When running a game I like to keep the information on NPCs short and evocative. Meaning at a glance I can tell what this character is about, what they can do, etc. I try to hit the strengths and weaknesses and ignore all the average aspects of the character. I strive for minimalism. I have been doing this for some time and I am always on the search for better ways to do it.
I am wondering what techniques others use for this.
I always liked the Star Wars NPC statblocks because they could, literally, look like this:
Zarn Olash All stats 3D except: DEX 4D, Blaster 4D+1, Dodge 5D, STR 3D+2. Equipment: Blaster pistol (4D), blast vest (+2 energy), comlink.
Done! Doesn't say much about the NPC's personality, goals, etc., but that was usually summarized in the accompanying text, if it was important.
That is awesomely minimal.
Have you tried to apply the same idea to a DnD NPC?
Quote from: Michael MThat is awesomely minimal.
Have you tried to apply the same idea to a DnD NPC?
(http://www.micro-blaze.com/graphics/devine.jpg)
EDIT: Actually, you kind of can, by listing ONLY certain parts of the stat block -- the stuff that NPC is likely to need in the given scenario. Like-a thees:
Grover the Blacksmith of Horn Turn: Exp 3, AC 12 (+2 armor, lthr. apron), hp12, BAB +1, Str 14, Craft: Blacksmithing +6.'Course if someone wants to cast a spell on him, or browbeat him into making something for cheap, or what-have-you, it's off to the DMG to look up his saves and his skill rank maxima and etc.
Quote from: Michael MThat is awesomely minimal.
Have you tried to apply the same idea to a DnD NPC?
D20 statblocks by necessity get kind of out-of-hand.
Wow! We're done already?
My typical NPC stat block looks like this:
Hans Blekker, struggling merchant, wily, overweight, clammy.
If I think a combat is likely it might look like this:
Hans Blekker, struggling merchant, wily, overweight, clammy.
HP12, Punch 55%, Pistol 35%
Frankly, if a game needs more than that it's not the game for me.
I am of a similar mind. If the character cannot be summed up briefly and allow me to portay them well, it doesn't suit my style. As soon as I am looking stuff up I can really feel the game drag. And instead of portraying a character I feel like I am just reporting stats.
I quite like that 'character' features into the notation as well.
I think games like BESM are interesting for this in that you can give them good character stuff within the mechanics through defects etc.
One other aspect I think is valuable in notation (if combat is likely) is the NPC's tactics or behaviour in the fight. Also, if they are fighting twelve orcs I like to add a distinguishing feature for each one. The one with the red scar, the one with the mohawk, the one with white hair, etc. My aim is to make them more than numbers but as efficently as possible.
The library of games I have played is not huge. Are there any other games that lend to either brief NPC notation or good characterization as part of the notation?
See Traveller, Classic:
76869C Carousing-1, Computer-2, Grav Vehicle-1, Leader-1, Yacht and 10,000*
*from this thread: http://www.therpgsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4412
-clash
Fantastic!
That's what I'm talking about. Not to say that a game that can't do this is bad, but I really dig this kind of elegance.
I have never played Traveller. I have heard it mentioned many times at this forum and always in a positive light. Looks like I will have to go check it out.
When Traveller comes to town, The Fonz slinks out at night because he cannot compete.
wow.
that's a glowing endorsement.
maybe i'm not good enough for this game...
A technique I've seen (with variations) is to include the answer to this question: "What does this NPC want the PCs to do?"
For me, personally, a stat-block that goes like "Father Kronk: Wants the players to show that Lady Leonide is a degenerate unworthy of her position" does more to provide me the information I need at an instant than a block of skill-stats.
Quote from: Michael Mwow.
that's a glowing endorsement.
maybe i'm not good enough for this game...
Yes you are. Never say you aren't.
Quote from: TonyLBA technique I've seen (with variations) is to include the answer to this question: "What does this NPC want the PCs to do?"
Damn! I keep forgetting to do that. That's so fundamental, but I forget it anyway.
Let's see...you could drop that into your One-Sentence Concept (http://bankuei.blogspot.com/2006/09/one-sentence-character-concept-maker.html) like the ones I like to use.
ZARN OLASH: A dashing Corellian gunslinger who likes to show off; wants to kill the PCs so Jabbawill pay him.
RINGO KHADAFFI: A boastful, uncouth Fixer who craves wealth, power and sex; wants the players to buy his stuff and tell everyone how great he is (and sleep with him if they're female).
FRAMPTON ROOSCH: A Starport Authority Captain, nearing retirement age, who really just wants to retire soon; wants the PCs to cooperate with him so they can skip the red tape at Arduun Downport.
EDMUND ROSSITER: A cigar-chomping sextagenarian ex-adventurer, now running the humanitarian Rossiter Foundation, who wants to make the world a better place; wants the PCs (his agents) to be as passionate as he.
VALTA THE RED: A headstrong, pro-active Amazon Warrior who likes to fight; wants the PCs to go with her to the Phasic Swamp and kill a Reactor.
Nice! Gums things up a bit but it's not too much.
All I need is a girl and a gun*.
*Much thanks to Jean-Luc Godard :D
Regards,
David R
Nifty!
This just keeps getting better.
I love this idea of the one sentence concept. Particularly coupled with the 'what does the NPC you want the players to do" question. Between these two aspects you have all you could need to portray these NPCs. In a rules light game this might be all you need ever. But even in a crunchier system I think this makes for an excellent starting point.
I will definitely be incorporating this approach into my GMing.
Part of what lead me to this discussion was coming across old character sheets for major NPCs in previous campaigns and being struck with how little of the character's nature came across through all the stats, skills etc. It seemed like such a waste. I don't even recall using the sheets that much during play. If I came across a page of NPCs noted in this fashion I feel liek they would leap off the page. Make you want to play right away. This is how it SHOULD be.
All we need for that character concept maker is some tables to roll on. :) The personality trait one should be easy. There's a few of those lying around... Robin's Laws has one, IIRC.
The (profession) and (personal goal) would have to have genre-specific tables, though.
I made one up for
Traveller and
Serenity. It's an Excel file and it's around here somewhere.
EDIT: Lessee if I can cut-and-paste the mofo into a post...
A (trait) (role) with (thing) who wants (goal)TRAIT (1d20)- Happy-Go-Lucky
- Starry-Eyed
- Taciturn
- Grizzled
- Mouthy
- Whiny
- Angry
- Stupid
- Smarmy
- Sly
- Manipulative
- Naïve
- Generous
- Greedy
- Wealthy
- Pretentious
- Passionate
- Wimpy
- Intellectual
- Religious
ROLE (1d20)- Mercenary
- Ex-Marine
- Former Soldier
- Retired Scout
- Former Navy
- Doctor
- Noble
- Explorer
- Dilettante
- Preacher
- Gearhead
- Pilot
- Young punk
- Career Criminal
- Fugitive
- Merchant
- Prospector/Speculator
- Entertainer
- Laborer
- Vagabond
THING (1d20)- A past
- Lots of enemies
- Delusions of grandeur
- No social skills
- Lots of guns
- A strong fear of (something)
- An eye for the ladies/men
- An axe to grind
- Nothing to lose
- A good heart
- Wanderlust
- A ship
- Strange habits
- Strong Ethnic ties
- Incredible patience
- An obsession with (something)
- A price on his/her head
- No experience
- A chronic illness
- An inferiority complex
GOAL (1d20)- Wealth
- Power
- Sex
- Knowledge
- To see the universe
- Freedom
- Escapism
- Pleasure
- To coast through life
- Revenge
- A family
- Personal excellence in a skill
- To uphold a tradition
- To go home
- To do something no one's done before
- Enlightenment
- A job
- Fame
- To take a vacation/go somewhere
- A McGuffin
There. Inelegant, but effective.
Quote from: Dr Rotwang!I made one up for Traveller and Serenity. It's an Excel file and it's around here somewhere.
Share!
The Serenity one might fill-in for Deadlands with some tweaking.
Quote from: RedFoxShare!
The Serenity one might fill-in for Deadlands with some tweaking.
Bossy lil' doodle, aren't you? Scroll back up and take a d20 with you, sucka.
Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Bossy lil' doodle, aren't you?
Just eager for cool toys. :D
Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Scroll back up and take a d20 with you, sucka.
Hurrah! That's awesome.
For Deadlands:
In
ROLE change...
1. Mercenary to 1. Texas Ranger
2. Ex-Marine to 2. Pinkerton or 2. Agent (depending on year)
11. Gearhead to 11. Mad Scientist
12. Pilot to 12. Native
In
THING change...
12. a ship to 12. a steamwagon or airship
In
GOAL change...
5. To see the universe to 5. Explore the frontier
That's why I love most of White-Wolfs games. For example in WoD:
Competant NPC: Dicepool 5-6 - Defense 3
Incopetent NPC: Dicepool 3-4 Defense 2
Major Badass you just made up: Dicepool 8-10 Defense 4 +1 Armor
Usually, if they stick, you can just flesh them out later.
:)
Quote from: TonyLBA technique I've seen (with variations) is to include the answer to this question: "What does this NPC want the PCs to do?"
For me, personally, a stat-block that goes like "Father Kronk: Wants the players to show that Lady Leonide is a degenerate unworthy of her position" does more to provide me the information I need at an instant than a block of skill-stats.
A classic NPC in my games doesn't want the PCs to do anything, rather they have some objective of their own that may affect the PCs or they want to maintain the status quo (PCs and maintaining the status quo rarely seem to go together).
The PCs are the centre of the game, don't get me wrong, but they are not necessarily central to the NPCs until they make themselves so (which usually they do pretty quickly).
Using the above tables and a little elbow grease, I have created The Five People You Meet At The Starport.
1. A wimpy speculator with nothing to lose who wants to become the best computer salesman in the sector
2. A bossy, demanding local pop singer who wants to get away from her duties and take a break in an undisclosed location
3. A pretentious middle-aged woman who is flying around in her personal yacht loking for, umn, "adventure" (read "porking")
4. A very naive and cloistered young man, afraid of commitment, who nevertheless wants to become exorbitantly wealthy
5. A passionate dockworker who feels inferior to his peers, and who wants to get his hands on an exit visa so he can get off-world
They Fight Crime! (http://www.theyfightcrime.org/)
Quote from: KrakaJakThat's why I love most of White-Wolfs games. For example in WoD:
Competant NPC: Dicepool 5-6 - Defense 3
Incopetent NPC: Dicepool 3-4 Defense 2
Major Badass you just made up: Dicepool 8-10 Defense 4 +1 Armor
Usually, if they stick, you can just flesh them out later.
:)
That is indeed pretty bare bones, but I think i would want to flesh that out a little more with at least a major strength and/or weakness or one of these one sentence character concepts just to imbue the NPC with some distinguishing features.
Quote from: Dr Rotwang!Using the above tables and a little elbow grease, I have created The Five People You Meet At The Starport.
1. A wimpy speculator with nothing to lose who wants to become the best computer salesman in the sector
2. A bossy, demanding local pop singer who wants to get away from her duties and take a break in an undisclosed location
3. A pretentious middle-aged woman who is flying around in her personal yacht loking for, umn, "adventure" (read "porking")
4. A very naive and cloistered young man, afraid of commitment, who nevertheless wants to become exorbitantly wealthy
5. A passionate dockworker who feels inferior to his peers, and who wants to get his hands on an exit visa so he can get off-world
Wicked.
Have you had a chance to use these guys yet? Do you plan to? They've got lots of pizazz.
One thing that I like about this approach is that it seems to inform you where and when stats are necessary for a character. It sets a kind of information progession (an order that information is likely to be gained) on top of what the information actually is.
Upon contact you get a feel for personality. Prolonged contact and you will likely find out a character's profession (if you couldn't tell by their apparel). A little more digging will tell you things that preoccupy them and ultimately what their goals might be. At this point you probably feel you know them pretty well. This process does leave out appearance which would go before contact and is a related but still separate process in character design.
This also puts into perspective the idea that you want to figure out what traits might be communicated to the player and how. If an NPC is smart, when exactly does that become apparent? With their profession? Only once you get a feel for what preoccuopies them? If an excellent hacker, are there any clues to this at all?
Quote from: TonyLBThey Fight Crime! (http://www.theyfightcrime.org/)
=)
I played with this for several minutes. You click it a couple times and it seems pretty neat and you get it and are ready to move on, but when you are about to close the window you wonder what the next one might be...
Quote from: Michael MHave you had a chance to use these guys yet? Do you plan to? They've got lots of pizazz.
Thank you. They were freshly-rolled yesterday, so they have not yet gotten down. They might, though, since I'm running
Trav at the moment. Hmmm...
...
...hmmm.
Well, I think it is good that the wheels are turning on that one. As interesting as they are here it would be a shame for these characters to remain only in the forum. Let them live!
=)
Risus is a game that is small statblock friendly. You use the sentence summary then pop in the descriptive cliches with their die pools:
Genzo the Master Ninja: He'll kill you in a secretive fashion!
Ninja (7), Evil Boss (3)
Even better is the game adapts these rules for groups of mooks:
Genzo's funkies: A dozen hardened ninjas. Genzo's best students.
Fighting the Heroes (2), Ninja (4)
You use that much info for Risus?!
Mine look like
Red Court Vampire Goon (4)
or
Policeman (3)
Any more than that and I start to get confused.
Quote from: StumpydaveYou use that much info for Risus?!
I like my stats rococo.