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NE
the niversal NPC emulator By Zach Best Artwork by Matthew Vasey
Nothing happens unless first we dream. Carl Sandberg One day one of my little nephews came up to me and asked me if the equator was a real line that went around the Earth, or just an imaginary one. I had to laugh. Laugh and laugh. Because I didnt know, and I thought that maybe by laughing he would forget what he asked me. Jack Handey
Dedicated to Claire. I hope your imagination will be as wild and large as the sea.
Written by Zach Best Artwork by Matthew Vasey (http://www.users.fast.net/~rrv311/digitaldemiurgemain.html) Published by Conjecture Games (conjecturegames@gmail.com, Tip Jar at PayPal.com) Special Thanks to Matt Mooney, Aaron Zeitler, Keith Emery, and Scott Rieger for playtesting, editing, and general commenting. Very Special Thanks to my wife, Katie, who believes in me and supports me in every way.
Anyone may freely distribute this work as long as it is not used for commercial purposes and it is distributed in its original form. The work may be used to create resulting derivative works as intended by this work for commercial use as long as acknowledgement of this work is accompanied by said published derivative work. Permission from the authors must be granted if this work will be used for any other purposes, including but not limited to, reusing any artwork or text for a separate or derivative work. All text is Zach Best (2007). All artwork is Matthew Vasey (2007) and used with permission for this work. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
A Tale of a Table
Alex: You three are hot on the trail of the evil dragons servants. You recall they have stolen the scepter of your king. Bob: Is there a town ahead? Alex: Yes. Carol, you know this area well and know there is a town about 10 miles or so away. Bob: Good. I need to stock up before we hit the dungeon. Alex (smirking): Up to you guys. Dooley: Are we there? Alex: Yes. Dooley: I want to talk with the Mayor. Alex: Oh. Okay, sure. What about? Dooley: I want to see if the town has any problems of their own, and feel the Mayor out. It is my sworn job as a paladin of the king to uphold the law and make sure only the good lead those of faith. Carol: That sounds cool. I dont know why we care about the scepter anyway. It wasnt even magic. I am sure the king has plenty replacements. Bob (whining): I want treasure. Alex: Uhhhhokay. Can we take a break for an hour. I need to figure out what to do then. Or, I have prepared the adventure to the dragon. You guys can do that. Dooley: We can wait.
Introduction
The role of a game master (GM) running a tabletop roleplaying game can be a tough one. Not only do they have to maintain a handle on the stage they are setting, but they also have to keep things interesting. A lot of times a GM will look towards a pre-made adventure many of which require players to do A then B then C to get D, etc. to save some time in the game preparation. Just as many times, players will start at A then send their characters to X, destroy C, and then run away from D to get to M. All the GMs planning in the world cannot account for every action the players want their characters to take. Perhaps the worst situation in which a GM can find himself results when a player character (PC) is trying to have an unforseen conversation with a non-player character (NPC). For example, the Mayor that Dooley wants to meet. The GM could just ignore the players request and say that the Mayor says nothing interesting. Another GM could use the Mayor to get the PCs back on track with the prepared adventure. A GM could take a break to flesh out the area the PCs want to explore. This supplement attempts to help a GM create interesting NPCs on the fly so that if the third option is taken, the task is simpler and the results fun. Instead of just a stereotypical Mayor (whatever that may be), with a few die rolls a Mayor can be created with a history, motivations, and even a reason to speak with the PCs. The best part is that this supplement is universal. It was designed to work for every genre from fantasy to horror, space opera to post-apocalypse adventure.
Abbreviations
GM = game master, usually the person running the game. PC = player character, a character played by one of the players. NPC = non-player character, one of the many characters a game master will act out in order to further the story through interaction with playerrun characters. d# = a die with # of sides, for instance a d100 is a die with 100 sides.
What is NE?
NE is a supplement for just about any pen and paper roleplaying game to help facilitate the creation and playing of an NPC. NE is universal. It was designed to be run with almost every standing genre in tabletop roleplaying. Some terms must bend a little more depending on a genre. A shopkeeper or wizard might not be apparent in a space opera, but you might look respectively to Quark from Star Trek: Deep Space 9 or Mr. Universe from the movie Serenity as reasonable examples of those professions in that genre. The terms are not definite answers; they are ideas to get the creative juices flowing. NE is focused on the NPC aspect of a game. Often a GM will hesitate to include a variety of NPCs for fear that they will seem trite. Alternatively, a generic role may need to be filled and the GM fears that the NPC that fills it will be viewed as a prop, not as a person. With NE, a simple NPC can become a true character in the story with just a few die rolls. NE is an emulator. It can be used without a GM, and in fact some of the best results may occur when a whole group of players uses it. This particular emulator is not a complete replacement for a GM-driven NPC. Nonetheless, when a GM is absent or is not inspired to create a new NPC this emulator will shine.
When to use NE
The supplement should be used when the game is stuck. More specifically, when the game is stuck on who? and there is a problem with how to proceed. This typically arises is when a player wishes to have her PC interact with an NPC that was created as a prop. An example could be a burglar about to break into a trailer-home, and one of the neighbors comes out for a smoke and a drink to up the difficulty of breaking and entering. As a prop the neighbor serves merely to deter the PC or increase the difficulty. The problem occurs when the PC engages with the neighbor. Is the neighbor brash? Will the he run inside the moment he is threatened? Is he
friendly enough to share a smoke with a stranger wandering around the trailer park? What if the PC escalates the situation and gets into a fight, or even worse kidnaps the neighbor? Other examples of prop NPCs needing further depth include: a merchant of whom a PC requests an abnormal favor, a waitress used as an information delivery prop with whom a PC starts to flirt, or an enemy that is interrogated with unforeseen questions. Undeveloped NPCs also commonly occur when a player wishes his PC to seek out a general NPC he just created. The example of Dooley wanting to speak with a mayor, as described above is not uncommon. A player decides his PC knows somebody, or at least knows they exist, and seeks them out. The problem occurs when the PC starts interacting (usually requesting something) with the NPC. It compounds when the PC continues to return to that NPC on many occasions. Many skilled GMs develop this information on the fly. However, even the best GMs can get stuck in an adversarial or clich rut. An adversarial-rutted GM will make the neighbor as antagonistic as possible. The neighbor will be brave, undeterred by any threats, and possibly be the first to resort to violence so as to force the PCs to stay on track. A clich-rutted GM will snag the first idea that pops into mind, and it will usually be the most clich. This is when to use NE It will give the NPC meaning and depth that will not burden the game with stalling moments or GM-rutted ideas. NE can be lightly used when the NPC concept is pretty much solidified, but the supplement is most useful when an NPC is pulled out of chaos.
Designer Notes on NE
Dropping the Reins
The first convention of tabletop role-playing that this supplement breaks is the paramount control of the GM. Random creation will usually cause some amount of control over the game to be lost. Consider a treasure won at the end of a dungeon. A strict GM may have customized the treasure specifically to each character. A lax GM may just roll on the
treasure tables. Neither is the correct way. The correct way should be tailored to each group. But, it is important to understand a randomly rolled treasure may change the game in unforeseen ways. Without a GM, the game must be played so that unforeseen events continue to occur. This convention breaker is directly applied here because this supplement assumes that NPCs in your game are more than props. They are people that allow for interactions beyond what props can deliver. If they are not props, then the NPCs will likely affect the story. If one is randomly created its affect on the story might be one never contemplated by the GM (or the players).
feasible. Coming upon a hermit that has lived in the swamp for thirty years, and then rolling drifter may cause a few problems. The appropriate method is to see if a few ideas get the rolled terms to join with the preconceptions to create a NPC with depth (such as a swamp hermit who lives in a houseboat floating around the swamp). If they conflict too greatly, just toss out what does not work.
Collaborative Gaming
The second broken convention is that of players controlling only their own characters. The supplement works best when the rolling is done with everyone chiming in. Think of it as a crucible. A lot of inappropriate ideas might be thrown in, but a mixture might create a gem. However, the possibility of metagaming PC action based on player knowledge, not character knowledge rears its head. If the NPC is rolled up to be an evil villain with the demeanor of a saint some players will not have as much fun because they already know that the NPC is evil, while their PCs dont. The GM will have to decide based on how the group finds their fun, whether to allow players to help create NPCs using this supplement or to keep it a surprise.
Some terms will have to be thrown out. The conflict between the preconceptions or other rolled terms will be too great to utilize them in such a way that the fun of the game continues. It is always better to keep moving forward than to spend a gross amount of time trying to reconcile some terms. However, it is beneficial to ask when paring down terms why does this term not work? This will not only strengthen your NPC concept, but it may also provide more depth to the preconceptions and terms that are left on the table.
Term Design
Users should feel free to replace any terms they wish. If a group or person solely plays a space opera roleplaying game, some of the NPC Nouns could be replaced. NPC Motivation Nouns can also be edited for specific systems according to groups of NPCs, goals or actions unique to the setting, etc. NE should definitely be edited to be more specific if necessary.
Preconceptions
The battle will always be preconceptions versus the random terms rolled. In the prior example, Alex might want the Mayor to be rotting the town from the inside out, but all the terms that NE provides point to a saintly Mayor who goes out of the way to help the passage of snails. The GM (or group) will have to decide which ideas to throw away. If the preconceptions are strong, they may overshadow or conflict with anything rolled. Of course the goal in the design of NE was to have most characteristics be as complementary as possible. This is not always
Story Creation
One of the easiest ways to create an adventure is to create numerous NPCs and then make a tangled web between them all. Have the players sort out who is right, who wins, etc. NE works well for this GM exercise because it eliminates much of the time consuming applications of character creation. The results (and gameplay) may work out surprisingly well, even when little time can be given to adventure/story creation. A separate appendix is available to see an example of this type of exercise.
NPC Creator
The NPC Creator can be used for many purposes. First and foremost, a strong idea for an NPC can be created from nothing in a very short time. The NPC will have a stereotypical title, motivations, and a sense of the NPCs power in comparison to the players. The NPC Creator can also be used to expand on the NPCs inner workings. A GM might know that a certain NPC has information pertaining to an artifact the PCs are seeking, but what will drive the NPC to want to give it to them. With a motivation or two, a GM will know what actions the PCs will have to take in order to acquire that information. As mentioned above, if preconceptions overrule what is rolled, use what works best. Do not be afraid to discard terms, especially in the case where speedy creation of an NPC trumps depth. 1. Determine what the NPC is. Roll a d100 to obtain an NPC Modifier from Chart 1. Roll a d100 to obtain an NPC Noun from Chart 2. Combine the two as if forming a simple sentence. For example if a 21 is rolled followed by a 45, the sentence would read Inept Actor. If some facts about the NPC are previously known, merely use what works and discard what does not.
2. Find the NPC Power Level. Determine the R-level of the scene by assigning a numeric value ranging from 1 (fairly boring) to 5 (surprises at every single turn) based on the extremity of the situation (chaos, confusion, disorder, etc.). The R-level can also represent a difficulty level where the higher the R-level the harder the challenges. Roll a d100 to determine the NPCs power level relative to that of the PCs using Chart 3. For example if the R-level of the scene is 4 and a 76 is rolled, the NPC will be Slightly Stronger than the PCs.
3. Determine the NPCs Motivations. Roll a d100 for an NPC Motivation Verb in Chart 4, and roll a d100 for an NPC Motivation Noun from Chart 5. Combine the two as if to form a simple sentence. Repeat this two more times. If successive rolls result in two Motivation Nouns from the same column, discard the second one and re-roll. For example, the first roll is a 24 followed by a 94, giving Chronicle Animals. The second roll is a 60 followed by a 7, giving Account Opulence. The final roll is a 21 followed by an 89, however 89 is in the same column as the previously rolled 94; therefore that NPC Motivation Noun must be rerolled. NPC Motivation Verb rolls never have to be re-rolled.
4. Combine all the terms to create an NPC. The creator should now have a rough sentence describing the qualities of the NPC. For example: A corrupt recluse, slightly stronger than the party, guards moderation, abuses pleasure, and communicates prosperity. The next step is to decide the why or how for each term. The examples that follow will expand on this process. Having context is the best way to determine how the created sentence will generate an NPC. Try to link the terms not only to the overall game or setting, but also to the story, campaign, chronicle, or adventure itself.
In a game heavily set on animism and the spirit world, the characters come upon a spirits lair. Step 0: The only known fact is that the NPC is a spirit. Step 1: The dice are rolled and prying and hero are obtained. One of the players jokes that it sounds like their own spirit-totem companion, and surprisingly the rest agree that this spirit is a totem companion for another person or group. The spirit is always poking at the affairs of its own companions, but usually helps to save the day. One of the players is disappointed that the type of the spirit is not yet apparent. Step 2: The chaos of the scene is a little more than normal, but the spirit is rolled to be roughly the same power level as the party members. Step 3a: The motivation is rolled to be produce the wealthy. Step 3b: The motivation is rolled to be ascertain modesty. Step 3c: The motivation is rolled to be refine peace. The players agree that the latter two motivations are in accord, but the first motivation is a problem. One of the players asks, how can you become modest while making rich people? For a moment the players ignore the first motivation and decide the spirit will be a Spirit of Enlightenment. However, the spirit, due to its prying nature, is more of a judge than a teacher. It demands much from those that seek it. A player mentions that the wealth it gives might not be silver and gold, instead it is a wealth of personal spirit. The players send the PCs into the lair wary that their characters are probably going to be judged and possibly sent on a quest for atonement.
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1-10 (1) 11-20 (2) 21-30 (3) 31-40 (4) 41-50 (5) 51-60 (6) 61-70 (7) 71-80 (8) 81-90 (9) 91-100 (10)
2. Determine the NPC Focus. Roll d100 to find the NPC focus of the conversation using Chart 8. If possible the NPC Focus should be regarded as pertaining to the PC of the player rolling, the PC that will be speaking, or the party members in general. It may be helpful to put the word PCs or your in front of the NPC Focus if there is a question. It is also helpful to narrow the NPC Focus. If last story was rolled figure out what the last story was. What happened during the last story that made this NPC want to discuss it?
3. Combine the NPC Bearing and NPC Focus to determine the basis of the NPC Discussion. The words should be combined as in a simple sentence; for example, the insane NPC speaks of madness regarding the PCs allies. That sentence will be the substance of what the NPC will want to discuss.
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