I've had this happen a couple of times, when I have an NPC I plan to make utterly secondary, or only occasional, but the players end up liking them so much they push them forward into regular appearances.
This has most lately happened in my Legion RPG; there's one character who in the comic was completely secondary, but the Players all took a shine to her for some reason. Her powers are very specialized and limited, so much so that its often difficult to justify her involvement in most adventures. But the PCs wanted her, so into the Legion she went.
I mean, I don't hate the character, but I have no real passion for her. Of course, I'd better find some, quick, and get her more involved, because the players have spoken.
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For me a low level kobold and his 12 friends smacked around the PC's (they were a homage to Tucker's Kobolds (http://www.tuckerskobolds.com/) with a few handy flasks of flammable things, etc).
Somehow that kobold has become pivotal to the campaign and is the 'go to man' for the PC's adventures.
So basically my first (test) battle of the new campaign has become a fully fledged and important NPC.. who is now filthy rich and wears outrageous clothing (which I find amusing).
Quite often, and it's usually random shopkeepers I come up with off the top of my head. I've got to figure out why my random NPCs are so entertaining and apply that to my important ones. :)
As for your Legion NPC, what are the odds she can betray the party at some opportune time? :hmm:
I have an NPC that I expected to die off early in the campaign. He was one of six Republic Marines on assignment with the PCs for a boarding action.
The PC controlled NPC ended up shooting better than the PCs! They nicknamed him "Dead-Eye." So it was that PFC Delmar became Corporal "Dead-Eye" Delmar, a recurring NPC.
Come to think of it, Delmar is due for a re-appearance soon. :)
In my current Marvel Supers game I had orignally planned to use Vuture as an early throw-away encounter to give the player characters an easy win.
They never did fight him. Rather they gone out of their way to reform him, reunite him with his estranged daughter and are pretty resolute to having him join the team.
But you know, it's the suprises that make GMing fun.
Quote from: Idinsinuation;295310As for your Legion NPC, what are the odds she can betray the party at some opportune time? :hmm:
No, I really don't think that'd fit the persona.
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Happens all the time. IME as a GM, you never really know which characters the players take a shine to. Right now, it's this enigmatic Aenar (Andorian subspecies) gun smuggler in my Star Trek campaign. Most of my npcs are based on real life actors. This one is based on William Fichtner :
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001209/
I've expanded his role, making him one of the members of the BigBad's (who will only show up towards the end of the campiagn) inner circle.
Regards,
David R
It happens that a player attaches themselves to an NPC, either by having them owe a debt which needs payment, or some other way. Seeing the player then exploit this NPC or even help, clothe and feed them, suddenly an off the cuff NPC becomes an important part of the story, whether it be background or current.
It then inspires me as a GM to write the NPC into the story. Ive said before, as a GM I want to be surprised by the adventure as much as the players...
Campaign that just ended, 50 Fathoms. There was a young Frenchman on the ship, former lieutenant in Napoleon's Grand Armee. For some reason the players kept bringing this guy into scenes, even saying, "Hey, what does Jean think about this situation!"
Of course, being an infantryman and stupid young, I made sure Jean always gave horribly bad advice. Things like "Well, at Jena, we we charged into them, see, from the front! They broke as we ran at them, even though we were outnumbered. Just like now. Our major, he was a brave one - too bad a cannon took off his head in that charge! Oh, but he was brave..."
Brilliant. And welcome to theRPGsite, Mencelus!
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Quote from: RPGPundit;295523Brilliant. And welcome to theRPGsite, Mencelus!
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Thanks. Quite liking what I see here. Not that I'm not elsewhere, but a nice vibe on the boards here - long time lurker. I made an account long ago, then never used it, re-discovered the site and found out I already had an account! Then I started to read...
Quote from: RPGPundit;295523Brilliant. And welcome to theRPGsite, Mencelus!
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Agreed! That's good stuff and welcome!
My PCs never pay attention to my npcs. Ingrates lol! How often are you going to see a skeleton golf caddy?!
I guess it's only fair as when I'm a player I deeply distrust and am suspicious of every npc. It could be a decrepit old blind woman, and I'm like "Don't turn your back on her. She could be hiding something!"
That's why I never see the evilness of my actions when I kill or put an npc through immense pain. Accidental or purposely. I figured given the chance they would've revealed themself to be a villain anyway just waiting to cut my throat.
I think that's what they call paranoia LOL!
Quote from: Soylent Green;295320In my current Marvel Supers game I had orignally planned to use Vuture as an early throw-away encounter to give the player characters an easy win.
They never did fight him. Rather they gone out of their way to reform him, reunite him with his estranged daughter and are pretty resolute to having him join the team.
But you know, it's the suprises that make GMing fun.
My modus operandi in Marvel for a long while was PCs plus whichever Marvel hero I wanted to toss in as the story made sense, or as I pleased, depending. I wound up with of the PCs in the game calling Cable "Uncle Nate" and another surprisingly bonding with Nate Grey (X-Man) when the PC's team was falling apart.
My mind still boggles at how that happened.
Welcome to you too; Jim.
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