NPC

This article has a few guides to creating NPC.

Types of NPC
There are different types of NPC:
 * Co-Star NPC - these are very important NPC that the PCs will often interact with. It is important that these have defined personalities and at least a few things about their backgrounds worked out.
 * Guest-Star NPC - These NPC are very important for the game, but only for a short time. They need something that makes them memorable enough that they become distinguishable from the rest, but there isn't a need to make them extremely defined.
 * Focus NPC - Background NPC that come into focus, because the PCs speak with them. These NPC were always there, but weren't noticed until the PCs needed them, at least no more so than by vague mention.
 * Faceless NPC - The Background NPCs that are mainly defined by their presence in the background, or parts of larger crowds or groups. They are, individually, unimportant.

NPC Background Stories
When you create an NPC, there's a few things you should always know about the NPC, apart from the NPCs name. You do not have to bother with additional details, unless the NPC is important enough that this might come up. Obviously, a Co-Star NPC needs many more details than a Focus NPC.
 * 1) Where is the NPC from? Most NPC are locals, but some are obviously travelers, which is an important detail, because the NPC will stand out.
 * 2) What age is the NPC? Most NPC are assumed to be in their late-twenties or early-thirties, because those are the general professionals that people come face to face with when going about their business.
 * 3) Which social rank does the NPC have? Most NPC are commoners/normal people. This is mainly important if your NPC has a different social rank than those around it in the given scene that is taking place. It isn't remarkable that the NPC is rich, if everyone present is rich - but it is, if everyone around is poor.
 * 4) What does the NPC do?
 * 5) Why is the NPC there?
 * 6) Finally - the most important thing; What is the NPCs primary motivation?