Putting the NON back in NPCs
By Cape Rust
I know it has happened to you. You start up a new game, get going and your GM introduces an NPC. Now, this isn’t the normal NPC.This is the NPC that the GM has assigned to your group to fill unfilled roles in your group, like the healer or tank if no one else has stepped up to the plate. Having these filler characters around is great. After all, it is always good to have that person who can conduct field brain surgery with an old toothbrush, a can opener, and a chilled spatula. Some folks might call these types of NPCs vending machines and they wouldn’t be completely wrong. The problem is that these NPCs tend to have much more baggage than your average snack machine.
I do like plot hooks and unless I’m playing a game full of droids and robots, I want NPCs to be a little fleshed out, but for some reason it never seems to stop at a little. WTF? Did I say super-size my NPCs? I have been in games where we went through NPCs so quickly the healer’s guild or the fighter’s guild refused to hire them out to us. With changes in how we do things in the real world, it seems like NPCs are living longer, more fruitful lives. I’m not sure I like that!
With the life expectancy of NPCs having increased a hundredfold, many GMs have taken it upon themselves to not only add NPCs to the party, but to make them their own personal “Player Character”. The big difference is they normally make these NPCs the character they wanted to play in the last game and would have made if they didn’t have any rules to follow. Sure, most folks will stat out their NPCs, but if you run games like I do, there is very little to that process.
Now before I go any further, I will admit I am guilty of doing that which I am ranting about. I hope that by writing this article I will avoid future occurrences of this heinous crime against my fellow gamers.
I get that an NPC can fill vacant party roles and can act as a good plot device, but come on! I understand that a good, well developed NPC is fun for the GM and gives them the chance to “stay in the game”, but how about just a normal bartender? Based on most things I read, all tavern owners are retired adventurers who could kill you with the blink of an eye and have loyal customers who will fight to the death if you even think of starting a fight or running out on your bill. All of these folks seem to be well-connected with not only the city guard, but the underworld as well and for some reason they all have some map or magical item that they are willing to share with complete strangers. Oh yes and they all know just who to talk to get hard to find stuff. Have you met this guy or gal?
What ever happened to the normal guy who has an ugly wife and homely looking children who want nothing more than to work at the tavern until they die or get married to a local boy or girl? What about the guy who works in the diner that is just a grumpy cook? Did all diner cooks serve in the Navy?
The next time you run a game, read this article. I double dog dare you to not throw in your ride-along NPC. Let the PCs hire folks to tend the horses, carry heavy loot, and stand guard at night. Sure, make each and every one of these folks wear red shirts and if they die, oh well. It is much harder to run a game without that one NPC to give hints, but it isn’t impossible. Don’t try to run a game and be a player by proxy through your NPCs.
Players, if you are reading this and you have been stuck with one of those plot device NPCs, have your neutral characters kill the NPC just to see what happens. It would be worth a few Dark Side Points just to watch the GM squirm!