Adding New NPCs

Adding new NPCs and categorizing them appropriately is extremely easy! Just follow these simple steps; you'll soon get the hang of it.

Before you proceed, though, take a look at the What Content Is Needed page for some guidance on what to contribute. Then, come back here for a step-by-step guide on how to contribute!

Sign Up or Log In
It's not necessary to create an account on the wiki to post new NPCs, and we certainly understand that not everyone wants another company to have their email address. However, it can be helpful, especially for editing and discussion, so if you're going to be doing a lot of posting, or helping to edit pages and categorize them properly, we'd encourage you to do so.

Creating a Page
Every NPC exists as a page in the Repository wiki. In the top-right corner, there's a "Contribute" drop-down box. Click that, and then click "Add a Page" from the menu which appears. You'll be prompted to choose between a default template and a blank page. Either is fine, but we'll assume you're starting with a blank page for simplicity.

Writing Content
Once you have a blank page, start writing! If you're adding an NPC to a system which already has other NPCs, take a look at those other pages to see how they're formatted. Don't be afraid to copy existing pages and replace as appropriate.

In particular, take the time to break out sections. At the very least, a "Usage & Description" section, a "Stats" section, and an "Other Notes" section are a good idea. Use the section formatting tools in the editor; doing so automatically generates a table of contents, which is particularly useful for involved stat blocks.

Assigning System, Genres, and Setting Categories
Systems, genres, and settings are defined as categories in the Repository wiki. Adding these is easy: On the right-hand sidebar, there's a "Categories" block with two fields, one labeled "Add category..." and the other blank by default. If you're adding to an existing category, that category should appear as you type; just click it and it'll be added to the list.

If you're creating an NPC for a new category (system, genre, or setting), type out that category and hit Enter. That will add the new category to the list, and after you hit 'Publish' that new category will be created! (Please take a second to make sure that the category you're adding doesn't already exist, though. It might just be spelled differently, or not abbreviated as you commonly abbreviate it.)

If you've made a new category, then after publishing your current NPC please take a moment to edit that category's page, and categorize it under "System", "Setting", or "Genre" as appropriate. Doing so will ensure that the links on the front page to the Genre, System, and Setting parent category pages properly include your new addition.

Every NPC should have a system category. Almost all will have at least one genre category -- there are few truly universal NPCs out there -- but try to focus on the ones you designed the NPC for. And if you've created this NPC for a particular setting, add that category as well.

Preview and Publish
Take a moment to hit the "Preview" button before hitting "Publish"! Especially if you're using complicated tables or have a lot of templates and widgets, your NPC page might not quite turn out as you expect. Don't be afraid to preview and revise a few times to get it right!

Once everything is satisfactory, hit "Publish", and take a moment to admire your handiwork. Then think up another NPC and start it all over again!