The Character Card (50+ NPC's from my game to yours)

My players LOVE a social situation. At the end of a recent session, they found out that they needed to get three votes out of five on a council governing a space cult that worships the stars, and they already were discussing the various combinations of bribery, assassination, blackmail and horse trading that they would string together to get those votes.

However, I've found they can really struggle if I just narrate a few character descriptions, as they often forget who is who, and then I spend the session reminding them.

That's where the Character Card comes in!

Their patron (Bellerophon) plus the five members of the Father's Council that my PC's have to convince.

When I introduce a new NPC that the players need to remember while doing other things, I slap down one of these. I don't typically do this for every NPC, but when they are plotting, or (in one particularly memorable session) making up a three pronged argument in a speech given before a council of nobles, it is invaluable to be able to simply consult these papers. 

They're always fairly short, and focused on either established lore or obvious components of the person's appearance / character. Often, characters remember, "the guy with the purple cloaks" or "the dude we started calling Greggy," but they may not remember that those people are the same person. This shortcuts that process by letting them figure that out without asking me, which just keeps the action moving.

I've also tried out different formats, but the above works best for me.

If you need an NPC, feel free to throw one of the following into your game!!

The Rise of Rend (5e, fantasy, long-running):

1. Coel Redbeard, Lead Detective, Rend City Watch: Dwarf with a red beard, long overcoat with badge. Straightforward. Killed by the man with blue eyes.
2. Weston Briarwood Sr.: Tone’s Daddy. Currently in a coma (but not dead!!).
3. Halfdan One-Ear, president of the Dockworker’s Union: Looks exactly like Tony Soprano. Leads the One-Ear crime family in Rend. Member of the King’s Council.
4. Gregarious (Greggy) Grizzard, Dean of the School of Arcane Wisdom: Blue dragonborn, always wearing too many purple cloaks. Member of King’s council.
5. Alaric Steelborne, Superior of Rend’s Iron Guard Chapter: Human Paladin. Tall, weathered. Silver armor. Killed by the man with blue eyes.
6. Llewyn “Lee” The Last: Tall, close cropped black hair. Muscled, quick on his feet. Short on words. Left town after being attacked.
7. Cadabras the Good, King of Rend: Tall distinguished human sorcerer with white hair and a prodigious moustache. Gravelly voice. Talented diplomat and the most powerful sorcerer in the world.
8. Lady Aravella the White: Noblewoman, known for her help of the poor and the suffering in Rend, and for her opposition to Cadabras the Good. Member of the Kings Council.
9. Margrave Jamon Windshale: Tall, half-elf with a blue cloak and a circlet of bone in his hair. A noble & sorcerer with a significant estate just outside the city walls.
10. Maximillian Darrow, Owner of the Ember Affair: Fire genasi. Burning red skin. Bit of an alcoholic.
11. Darius “The Eel” Esker: Voldemort Face. Slippery personality. Works for the Jimmies Crime Family.
12. Arno: Whip thin man that has spent too many days under the sun on the sea. Addicted to Dragon’s Powder. 
13. Duke Cornelius Ray: Montius' dad, member of the kings council. Old school rigorist conservative; loves to talk about “Protecting the Moral Quality of the City”.
14. Jimmy “the Nose” Alighieri: Early 30’s, skinny, slicked back black hair. Above average sized nose. Head of the Jimmies crime syndicate.
15. Lieutenant Antiers Mueller: Pretty-boy. Honor, thrills, women. Is in debt 100 gp, gambles most nights at the DeNiro.
16. Coxswain Eon Pretorious: Beefy, alcoholic nose. Hates Mueller’s guts.
17. Siriman Barro: Tall, lean, weathered brown skin. Flowing red robes and a turban. Pipe.
18. Rothnest the Fool: Ugly halfling with the personality of a particularly mean orc.
19. Admiral Ike Kord: Human, immaculately pressed naval uniform. Made admiral because he always gets it right.
20. Marshal Reginald Odilion: Decorated army uniform. Made marshal because he always looked the best. 
21. Duke Harlan Falkenberg of West Lyne, Green cavalry jacket; prodigious moustache with a few gray hairs.
22. Crown Prince Valerian IV of the Iron Empire (Erdale): Tall, blond, looks the part of a hero. Well armed and armored.
23. Flamekeeper Pallas Calum of Rhuv: Male elf with golden skin, wearing gold garments. 
24. Ambassador Todo Motokiyo of Tsuri: human, blind, black rag tied around his eyes, white cloak. Powerful diviner.
25. Speaker Awate Al’zari of Droth: one of the Harq Alriyah; red robes wrap his body, arm, head and one side of his face.
26. Ambassador Richmer Vex of Vale; Green dragonborn with deepest emerald garb, wears the sigil of Akanji.
27. Meaux Ningel: Beaux’s father. Member of the Kings Council. Owns a controlling interest in the Rend Shipping Company, with ties to Nykma.
28. Jeaux Ningel: Beaux’s brother. Works for Rend Shipping Company, and interns with Aravella the White.

The Thousand Stars (western sci-fi, 10ish session campaign):

1. Makuta Terridax: Tall, bald, black. Bounty Hunter in the employ of Rend Secure Shipping.
2. Bellerophon Thrax: Austere, luxurious, harsh. Fringe religious leader kidnapped by Makuta.
3. Spirit Drinker: Red eyes, hooked nose. Six armed, black cloaked, smoking. Smells of coal and garlic. Brother of the Mechanist.
4. SGT Jaco DerHammer: Bald, clipped voice, Asian features. Works for RSSC(NA)
5. CPT Piet Joubert: Reluctant. In charge. "There's no other way." Works for RSSC(NA).
6. Kal’bandi Southremem: Indian Features. Coveralls covered in tools. Out of his depth. The Rekeyer.
7. Warden Typhon: Dreads. Headache. Something wrong with his back. Is too old for this sh*t. Security for Mechanist Station.
8. Abaddon Thrax: Like Bellerophon, but subtler. Shorter, but no less clever. Younger brother.
9. Harriet Daylight: bald, muscled, tweaker. Head of agriculture. Seat on the father's council.
10. Zayn “Z” Photon (yelling). Blockish, brutish, dangerously pragmatic. Head of security. Seat on the father's council.
11. Liam Star: bearded, grizzled, empathetic. Chief engineer. Seat on the father's council.
12. Niall Dawn: tall, stocky, anxious. Chief priest of the light father. Seat on the Father's council.
13. Captain Calcin: Star Confederacy Navy special forces. Skin gone blue and transparent. Mouth movements don't match the words coming out of his mouth.
14. Tech Sergeant Decker: Star Confederacy Navy. Skin gone blue and transparent. Mouth movements don't match the words coming out of his mouth.
15. Nichi Jove: Works for the Mechanist. LED coveralls. Injured leg. Scared out of his mind.
16. Jules Marks: Bright yellow coveralls. Female. Facial Scars. Lean. Cats eyes.

Beartide (fantasy / horror, one-shot)

sëisr pyotr thulerin

APPEARANCE: Tall, long silver hair, simple gray robes. Kind blue eyes.

SEISR: read: priest.

JUDGE: one of three judges for the competition. Offers a blessing as a prize.

elder willow

APPEARANCE: ??? Hasn’t left her house in ten years.

ELDER: Last of the noble family that is meant to control this village.

JUDGE: one of three judges for the competition. Offers 50gp as a prize

droth ven droth

APPEARANCE: Dark Elf. Broad shoulders. The guy to ask for beer and rumors.

VEN: “son of”.

DREAD WOODSMEN: runs the only inn in town. Special pop-up for Beartide.

carver oakheart

APPEARANCE: Long white beard, red jumpsuit bulging at the waist.

CARVER: Carver carves beartide ornaments.

JUDGE: one judge for competition. Offers one time 50% off his carvings.

the sigenoths

APPEARANCE: Silver, high cheekbones, the smell of mistletoe.

SG FARMS: Sell Beartide trees of varying size & shape. They took the biggest one for themselves, of course.

elara sigenoth: Matriarch. Maybe she's 28. Maybe she’s 42. Tightly coifed silver hair. Perfectly set dress.

shuth sigenoth: Teenage boy. Golden child dressed in silver. Slicked hair.

the whelps: 3 children. Constantly looking down their nose at everyone else.

the tyrfings

APPEARANCE: Dark skin, dirty hands, smell of lavender and moss.

WAGONS: Traveled to Hafr recently. Live out of two wagons with a pen of goats in the middle. Sell magical ornaments made by Shannara.

tor tyrfing: Father. Very sick.

shannara tyrfing: Mother. Always watching. Rarely speaks. Brims with magic.

tyrn & byrn: 12 year old redhead twins. Two sides of the same coin. Both sides are chaos.

cudgel & grist

APPEARANCE: Armed to the teeth, but it didn’t help. Both have mild injuries.

P2K: Pay to Kill. Commonly referred to as mercenaries.

cudgel: Dwarf. Shortsword. Long bow. Longer beard.

grist: Humanoid with orange skin, beady eyes and pointed ears. Heavy armor & glaive.