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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aenghus" data-source="post: 6203422" data-attributes="member: 2656">All NPCs have an innate advantage in that they are run by the DM who know how his gameworld works, and won't have them make mistakes unless he/she does so deliberately, unlike players, who  have imperfect information on how the world works. In gamestyles where PC actions can be modified or vetoed by DM fiat, NPCs may never suffer from such problems if they act with the DM's perfect insight into the workings of the gameworld. Also, the DM has unlimited NPCs at his disposal, whereas in most games the players have one PC each, less if they are dead or incapacitated.Barring highly antagonistic styles like pawn-based wargame style play, IMO NPCs are better off being assigned personalities with strengths and flaws, such as intelligence, stupidity, low cunning,  a quick temper, tunnel vision, prejudices, stubborness etc.Learning to compartmentalise so that NPCs don't work with perfect teamwork, make  mistakes and and avoid unerring insight into the PC's plans as they have been revealed to the DM takes practice and effort (rare supergenius telepathic villians may have such abilities, the vast majority shouldn't). Failing to do so can damage communication lines between DM and players,as the players stop providing information as to their plans and goals that can be used against them. I've seen newish DMs make inadvertent mistakes in this area without realising it.And l've seen too many Sledge Hammer DMs (catch phrase: "Trust me, I know what I'm doing". The catch: They don't) to give unlimited trust to DMs nowadays. There's an initial period of grace, but trust must be earned (in both directions).</blockquote>

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