Getting Players to Create NPCs

[Khuxan]

For my new campaign, I want all the characters to come from a small, primitive village and I want them to have close ties to the NPCs of that village - I want the players to design many, if not all, of the NPCs.

Do people have advice on how to approach this? I'm thinking of index cards with one-word labels (Chief, Shaman, Mother, Smith-Priest, Hunter, etc.) passed around the table with each player adding one fact to each index card. Are there better ways of approaching this?

Also, what facts are pertinent? Should I map out the family tree of the entire tribe?

 

[Gilladian]

It sounds like a really fun idea. If possible, I think you should write down a few key pieces of info on each card prior to handing them out, or at least outline a few "walls" for your players. You don't want them choosing to make every person epic level, or a dwarf, or something else incompatible with your ideas.

A family tree with plenty of blanks on it for ad-libbing could be a great secondary tool. Also, perhaps a timeline of the last 10-20 years (or whatever's appropriate) with major events sketched in but plenty of room for additions.

A map of the village (or at least a blank terrain map) with nothing labeled could also be useful.

Hmmmmm.... I may steal this idea.

 

[Khuxan]

It sounds like a really fun idea. If possible, I think you should write down a few key pieces of info on each card prior to handing them out, or at least outline a few "walls" for your players. You don't want them choosing to make every person epic level, or a dwarf, or something else incompatible with your ideas.

A family tree with plenty of blanks on it for ad-libbing could be a great secondary tool. Also, perhaps a timeline of the last 10-20 years (or whatever's appropriate) with major events sketched in but plenty of room for additions.

A map of the village (or at least a blank terrain map) with nothing labeled could also be useful.

Hmmmmm.... I may steal this idea.

Those are some great ideas. I'll definitely have some parameters outlined before we begin, and I'll let the players sketch out parts of the map and add to the history if they're interested.

I'm thinking also of giving limited veto to the players and myself, so we can control what sort of campaign we have and to avoid silliness.

 

[Nifft]

To reward your player's hard work, allow them to play these NPCs occasionally in combat.

These NPC scenes should be short with a definite tactical goal -- e.g. "Ambushed by Orcs! These NPCs must escape and survive an orc attack. If any NPC makes it back to the village, the PCs are NOT SURPRISED by the Orc attack later that night."

Cheers, -- N

 

[Woas]

My advice would be to let the players make NPCs in play when they need them and it is important to them at that particular instant in the game. If you go round-robin style or whatever creating NPCs beforehand then odds are the vast majority of those NPCs will not be necessary and become somewhat of a strain to fit them in and make them work.

Give each player one Major and one Minor (or maybe a couple Minor) "Contact" points. As the game goes on and one person just HAS to speak to the tribe chieftain they can trade in their Major Contact point, explain what the chieftain is like and how their character is related/friends with each other.