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Message: <blockquote data-quote="haakon1" data-source="post: 6094204" data-attributes="member: 25619">Good topic, Pemerton.I agree with the basic point of the article, but I put it more succinctly:  "You need a Shire".  For two reasons: (1) "A World Worth Fighting For" (WWI British slogan, and the point of the article) (2) The hero's journey idea of moving from the mundane world to the extraordinary (the Feywild is much more interesting if it doesn't become quotidien and old hat).Quoting the 3 specific bits of advice in Chris Perkins article:<<Have an NPC show some initiative. Here's a good example: While the characters are investigating a series of murders in a large city, a gang of assassins jumps them in a darkened alley. During the fight, one of the assassins is wounded and flees. Instead of making the PCs chase down the miscreant, have a city guard or helpful passerby tackle the assassin and thwart the escape. Or, have a couple irksome street urchins on a rooftop hurl rocks at the assassin to harry him. Suddenly, it feels like the world is on the party's side for a change! Have an NPC throw the party a bone. Imagine the party is paying an NPC wizard to craft a magic item or an NPC priest to raise a dead character. In addition to doing what he or she is paid to do, the NPC might throw in a free "upgrade" to the magic item or a free batch of healing potions the party can use at some later date. Of course, you don't need to bribe players with magic items to make them like your world. Even the simplest gesture, such as a farmer tipping his hat to the PCs or offering them fresh apples as they wander by, does the trick. Have an NPC solve a problem. Hapless NPCs are constantly looking toward the adventurers to solve their problems for them, but players are more inclined to respect an NPC who isn't useless. If a mystery has the party befuddled, an NPC might volunteer a helpful bit of advice that steers the party in the right direction. If the characters visit a town threatened by orcs, an NPC woodsman or scout might single-handedly capture an orc that the heroes can interrogate to find out where its fellow orcs are hiding. The PCs shouldn't have to solve all of the world's problems alone. >>While I agree with the sentiment, I also agree with Pemerton's point about the PC's being the main actors.Examples of interactions with NPC's in my campaign recently:(1) PC's meet refugees.  PC starting a settlement decides, "hey, free people".  They ask permission of the local lord to relocate the people, and pay for supplies.  Later on in the campaign, they'll have headstart on getting their home base going.  For now, they get to feel good and get the appreciation of the local clergy.(2) PC (Cleric 7) was visit an NPC (Cleric 4). A castle guard came to get the NPC to help the town's lord, who was sick or poisoned.  Turned out to be a trick (which the guard wasn't in on) and they were trapped in a dungeon cell with an Owlbear, meant to kill the NPC -- the baddies didn't count on the PC being with her.  Together, they barely survive the fight, and the PC has the bright idea of blocking the door and sealing it as best they can.  The PC casts Message (10 minute casting time), and contacts the party for help.The PC's realize they probably can't storm the castle, so they go to the NPC father of one of the PC's, the town bishop who they are on good terms with (thanks to helping the refugees among other good deeds), and ask him to Message a high-level mage they met earlier through the bishop, who teleports around continent trading magic items.The Bishop Messages the Mage, the Mage uses his Crystal Ball to see what's going on (people breaking down the cell door to finish off the PC & NPC Cleric), so he teleports in, then teleports out with the PC & NPC in the nick of time. He will charge them later, but for now, he saved their lives.  They'll get the PC back in the morning -- he didn't teleport to the party, but to the safety of his own tower.  The PC gets to see a city on the other end of the continent that he'd otherwise probably never see in the meantime.3) PC's are working with the Town Guard and Militia, dealing with a coup in the town (which started with abducting NPC leaders, which the PC cleric stumbled into discovering).So far, the PC's have done 90% of the fighting, but the Warrior 1's and so forth have tried to help, and the remaining Town Guard leader and Bishop have agreed the PC's leader (a Fighter) should command all the town's meagre forces.So I think I have the same idea as the article, but I try to make the story about the PC's/good ideas coming from the PC's.  The PC's are always the protagonists, after all.</blockquote>

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