A few things I like to do that make the game fun for my players is build interesting NPCs by interesting I mean:
1. Has depth. If the players interact with given NPC then the NPC really stops becoming this nameless entity and starts having a soul.
2. Interesting short term goals. NPCs have goals, if the pcs know what those goals are through interaction maybe the NPC could work with them.
3. DOES NOT ALWAYs BACK STAB THEM. too many times GMs back stab PCs at every turn. I usually find a good ratio in a normal setting is 1/3rd. In a wretched hive of scum and villainy it should be 2/3rds of the time
S0 lets take an example. Lets say I got a simple faceless npc. He happens to be the guy who has the grox dogs cart in front of the Inquisitorial building. Now why is this interesting. Well first off if your a grox dog vendor IN FRONT OF AN INQUISITORIAL BUILDING you probably have to be the following type of normal character:
1. Loyal to the Imperium (your customers are related to the Inquisitorium)
2. Probably make decent money during lunch time
3. Make sure all the ingredients are things that are licensed and law abiding
4. Old or a former veteran or worker that is retired to selling Grox Dogs.
5. Last tasty bit.... probably can easily recognize people who are regulars and who tips and who does not.
See how that picture builds up? Number 5 is the depth so is 4. What did he survive? does he an artificial leg and arm due to injuries suffered at some point in time? does he drone on about "THE WAR". Does he sing Battle hymn of the imperium a lot? Is this a returnable character in the right setting?
Yes to all.
Does this mean he may screw you? Maybe depending on how the party behaves and if they menti0n anything they shouldn't.
Does this mean that the Grox Dog vender cart guy may have knowledge on how to approach certain types of people in the build? yes.
So there you go.
1. Has depth. If the players interact with given NPC then the NPC really stops becoming this nameless entity and starts having a soul.
2. Interesting short term goals. NPCs have goals, if the pcs know what those goals are through interaction maybe the NPC could work with them.
3. DOES NOT ALWAYs BACK STAB THEM. too many times GMs back stab PCs at every turn. I usually find a good ratio in a normal setting is 1/3rd. In a wretched hive of scum and villainy it should be 2/3rds of the time
S0 lets take an example. Lets say I got a simple faceless npc. He happens to be the guy who has the grox dogs cart in front of the Inquisitorial building. Now why is this interesting. Well first off if your a grox dog vendor IN FRONT OF AN INQUISITORIAL BUILDING you probably have to be the following type of normal character:
1. Loyal to the Imperium (your customers are related to the Inquisitorium)
2. Probably make decent money during lunch time
3. Make sure all the ingredients are things that are licensed and law abiding
4. Old or a former veteran or worker that is retired to selling Grox Dogs.
5. Last tasty bit.... probably can easily recognize people who are regulars and who tips and who does not.
See how that picture builds up? Number 5 is the depth so is 4. What did he survive? does he an artificial leg and arm due to injuries suffered at some point in time? does he drone on about "THE WAR". Does he sing Battle hymn of the imperium a lot? Is this a returnable character in the right setting?
Yes to all.
Does this mean he may screw you? Maybe depending on how the party behaves and if they menti0n anything they shouldn't.
Does this mean that the Grox Dog vender cart guy may have knowledge on how to approach certain types of people in the build? yes.
So there you go.
No comments:
Post a Comment