Rhenny
Adventurer
This reminded me of another thing I learned to do to prep 5 min before a game. I pre examine npcs the pcs are likely to meet and I make sure I have at least one character trait and motive so when they interact it helps me play the role. A quick description is also helpful. This is especially important when I create encounters that are not likely combat encounters, but often a well played npc/monster in combat makes the combat even more dynamic.
In my Princes of the Apocalypse campaign, the players met with Windharrow the bard working for Queen Airesi once as an interactive encounter, and then later in combat, another time when he rescued the queen after the party captured her, a third time in combat when the party finally killed the queen. He escaped everytime, but he spoke so much that the party became very interested in his character and his story. As he left for the final time, he lamented the loss of the queen, but more that his meal ticket was vanquished. He even implied that he was work for hire and perhaps when the situation was right he and the pcs might form an alliance.
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I play to be surprised by what happens, like the unexpected horrible death of the elven princess guest star PC today. Managing outcomes would ruin my fun.
