-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
How often do you include NPCs primarily for roleplaying reasons?
- Thread starter Mark CMG
- Start date
Barastrondo
First Post
Or "on an adventure," for those of us who run adventures that don't necessarily take place primarily in dungeons. Even then, the lines blur a lot. The NPCs that the PCs encounter over the course of actively pursuing an adventure hook may range from unrelated (the rogue shops around for a disguise kit, and makes a contact with a theater supplier) to related (they subtly question one of the courtesans about odd things going on at the brothel) to "placed with every expectation of a fight" (the madam's bodyguards, who are sure to get involved if the PCs decide to confront her directly). On many sessions, the players may be alternately interacting with adventure-related NPCs and "home base"-style NPCs: fellow House members, estranged relatives, the clergy at local temples, the local matchmakers. Sometimes the home base NPCs start serving an adventure function. Sometimes the adventure NPCs get recruited to become home base NPCs.
I guess this is just a verbose way of saying that our style of D&D is wholly dependent on NPCs that are placed to serve purposes other than combat challenges. The threatening "I'm here to give you a fight" NPCs are also critical, of course, but we absolutely need the other guys for context and motivation.
(Psi)SeveredHead
Adventurer
I guess you mean "named" characters.
In 4e, I've made a bunch of generic 1st-level minions. If I suddenly need stats, I'll use one of those. Maybe level up a bit, if I need a grandmaster smith and not a generic one. Technically probably balanced for a minion of their level, but a single minion shopkeeper and his single assistant (also a minion) aren't going to challenge an entire party.
My PCs have often "adopted" NPCs and given them names after defeating them.
Oddly enough, I think KOTOR was a great example of non-combat NPCs, but DnD parties tend to be more self-sufficient.
In 4e, I've made a bunch of generic 1st-level minions. If I suddenly need stats, I'll use one of those. Maybe level up a bit, if I need a grandmaster smith and not a generic one. Technically probably balanced for a minion of their level, but a single minion shopkeeper and his single assistant (also a minion) aren't going to challenge an entire party.
My PCs have often "adopted" NPCs and given them names after defeating them.
Oddly enough, I think KOTOR was a great example of non-combat NPCs, but DnD parties tend to be more self-sufficient.
Mouseferatu
Hero
What he said.
Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
It might be interesting to see some percentages on
- NPCs who PCs only fight (low-level/mooks/minions included), not counting RPing like "I'm going to eat and/or fight you!" and such.
- NPCs who interact but do not fight, fairly extensive RPing, conversation, information exchange
- NPCs who are involved in both.
I watched a recent one-shot game where afterwards the GM claimed it was a good session with more RPing than usual but it only actually amounted to a few tactical suggestion exchanges between the players at the table and the GM reading off a few pre-written speeches for the bad guys. Not really RPing, from my perspective, but perhaps some others believe this is how RPing actually happens? Maybe I am missing the obvious when I discuss RPing and people have very scaled back ideas of what RPing involves?
- NPCs who PCs only fight (low-level/mooks/minions included), not counting RPing like "I'm going to eat and/or fight you!" and such.
- NPCs who interact but do not fight, fairly extensive RPing, conversation, information exchange
- NPCs who are involved in both.
I watched a recent one-shot game where afterwards the GM claimed it was a good session with more RPing than usual but it only actually amounted to a few tactical suggestion exchanges between the players at the table and the GM reading off a few pre-written speeches for the bad guys. Not really RPing, from my perspective, but perhaps some others believe this is how RPing actually happens? Maybe I am missing the obvious when I discuss RPing and people have very scaled back ideas of what RPing involves?
Sammael
Adventurer
Gods, no. Here are some sample recent sessions from one of my campaigns:
Session #1: While on a boat, the party is attacked by a virtually unkillable monster that desires an artifact they are carrying. PC mage does something clever, they manage to escape to a small island where they discover the remains of a mage who was at one point possessed by said monster and forced into killing hundreds of people after which he isolated himself and pretty much spent the rest of his life in solitude writing a confession of his wrongdoings. PCs get rescued from the island by a friendly druid who turns them into dolphins to help them gain entrance to a submerged castle where they need to drop off the artifact for a time (and the monster can't get to it). They explore the castle, manage to find the ghost NPC they were looking for, drop the artifact with her, and then teleport to the king's throne room to discuss their further course of action with the king and the grand druid. Meeting is interrupted by an avatar of the god of the dead who is extremely upset because the artifact has escaped his reach; he cannot act against them personally, but he vows to help the monster that's hunting them. Party decides they need to counterbalance this somehow and immediately leave to seek aid from the nearby elf community. Total time spent in actual combat: nil. Total time spent on exploration: 4 hours. Total time spent on NPC interaction: 2 hours.
Session #2: PCs get to the elven valley where one of the PCs (a half-elf) is greeted with great respect because of the things his father did for them. They spend a day and a half talking with the elves, learning more about the elves' history, seeking council on several pressing issues, and, finally, pleading for aid against the monster on behalf of the kingdom. After using divination magic to help their decision, elves agree to help the kingdom in several ways (that do not place them at too much risk). They provide the party with a guide who will help them find an elven warrior who roams the wilderness and can help them find the sword that can slay the monster that's after them (and the kingdom). They exit the valley and are attacked by a flock of perytons at the very end of the session. Total time spent in actual combat: 1 hour. Total time spent on exploration: 1 hour. Total time spent on NPC interaction: 4 hours.
Session #3: They are combing the wilderness searching for the mysterious elf. There is a non-combat encounter with some druids who know who they are but are not too pleased to see them near one of their holy sites. There are two non-combat environment challenges. There is a random encounter which they manage to avoid by spotting the enemy from a safe distance. Finally, they have a combat encounter with a udoroot and some battlebriars under its control. After the combat, they meet with the elf and he sort of agrees to help them. After spending the night peacefully in the elf's cave, the next morning brings new trouble - an open assault by a warband of firbolgs and verbeeg (I ended the session at this cliffhanger). Total time spent in actual combat: 2 hours. Total time spent on exploration: 3 hours. Total time spent on NPC interaction: 1 hour.
Bonus XP to those who recognize where in Faerun this campaign is currently taking place. I do believe you have enough elements to make that conclusion
Session #1: While on a boat, the party is attacked by a virtually unkillable monster that desires an artifact they are carrying. PC mage does something clever, they manage to escape to a small island where they discover the remains of a mage who was at one point possessed by said monster and forced into killing hundreds of people after which he isolated himself and pretty much spent the rest of his life in solitude writing a confession of his wrongdoings. PCs get rescued from the island by a friendly druid who turns them into dolphins to help them gain entrance to a submerged castle where they need to drop off the artifact for a time (and the monster can't get to it). They explore the castle, manage to find the ghost NPC they were looking for, drop the artifact with her, and then teleport to the king's throne room to discuss their further course of action with the king and the grand druid. Meeting is interrupted by an avatar of the god of the dead who is extremely upset because the artifact has escaped his reach; he cannot act against them personally, but he vows to help the monster that's hunting them. Party decides they need to counterbalance this somehow and immediately leave to seek aid from the nearby elf community. Total time spent in actual combat: nil. Total time spent on exploration: 4 hours. Total time spent on NPC interaction: 2 hours.
Session #2: PCs get to the elven valley where one of the PCs (a half-elf) is greeted with great respect because of the things his father did for them. They spend a day and a half talking with the elves, learning more about the elves' history, seeking council on several pressing issues, and, finally, pleading for aid against the monster on behalf of the kingdom. After using divination magic to help their decision, elves agree to help the kingdom in several ways (that do not place them at too much risk). They provide the party with a guide who will help them find an elven warrior who roams the wilderness and can help them find the sword that can slay the monster that's after them (and the kingdom). They exit the valley and are attacked by a flock of perytons at the very end of the session. Total time spent in actual combat: 1 hour. Total time spent on exploration: 1 hour. Total time spent on NPC interaction: 4 hours.
Session #3: They are combing the wilderness searching for the mysterious elf. There is a non-combat encounter with some druids who know who they are but are not too pleased to see them near one of their holy sites. There are two non-combat environment challenges. There is a random encounter which they manage to avoid by spotting the enemy from a safe distance. Finally, they have a combat encounter with a udoroot and some battlebriars under its control. After the combat, they meet with the elf and he sort of agrees to help them. After spending the night peacefully in the elf's cave, the next morning brings new trouble - an open assault by a warband of firbolgs and verbeeg (I ended the session at this cliffhanger). Total time spent in actual combat: 2 hours. Total time spent on exploration: 3 hours. Total time spent on NPC interaction: 1 hour.
Bonus XP to those who recognize where in Faerun this campaign is currently taking place. I do believe you have enough elements to make that conclusion
Last edited:
Bonus XP to those who recognize where in Faerun this campaign is currently taking place. I do believe you have enough elements to make that conclusion
Cormyr?
Treebore
First Post
I have craftsmen and enchanters and herb specialists and the like that my players tend to get too "know" and trust. much like a trusted merchant in the real world, so those get statted up and developed, others I just do "on the fly" or pull out of my various resource books, like Fly Buffalo's City book series. A few even got their start as quick rolls from my Toolbox and Ultimate Toolbox tables.
Treebore
First Post
I would guess so, at least prior to 4E. Only kingdom with a "King" that I remember that also has strong elven communities nearby.
