Anyone interested in a customizable random NPC generator?

[PhoenixPhyre]

I've used random NPC generators in the past, but always got frustrated that I couldn't really customize the output to my world. I tend to pull heavily from existing languages for given names and each culture (which may or may not be racially-defined) has a different naming pattern. Online generators also don't know about the racial balance of a particular area, so there's lots of noise in the output.

So I went and wrote my own. It relies on a set of JSON files defining nations, cultures, and races (as well as professions and personality traits).

The code is available via github (using .NET Core 2.0, so available on Windows, Linux, or Mac):

https://github.com/bentomhall/NPCRandomizer

It outputs an html file with entries like (a little more pretty--can't include CSS here):

Gael sur Arlwyd
ancient female	high elf
casual worshiper	midwife
Nihilistic

Suggestions/pull-requests gratefully accepted.

[JNAProductions]

Downloaded. Does not work-I open the Batch file and a small window opens for about a second, then vanishes.

[PhoenixPhyre]

Downloaded. Does not work-I open the Batch file and a small window opens for about a second, then vanishes.

Do you have the framework installed? To check, open a command prompt and type "dotnet" (no quotes). I'm working on figuring out how to package it with that, but it's not done yet.

It's been uploaded to the site. This one should have a whole lot more files and an EXE file. That should, in principle, work.

[aimlessPolymath]

I do not have it installed.

Where do I go for it?

[PhoenixPhyre]

I do not have it installed.

Where do I go for it?

Try the (newly-uploaded) standalone version-- the filename is "NPCRandomizer.standalone.zip" on the linked page. If it's actually working, it should provide all the dependencies needed. You probably will need to be running Windows 10 for that one. I'm not sure about earlier versions of Windows, but the download at https://www.microsoft.com/net/learn/get-started/windows should work.

If you're running OSX or Linux, the other version will work but you need the framework:

https://www.microsoft.com/net/learn/get-started/macos (MacOS)

or

https://www.microsoft.com/net/learn/...ed/linuxredhat (Linux, dropdown for various other distributions).

[jqavins]

Suggestions/pull-requests gratefully accepted.

This is a very sizable ask, so feel free to decline. (Well, you don't need anybody's permission to decline, but don't even think about feeling bad about it on my account.) How about creating or stealing and then integrating a rudimentary character generator, to make random NPCs with class levels?

[PhoenixPhyre]

This is a very sizable ask, so feel free to decline. (Well, you don't need anybody's permission to decline, but don't even think about feeling bad about it on my account.) How about creating or stealing and then integrating a rudimentary character generator, to make random NPCs with class levels?

This was designed for 5e, which doesn't use PC class levels for NPCs. As a result (and out of sheer laziness), that's way out of scope. Sorry. Most of these NPCs are just civilians (so N levels of commoner for 3.5) anyway. These are like shopkeepers, inn-keepers, etc. The extras. Not the major ones. Those get hand-generated.

And for me, I'm mostly just needing a name/race/personality combination. I'm horrible at coming up with names for people.

I've built, but not uploaded anywhere, a generator for random settlements based on the nearest major city, because I stink at naming things on the fly.

[jqavins]

I understand completely. What you've got is useful and I'll probably download it, because I too stink at naming things, and rolling race, sex, etc. from a customizable mix for a dozen individuals is a pain in the neck.

What I was thinking of is those times when a handful of low level scrubs still count as extras, such as a squad of soldiers, or the bar room next door to the thieves' guild. I tell a program "Give me six rogues, levels 1 to 3" and let it do all the rest, because they're extras and I don't care if they're well crafted. The one guild lieutenant in the room I'll build by hand.

But yes, it's out of scope. Not a problem. Maybe I'll get off my fat butt and do it myself.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I understand completely. What you've got is useful and I'll probably download it, because I too stink at naming things, and rolling race, sex, etc. from a customizable mix for a dozen individuals is a pain in the neck.

What I was thinking of is those times when a handful of low level scrubs still count as extras, such as a squad of soldiers, or the bar room next door to the thieves' guild. I tell a program "Give me six rogues, levels 1 to 3" and let it do all the rest, because they're extras and I don't care if they're well crafted. The one guild lieutenant in the room I'll build by hand.

But yes, it's out of scope. Not a problem. Maybe I'll get off my fat butt and do it myself.

Sorry. I tend to just use stock MM NPCs for that circumstance (as 5e handles that very well without needing modifications).

In other news, I published a new version--this one fixes some bugs, makes it prettier, and tells you what nations are defined up front.