Main objective
Custom NPCs is a Forge mod for Minecraft: Java Edition that lets you create non-player characters in-game and give them dialogs, quests, shops, factions and behavior. No coding required to start.
Optional objectives
! New quest available
Mission briefing
Custom NPCs turns non-player characters into a building tool. You place a character with the NPC Wand, then decide who it is, what it says and what it does.
Every NPC has an editor for its name, skin, size, health, combat stats and movement. Behind them sits a set of global systems: dialogs with branching options, quests with objectives and rewards, factions that remember how the player behaves, plus traders, banks, transporters and mail. Map makers use it to build RPG adventures, server owners use it for towns and shops, and storytellers use it to put characters into their worlds.
The mod was created by Noppes. The files linked on this site come from CustomNPC+, a community continuation of the 1.7.10 version maintained on GitHub. Other Minecraft versions have their own builds, covered in our versions guide.
Two systems do most of the work. Everything else extends them.
Main objective one
Place an NPC and shape it in a visual editor: display name and title, skin from a texture, player name or URL, body size, health, melee and ranged combat, resistances, respawn rules, and movement from standing guards to patrols on a drawn path.
Main objective two
Write conversations with branching options, then connect them to quests with item, kill, location or dialog objectives and rewards. Chain them into storylines with availability rules.
Optional objectives
Traders, followers, banks, transporters and mail as roles; guards, healers, bards and item givers as jobs.
Group NPCs into factions that turn friendly or hostile based on faction points the player earns.
Attach event-driven JavaScript through the Scripter when the menus are not enough.
Set up travel points between locations and shared storage run by NPC bankers.
Save a configured NPC and place copies instead of rebuilding it every time.
Let your custom characters appear in the world on their own, with settings you control.
Quest route
Four objectives from download to your first NPC. The full walkthrough lives in the installation guide.
Download the CustomNPC+ files below, or pick the build that matches your Minecraft version.
Run the Forge installer for the same Minecraft version and launch it once to create the mods folder.
Place the compiled Custom NPCs .jar in the mods folder. Keep only one Custom NPCs edition installed.
Start the Forge profile, open a Creative world and pick up the NPC Wand to place your first character.
Main quest
Matching versions, Forge setup, the mods folder and a first launch check, in order.
Side quests
1.7.10, 1.12.2, 1.20.1 and what to check for 1.21.
Connect quests, dialogs and rewards step by step.
A straight answer for Bedrock and mobile players.
Match the symptom in your log to the fix.
Quest givers, companions and boss characters with dialog, turning a map into a story players move through.
Towns with merchants, guards, bankers and faction politics that react to what players do.
A spawn hub with guide NPCs that explain rules, travel NPCs between areas and traders for server items.
Scripted characters and scenes for machinima, lore videos or one-off story worlds.
A questing layer for packs that need characters and progression without writing a mod from scratch.
A Forge mod only loads on the Minecraft version it was built for. Match the build to your game first.
Details per version are in the versions guide.
| Setup | Status | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Java Edition 1.7.10 + Forge | Supported | Original mod and the CustomNPC+ continuation linked on this site. Java 8. |
| Java Edition 1.12.2 + Forge | Builds exist | Original author's builds and a separate "Unofficial" community edition. Java 8. |
| Java Edition 1.16.5 to 1.20.1 | Check your version | Newer builds from the original author, including 1.20.1. Confirm your exact version, such as 1.18.2. |
| Java Edition 1.21.x | Check before downloading | Confirm a matching file on the author's page for your release, such as 1.21.11. |
| Fabric | Not a Fabric mod | Custom NPCs is built for Forge-based loaders. |
| Bedrock / Minecraft PE | Not available | Forge mods cannot run on Bedrock. See the Minecraft PE guide. |
Tick these off in order and the mod loads the first time.
Note your Minecraft version and pick the Custom NPCs build and Forge installer made for it.
The mods folder needs a built .jar. A GitHub source ZIP must be built first, following
the repository README.
Choose Install client, then launch the Forge profile so it creates the mods
folder.
Copy the file without extracting it. Remove any other Custom NPCs edition.
Launch again, open Mods on the title screen and find Custom NPCs.
Open the Custom NPCs creative tab and place an NPC with the wand.
Claim your reward
Get the CustomNPC+ files, the community-maintained continuation of Custom NPCs for Minecraft 1.7.10, from its GitHub repository.
Download Custom NPCs ModAn honest look before you commit a world or a server to it.
Match the symptom, apply the fix. For more detail, read the crash and error fixes guide.
.jar
for your exact Minecraft version.crash-reports names the cause.The download on this site tracks the master branch of the CustomNPC+ repository, so it reflects the latest committed code rather than a numbered release.
For version numbers, changelogs and published builds, check the repository's commit history and releases. This site does not list a version number or release date because the linked archive changes as the branch is updated.
Quest log
Setup questions on one side, gameplay on the other. Use the arrow keys to move between questions.
Custom NPCs is made for Minecraft: Java Edition and loads through Forge. It does not run on Bedrock Edition, which includes Minecraft PE on phones and tablets.
No. The link points to the source code archive of the CustomNPC+ GitHub repository. A source ZIP will not load from the mods folder. You need a compiled .jar, usually published as a release by the maintainers or built from source by following the repository README.
Custom NPCs is the original mod by Noppes. CustomNPC+ is a community continuation of the 1.7.10 version, maintained on GitHub, that adds features and fixes on top of the original code.
For 1.7.10, CustomNPC+ is a common choice because it is still maintained. If you are joining an existing modpack, use whichever edition the pack already includes.
Yes. The original author released Custom NPCs for 1.12.2, and a separate community edition often listed as Custom NPC Unofficial also targets that version. Install only one of them.
The original author has released builds for newer versions, including 1.20.1. For specific 1.21 point releases such as 1.21.11, check the author's official page for a matching file before downloading anything labelled for that version.
No. Forge mods cannot run on Bedrock or Pocket Edition, and there is no official port. Files sold or shared as "Custom NPCs PE" are not made by the mod's authors. Bedrock has its own simpler built-in NPC entity for map makers.
In the mods folder of your game directory: %appdata%\.minecraft\mods on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods on macOS and ~/.minecraft/mods on Linux. Launchers with separate instances have one mods folder per instance.
Java 8 for 1.7.10 and 1.12.2, Java 17 for 1.18 to 1.20.4, and Java 21 for 1.20.5 and newer. The official launcher handles this for its own profiles; other launchers may need it set manually.
Yes. Custom NPCs adds entities, items and screens, so the server and every player need the same build installed.
Open a Creative world, take the NPC Wand from the Custom NPCs creative tab and right-click a block. The NPC appears and its editor opens so you can set its name, skin, stats and behavior.
Holding the NPC Wand opens the editor. Put the wand away or switch to Survival mode to interact with the NPC the way players will.
Yes. You create quests and dialogs in the global settings, link a dialog to a quest, and attach the dialog to an NPC. Quest types include item, kill, location, dialog and manual objectives.
A role is the NPC's main interaction, such as trader, follower, transporter, bank or mail. A job is a background behavior, such as guarding, healing, playing music or giving items. An NPC can have one of each.
Yes. Give the NPC the trader role and set the items it offers and what it asks in return.
In the display settings you can point the skin to a texture path from a resource pack, a player name or a URL, depending on the option chosen. URL and player skins need internet access.
Factions group NPCs and track how each faction feels about the player. Quests and actions can raise or lower faction points, which changes how NPCs of that faction react.
Yes. The Scripter tool attaches JavaScript to NPCs that runs on events such as interaction or damage. Java 8 includes a JavaScript engine; on newer Java versions you may need extra setup described by your edition.
Yes. The Mob Cloner saves configured NPCs so you can place copies later without rebuilding them.
Large numbers of moving NPCs and frequent timer scripts add load. Standing AI for background characters, modest spawn settings and lighter scripts keep things smooth.