diff --git a/src/components/npc-tray.js b/src/components/npc-tray.js
index 403716c..19a3022 100644
--- a/src/components/npc-tray.js
+++ b/src/components/npc-tray.js
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 import { generateNpc } from '../npc/generator.js';
 import { getGenrePack, listGenrePacks } from '../npc/packs/index.js';
 
+function escapeHtml(s) {
+  return String(s ?? '')
+    .replace(/&/g, '&')
+    .replace(/</g, '&lt;')
+    .replace(/>/g, '&gt;')
+    .replace(/"/g, '&quot;')
+    .replace(/'/g, '&#39;');
+}
+
 export class NpcTray extends HTMLElement {
   constructor() {
     super();
@@ -21,18 +30,18 @@ export class NpcTray extends HTMLElement {
 
   render() {
     const pills = listGenrePacks().map((p) =>
-      `<button class="pill ${p.id === this.genreId ? 'on' : ''}" data-genre="${p.id}">${p.label}</button>`).join('');
+      `<button class="pill ${p.id === this.genreId ? 'on' : ''}" data-genre="${p.id}">${escapeHtml(p.label)}</button>`).join('');
     const n = this.last;
     const card = n ? `
       <div class="npc-card" data-role="card">
-        <div class="npc-name" data-role="npc-name">${n.name}</div>
-        <div class="npc-seed">${n.seed}</div>
+        <div class="npc-name" data-role="npc-name">${escapeHtml(n.name)}</div>
+        <div class="npc-seed">${escapeHtml(n.seed)}</div>
         <dl>
-          <dt>Look</dt><dd>${n.look}</dd>
-          <dt>Manner</dt><dd>${n.manner}</dd>
-          <dt>Wants</dt><dd>${n.wants}</dd>
-          <dt>Secret</dt><dd class="secret">${n.secret}</dd>
-          <dt>Voice</dt><dd>${n.voice}</dd>
+          <dt>Look</dt><dd>${escapeHtml(n.look)}</dd>
+          <dt>Manner</dt><dd>${escapeHtml(n.manner)}</dd>
+          <dt>Wants</dt><dd>${escapeHtml(n.wants)}</dd>
+          <dt>Secret</dt><dd class="secret">${escapeHtml(n.secret)}</dd>
+          <dt>Voice</dt><dd>${escapeHtml(n.voice)}</dd>
         </dl>
         <div class="npc-actions">
           <button class="npc-btn" data-role="reroll">↻ Reroll</button>
@@ -43,7 +52,7 @@ export class NpcTray extends HTMLElement {
     this.innerHTML = `
       <div class="npc-tray">
         <div class="pills">${pills}</div>
-        <input class="seed" data-role="seed" placeholder="a little info — e.g. nervous dock foreman" value="${this._seedValue}" />
+        <input class="seed" data-role="seed" placeholder="a little info — e.g. nervous dock foreman" value="${escapeHtml(this._seedValue)}" />
         <button class="generate" data-role="generate">✦ Generate NPC</button>
         ${card}
       </div>`;
diff --git a/tests/components/npc-tray.test.js b/tests/components/npc-tray.test.js
index bcd8701..702323c 100644
--- a/tests/components/npc-tray.test.js
+++ b/tests/components/npc-tray.test.js
@@ -37,4 +37,14 @@ describe('<npc-tray>', () => {
     expect(detail).not.toBe(null);
     expect(detail.name).toBe(el.last.name);
   });
+
+  it('does not break when the seed contains quotes or angle brackets', () => {
+    el.rng = seq([0.0]);
+    el.querySelector('[data-role=seed]').value = 'the "doc" <guy>';
+    el.querySelector('[data-role=generate]').click();
+    // seed round-trips intact through the re-rendered input (escaping worked)
+    expect(el.querySelector('[data-role=seed]').value).toBe('the "doc" <guy>');
+    // card still renders a name
+    expect(el.querySelector('[data-role=npc-name]').textContent.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
 });