios, dice rolls are involved.
Having NPC stats ready means I know immediately whether an NPC’s roll is better or worse than my players’. It keeps the game flowing and avoids awkward pauses mid-session.
Isn’t this just being over-prepared?
Maybe—and I’m okay with that.
I don’t have to use every NPC I prepare. And chances are, I’ll need even more as the campaign grows.
For me, the more prepared I am, the richer the story I can offer my players. NPCs add depth to the world through side quests, lore, items, and unexpected connections. The more invested the players are in the story, the more they want to explore and engage with the world their characters live in.
Are there any other sections of your DM journal that will be getting this same treatment?
Absolutely.
I’ll also be setting up sections for:
- Big Bad Evil Guys (BBEGs)
- Quests
- Maps
- Loot tables
- Random encounters
- Points of interest (POIs)
- Battle trackers
- Player stats and gear
- Worldbuilding notes and lore
I’ll be working on this Dungeon Master notebook over the next several weeks as I prepare for my campaign. Follow along here and on Instagram to see how it all comes together!