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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Deviation" data-source="post: 7073209" data-attributes="member: 6875624">I haven't been playing long so my stories aren't many but, as a first time GM with a bunch of first time Players I wanted to ensure my players felts as tho the NPCs lives mattered- that their choices truly mattered and that fighting, and killing, aren't always the answer. So I start off with a standard encounter- the PCs are escorting a trade caravan that's beset by bandits. A perception check reveals right off the bat that things aren't right, however- they look desperate. After striking down one of the Bandits the others immediately stop and rush to their fallen friend's side, ending combat immediately. The "bandits" are soon to be revealed simple poor folk who all have family members suffering the same mysterious illness, and the only cure is something very expensive- and so the bandits banded together to try and steal from rich folks and cure their ailed friends. Seeing combat was over, one of my PCs was so overcome by guilt that they used one of their spell slots to restore the bandits health and they obviously felt real anger when the "cure" that they discovered later was actually a fake- so the bandits attempting to cure their sick family members had all been for nothing as greedy people took advantage of the desperate (a common theme in this campaign) I think, from my limited experience, there are two ways to quickly get PCs invested in NPCs, the first: give them names. People in general are more fond of named things- it's easier to associate a personality or person with a name, instead of letting them go nameless. Subtly punish them for just demanding answers to their question from the High Priestess when they don't introduce themselves- don't just give them the answers, have them RP for it. The second, is to think about WHY an encounter is happening, from fights to diplomacy, why is that encounter happening and what would happen if the PCs never interfered? A pair of Basilisks in a dungeon obviously fight harder and harder the closer to death they become...and afterward it's revealed that the PCs had stumbled upon their nest. Have the basilisk's last moments to be crawling towards it's nest and curling around it's young. Why is the steward so desperate to foil the PCs at every turn? well, a little care to investigate and it's revealed that the Steward is being blackmailed by the thieves guild. Obviously, just because you give it a reason doesn't mean it shouldn't be destroyed. A green hag that screeches in sorrow when you kill her sister is still, literally, eating children and needs to be killed. And random encounters can still be utilized and be fun. Not every encounter needs to have a greater reason behind it- but have enough that your PCs leave the fight wondering "who's child did I kill? Who's parent? why did they attack me?" Of course, I've not perfected this yet. I've only GMed a few games. But what I have implemented this, it's been successful</blockquote>

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