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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 6324135" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>Whereas I do.</p><p></p><p>My agency over Terry is already considerably limited in that I don't get to use Diplomacy (or similar) rolls against the PCs; my only recourse for Terry is to try and roleplay my way into or out of whatever situation I or the PCs want to put him in. For example the PCs can try and Diplomacy their way to a better price for his beef but Terry can't Intimidate them out of his store or Diplomacy them into buying a few cuts of pork to go with said beef.</p><p></p><p>One of the things that makes a good director a good director is that she pays just as much attention to the details of the show's bit players and extras as she does to the stars. Same goes here.</p><p></p><p>Another example: early in my current campaign there was a vaguely-relevant-for-a-while NPC named Madam Merta, owner of a brothel in the realm's biggest city and something of an information gatherer on the side. She hasn't interacted with a PC for about 3 in-game years; mechanically when last seen she was an intelligent and reasonably charismatic (but not entirely Goodly) commoner who probably had the chops to take up wizardry if she ever had the desire - and the years to spend on training.</p><p></p><p>If and when a PC ever meets her again I'll roll a few dice and figure out what she's been up to in the intervening time, keeping in mind that the result has to logically follow from what she was before. In other words, this low-strength person won't have become a 5th-level fighter but might well have become an advisor to or spy for one (or more) of the various interests at work in that city...or she might still just be running her brothel.</p><p></p><p>While it's not written out on paper anywhere, in my head I've probably got just as much of an idea as to what makes Merta tick as most players do for their PCs; and if I could do this for every NPC they ever met I'd be a much happier DM and I think my game world would be a much deeper and richer setting. Unfortunately life is too short... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Lan-"it just shouldn't be possible for someone named Terry the Butcher to have a decent Diplomacy skill"-efan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 6324135, member: 29398"] Whereas I do. My agency over Terry is already considerably limited in that I don't get to use Diplomacy (or similar) rolls against the PCs; my only recourse for Terry is to try and roleplay my way into or out of whatever situation I or the PCs want to put him in. For example the PCs can try and Diplomacy their way to a better price for his beef but Terry can't Intimidate them out of his store or Diplomacy them into buying a few cuts of pork to go with said beef. One of the things that makes a good director a good director is that she pays just as much attention to the details of the show's bit players and extras as she does to the stars. Same goes here. Another example: early in my current campaign there was a vaguely-relevant-for-a-while NPC named Madam Merta, owner of a brothel in the realm's biggest city and something of an information gatherer on the side. She hasn't interacted with a PC for about 3 in-game years; mechanically when last seen she was an intelligent and reasonably charismatic (but not entirely Goodly) commoner who probably had the chops to take up wizardry if she ever had the desire - and the years to spend on training. If and when a PC ever meets her again I'll roll a few dice and figure out what she's been up to in the intervening time, keeping in mind that the result has to logically follow from what she was before. In other words, this low-strength person won't have become a 5th-level fighter but might well have become an advisor to or spy for one (or more) of the various interests at work in that city...or she might still just be running her brothel. While it's not written out on paper anywhere, in my head I've probably got just as much of an idea as to what makes Merta tick as most players do for their PCs; and if I could do this for every NPC they ever met I'd be a much happier DM and I think my game world would be a much deeper and richer setting. Unfortunately life is too short... :) Lan-"it just shouldn't be possible for someone named Terry the Butcher to have a decent Diplomacy skill"-efan [/QUOTE]
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