Non-player character

A non-player character, or NPC, is a character or being not controlled by a player. As such, NPCs are computer-controlled characters with pre-defined functions, paths, and methods to enhance players' immersion to the game. Players can usually talk to NPCs, but they are not attackable; if they are attackable, they are considered monsters. They include store owners, quest contacts, bankers and civilians. NPCs can give out quests, sell items, restrict access to certain areas and perform other vital duties. Many have no useful function, but provide atmosphere or interesting conversation. Some can talk in public, but this will not appear in the chat list. NPCs have a yellow colour on the minimap and in context menus.

If a space is occupied by a player or an NPC, another player may walk through them without their path being blocked (with some exception, such as various monkey guards on Ape Atoll), but most NPCs cannot walk onto or over a space occupied by a player or another NPC. Additionally, if a player blocks an NPC from moving for too long, the NPC will reset to its respawn location.

In RuneScape Classic, NPCs could only talk to one player at a time. Some players took advantage of this and talked to NPCs and did not respond, thereby preventing access to the shops. In RuneScape Classic, players who stood in the same spot for five minutes would automatically be logged out, but this rule didn't apply when players were talking to NPCs. Some players also did this with new quests too. Jagex changed the system so that if a player doesn't respond to an NPC when others are waiting the conversation would automatically end.

• Some in-game entities that do not represent actual characters may be defined as NPCs, such as fishing spots, evident by their ID, yellow name and the player's pathing properties.
• The first NPC Jagex created was Hans.^[1]