NPC bullet points

NPC Types-

So I've mentioned that you should bullet point NPC's when your generating your game.  I'm going to give you an example of how to develop an early game-  Lets take any setting- Lets say the pc's are fantasy characters just meeting on the road-  We'll make up a town- Kosrin-Vei in the land of lets say- Scyrith.  The town used to be the holdfast of a clerical order who hunted undead.  This order is long gone, all but buried in myth.  These are the plots around the city.  See if you can connect them in interesting ways.  I'll give you some NPC's and examples on how to weave them into your story. 

Pc's are all coming from the road.  They witness things from different characters perspectives.  They see bandits using grapnels to get over the walls, too far to do anything but close enough to let the city watch be on the look out.  Another player sees a group of children being led out into the hills to pick mushrooms.  A third player sees an old gristled knight riding back into town, heavily hooded and cloaked and they spy a distinct ring on his finger.  A fourth player sees a servant jumping out of a window and sprinting off into the mists holding a rich doll.  Innocuous events, right?  Sure.  How would you piece them together?

Lord Ducaine Aryl- Lord protector of the town.  Fighter based character.  Tall, wearing full plate armor with the mark of the Iron Sword legion.  Generally a fair and noble ruler.  Decent at fighting, observing, and diplomacy.  He prefers to listen first, speak after.  Notes:  Lord Ducaine's daughter has recently gone missing, but he is trying to hush it up while his men find her.

Lady Vay Lusteran- Enchantress of the court.  Magic based character.  Young to middle years, wearing long blue flowing robes, holds a staff of magical power.  Generally quiet and observant.  Decent at sorcery, deceit, and mercantile arts.  She is gregarious and kind in appearance.  She prefers to lavish items upon anyone in her presence to make them feel at ease.  Notes:  She controls trade in this region by various merchants, and enforces it with bandits and assassins.

Sir Wayland Cort- Sheriff of the town.  Social character.  Elder years, wearing leather and scale mail, he wears a ring bearing the sigil of the old order of clerics (remember what the pc's saw?).  He is smart and socially able to outwit most who try to probe into his life.   He is loud, does like his wine and a good story.  He is a talker, not a fighter.  He mentions off hand that he has been in bed all day with a hangover.  He will try to swat away most inquiries.  Notes: Sir Wayland was in the old cleric temple hidden in town, not outside on the road as the players might suspect.

Gesa Aryl- Daughter of Lord Ducaine- A child of ten years.  Short, mousy with freckles and currently wearing an old peasant dress and cloak.  Normally very talkative, she has seen something horrible and now is silent.  She has no applicable skills currently as she has been traumatized.  Notes:  Gesa  witnessed a terrible necromantic ritual.  She has since been taken.

Alright, four NPC's and some notes.  between 15-20 minutes of work, and already we have a million ways this could go.  The child could have been captured by Wayland after she saw him give over the cleric secrets to some wicked evil.  She could have been kidnapped by bandits to keep her father under control.  She might have been one of the children under influence being marched right out the front gate into the wilderness.  The servant could have her doll, or he could be a red herring.  The enchantress might be secretly working for the  clerics, maybe not.  See, you have twenty odd plot trees to explore, and no distinguishing order.  Players can go in whatever direction you want.   Lady Vay might hire them to investigate the bandits (trying to get them killed), Sir Wayland might warn them that an ancient enemy is rising, the king may hire them to look for his missing daughter.  With an hour worth of work, you'll probably have a decent plan laid out for two or three games.  You'll have to work on specifics for things, but it will be far more satisfying for the players if they can march in a direction and find plot waiting for them.