Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tervin" data-source="post: 4342080" data-attributes="member: 66491">Old ladies and preteen tomboys with various personalities have long been my favourite NPCs as a DM. One of the advantages of being a long term Vampire storyteller is that you get used to running powerful NPCs of both sexes and all ages, so you get more of a chance to practice "being" different types of people. The old trick of figuring out what is distinctive about every important  individual before you portray it works just as well for people of the other sex as for those of your own. I often base NPCs loosely on people I have met somewhere just to get a starting point, then let them get their own lives gradually. For example "the hot elven chick" could be based on a quirky, possibly bipolar, sharp featured beauty that I used to run into at parties in the early 90s. I would borrow her characteristic facial features, her sudden changes in facial expression and her husky voice. Next step would be to decide what motivates her, what entertains her, what annoys her and what scares her - then I just need to play her to get to know the rest.  When working on a bunch of NPCs for a story or a setting I try to make short notes like that, often with keywords linked to real people as a shorthand. Oh, and I make sure not to base NPCs on people that my players will be able to recognise.</blockquote>