Welcome to Day 22 of #RPGaDay2026. As I explained in my Day 0 post, I’ll be creating NPCs based on the day’s prompts and the week and day modifiers presented in the infographic below. Check out that post for further details.
Today’s combination: Grit (Prompt) + Instinct (Weekly Modifier) + Works Hard (Weekly Modifier) + Pulp and Two-Fisted Adventure (Genre)
Here is today’s NPC.
Ernest “Ernie” Chase (Fantasy Name Generator used for the name: 20th century English name generator)
Ernie is a twelve-year-old newsboy whose father died in the war. After his mother disappeared, he and his young sister were left to live with their grandfather. The old man is often drunk, so Ernie works hard to keep himself and his sister fed despite life’s hardships.
Short and scrawny for his age, Ernie has learned to trust his instincts to survive the city’s dangers. While he lacks a formal education, he possesses a sharp mind. He reads better than he writes, but above all, he prides himself on never forgetting a face or a name. His sheer grit keeps him alive on the streets.
Because newsboys are a ubiquitous sight, and most adults pay little attention to children anyway, Ernie is perfectly positioned to see and hear what people try to keep hidden. He has cultivated a network of clients who pay him to keep an eye out for specific targets, listen in on conversations, and report on the comings and goings across the city. Policemen, smugglers, and gumshoes alike all know to slip Ernie a coin for a vital piece of information.
Thanks for reading; I am looking forward to your RPG a Day 2026 post, comments, and conversation. If you want further information about #RPGaDay2026, be sure to check out Autocratik’s blog.
A Spanish version of this post is available at the Desde la Fosa Facebook page.
See you all tomorrow!
