If you feel like you might be forming an opinion, you are already a danger to yourself and others.
Random Commoner Generator
Using This Generator
Use at your own peril—this d6-only generator for GURPS Fourth Edition (loosely inspired by the one from Third EditionBasic Set, but much more expansive) is liable to result in all manner of odd, nonsensical and potentially inappropriate characters.
It is not even remotely balanced. Resulting characters technically average around 57 character points, but the variance is (very) high. It’s also not the fastest random generator ever made (until it’s automated, anyway), instead designed to facilitate diverse potential results including as many setting-agnostic human traits and skills as possible, of those present in the Basic Set anyway.
Note that certain Essential Characteristics are weighted:
Wealth and Status are calibrated to produce miscellaneous “street people” in a post-“Black Death”-type society and thus result in mostly Poor characters with negative Status.
Illiteracy is assumed (Literacy is included in the advantage list).
Appearance results are very loosely based on certain psychological studies.
Build results are very loosely based on contemporary Japanese BMI distributions.
If you don’t like the weighted outcomes, feel free to change them! This will alter the average CP value output, but with such high variance already it’s not that big a deal.
Traits are all Mundane and are not weighted whatsoever, aside from rolled character traits having an equal chance of being from the Mental, Physical or Social categories. Only a small handful have been trimmed, primarily Disadvantages such as Quadriplegic and Terminally Ill.
If point values are required, add them up as you go according to what you roll up in each segment of the generator. If points don’t matter but you get something which uses PC character point value as a metric such as Ally, either reroll the trait or make something up based on an eyeballed character value (in other words, guess).
A few suggested uses:
NPC generation during game prep, when you want some truly kooky or unique individuals to draw on mid-session or to populate specific places.
Have players roll up a few each and run them through a “funnel”-style adventure, with those that survive to the other end being their new PCs—players should know this is the plan ahead of time.
Basic Attributes, roll 3d down the line for each one. If using this system for generating PCs, then firstly good luck to the players—but also, allowing a single reroll (keeping the new result whether better or worse) is customary.
Secondary Characteristics, add 1d–3 to each of HP, Will, Per and FP subject to normal limits (or not, if you don’t mind extra wacky results).
Build, roll 3d and take the result below.
Build
Roll
Skinny
3–8
Average
9–12
Overweight
13–15
Fat
16
Very Fat
17–18
Age is a range from 0–95. Roll (3d–3) * 6 + (1d–1). Multiply Basic Attribute values according to the table below, rounding down. Adjust character points based on the new Attribute values (if applicable).
Age
ST factor
DX factor
IQ factor
HT factor
0–4
0.3
0.4
0.5
1
5–9
0.6
0.7
0.7
1
10–14
0.8
0.9
0.9
1
15–69
1
1
1
1
70–89
0.9
0.9
1
0.9
90+
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.8
Appearance, roll 3d and take the result below.
Appearance
Roll
Monstrous
3
Hideous
4
Ugly
5–6
Unattractive
7
Average
8–12
Attractive
13–14
Handsome/Beautiful
15–16
Very Handsome/Beautiful
17
Transcendent
18
Wealth, roll 3d and take the result below. If 18, roll 1d for final result.
Wealth Level
Roll
Dead Broke
3–8
Poor
9–11
Struggling
12–13
Average
14
Comfortable
15–16
Wealthy
17
1–4 Very Wealthy, 5–6 Filthy Rich
18
Status corresponds to whatever Wealth level you rolled, per B517. As a reminder, Wealth only imputes so much free Status (p. B26)—any difference between imputed Status from Wealth, and the corresponding overall Status typical of the rolled Wealth level, is just additional levels of Status valued at 5 CP per.
Characters roll for one Advantage and one Disadvantage each, by default.
Roll 1d to first determine its category per the table below, then proceed to roll on the corresponding category table (first by column, then by row if it matters) to determine specific Advantage or Disadvantage.
Mental
Physical
Social
1–2
3–4
5–6
When rolling on the category tables, ignore and reroll if:
The result is flat-out impossible, such as Literacy for a character with IQ 5 or less.
The result conflicts with a prior one, E.g. Bad Sight after getting Acute Vision.
If you roll “Reroll Twice!” on one of the category tables, then you instead roll for two traits of the same type (Advantage or Disadvantage) instead of one:
Perform the entire procedure again twice from the top—roll for category using the table above two times, and if you get the same category with both rolls then you get both trait rolls on the same table.
If you get this result again (on either trait roll), reroll from the top for an additional trait (total 3), and so on for as long as your luck (or misfortune) holds out.
Reroll any duplicate results.
Advantages
Mental Advantage Table
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
Absolute Direction [5]
Absolute Timing [2]
# Additional Cultural Familiarity (1–3 human [1], 3–6 alien [2])
#* Additional Language (1–2 Spoken, 3–4 Written, 5–6 both) [var]
Animal Empathy [5]
# Charisma [5/lvl.]
2
Combat Reflexes [15]
Common Sense [10]
Cultural Adaptability [10]
Danger Sense [15]
Daredevil [15]
* Eidetic Memory [var]
3
* Empathy [var]
Fashion Sense [5]
# Fearlessness [2/lvl.]
Indomitable [15]
Intuition [15]
Language Talent [10]
4
* Lightning Calculator [var]
Literacy (Native language)
* Luck [var]
Plant Empathy [5]
Rapier Wit [5]
# Serendipity [15/lvl.]
5
Single-Minded [5]
Social Chameleon [5]
##* Talent [var]
Trained by a Master [30]
Unfazeable [15]
Versatile [5]
6
* Weapon Master [var]
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Physical Advantage Table
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
#* Acute Senses [2/lvl.]
Ambidexterity [5]
Extra Attack 1 [25]
* Fit [var]
* Flexibility [var]
# Hard to Kill [2/lvl.]
2
# Hard to Subdue [2/lvl.]
# High Manual Dexterity [5/lvl.]
High Pain Threshold [10]
# Less Sleep [2/lvl.]
# Night Vision [1/lvl.]
Perfect Balance [15]
3
Peripheral Vision [15]
* Rapid Healing [var]
# Reduced Consumption (max 2) [2/lvl.]
# Temperature Tolerance (max 2) [1/lvl.]
Voice [10]
#* Acute Senses [2/lvl.]
4
Ambidexterity [5]
Extra Attack 1 [25]
Fit (1–3) or Very Fit (4–6)[5/15]
* Flexibility [var]
# Hard to Kill [2/lvl.]
# Hard to Subdue [2/lvl.]
5
# High Manual Dexterity [5/lvl.]
High Pain Threshold [10]
# Less Sleep [2/lvl.]
# Night Vision [1/lvl.]
Perfect Balance [15]
Peripheral Vision [15]
6
* Rapid Healing [var]
# Reduced Consumption (max 2) [2/lvl.]
# Temperature Tolerance (max 2) [1/lvl.]
Voice [10]
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Social Advantage Table
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
^ Allies (1–3 Individual, 4–6 Group) [var]
* Alternate Identity [var]
* Claim to Hospitality [var]
Clerical Investment [5]
^ Contact [var]
^ Contact Group [var]
2
# Independent Income [1/lvl.]
* Legal Enforcement Powers [var]
* Legal Immunity [var]
^ Patron [var]
Pitiable [5]
## Rank [var]
3
## Positive Reputation [var]
# Social Regard (1–2 Feared, 3–4 Respected, 5–6 Venerated) [5/lvl.]
Tenure [5]
Zeroed [10]
^ Allies (1–3 Individual, 4–6 Group) [var]
* Alternate Identity [var]
4
* Claim to Hospitality [var]
Clerical Investment [5]
^ Contact [var]
^ Contact Group [var]
# Independent Income [1/lvl.]
* Legal Enforcement Powers [var]
5
* Legal Immunity [var]
^ Patron [var]
Pitiable [5]
## Rank [var]
^ Positive Reputation [var]
# Social Regard (1–2 Feared, 3–4 Respected, 5–6 Venerated) [5/lvl.]
6
Tenure [5]
Zeroed [10]
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Disadvantages
Mental
If you rolled this category, roll 1d again to determine the Mental sub-table you will roll on. Do this for each Disadvantage, if you rolled the Mental category more than once.
Sub-table A
Sub-table B
Sub-table C
1–2
3–4
5–6
Base point values including “+SC” indicates the value is modified by a Self-Control Number, which is determined using 3d as described in the “Trait Follow-Up” section.
Mental Disadvantage Table A
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
Absent-Mindedness [–15]
#^ Addiction (Mental) [var]
* Amnesia [var]
Bad Temper [–10+SC]
Berserk [–10+SC]
Bloodlust [–10+SC]
2
Bully [–10+SC]
Callous [–5]
Cannot Learn [–30]
Charitable [–15+SC]
Chronic Depression [–15+SC]
* Chummy [var]
3
Clueless [–10]
* Code of Honor [var]
* Compulsive Behavior [var+SC]
Confused [–10+SC]
Cowardice [–10+SC]
Curious [–5+SC]
4
* Delusions [varies]
* Disciplines of Faith [var]
Dyslexia [–10]
Fanaticism [–15]
# Fearfulness [–2/lvl.]
* Flashbacks [var]
5
Gluttony [–5+SC]
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
6
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Mental Disadvantage Table B
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
Greed [–15+SC]
Guilt Complex [–5]
Gullibility [–10+SC]
Hidebound [–5]
Honesty [–10+SC]
Impulsiveness [–10+SC]
2
Incurious [–5+SC]
Indecisive [–10+SC]
Innumerate [–5]
* Intolerance [var]
Jealousy [–10]
Kleptomania [–15+SC]
3
Laziness [–10]
Lecherousness [–15+SC]
Loner [–5+SC]
Low Empathy [–20]
Low Self-Image [–10]
Manic-Depressive [–20]
4
Megalomania [–10]
Miserliness [–10+SC]
Nightmares [–5+SC]
No Sense of Humor [–10]
Non-Iconographic [–10]
Oblivious [–5]
5
* Obsession [var+SC]
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
6
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Mental Disadvantage Table C
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
* Odious Personal Habit [var]
On the Edge [–15+SC]
Overconfidence [–5+SC]
* Pacifism [var]
Paranoia [–10]
* Phantom Voices [var]
2
* Phobia [var+SC]
Post-Combat Shakes [–5+SC]
Pyromania [–5+SC]
Sadism [–15+SC]
Selfish [–5+SC]
Selfless [–5+SC]
3
* Sense of Duty [var]
Short Attention Span [–10+SC]
* Shyness [var]
Slave Mentality [–40]
Sleepwalker [–5+SC]
Split Personality [–15+SC]
4
Squeamish [–10+SC]
Stubborness [–5]
* Trademark [var]
Trickster [–15+SC]
Truthfulness [–5+SC]
Unluckiness [–10]
5
* Vow [var]
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
6
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Physical
If you rolled this category, roll 1d again to determine the Physical sub-table you will roll on. Do this for each Disadvantage, if you rolled the Physical category more than once.
Sub-table A
Sub-table B
Sub-table C
1–2
3–4
5–6
Physical Disadvantage Table A
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
#^ Addiction (Physical) [var]
Alcoholism (legal) [–15]
Bad Back (1–3 mild, 4–6 severe) [–15/–25]
# Bad Grip [–5/lvl.]
Bad Sight (1–3 nearsighted, 3–6 farsighted) [–25]
Bad Smell [–10]
2
Blindness [–50]
Cannot Speak (1–3) or Mute (4–6) [–15/–25]
^ Chronic Pain [var]
Colorblindness [–10]
Combat Paralysis [–15]
Deafness [–20]
3
Disturbing Voice [–10]
# Easy to Kill [–2/lvl.]
Epilepsy [–30]
#^ Addiction (Physical) [var]
Alcoholism (legal) [–15]
Bad Back (1–3 mild, 4–6 severe) [–15/–25]
4
# Bad Grip [–5/lvl.]
Bad Sight (1–3 nearsighted, 3–6 farsighted) [–25]
Bad Smell [–10]
Blindness [–50]
Cannot Speak (1–3) or Mute (4–6) [–15/–25]
^ Chronic Pain [var]
5
Colorblindness [–10]
Combat Paralysis [–15]
Deafness [–20]
Disturbing Voice [–10]
# Easy to Kill [–2/lvl.]
Epilepsy [–30]
6
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Physical Disadvantage Table B
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
# Extra Sleep [–2/lvl.]
Ham-Fisted –3 (1–3) or –6 (3–6) [–5/–10]
Hard of Hearing [–10]
Hemophilia [–30]
Hunchback [–10]
Increased Consumption 1 [–10]
2
Insomniac (1–3 mild, 4–6 severe) [–10/–15]
Killjoy [–15]
Klutz (1–3) or Total Klutz (4–6) [–5/–15]
* Lame [var]
Light Sleeper [–5]
Low Pain Threshold [–10]
3
Maintenance (chronic illness, 1 physician, roll 3d6/2 on interval table) [var]
Missing Digit (1–3 finger, 4–6 thumb) [–2/–5]
* Neurological Disorder [var]
# Extra Sleep [–2/lvl.]
Ham-Fisted –3 (1–3) or –6 (3–6) [–5/–10]
Hard of Hearing [–10]
4
Hemophilia [–30]
Hunchback [–10]
Increased Consumption 1 [–10]
Insomniac (1–3 mild, 4–6 severe) [–10/–15]
Killjoy [–15]
Klutz (1–3) or Total Klutz (4–6) [–5/–15]
5
* Lame [var]
Light Sleeper [–5]
Low Pain Threshold [–10]
Maintenance (chronic illness, 1 physician, roll 3d6/2 on interval table) [var]
Restricted Vision (1–3 no peripheral, 4–6 tunnel) [–15/–30]
Slow Healing 1 [–5]
Slow Riser [–5]
Social Disease [–5]
Stuttering [–10]
Unfit (1–3) or Very Unfit (4–6) [–5/–15]
6
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Social Disadvantage Table
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
# Debt [–1/lvl.]
^ Dependent [var]
^ Duty [var]
^ Enemies [var]
Mistaken Identity [–5]
^ Negative Reputation [var]
2
^ Secret (1–3) or Secret Identity (4–6) [var]
* Social Stigma [var]
# Debt [–1/lvl.]
^ Dependent [var]
^ Duty [var]
^ Enemies [var]
3
Mistaken Identity [–5]
^ Negative Reputation [var]
^ Secret (1–3) or Secret Identity (4–6) [var]
* Social Stigma [var]
# Debt [–1/lvl.]
^ Dependent [var]
4
^ Duty [var]
^ Enemies [var]
Mistaken Identity [–5]
^ Negative Reputation [var]
^ Secret (1–3) or Secret Identity (4–6) [var]
* Social Stigma [var]
5
# Debt [–1/lvl.]
^ Dependent [var]
^ Duty [var]
^ Enemies [var]
Mistaken Identity [–5]
^ Negative Reputation [var]
6
^ Secret (1–3) or Secret Identity (4–6) [var]
* Social Stigma [var]
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll
Reroll Twice!
Trait Follow-Up
For any traits you rolled with symbols next to their names, see the table below for methods on further determining their nature. When in doubt, just look at its entry in the Basic Set!
Some traits also stipulate an additional roll of 1d next to their name, such as Languages—if you haven’t already, make those rolls now.
Traits which list a cost of “var” indicate that they vary and must be more fully worked with the methods below so that exact cost and functionality can follow.
Some traits which “should” have symbols according to their entries in the Basic Set, do not—having been intentionally streamlined to a single named trait.
Symbol
For
Method
#
Leveled traits, or those which can be taken multiple times for different specialties, E.g. Additional Languages.
Roll 1d–3. The result is the number of levels or specialties granted (minimum 1).
For specific specialties, either dig up a list and plug them into a 6×6 table of your own or simply declare choices (either immediately or dynamically, as potential options crop up organically in play—”of course I speak Arabic!”).
##
Leveled traits which also have multiple specialties to choose from, E.g. Talents with both levels & themes.
Roll as above for number of specialties first, then roll for each specialty’s number of levels independently.
*
Traits with multiple specific variants, E.g. Talents (Small, Medium or Large skill group), Languages with Comprehension levels, or Acute Senses.
Roll 1d after assigning each variant a number in order of appearance in the Basic Set (Acute Hearing 1, Taste & Smell 2, Touch 3, Vision 4 for example). The result is the granted variant.
If there are fewer variants assigned than your roll (4 in this example, and you roll 5+), simply reroll until you get a valid result.
If there are only 2 or 3 variants, assign them to ranges instead to avoid rerolls: A (1–3) and B (4–6) [2 variants] A (1–2), B (3–4), C (5–6) [3 variants]
^
Traits with multiple interacting variables, E.g. Allies.
Roll as above for each individual trait variable, after assigning numbers to ratings within each relevant variable such as (for an Ally Group): Power (1d against ratings 1–5) Size of Group (1d against ratings 1–4)
For traits with Frequency of Appearance ratings or Self-Control Numbers, simply roll 3d against the values in the following tables—the closest legitimate FoA or SC value is the result.
Specific details should be arrived at by methods similar for those under # but using some inductive reasoning, i.e. your brain—”what could a 150% point total, FoA 6 or less Ally potentially represent?” Detail declarations should fit logically with the trait’s rolled variables.
Frequency of Appearance
Cost Factor
Constant (on a roll of 17–18)
4
15
3
12
2
9
1
6
0.5
Self-Control Number
Cost Factor
6
2
9
1.5
12
1
15
0.5
Skills
First, roll 2d for total number of skills the character will have. Multiply the result by “IQ factor” as dictated by the character’s age (rounding down).
Assign numbers of skills in clusters of 1d–2 (minimum 1) to the following randomly-rolled categories as per GURPS Fourth Edition Skill Categories, until the number of skills you can assign are exhausted.
You can roll the same category twice or more—simply add the current rolled cluster to the prior total number of skills in the same category. An average character will have skills within 4–5 categories.
Example:
We’ve rolled a total of 7 skills. For our first cluster we roll a 4 (–2), so we assign 2 of our skills to a category on the following table based on a roll of 1d for column, then again for row.
For our next cluster we roll a 5 (–2) and we roll the same category, so we add 3 to our prior category count of 2 for a total of 5 skills in the same category.
For our final cluster, we roll a 5 again which would normally indicate 3 skills being assigned… but we only have 2 skills left to assign anyway, so we roll one last category to assign both of them.
1d
1
2
3
4
5
6
1
Animal
Arts / Entertainment
Athletic
Business
Combat/Weapon (1–3 Melee, 4–6 Ranged)
Craft
2
Criminal / Street
Design / Invention
Knowledge
Medical
Military
Natural Sciences
3
Occult / Magical
Outdoor / Exploration
Plant
Police
Repair / Maintenance
Scholarly
4
Social
Social Sciences / Humanities
Spy
Technical
Vehicle
Everyman
5
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
6
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
Everyman
Choose!
At this point you’ll have a total number of skills within each of your rolled categories.
To determine which specific skills the character has within each category, either simply declare your choices or consult the corresponding table below to roll each skill randomly.
Reroll inappropriate skills for the setting—I have included them all here (except the Esoteric list, unfitting of random commoners without TBaM) for completeness’ sake.
Each skill can only be rolled once unless it has multiple specialties (skills marked with †)—if you get the same result a second time, reroll.
If you acquire every skill in a category and still have skills left to allocate within it, roll the remainder on the Everyman table.
Lastly, roll 1d–1 to determine each skill’s Relative Skill Level, subtracting an additional –1 for Average, –2 for Hard, or –3 for Very Hard skills. For skills with specialties, determine these as per the # note under Trait Follow-Up.
Thanks, this is pretty cool, and I had quite a bit of fun making up a bunch of random commoners. I made some modifications to make it more Dungeon Fantasy RPG compatible. Any thoughts or progress on trying to automate it?
I’m glad you’ve gotten some use out of it! My thought on automation was to put together an Excel sheet for generating many at once based on tables which could then be modified to taste, although I simply haven’t yet sat down to do it; there are several tools like this I have on the docket to make publicly available for people to tool around with themselves.
On DF/DFRPG specifically, I’ve been looking at creating a semi-random generator for that too. I have a few ideas for approaches I’m still in the process of spooling out.
Axioms of an Addled Antillectual 
Talk back!