The life-blood of any role-playing world is the non-player characters.
Over the last 23 years I have dutifully searched for ways to breath
life into my NPCs. In October’s issue I discussed some elements
of this, but it seemed that the subject was worthy of further discussion.C
and use that voice or mannerism for all interactions with that character.
I was reflecting back on campaigns I had run or played in over the
years with a fellow DM friend. I discovered a common thread to our
discussions. Aside from the personal accomplishments of the characters
we played, the highlights of our discussions seemed to focus on the
exploits and personality quirks of the non-player characters (NPCs).
Non-player characters are the characters the Game Master performs
to share viewpoints of the citizens of the world with the players.
In each campaign it always boiled down to a handful of NPCs that
stood out from the rest. What qualities made them more memorable?
Both villains and allies were on the list, minor and major players
in the unfolding of the story. Planned and unexpected encounters
too were involved. The shared factor in all this was the fact that
the NPCs seemed to be real. By that I mean they had real thoughts,
emotions, goals and desires. Realistic NPCs provide the DM with a
strong supporting cast through which to move the plot of the campaign
forward.
When the players interact with the NPCs they can expect that the
NPCs will act according to their knowledge, class and character.
Once the players understand what motivates and NPC it gives the players
an opportunity to shape the future of that NPC. Once the party understands
an NPC they should be able to expect reactions from that NPC in line
with the NPCs character. A good friend of mine, who has been a game
master for years, called these triggers buttons.
If you can figure out and push the NPCs buttons you get an understanding
of what motivates them and conversely how to control them or manipulate
them. As a DM you need to be consistent on these buttons for each
NPC. Players are tasked with analyzing the game master and the world
and finding a way to make a meaningful contribution to the world.
This is a trial and error task requiring judicious study of the DM’s
style. Accomplished players will understand how their character fits
into the world and which NPCs are the gateway to success and which
ones spell doom.
The Dungeons Masters Guide has sections regarding personality traits
for NPCs . The random list is not a bad reference if you are hard
up for ideas for NPCs, but I find that many of the traits are too
extreme and distracting. Don’t use the list randomly. Select
a trait that fits your need and then create the persona. Many times
I have been caught in a scenario where the players need to interact
with a NPC that I have not considered and I have to create one on
the spot. A good way to handle this it to create a short list of
names in advance of a play session. Pick a name from the list. Take
a moment to form a mental image of the character. Give him or her
a catch phrase i.e., “Once more unto the breech!” maybe
this is a gung ho character with a strong chin and a spirited optimism.
Then let yourself go. It this case I might assume that this persona
is head strong and overly confident. His “button” could
be that he can't endure criticism and will fly off the handle in
any case where his integrity, honor, or prowess are cast into doubt.
Encounters like these have created many memorable NPCs and entertaining
nights at the game table. |
