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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kenada" data-source="post: 9286276" data-attributes="member: 70468">It seems fine. My homebrew system has a detailed setting¹. I also have my own template for NPCs that evolved out of Justin’s <a href="https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/37916/roleplaying-games/universal-npc-roleplaying-template" target="_blank">Universal NPC Roleplaying Template</a>. This is Eric, as mentioned in <a href="https://www.enworld.org/threads/commentary-thread-for-that-“describe-your-game-in-five-words”-thread.682741/post-9285689" target="_blank">commentary post #294</a>.Eric the Dangerous [male yuma] — ambitious, deceitful, manipulative Tall (1.8m) and handsome (conventionally so). Blond hair (long, pulled back) and gray eyes. Buff coat (clean) and black boots (also clean). Dagger (tucked into boot). <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Impulse: to get what he wants without working for it</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Adventurer who joined up with the raiders. Still leads his crew. Wants to keep more of the loot and would risk open conflict with Finland. Sona [female mao — dim, gregarious] and Urf [male yuma — bold, disobedient] are vying for his affection. Eric indulges both, but he is using them to further his goals.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">He’s the one who encouraged the other group to cause trouble for the PCs.</li> </ul>The issue with “plot” would be how Eric is used. If Deirdre hadn’t gone looking for raiders in town, I wouldn’t have introduced him in a situation. Even though he’s a potential source of conflict, it’s not within my purview to make that happen by preparing a scenario with clues that will lead the PCs to get involved somehow. It’s only when the system tells me that I need to provide something that I can look at my prep for inspiration.The closest I get to making something I want happen is when I adopt the role of a particular character or faction. For simple conflicts (against PCs), I have to make a skill check just like the players. For complex ones, those go as global events. Should Eric want to conspire against the raiders, I’d create a tracker, and it would get advanced along with the other global events.Trackers are public knowledge (because all such things have to be somehow knowable to the PCs). If the tracker fills up, then the event happens. If it doesn’t (e.g., because the PCs did something to break the tracker), then it doesn’t. If Eric is really unlucky, I’ll forever roll like crap on the event check to advance the tracker, and he’ll never get what he wants.Stuff the PCs can’t observe should be decided by the GM because it doesn’t matter. It’s setting details. I’d be concerned that requiring the GM run all that stuff in the background would be exhausting and burn them out. That’s certainly what would happen to me. Of course, if that’s your thing, then knock yourself out.Edit: For example, next session we will be playing out the meeting with Sona posing as Maria. Her job will be to convince the PCs the raiders need their help dealing with a usurper. I’ll need to prep a full block for Sona, but that’s going to be the extent of my prep. The dice are going to have a lot to say during this negotiation.[HR][/HR][1]: Admittedly, it’s a big mind map that needs reconciled and edited into proper setting documentation. It’s been adequate for play so far.</blockquote>

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