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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JoeGKushner" data-source="post: 1405588" data-attributes="member: 1129"><a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=241&PHPSESSID=5479a4d4b87c90ba42258fbf90138a6f" target="_blank">NPC Essentials</a> Great book with tons of advice. One of the better ones on building NPCs.For me, I find that there are a few ways to get the voice of the GM in character.Patrons: Often only good when the party is in town or uner training.Rivals: Sometimes rivals can be friendly and if played just right where they are a little weaker or stronger in different areas than the players, makes for interesting games. If one of the players is a master with the two-handed sword and up close combat, make one of the NPC's a master of the bow, always getting that killing shot in or killing the opponent that the player charges.Friends/Family/Professional: In the former, these are people that the characters have known all their life. The Wheel of Time does a good job of showing the farmboys done right. For family, it could be a cousin or uncle who think that they know everything and occassionally need saving. For prfoessional, if the party is part of a guild or other organization, they may have others in the guild at similiar or slightly lower/higher rank then themselves.On the Road: Individual that the party meets that can either be on a simply road trip like a pilgramage, on a mission of their own, under attack, helping the party who comes under attack, or something along those lines. If the party has some foreknowledge that the NPC is around, it makes the character more interesting. "Ah, more travelers. Strange, just the other day a priest of the war god came through here on his way to the Broken Sword Shrine to pay his respects."</blockquote>

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