NPC Development Tables for Slave Maker
All NPCs are built the same way.
Choose or roll their Type first. This remains their core identity. Then roll the four universal tables and the appropriate continental/bloodline table.
A blue-skin raised in the rainforest still carries some desert bloodline traits; a green-skin raised in the desert still carries some rainforest bloodline traits. The place they actually grew up exerts the stronger cultural and lifestyle influence.
Slave Types (1D6)
1 Meat-slave
2 Sex-slave
3 Breeder
4 Labourer
5 Craftsman
6 Sage-slave
Other Types compatible with these tables; free tribesman, sailor/explorer, nomad, scavenger, tribal king/retainer, etc.
Universal Tables (apply to every NPC)
Characteristic Feature (3d6)
3. One eye permanently clouded or missing
4. Unusual height (noticeably taller or shorter than tribal average)
5. Distinctive scar pattern across face or torso from old branding or fighting
6. Extra finger or fused toes
7. Voice is unnaturally deep, high, or rasping
8. Skin carries a permanent mottled discoloration unrelated to tribe
9. Missing or crippled hand/foot that still functions adequately with practice
10. Unusually fine or coarse hair texture that stands out
11. Birthmark shaped like a crude symbol or animal
12. Teeth filed or naturally sharp enough to be noticeable
13. Chronic limp that does not slow them much
14. Eyes of slightly different colours
15. Body covered in old, healed lash or burn marks that form a pattern
16. Unusually long or short limbs relative to torso
17. Permanent tremor in one hand
18. Striking physical symmetry or beauty that draws unwanted attention
Personality (3d6)
3. Pathologically honest even when it harms them
4. Quietly calculating; rarely speaks first
5. Explosive temper that burns out quickly
6. Superstitious to the point of daily ritual
7. Cheerfully fatalistic
8. Obsessively clean or fastidious about their few possessions
9. Deeply suspicious of kindness
10. Greedy for stories and news more than material things
11. Stoic almost to the point of appearing emotionless
12. Quick to form intense, short-lived loyalties
13. Dry, cutting humour that lands at the worst moments
14. Constantly testing boundaries of authority
15. Protective of the weak in a possessive, controlling way
16. Melancholic and given to long silences
17. Ambitious in a patient, long-game fashion
18. Seemingly fearless because they have already accepted death
Personal Background Feature (3d6)
3. Survived a childhood disease that killed most of their age-mates
4. Lost entire immediate family in a single raid or disaster
5. Was once free and is now enslaved (or vice versa) within the last few years
6. Carries a debt of life to someone of the opposite skin colour
7. Witnessed (or committed) a betrayal that still defines their caution
8. Spent formative years as a captive of a rival tribe before returning or being sold
9. Has a living child or sibling they have not seen in years
10. Once owned a small boat or valuable tool that was stolen or destroyed
11. Received an unexpected act of mercy that they still cannot explain
12. Was trained in a skilled craft then deliberately crippled or sold away from it
13. Survived alone in the wild for a season after being abandoned or shipwrecked
14. Knows the true (and dangerous) identity of someone important
15. Has killed in self-defence and still dreams about it
16. Was marked for sacrifice or ritual death and escaped
17. Carries a secret name or true lineage they never speak
18. Once held a position of minor trust or authority that was stripped from them
Unique Motivation (3d6)
3. Accumulate enough wealth or favour to buy freedom (or someone else’s)
4. Find and kill (or protect) one specific person
5. Learn a particular craft, secret, or piece of knowledge at any cost
6. Return to a specific place before they die
7. Prove they are not what others assume them to be
8. Secure a permanent, safe water source or equivalent security for themselves
9. Exact quiet, patient revenge for an old wrong
10. Protect the only person or animal that has ever shown them consistent loyalty
11. Rise high enough in status that no one can ever own them again
12. Escape the cycle of capture and sale entirely, even if it means isolation
13. Discover whether the stories of the other continent’s heartlands are true
14. Father or mother a child that will not be born into slavery
15. Master a skill so completely that it becomes their new identity
16. Die on their own terms rather than as property
17. Understand why the two skin colours hate each other so completely
18. Leave behind something (a story, a craft, a bloodline) that outlasts them
Continental / Bloodline Tables
Desert Background Features (Blue-skin bloodline & cultural/environmental)
(3d6 — some traits travel with the blood even if raised elsewhere; growing up in desert culture is stronger)
3. Instinctive water-hoarding; can go longer than most on minimal rations
4. Salt-scarred or wind-etched skin texture that never fully softens
5. Acute sense for distant water or approaching sandstorms
6. Deep, almost religious respect for the four water grades and the caste logic they enforce
7. Knowledge of how to travel the Singe and Scorch with minimal gear
8. Preference for night movement and rest during peak heat
9. Ability to read subtle tracks and signs in sand, salt crust, or black dust
10. Cultural habit of speaking of water as rank and status
11. Resistance to thirst-induced delirium that would break others
12. Familiarity with sabkha and salina hazards (sinking crusts, salt blindness)
13. Tendency to view shade and mist as temporary gifts rather than rights
14. Bloodline memory of deep-desert survival myths (underground lakes, black glass)
15. Habit of measuring value primarily in water, salt, and portable labour
16. Scar tissue or calluses from childhood exposure to extreme heat and abrasive dust
17. Quiet contempt for those who waste or spill drinkable water
18. Unshakeable belief that the Charr holds both death and ultimate power
Tropical Rainforest Background Features (Green-skin bloodline & cultural/environmental)
(3d6 — some traits travel with the blood even if raised elsewhere; growing up in rainforest culture is stronger)
3. High tolerance for constant humidity, insects, and fungal growth on skin or gear
4. Natural aptitude for moving through dense canopy or tangled undergrowth
5. Acute hearing for distant animal calls, snapping branches, or approaching canoes
6. Knowledge of which vines, barks, and leaves are useful for cordage, poison, or medicine
7. Comfort with wet feet and the smell of rot; dryness feels unnatural
8. Cultural habit of reading social status through body paint, scars, and feather or bone adornment
9. Ability to sleep lightly while remaining aware of jungle night sounds
10. Resistance to many common rainforest fevers and parasites that floor outsiders
11. Instinctive understanding of rising water, flash floods, and seasonal river changes
12. Preference for layered, overlapping speech and indirect answers
13. Familiarity with the dangers of the deep canopy and the creatures that never touch ground
14. Bloodline memory of endless green as both provider and prison
15. Habit of measuring wealth in tools, dried foods, and living relationships rather than pure water
16. Scar patterns or intentional modifications from jungle childhood rites or accidents
17. Quiet contempt for those who cannot move silently or who fear the dark under the trees
18. Unshakeable belief that the true heart of the world is wet, green, and watching
These six tables plus Type give every NPC a quick, distinctive identity without overlap. Roll all of them when you need a fully fleshed individual; roll only the ones that matter for a walk-on character.