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Player Created NPCs 3x3
Aug. 17th, 2006 03:58 pmOne of the folks, Kevin Perrine, on the Seattle Gamers Assemble Yahoo group, uses a great idea for generating background for Player Characters: He has them define a series of Non-Player Characters and how they are related to the PCs, as well as some locations:
- 3 Friends: NPCs connected to your PC, someone who would help you because they care about you. From your father, to a loyal fan, to someone willing to die for you.
- 3 Contacts: NPCs connected to your PC, someone who would help you because you pay or trade favor with them. From the neighborhood bartender, to a police commisioner, to an old friend.
- 3 Enemies: NPCs connected to your PC, someone who dislikes, hates or has a grudge on your character. From a childhood bully, to a someone who thought you cheated them in poker, to someone wanting you dead.
- 3 Locations: Placed created in/for the setting that are connected to the PC, someplace that is special good or bad to your character. From the place your parents were killed, to your childhood home, to a place you watch the sunrise.
- 3 Organizations: A group created for the setting that is connected to the PC, something for which the PC has worked for or against. From a police org, to a secret society, to a big corporate machine.
Continuing from there the players need to know that:
A. Once the NPCs are "handed over" they're totally the GM's to develop
B. These NPCs are not permanent in their "category", for example if you do something roleplaying in-game that makes a Contact dislike you then they might fall OUT of the "contact" and become an enemy.
C. These NPCs may or may not show up soon. Let the players know that these NPCs aren't "canon" in-game continuity until the GM introduces them in campaign. Meaning, that the players can't say "I'll just go to xxx for help". It's OK if the players ask to go find xxx but not just assuming they'll be there waiting for them.
- 3 Friends: NPCs connected to your PC, someone who would help you because they care about you. From your father, to a loyal fan, to someone willing to die for you.
- 3 Contacts: NPCs connected to your PC, someone who would help you because you pay or trade favor with them. From the neighborhood bartender, to a police commisioner, to an old friend.
- 3 Enemies: NPCs connected to your PC, someone who dislikes, hates or has a grudge on your character. From a childhood bully, to a someone who thought you cheated them in poker, to someone wanting you dead.
- 3 Locations: Placed created in/for the setting that are connected to the PC, someplace that is special good or bad to your character. From the place your parents were killed, to your childhood home, to a place you watch the sunrise.
- 3 Organizations: A group created for the setting that is connected to the PC, something for which the PC has worked for or against. From a police org, to a secret society, to a big corporate machine.
Continuing from there the players need to know that:
A. Once the NPCs are "handed over" they're totally the GM's to develop
B. These NPCs are not permanent in their "category", for example if you do something roleplaying in-game that makes a Contact dislike you then they might fall OUT of the "contact" and become an enemy.
C. These NPCs may or may not show up soon. Let the players know that these NPCs aren't "canon" in-game continuity until the GM introduces them in campaign. Meaning, that the players can't say "I'll just go to xxx for help". It's OK if the players ask to go find xxx but not just assuming they'll be there waiting for them.
