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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 9006284" data-attributes="member: 29398">In this case, that artificial game is (in theory) trying to model a different reality.And the characters represent imaginary living people in the setting, which is their &quot;meat space&quot;.&nbsp; And so do the NPCs, meaning they very much need to be symmetrical in order for that imaginary meat space to mean anything.&nbsp; Ideally, were us two as real people to somehow get ourselves warped into the setting, when walking down a street we shouldn't be able to tell the difference between a PC and an NPC; and that inability to tell the difference is what I strive for.Indeed, which is why a DM has to exercise enough restraint to keep it real, as it were; and try one's honest best to ensure the players know what their characters would know.Sure, I could wipe out every PC in my game with a wave of my hand, but what would be the point?&nbsp; But at the same time, I'm not going to pull my punches nor ask the game to pull them for me, when throwing those punches is warranted.Yikes!&nbsp; If players are shedding blood in order to get their characters into the game, something's gone very wrong somewhere. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile&nbsp; &nbsp; :)"&nbsp; data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />As for NPCs, adventuring NPCs (e.g henches, rent-a-characters*, etc.) are rolled up just like PCs; which means in the long run I-as-DM do a lot more character rolling-up than do the players.&nbsp; PC-species foes and opponents are rolled up as far as they need to be in order to fulfill their role.* - these are the full-party-member-status NPCs recruited by PC parties to fill gaps in their lineup e.g. they need a Thief and nobody is playing one, so they go and (try to) recruit an NPC.&nbsp; Sometimes they stick around and become valued long-term party members in their own right, other times they wander off when they can.&nbsp; Edit to add: rescued prisoners with adventuring skills who join the party until they can get to safety fall into this category as well, as do adventuring NPCs supplied by the module as plot devices.&nbsp; Charmed foes who are persuaded to join the party and help out also come under this banner.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 9006284, member: 29398"] In this case, that artificial game is (in theory) trying to model a different reality. And the characters represent imaginary living people in the setting, which is their "meat space". And so do the NPCs, meaning they very much need to be symmetrical in order for that imaginary meat space to mean anything. Ideally, were us two as real people to somehow get ourselves warped into the setting, when walking down a street we shouldn't be able to tell the difference between a PC and an NPC; and that inability to tell the difference is what I strive for. Indeed, which is why a DM has to exercise enough restraint to keep it real, as it were; and try one's honest best to ensure the players know what their characters would know. Sure, I could wipe out every PC in my game with a wave of my hand, but what would be the point? But at the same time, I'm not going to pull my punches nor ask the game to pull them for me, when throwing those punches is warranted. Yikes! If players are shedding blood in order to get their characters into the game, something's gone very wrong somewhere. :) As for NPCs, adventuring NPCs (e.g henches, rent-a-characters*, etc.) are rolled up just like PCs; which means in the long run I-as-DM do a lot more character rolling-up than do the players. PC-species foes and opponents are rolled up as far as they need to be in order to fulfill their role. * - these are the full-party-member-status NPCs recruited by PC parties to fill gaps in their lineup e.g. they need a Thief and nobody is playing one, so they go and (try to) recruit an NPC. Sometimes they stick around and become valued long-term party members in their own right, other times they wander off when they can. Edit to add: rescued prisoners with adventuring skills who join the party until they can get to safety fall into this category as well, as do adventuring NPCs supplied by the module as plot devices. Charmed foes who are persuaded to join the party and help out also come under this banner. [/QUOTE]

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