Off Screen NPCs Purely Detrimental?

[Slife]

You want a character that doesn't come with plot hooks? Fine. Nothing happens to you. Have fun hunting rats in the sewers...

Great. I can go make my own destiny without being distracted from my quest for the Iron Sheik's lost treasure by the kidnappings of my bumbling nephew, fiancee, grandfather, best friend from my hometown, the master of my former dojo, and my brother.

 

[Jackelope King]

Great. I can go make my own destiny without being distracted from my quest for the Iron Sheik's lost treasure by the kidnappings of my bumbling nephew, fiancee, grandfather, best friend from my hometown, the master of my former dojo, and my brother.

I think a better way to state what Mallus was trying to get across would be to say:

"So you want a character who doesn't come with any plot hooks? Fine. Hopefully you'll understand when the other characters who did come with plot hooks are going to be the ones who get the time in the spotlight."

It's not always kidnapping or murdering or ransoming, either. Certainly that's one of the easiest ways to add personal stake into an adventure beyond what is normally possible, but NPCs are also there to support the PCs. Some of the best moments are the ones where they really shine only because they have a particular NPC relationship. In our M&M game, the group's psychic ninja had relationship with a member of the UN's super-team, which ended on a good enough note that they're still close friends. Just this past weekend, she managed to leverage some legitimacy to her own organization's cause by asking her ex for help. Another character's ailing, bedridden sister contacted the PC at a key moment to encourage him to rise to the occasion and help save the day. Still another PC has many friends within the local police department only because her mother worked in forensics with the police department for almost fifteen years, which has helped the group in investigating crimes.

Good things can happen, and bad things can happen. If a player can't accept bad things, or only wants good things to happen to their character, then your group needs to take a look at their game preferences and decide what's best for everyone. If everyone would be happier with NPCs remaining untouched, then so much the better. But if most people are fine with the challenge presented by beloved NPCs put in jeopardy, then it's a matter of whether or not the game is fun for you if that's going to be the case.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

If NPCs are always getting kidnapped and what not then, yes, that's a bad thing. As pointed out above that's just bad DMing. Any trope gets dull if over used.

THere's lots of ways to use NPCs. Many examples have been given here. With my DM hat on: I love having NPCs to use as plot hooks. I don't over-do the NPC in danger thing (you'd have to ask my players for an objective account of course) but I do use it. You've got to have plot hooks and it's better if those plot hooks come out of the characters' actions and back-stories.

WIth my player hat on: yeah I'd get annoyed if every NPC I intereacted with ended up tied to railway tracks crying "Hay-yalp! Oh, hay-yalp!" But even so it's better than the "a nobleman hires you to do job X" thing all the time.

 

[JDJblatherings]

Hasn't anyone ever noticed things don't go so well for family and friends of heroes in action/adventure films?

The way a DM should balance this is by having friends and relatives of villains.

 

[Raven Crowking]

It is important for the DM to remember that, if he wants the PCs in his world to connect to the NPCs, that those connections must work to the PCs' advantage far more often than to their detriment. Otherwise, not only do all PCs suddenly become loners without family or friends outside the adventuring party, but they really have no reason to care what happens to those NPCs anyway.


RC

 

[JDJblatherings]

Why shoudl all of a PCs relations be beneficial? In real life an awful lot of relationships are ones of duty and obligation and they are rather annoying at times and yet people keep said relationships .

The princess in there to get kidnapped, the rich uncle is there to be killed and leave you a fortune should you solve the murdethe drinking buddy is there to get you in a bar fight, the old hand in your trade is there to be kiled so you can fill his shoes and carry on, the guy in the red shirt gets zapped so the main characters get to keep being the main characters.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Why shoudl all of a PCs relations be beneficial? In real life an awful lot of relationships are ones of duty and obligation and they are rather annoying at times and yet people keep said relationships .

The key words there are at times, and the key question is "Why do people keep said relationships?"

RC

 

[JDJblatherings]

The key words there are at times, and the key question is "Why do people keep said relationships?"

RC

Because we think we need to or we do need to have those relationships.

Yes it really shoudl be "at times" but PCs are unique in that they are the stars. Most folks generally only read books or watch films where somethign is happenign that is exciting as oppsoed to stuff tales where not much happens. Tolkien (for example) doesn't spend 700 pages explaining the life of Frodo before he gets involved in the war of the rings.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Because we think we need to or we do need to have those relationships.

But D&D players, by and large, do not need to or think they need to have their PCs have those relationships. By building up the idea that "All NPCs Are NOT Out To Get You" the DM has the chance to have the players actually enjoy their relationships with NPCs.

Examples:

PCs help a merchant recover his son, who foolishly went adventuring in a dungeon. Later, that merchant gives the PCs a letter of reference, and aids them to secure cheaper passage downriver.

The PCs decide not to kill an orc, but simply let him go. They later meet that same orc, who now respects the PCs.

The PCs rescue some prisoners, including one who shouldn't normally be trusted (an orc), and one who is secretly going to betray them. When the betrayal occurs, the orc NPC sides with the PCs, effectively giving the PCs the edge they need to go from a difficult encounter to something that is merely a blip on the radar. (The PCs later heal the orc NPC instead of one of their own when he is injured! )

NPC farmers allow the PCs to stay in their home, offering to sleep in the barn themselves (the PCs instead sleep in the barn). NPCs frequently buy PCs drinks or share their meager dinners.

In short, NPC betrayals, and threats to NPCs, are more useful when they are unusual interactions. Give the players reason to care about the NPCs, and it is more likely that they will care.

RC

 

[JDJblatherings]

All of those good turns should be possible as well, every NPC isn't out to get the PCs or an easy victim. But tying adventures to exsisting relationships with a PC is a good idea. If each PC only has 2 adventures caused by friendly NPC victimization/betrayal the stereaotypicla 4 player party is gogin to have 8 of those adventures over a 18 month long campaign. They shoudl also get gifts, safe hosues, soucrces for replacement PCs. (An easy way to explain a replacemnrt character is a relative of an NPc the players have helped before, i'm amazed how seldom I see this however. )