Kashell
First Post
(Ah ha..wrong forum...but feel free to read it here as well...On to the General board!)
Hello! and welcome to NPC Profile...something I hope to have time for and be doing for at least, the rest of the summer.
Every day I will attempt to bring you one glorious NPC example. Not only will you love me for doing it, but your own campaigns and sessions will suddenly have a burst of energy that you never imagined before!!!
Today we will be looking at easily one of the most interesting types of NPC's to sprinkle into your world...why that, of the insane-yet-important NPC!
Our group of heroes have just begun their campaign. Their first task? Explore the monastery that they live in. But oh, the things they do not know!!
<Evil DM laugh>![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
*Ahem* After our heroes are 'volunteered' to help with kitchen duty, they exit the kitchen and find themselves back in the empty, dark great hall of the monestery. The PC's make a listen check and if successful, find themselves a poor dwarf that has been purposely stuffed under tables and chairs. Once freeing him, the conversation goes something like so...
Boorab: "Thank you lads! I thought that those elves had me stuck under here for the next century!"
PCs: "Do you get picked on all the time?"
Boorab: "Ya dern right! Bein' the only dwarf in the monastery though..."
PCs: "Oh I understa--"
Boorab(Interrupting): "I've been studying other people's dreams recently. Tell me your dream and I'll give you a greater insight into your psyche."
PCs: "Oh real--"
Boorab(His eyes are elsewhere, he pays the PC's no attention) "Take your time."
Boorab: "What happened then?"
Boorab: "Very interesting, continue."
Boorab: (Still elsewhere, PC's watch in interest): "It was full you say?"
Boorab: "That's a perfectly normal dream. The giant mugs of stout are symbols of wholeness and well being and the scantily clad barmaids are a sign of a healthy libido and respect for the womanly form. I wouldn't worry about the talking rabbit too much. He never makes much sense in my dreams either."
Boorab snaps back to attention and says to the PC's, "Well, I need some help with the stout. I'm sure the Master would be pleased if you helped out a little."
PC's begrugdingly help out.
When finished with the work, Boorab heads back downstairs(where the PC's have been taking barrels of stout for the last half-hour.)
The PC's follow him downstairs.
When the PC's see Boorab, they also see a mug made of steel...that happens to be taller than Boorab himself.
Boorab(Staring at the mug): "Yes! Yes friend, it's so sad to see you go..."
At this point, Boorab drains the entire mug. The DM secretly rolls a spot check to see if they see Boorab wearing the ring that he is wearing. If successful, they may roll an intelligence check to determine that the ring probably prevents Boorab from becoming too drunk.
Boorab(Digging the tab into another barrel): "Oh poor Sally...not you too!"
Boorab drains another barrel of stout. Intent on his stupidity, the PC's leave.
Little do the PC's know that had they inquired, Boorab would have informed them of his battle expertise. The very next day, when the PC's wake up, a large battle ensues. Boorab happens to be head commander of the entire monestery...and not only is he that, but he is also a level 5 monk!(Since the PC's are level 1 at this point, level 5 is quite a ways off.)
Characters like this tend to talk quickly and speak descriptively...it really helps if you chart out a few 'sayings' that the character normally would make. Personally, for Boorab, I had a few pages of sayings, but only because he was such a huge character for this setting.
If you're not a natural actor, it also might help to act out the lines themselves before actually saying them to the PC's. Whether or not you want to put that much work into it, is of course, up to you.
Scenes like this work better also if you play standing up. In this instance, Boorab isn't paying any attention to the PC's, so focus your eyes on a bare spot on the wall and empower all of your speech into that spot.
This NPC character type is the perfect character to play your Neutral Evil characters who want to lead the characters on a road of deceit. This type of NPC will totaly take the PC's off guard...No, he's not the type of character that will stab them in their sleep; but he's the type that eventually will foil the good guy's plans...leading them into ambushes and then suddenly coming to the rescue to test their strengths and weaknesses...Your typical 'evil but planning' type character.
Or, if you're just looking for a type of character to add some spice into your campaign, this is the perfect type to show up in areas every time before PC's do, regardless of the circumstances. The PC's travel halfway across the world and journey into town and into the bar...to find your NPC sitting there. The PC's go to the Plane of Celestia, and there he is, your NPC. In reality, the PC's eventually find out that this little NPC isn't just some little gnome or dwarf or common idiot human off the street...but indeed, is an angel sent to watch over their 'holy quest'.
As said before, there are hundreds of ways to use this type of character...and though difficult to create, this type of character adds that extra flavor needed in the downtime of "Oh, ok, we just killed the Lord of Nightmares...now we travel in town and buy stuff." Where, low and behold, is your NPC(s) there to get things back into movement.
-Kash
Hello! and welcome to NPC Profile...something I hope to have time for and be doing for at least, the rest of the summer.
Every day I will attempt to bring you one glorious NPC example. Not only will you love me for doing it, but your own campaigns and sessions will suddenly have a burst of energy that you never imagined before!!!
Today we will be looking at easily one of the most interesting types of NPC's to sprinkle into your world...why that, of the insane-yet-important NPC!
Our group of heroes have just begun their campaign. Their first task? Explore the monastery that they live in. But oh, the things they do not know!!
<Evil DM laugh>
*Ahem* After our heroes are 'volunteered' to help with kitchen duty, they exit the kitchen and find themselves back in the empty, dark great hall of the monestery. The PC's make a listen check and if successful, find themselves a poor dwarf that has been purposely stuffed under tables and chairs. Once freeing him, the conversation goes something like so...
Boorab: "Thank you lads! I thought that those elves had me stuck under here for the next century!"
PCs: "Do you get picked on all the time?"
Boorab: "Ya dern right! Bein' the only dwarf in the monastery though..."
PCs: "Oh I understa--"
Boorab(Interrupting): "I've been studying other people's dreams recently. Tell me your dream and I'll give you a greater insight into your psyche."
PCs: "Oh real--"
Boorab(His eyes are elsewhere, he pays the PC's no attention) "Take your time."
Boorab: "What happened then?"
Boorab: "Very interesting, continue."
Boorab: (Still elsewhere, PC's watch in interest): "It was full you say?"
Boorab: "That's a perfectly normal dream. The giant mugs of stout are symbols of wholeness and well being and the scantily clad barmaids are a sign of a healthy libido and respect for the womanly form. I wouldn't worry about the talking rabbit too much. He never makes much sense in my dreams either."
Boorab snaps back to attention and says to the PC's, "Well, I need some help with the stout. I'm sure the Master would be pleased if you helped out a little."
PC's begrugdingly help out.
When finished with the work, Boorab heads back downstairs(where the PC's have been taking barrels of stout for the last half-hour.)
The PC's follow him downstairs.
When the PC's see Boorab, they also see a mug made of steel...that happens to be taller than Boorab himself.
Boorab(Staring at the mug): "Yes! Yes friend, it's so sad to see you go..."
At this point, Boorab drains the entire mug. The DM secretly rolls a spot check to see if they see Boorab wearing the ring that he is wearing. If successful, they may roll an intelligence check to determine that the ring probably prevents Boorab from becoming too drunk.
Boorab(Digging the tab into another barrel): "Oh poor Sally...not you too!"
Boorab drains another barrel of stout. Intent on his stupidity, the PC's leave.
Little do the PC's know that had they inquired, Boorab would have informed them of his battle expertise. The very next day, when the PC's wake up, a large battle ensues. Boorab happens to be head commander of the entire monestery...and not only is he that, but he is also a level 5 monk!(Since the PC's are level 1 at this point, level 5 is quite a ways off.)
Characters like this tend to talk quickly and speak descriptively...it really helps if you chart out a few 'sayings' that the character normally would make. Personally, for Boorab, I had a few pages of sayings, but only because he was such a huge character for this setting.
If you're not a natural actor, it also might help to act out the lines themselves before actually saying them to the PC's. Whether or not you want to put that much work into it, is of course, up to you.
Scenes like this work better also if you play standing up. In this instance, Boorab isn't paying any attention to the PC's, so focus your eyes on a bare spot on the wall and empower all of your speech into that spot.
This NPC character type is the perfect character to play your Neutral Evil characters who want to lead the characters on a road of deceit. This type of NPC will totaly take the PC's off guard...No, he's not the type of character that will stab them in their sleep; but he's the type that eventually will foil the good guy's plans...leading them into ambushes and then suddenly coming to the rescue to test their strengths and weaknesses...Your typical 'evil but planning' type character.
Or, if you're just looking for a type of character to add some spice into your campaign, this is the perfect type to show up in areas every time before PC's do, regardless of the circumstances. The PC's travel halfway across the world and journey into town and into the bar...to find your NPC sitting there. The PC's go to the Plane of Celestia, and there he is, your NPC. In reality, the PC's eventually find out that this little NPC isn't just some little gnome or dwarf or common idiot human off the street...but indeed, is an angel sent to watch over their 'holy quest'.
As said before, there are hundreds of ways to use this type of character...and though difficult to create, this type of character adds that extra flavor needed in the downtime of "Oh, ok, we just killed the Lord of Nightmares...now we travel in town and buy stuff." Where, low and behold, is your NPC(s) there to get things back into movement.
-Kash
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