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<blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 3889550" data-attributes="member: 386">I figure out what the NPCs want based on their backgrounds.&nbsp; I might tweak it a little bit so I can work the PCs into it.Then I draw up a relationship map for the NPCs.&nbsp; How they relate to the other NPCs and the PCs - if they like them, hate them, whatever.Then I try and think up cool scenes.Example: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil.&nbsp; Some spoilers.One PC makes a gnome.&nbsp; I see that I have a gnome NPC in the dungeon, driven evil and insane by a minor artifact.&nbsp; Goals: He's a typical psychopath, with no other desires but to cause pain and despair.&nbsp; The &quot;real&quot; person just wants to be free of the evil that's corrupting him.Relationships: I decide to make the NPC the PC's uncle, who went lost many years ago.&nbsp; The NPC also knows where another PC's missing daughter is.Scene: The NPC hears about the PCs (that is, his nephew) as word of them spreads, so he goes to town to see them.&nbsp; The goal I have in mind for this scene is to see how the players deal with an evil, deranged guy who may be posssessed, and who holds important information.&nbsp; How are they going to deal with him?&nbsp; Kill him?&nbsp; Work with him?&nbsp; Torture him?&nbsp; We play that out.edit: I guess the key to skill-intensive encounters would be to make sure that I consider what failure means.&nbsp; Make it interesting, fun, and hard on the PCs.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="LostSoul, post: 3889550, member: 386"] I figure out what the NPCs want based on their backgrounds. I might tweak it a little bit so I can work the PCs into it. Then I draw up a relationship map for the NPCs. How they relate to the other NPCs and the PCs - if they like them, hate them, whatever. Then I try and think up cool scenes. Example: Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Some spoilers. One PC makes a gnome. I see that I have a gnome NPC in the dungeon, driven evil and insane by a minor artifact. Goals: He's a typical psychopath, with no other desires but to cause pain and despair. The "real" person just wants to be free of the evil that's corrupting him. Relationships: I decide to make the NPC the PC's uncle, who went lost many years ago. The NPC also knows where another PC's missing daughter is. Scene: The NPC hears about the PCs (that is, his nephew) as word of them spreads, so he goes to town to see them. The goal I have in mind for this scene is to see how the players deal with an evil, deranged guy who may be posssessed, and who holds important information. How are they going to deal with him? Kill him? Work with him? Torture him? We play that out. edit: I guess the key to skill-intensive encounters would be to make sure that I consider what failure means. Make it interesting, fun, and hard on the PCs. [/QUOTE]

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