Give them hooks, quirks. Doesn't have to be much, just something to make each one stand out. Tie it in with their sitch, why they're there, what they're doing talking to the PCs. Cliche can be ok here, the main thing is to make them stand out and be interesting (though not overshadowing). There should be several Quirks lists for GURPS out there useful for sparking ideas, though IMO spiderwebbing a NPC into existing PC bits makes for a stronger presentation and lessens the need for railroading.

GDW's Traveller 2300/2300 AD and a later version in Traveller: The New Era (TNE) had a nice and simple playing card based NPC Notivations subsystem. I think it was in their other house system games (Dark Conspiracy, Twilight 2000 2.2, etc.) as well. It and the related Contacts subsystem are worth hunting down a copy (or buying a PDF) of one of those games. Easily portable to any game and useable in chargen as well.

• draw two cards
• primary motivation - highest card
• seconard motivation - lowest card
• direction of motivation - suit
• strength or bent of motivation - face value

Quote from: droogThe half-dragon: why is she interacting with the PCs and what does her desire have to do with them?

She's a pirate captain and she rescued the PCs because one is another half-dragon (a rarity, and she thought he shared her desire though found out that he wants the opposite: to become fully human) and an Emerald Knight (good to have along in a fight).

Quote from: droogThe way I see it, you're sort of undercutting yourself by talking about 'mcguffins'. Get specific.

I just thought throwing a Uresia-ism into the thread would muddy the discussion.  The mcguffin in question is a map of Vernia orbits.  Vernia are floating islands.  An example of a vernia map is here.

Quote from: droogYou can still do this with broad strokes, as long as the strokes are to the purpose. A sentence about what the NPC really wants is worth more than a page of characteristic quirks like 'haughty'.

Quoted for a good boiling down of what I was getting at. Something for them to stand out, doesn't need to be much at all, but it needs to be there.

I like people like Charles Dickens and Meryvn Peake for things like this. Sure some of their characters are carictures with thin descriptions and descriptive names but you remember[/b] Swelter's cleaver and pig-like face & Mr. Flay's creaking knees and harsh temper. (clarification: and the details of their feud with each other)

Quote from: RedFoxShe's a pirate captain and she rescued the PCs because one is another half-dragon (a rarity, and she thought he shared her desire though found out that he wants the opposite: to become fully human) and an Emerald Knight (good to have along in a fight).

It sounds a bit static. So they're just journeying together now?

Does she have any reason to exist? If she was a character in a book or film, what would be her structural role?

QuoteThe mcguffin in question is a map of Vernia orbits.  Vernia are floating islands.  An example of a vernia map is here.

Nice! Maybe this guy wants to intercept an island or something? You tell me. Why did you choose a Vernia map?

Quote from: droogIt sounds a bit static. So they're just journeying together now?

Does she have any reason to exist? If she was a character in a book or film, what would be her structural role?

They're going to Coatestowne in search of dragons.  Coatestowne was destroyed years ago by four dragons, so it's their only lead.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with structural roles.  Right now she's providing transportation to the PCs, as she has a caravel.

Quote from: droogNice! Maybe this guy wants to intercept an island or something? You tell me. Why did you choose a Vernia map?

Pulled it (nearly) out of the clear blue sky, mainly because at least one of the players is interested in skyships and flying island exploration.

The map itself was mystically transferred onto another PC as a kind of magical tattoo, and the emerald knight PC was charged with protecting the map at all costs by the king during a raid by the evil wizardly empire.

Quote from: RedFoxThey're going to Coatestowne in search of dragons.  Coatestowne was destroyed years ago by four dragons, so it's their only lead.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with structural roles.  Right now she's providing transportation to the PCs, as she has a caravel.

OK, you mentioned that the PC half-dragon was trying to become fully human.

Now, unless the NPC half-dragon is particularly self-absorbed, shouldn't she be deeply concerned about that? The NPC has clearly sat down at some point and decided that everything about being human is simply wrong, wrong, wrong, and she wants to jettison her human side in order to embrace the majesty of being a dragon. And now she's presented with someone who is interesting to her, who she presumably respects enough to travel with... and who wants to give up their dragon-ness for the sake of being human. Wouldn't the NPC react to that? Wouldn't she want to, at some point, say "Stop! Don't you realise you're going to destroy what's best about you? You're like a one-eyed man who wants to pluck his sole remaining eye out!"

The half-dragon PC has told the NPC something which ties in directly with one of the NPC's motivations, and at the same time flies in the face of it. The NPC really should react in some way - either by trying to convince the PC of the importance of being draconic, or by sabotaging the PC's efforts to jettison his/her dragon half.

As for the big bad: you really need to work out why the guy wants the map. Does he have any agenda of his own he wants to push, or is it just about getting treasure or eldritch magic from his employer? Either choice is legitimate, but you should at least choose so you can develop the guy's motives.

And bear in mind that no matter what someone's motives are, they generally believe that they are doing the right thing (at the time they are doing it, at least). Even people who want to TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!! are doing it because they feel that only they can successfully rule the world for the good of all, or because they don't see anything particularly wrong with the pursuit of power for its own sake. Nobody says "I am evil, mwahahahaha!", they say "You might call me evil, you might call me mad, but one day you'll all see that I know what's best for you!"

I find that NPC's are fairly easy to handle. Major NPC's are an outgrowth of your, er, 'plotting'. The Mage wants the Mcguffin? Ok, what for? Does he collect the things, does he plan to use it to take over the world?  What does the Mcguffin DO?  You don't need to know every last tidbit of an NPC's personality, just why they are doing what they are doing.  

Minor NPC's are even easier.  Joe watches the bar because he's paid to. Or because he owns it. Two seperate characterization divided primarily on something trivial. Joe the employee wants to work his shift and go home without too much fuss, Joe the owner wants to keep the bar 'alive' and intact, it's his place after all.

As for dialogue? I talk to my players characters, and invite them to talk to me 'in character'. I don't have to write anything, speech flows naturally. Giving the NPC his motivation is only really necessary in important parts.  Force the players to start the conversations, it will help quite a bit.

Of course, I also don't bother holding conversations for every NPC in the world. Players going shopping? Fine, what do you want to buy? Doing research? Where are you going and what are you looking for?  This goes back to my previous point... if the players chose to start a dialoge with random NPC clerk, just talk back to them 'in character'. Doesn't matter if it's hollow, it's random NPC # 342. If they LIKE random NPC #342, you can provide a name and personality as it developes at the table.

Quote from: JimBobOzHow many NPCs are we talking about, here? I don't think anyone can do justice to (say) fifty or more in a whole town. Give them the attention the PCs are likely to give them - so, five or six NPCs with quite distinct personalities, the rest just sketched out.

Not saying that the fox-boy or you should do it too, but my campaigns regularly have dozens and dozens of fully-fleshed out NPCs.  the "Cast of thousands" is a tool that I think has allowed me to make really excellent and popular campaigns.  Of course, I've been told I'm good at handling NPCs.

I don't know exactly how I do it, so I don't know exactly how to explain it to you, RedFox, so that you could do it too, but let me give it a shot: basically, I compartmentalize my consciousness, so that when a given NPC is interacting with the PCs, I try as much as possible to BE that NPC. To look at everything and think of everything from their point of view. What are their goals with the PC, what do they want? What do they think of them. I try to momentarily forget everything that the NPC wouldn't know. And I make sure of thinking of things that the NPC would be thinking of, even if it has nothing to do with what he'll actually be SAYING to the PCs.  

Also, I try very hard to keep track of things my NPCs are doing "off-screen" when they're not around the PCs, so that the PCs will feel their consequences even when not in direct interaction with the NPCs.  

All of that can really help to flesh out NPCs.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RedFoxThey're going to Coatestowne in search of dragons.  Coatestowne was destroyed years ago by four dragons, so it's their only lead.

I'm not sure what you're talking about with structural roles.  Right now she's providing transportation to the PCs, as she has a caravel.

Right – so structurally, she's transport. That's not very interesting. At this stage I'd either just toss her or try to tie her back into the game in a more interesting way.

Sometimes you introduce NPCs that aren't that interesting. No big deal, just drop them and move on. If you can't revamp the half-dragon (EG ONLY – have her fall crazily in love with the other half-dragon), dump her.

Quote from: RedFoxThe map itself was mystically transferred onto another PC as a kind of magical tattoo, and the emerald knight PC was charged with protecting the map at all costs by the king during a raid by the evil wizardly empire.

Okay, so the BB actually wants this chr's body?

Quote from: droogRight – so structurally, she's transport. That's not very interesting. At this stage I'd either just toss her or try to tie her back into the game in a more interesting way.

Sometimes you introduce NPCs that aren't that interesting. No big deal, just drop them and move on. If you can't revamp the half-dragon (EG ONLY – have her fall crazily in love with the other half-dragon), dump her.

Basically, yeah.  I was thinking about that (having Sheza, the captain, fall for him).  I was also thinking of potentially ditching her at the next port somehow.

She also has a crew:  2 named NPCs (Klaus Klemments, a Rinden inventor with a steam-mecha walrus; and a centaur storm witch whose personality and motivations are a tabula rasa so I haven't given her much screen time), and a dozen faceless pirate crewmen.

Quote from: droogOkay, so the BB actually wants this chr's body?

Yup, but he doesn't know that it's on Vincent's body.  He still thinks he's looking for a traditional map, and that it's in the possession of Crispin (the half-dragon).  Crispin's already been captured once, but rush-attacked Acanthus (the BigBad) before any civilized villainous discourse could occur, so he was knocked out and tortured/interrogated (along with Sheza, whose piratey friend betrayed them ala Empire Strikes Back), then escaped.

Since Vincent's a little cat chef guy, the Sindran wizards keep overlooking him.