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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 7267749" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>If the NPCs in question are meant to be important to the PCs, then I think the best thing to do is to have the players run the NPCs in battle. For example, in Curse of Strahd, I had my players run both Ireena and Ismark during the encounters they had on their way to Vallaki. I provided the stats and a few notes about playing them (“Ireena is desperate to prove she is not merely a damsel in distress, so she will sometimes take foolish risks if the potential reward is significant” and “Ismark will do anything to protect Ireena”). </p><p></p><p>The players grew much more attached to the characters than they would have otherwise, and that really factored into things as the adventure went on. </p><p></p><p>On the other hand, if the NPCs are meant to simply be cannon fodder or reinforcements for the PCs, then I think it’s best to keep it simple. I usually try and have some portion of the enemy forces “handled” by the NPCs, meaning that I remove them all from the actual play and simply narrate what happens (“the dwarven squadron that you befriended seems to be keeping the orc reinforcements from the area, leaving you free to deal with the chieftan and his men”).</p><p></p><p>I don’t think you should have one answer for this question. I think it should vary depending on the situation and the role the NPCs are meant to play.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 7267749, member: 6785785"] If the NPCs in question are meant to be important to the PCs, then I think the best thing to do is to have the players run the NPCs in battle. For example, in Curse of Strahd, I had my players run both Ireena and Ismark during the encounters they had on their way to Vallaki. I provided the stats and a few notes about playing them (“Ireena is desperate to prove she is not merely a damsel in distress, so she will sometimes take foolish risks if the potential reward is significant” and “Ismark will do anything to protect Ireena”). The players grew much more attached to the characters than they would have otherwise, and that really factored into things as the adventure went on. On the other hand, if the NPCs are meant to simply be cannon fodder or reinforcements for the PCs, then I think it’s best to keep it simple. I usually try and have some portion of the enemy forces “handled” by the NPCs, meaning that I remove them all from the actual play and simply narrate what happens (“the dwarven squadron that you befriended seems to be keeping the orc reinforcements from the area, leaving you free to deal with the chieftan and his men”). I don’t think you should have one answer for this question. I think it should vary depending on the situation and the role the NPCs are meant to play. [/QUOTE]
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