The Bazaar #89: Creating Engaging NPCs

GENERAL

One of the elements that critically supports the GM in presenting adventures and modules, the development and use of Non-Player Characters (NPCs) can become a bit of a daunting task. Add to this the rabbit-hole some get into with character creation with the Palladium Books RPGs, it’s not a surprise that some may find creating NPCs as more than a chore. The points below are meant for GMs to implement in their Adventure Design and supports the design philosophy presented in The Bazaar #62: Adventure Design Methodology.

DISCUSSION

Give Them Purpose

• Investment in Adventure Building. The use of an NPC should first be developed within the context of the adventure. Is this a single-use character, one that has a possible recurring role, perhaps an adventurer that joins the PCs on their adventures? Regardless of the NPC’s ultimate purpose, have a thought of how important this character is to the overall success of the adventure and invest a commensurate amount of effort. I’d suggest a one-shot “informant” NPC requires very little dice rolling or thought aside from the information they provide, which will be much different from the recurring Big Bad Evil Guy (BBEG) that the PCs are ultimate chasing after.

• One-Off Encounters. These are your Informants, “red shirts,” or other one-use or otherwise disposable NPCs. They serve a single or very limited range of functions, ergo, require very little in terms of background or development. Develop them for the role they must accomplish, and depending on your Players, flesh out a little bit to appease them without giving them some foolhardy tangent that hooks them before you even know it.

o   Little more than a name

o   A basic one-liner for Disposition

o   The reason to interact with Players

o   OCC is irrelevant

o   Just ballpark skills as required (if they even come up)

• Bit Actors. These are NPCs that have some level of interaction with the PCs, or have some level of importance within one of the adventure Nodes. The local sheriff they need to contact and deal with while in town, the cliché barkeep, the reporter that bothers them with a microphone for a quote. These don’t need too much more than the One-Off Encounters, but are justified in developing their personality quirks or foibles that a PC can key off of and can perhaps generate a successful role-playing encounter.

o   Everything in the One-Off Encounters

o   OCC as required

o   Limited, pre-defined Attributes/Skills of note

• Recurring Roles. Basically, these are Bit Actors that have a role to play in one or more Nodes, in one or more adventures. Essentially this would be a recurring interaction with the same reporter, or the adventures are based in the same town and they interact frequently with the sheriff/bar keep, what have you. Be wary; the more they see interaction with the PCs, the more they risk slipping into a Lead Role. Depending on how you develop them, this NPC might start as a Bit Actor recycled for a second or third appearance that suddenly becomes a Lead Role in the eyes of the Players.

  

• Lead Roles. These are reserved for the very crucial characters that are key to the flow of the story. Their roles transcends any single “goose egg” of the adventure, and can almost justify being a “GM’s PC” that tags along with the Player Characters. They provide some nuance to the development of the story, and perhaps act as tools for a GM to influence Players into a decision. As such, they really should be fleshed out like any PC.

o   Fully fleshed-out Disposition and Alignment

o   Assigned Attributes and Key Statistics (e.g. ISP, PPE, mutations)

o   Select an OCC

o   Key Skills of Note (OCC Skills only, perhaps a few specific OCC-Related of choice)

o   Gear, equipment, specifically weapons and armor of note

o   Relevant spells or psionic powers

• Big Bad Evil Guy/Girl (BBEG). This is one that could go either way; throw a lot of effort into the character generation and make it complex (e.g. arch mage with full Attributes, detailed spells and resources, or a Crazy assassin and Insanities), or just throw together enough to make a really impactful combat encounter (e.g. Mechanoids from SB2, or a Coalition Platoon that end up just being a series of rows for armor MDC and weapon output). I’ve done both (examples in follow-up article), and either method works. But like any NPC, what’s their purpose and do the PCs interact with them? If just a battle-royale, the latter option is all you need; the build-up to getting there will more than likely be enough. If there is a more drawn-out encounter/role-playing experience, perhaps more detail better sets you up for success.

o   Detailed Encounter: As per Lead Role

o   Battle Royale: Bit Actor, perhaps One-Off Encounter

Give Them A Class

• Relevant OCC For Design. Now that you’ve decided what level of investment you need, you can start filling in some blanks. The first being: what Class is the NPC? Don’t feel that you have to slavishly limit yourself to the restrictions presented in the OCC. If you feel a certain skill is pertinent, give it to the NPC. I’m not suggesting you start allowing the City Rat to start slinging spells and carry rune weapons into combat. The Class just provides you the guidelines for how to develop the NPC from there. If you really think the NPC merchant should have a few minor Psionic powers, don’t bother rolling for it; select the option that fits and provide the powers/ISP needed to perform their function.

• OCC Irrelevant (to Players). Something I strongly recommend is to never spell out what Class the NPC is built from. I also try to enforce this limitation on my Players with regards to their fellow PCs. Whether the NPC is a Men-at-Arms, Scholar & Adventurer, a Practitioner of Magic, Psionic or a D-Bee/RCC is up to the Players to interpret. Try not to lead them into the first encounter with something like “The Mind Melter, Micah, meets you in the alley.” Instead, have them meet and show the Players certain hints or outright demonstrate the psionic powers. Alternatively, you could mask the Class entirely by relying on basic technology (e.g. swords, knives, pistols, energy rifles) during most encounters, only revealing spells or psionics at critical moments.

Note: I did a separate post on Meta-Gaming, which includes PCs having that kind of detailed knowledge of NPCs and intuiting their capabilities.

Give Them Life (As Needed)

• Motivations and Goals. As part of adventure design, but expanded. These are GM cues for words or actions that the NPC engages with to advance their own agenda, either with or tangentially to the PCs. By giving them a reason to accompany/help the PCs, something to hunt for, or a reason to interact with the PCs, it give the GM a little more to work with and role-play from. Each of the following could be leveraged into adventure hooks. Some common ones:

o   Money. Profit for the NPC with a cut to the PCs, raising funds for a cause (Rebellion), or theft for the sake of it and thrill of the hunt.

o   Revenge. The NPC steers the PCs to kill someone/something specific, ruins the plans the PCs are engaged to accomplish, perhaps assist the PCs to hurt/affect someone the NPC has a hatred for.

o   Technology/Magic. The NPC is looking to buy/acquire something for themselves, a buyer, or their boss. This could be a trivial piece or some McGuffin that turns the tide in a massive way. Maybe it’s among the ruins of Tolkeen, or previously from there and needs to be recovered? The secret plans to a competing agency’s super-soldier serum, or perhaps some other form of technological/corporate espionage?

o   Political Power. Maybe the NPC is helping the PCs to gains some influence, perhaps stymy an unknown opponent’s plans, or distract someone by making the PCs the target for political intrigue while their own plans go unchecked in the shadows.

• Traits and Quirks. The more engaging NPCs are ones that the Players remember. How the GM portrays them is as important as they are to the function you’ve provided. I’d suggest One-Offs and Bit Actors require less detail. Regardless of the intent, plan for how the NPC would react to cues from the Player Characters or how the adventure unfolds in the context of the NPC’s function. A store owner might jack-up the prices for a belligerent PC, perhaps lower for truly polite/helpful ones. Often these can be based on popular culture characters as a baseline for the GM to make things easier:

o   Movie character (e.g. Tony Stark, Han Solo, Gandalf)

o   Television show character (e.g. Beth Harmon from Queen’s Gambit, Cassian Andor from Andor,

o   Comic Book Characters (take your pic; it's not like there isn't a vast array to choose from!)

Note: It doesn’t have to be main characters. Sometimes the best characters to draw upon are supporting, secondary characters (e.g. Q from James Bond, Alfred from Batman, Karis Nemik from Andor)!

• 7-3-1 Method. Something drawn from (https://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/blog/the7-3-1-technique), make sure you have some way to describe the NPC with more than just the visual cues. Remember that the sense of sound and smell are extremely evocative in describing something. Something that may not occur to most, the sense of taste is most closely tied to a sense of smell, so if something smells a certain way, it may induce a taste that the GM can describe to the Players through what their PCs are experiencing. It’s a bit of a 2^nd Person Perspective (detailed below) that sometimes takes a bit of practice to get into the groove.

Pitfalls

There are a number of pitfalls that can occur for any GM looking to make their adventure as immersive as possible. First, you may find yourself so darned successful that the PCs will dive down every rabbit hole introduced, either in the wrongful assumption something is there that isn’t, or it catches their attention in some unforeseen way. I think most GMs come across these at least once in their “career.” For those unicorn GMs who have not done this long enough to experience these, wait for it; for those in groups with Players that don’t belabor you with this issue, buy them a coffee and some donuts. Seriously, they’ve earned it. Some of the more cliched and common pitfalls:

• The Most Interesting-est of Bars. Oh, the horror of the town inn or bar/cantina. The PCs meet in a local watering hole and they insist on staying there for the majority of the session. Forget about the mission, ignore the hostages they need to rescue, the time sensitive patrol/convoy they need to raid, the beast haranguing the outlying villages, what have you. “That bartender? He’s shifty and he knows something. That dude sitting at the bar not answering questions? He must be in on it.” Meanwhile, looking at your notes, you never even bothered to give the bartender a name, let alone think about the guy at the bar.

• The Buildings/Rooms Have Eyes. The PC’s must check out “every single building” in the space before they move on. No amount of prompting or incentive to get a move on will do. The same applies for dungeon crawling. For some unholy reason, the Players feel they just gotta’ explore the WHOLE map! Every. Single. Possible. Doorway.

• Oh Look, Squirrel! Some inane point will become the complete and utter focus of the PCs. It could be a flavor-text detail, a random name you inserted that suddenly becomes a vital witness that MUST be interrogated, or any other ‘pet theory’ the PCs may overlay onto the adventure. Insert whatever tinfoil hat conspiracy the Players latch onto, and they make that the main story arc they want to pursue.

APPLICATION

Second Person Perspective. When someone is reading a book, you normally find yourself in either First Person narrative (the voice/inside the head of the main character) or Third Person (the voice of a narrator or outside observer). This works in written form as it presents things in a linear, narrative format. When we get to descriptors for the various NPCs or monsters, sometimes things need to change up a little in order to lean into the immersive elements of the encounter. For this, the GM needs to be prepared to present things in what is known as the Second Person Perspective. In narrative format, this makes the reader the protagonist and is often difficult to achieve; the author can never achieve 100% immersion as people will react differently to what they describe. In the RPG mode, there is the layer or distance between the Players and the Player Characters that the GM can exploit. By describing things in ways the PCs would see, feel, smell or fear, the Players should then use those cues to better drive their role-playing. It’s a subtle difference, but don’t be afraid to dictate to the Players what the NPCs or monsters induce in terms of reaction to the NPCs, particularly if there are Horror Factors or high stakes involved.

Example (Monster): The GM describes the following physical location to the Players:

“The party has been traversing the buried, ruined remains of the mega-shopping center. They finally make their way through a particularly cramped section of caved-in tunnel to what appears to be a massive, open space. The middle is occupied by a verdant forest, ringed by a wall of white boards held in place by support beams along the exterior.”

Note: An old ice rink in the middle of a mall. Have Players roll for Perception (Difficult).

“Your Characters are amazed at the sudden forest before them, unsure what to make of it. Is it real, some form or magic or trickery? You hear a chittering noise mixed in with some kind of guttural grunting; you look around, but the echoes make it impossible to tell where it is coming from. A strange, sickly-sweet smell overpowering, like cinnamon sugar mixed with raw sewage. The smell fouls the taste in your mouths and you fight the bile from rising in your throats. A clatter from the wooden barrier announces their arrival. Six giant spider-like monstrosities clamber over the wall, hissing. Their form seems to mystically blend into the background. Roll for Horror Factor.”

Notes: These are the kind of notes I would make for myself

• PCs who failed Perception must pass two Horror Factor tests (HF: 12)

• Smell induces Action Penalty: Initiative (-2)

• Spider Queen camouflaged against wall above PCs entry

• Spider Queen gets Surprise Attack as it drops from above (HF: 14)

Example (Medical Doctor NPC): The GM describes the following physical location to the Players:

This nondescript single-level structure sits near the northern boundary of the town centre. It could easily mistake it for a simple warehouse. What sets this building apart is the immaculate state of the grounds – walls appear like they were recently cleaned and painted, the perimeter meticulously stripped of any weeds or detritus and a lustrous lawn extends to the low fence that outlines the property. As one enters the front doors, the floors are constantly kept clean by one of the orderlies, regularly sweeping or mopping. The reception area can seat twenty people, a secured door leading into the treatment center behind. There is an emergency entrance on the north side of the building, leading into an emergency trauma room stocked with new equipment. This medical center is the pride of Dr Rona Hodges.

Dr Hodges greets your party in the reception area. An elderly woman, her starched, white apron shines in the light over her functional dark blue tunic and pants. A slim woman, her features are tight, but she casts a genuine, warm smile. She smells of chemical antiseptic, but her dark brown eyes meet each of yours as she firmly shakes your hands or waves through introductions. “My apologies, I don’t have much time to spare. We’re patching up the last of the wounded and sending them north to safety while the rest get ready to evacuate. Do you need something specific? Supplies are short but I can spare some basics.”

Notes: These are the kind of notes I would make for myself

• Hodges can offer up to two fully stocked First Aid kits (Medical Skill Checks +10%)

• Hodges is friendly but pressed for time; curt but polite answers

• If PCs stall, orderly will come with a medical problem she needs to address and transport is about to arrive; PC assistance will be politely waived off

• Hodges wishes PCs good luck on her way back

CONCLUSION

NPCs are a valuable and sometimes crucial key to an adventure’s success, particularly in the manner and method you introduce them, or use them throughout the adventure.

Pre-planning on the ‘what’ and ‘how’ are significant planning tools a GM should identify prior to building them; start with an idea, a basic disposition or frame of reference, but tailor them to meet the requirements of the party, or specifically the adventure node they occupy and reinforce. Build up from there. Then once the PCs come into contact with them, you as the GM have a solid baseline for how to dovetail the NPC into the adventure.

Creating engaging NPCs and monsters provides the GM a pretty valuable tool for an immersive adventure. The more realistic, or at least the more engaging they are with the Player Characters, the more the Players will be incentivized the care about the interactions. They might not fully buy into it, but the better you present motivations or nuance and depth for the NPCs or monsters’ motivations, the more options you present the Players in terms of reactions. This isn’t a matter of railroading the Players into a specific reaction. It’s about giving them the cues Players need to actively role-play and continue the adventure. So give them a nuanced, adequately detailed NPC to react to, and watch the Players start to drive the action and really get into the action.

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