Lately I am finding that my NPCs are feeling a bit lackluster. Either I don't know exactly how to roleplay them, or it feels like the players are asking them things that I can't immediately answer so it feels unnatural.
How can I inject a little bit more personality into each of them? What have you done to add depth to your NPCs? Do you handle "shopping" as a chance at an NPC interaction, or just something that is done in down time? Any tips on being prepared, or how to answer questions that might provoke a little thought?
Thanks for the help :)
Quote from: Sirfuzz;1141217Lately I am finding that my NPCs are feeling a bit lackluster. Either I don't know exactly how to roleplay them, or it feels like the players are asking them things that I can't immediately answer so it feels unnatural.
How can I inject a little bit more personality into each of them? What have you done to add depth to your NPCs? Do you handle "shopping" as a chance at an NPC interaction, or just something that is done in down time? Any tips on being prepared, or how to answer questions that might provoke a little thought?
Thanks for the help :)
If it is an NPC that PC's may have engagement with, such as a shop owner, local authority (head of the watch, guild master, figure in community who sticks out), etc I tend to ask about 3-5 questions about the NPC and write answers. Is he/she married? Does he/she have kids? How did they come to this position/occupation? Have they ever killed anyone? Name one ally/close friend. Those sorts of things give me a skeleton I can work with and answer questions from and make them up (jotting them down after session to make it history after making it up) if need be during a session.
It's kinda like the 20 questions you might use to build a PC, right?
Something I've been twiddling with too: how would this NPC act in a given situation? Like, if they're supposed to be an actual antagonist, what would their intro quote be in a fighting game?
I honestly never use that many questions for a major antagonist, I think I would add 2-3 more perhaps greatest personality positive and a greatest flaw, and motivation. But something like that. I have had one recurring Villain in a Conan game we play, but by far the characters that have lasted the longest as NPCs are the locals where they tend to return to and make a home. Those characters I made skin deep, and as they interacted more fleshed them out more. This is one aspect I like to borrow heavily from REH, he had an idea of the entire world and it's history his stories took place in, but in his stories he revealed a little of of the world at a time. Nothing worse IMO than spending hours and hours of time on a world setting and playing 1-2 sessions and you and the players decide to play something else.
I google pics, choose one I like, and build a personality based off the picture.
Or I base them off fiction characters, often from non fantasy fiction. Or just an actor or actress I like, eg Helen Mirren for a clan matriarch.
Quote from: Sirfuzz;1141217Lately I am finding that my NPCs are feeling a bit lackluster. Either I don't know exactly how to roleplay them, or it feels like the players are asking them things that I can't immediately answer so it feels unnatural.
How can I inject a little bit more personality into each of them? What have you done to add depth to your NPCs? Do you handle "shopping" as a chance at an NPC interaction, or just something that is done in down time? Any tips on being prepared, or how to answer questions that might provoke a little thought?
Thanks for the help :)
A friend of mine just posted some advice on the subject. It's mostly about giving NPCs a simple concrete handle or two - like a physical detail or a favorite item. NPCs for the most part are necessarily shallow, so having a quick and simple handle can be a good thing.
https://penspaperpolyhedrals.wordpress.com/2020/07/18/120/
Shopping is normally abstracted unless it is unusual, like shopping for magic items in some settings.
It's a good idea to have a few personalities that are in the background that can be added to an NPC if needed. They can be based off people in the news or people you know in real life. Not every character should be a paranoid schizophrenic, but the first time you have the NPC demand that they close the door, whisper, and insists on checking each window for people listening before responding to their questions, it'll be memorable.
Make a rumor table, then select the rumor that seems most appropriate when you need something for an NPC to talk about.
there is a baron munchausen drinking game that will help you practice and improve improv.
You want a genuinely memorable NPC? Look at the tropes and go against them - not all the time, but shake it up.
Have them like the party, or at least a member of the party. "Hey, you're from Elmshire? I'm from Elmshire! Come in, have a drink."
They'll remember the generous shopkeeper.
They'll remember the cheerful watchman - base him on Andy Griffith.
They'll remember the 'regular guy, not mysterious at all' sage or old wizard.
They'll remember the Good sport, friendly rival party.
Quote from: LiferGamer;1141348You want a genuinely memorable NPC? Look at the tropes and go against them - not all the time, but shake it up.
Have them like the party, or at least a member of the party. "Hey, you're from Elmshire? I'm from Elmshire! Come in, have a drink."
They'll remember the generous shopkeeper.
They'll remember the cheerful watchman - base him on Andy Griffith.
They'll remember the 'regular guy, not mysterious at all' sage or old wizard.
They'll remember the Good sport, friendly rival party.
Yes, players love friendly competent NPCs!
Quote from: Libramarian;1141269Make a rumor table, then select the rumor that seems most appropriate when you need something for an NPC to talk about.
This is great advice. Using rumour tables in-play is a great way to bring the world to life. Gossip is the lifeblood of society!
If you can do voices well, that helps. If you can't, there's still an out:
Vary the cadence of your speech for some NPCs--at least every 3rd to 5th one, depending on how frequently the players are encountering them. It need not be elaborate, either. Have one NPC that talks in short, clipped sentences. Have one that rambles. Have one goes into lecture mode, but gets flustered when the players ask a question. Have one that speaks notably slower than normal. Or if you can manage it, notably faster. Have one that will never answer a direct question. Think about how people around you talk, and then use that.
If you do that on every NPC, it will get lost in the clutter--plus, that is difficult to do. Thing is, if you do this for some NPCs, then the other distinguishing marks you use for the NPCs that use your "normal GM NPC voice" will also stand out more. It's the same way that if you describe the hair color or eyes or cloak on every NPC, soon the players will tune it out.
This is kind of backing into what others have said about picking one or two things to make an NPC stand out. Don't stop there. Vary the categories from which you pick your one or two things so that the categories themselves do not grow stale.
I treat NPC's like normal people. Everyone wants something. What is it?
It doesn't matter if it's a simple-minded porter that wants only to get laid after back-breaking work all day. Or the Bartender that secretly pines of the day that he could return to Adventuring(tm) like the days of youth - and he gets this vicarious thrill out of helping out young adventurers that may/may not be the PC's. Or the local Reeve that secretly wants to kill the mayor because he's having an illicit affair with his wife. Or maybe the crazy Squire who cares about his tenants and wants to help them, but lacks the skills to do so - and is looking for people with those skills to do .
Motivations. And as a GM you play them honestly within the context of the NPC's stats. Not every NPC is a super-efficient genius. Everyone has weird quirks. Roll with them and let your players react to those events organically.
Quote from: Steven Mitchell;1141408If you can do voices well, that helps. If you can't, there's still an out:
Vary the cadence of your speech for some NPCs--at least every 3rd to 5th one, depending on how frequently the players are encountering them. It need not be elaborate, either. Have one NPC that talks in short, clipped sentences. Have one that rambles. Have one goes into lecture mode, but gets flustered when the players ask a question. Have one that speaks notably slower than normal. Or if you can manage it, notably faster. Have one that will never answer a direct question. Think about how people around you talk, and then use that.
Great advice - use of cadence is an almost-subconscious way to make NPCs stand out. I usually avoid 'funny voices' (and absolutely NO falsetto for female NPCs), but I often use cadence and/or a very slightly raised or lowered tone.
Quote from: S'mon;1141429Great advice - use of cadence is an almost-subconscious way to make NPCs stand out. I usually avoid 'funny voices' (and absolutely NO falsetto for female NPCs), but I often use cadence and/or a very slightly raised or lowered tone.
I use falsetto for the occasional doddering old-maid type, usually with a forceful manner: "Stop looking at me that way, Sonny!" Then when the campaign is well-established and I haven't used it for some time, I'll use it for a female wizard that appears doddering and mild at first but can still pack a mean spell and has the attitude of an action-thriller hero when the chips are down. "You can't go there. " (Blam! Whoosh!) "Anyone else want some?"
Quickly and without much effort? For me, using a personality chart of adjectives and selecting or rolling off two or three. Then I "inhabit" that headspace and try to discover it in improv.
If I need more I flesh them out with an index card and pertinent functions... I have a fleshed out example and .pdf on this forum, IIRC 'Random drawn MtG to build a campaign'.
edit: the file is searchable on this forum with "NPC Carlotta Duriel pdf.pdf" It is an example with a blank copy further down. Hope it helps.
Inevitably you'll have to make some up on the Fly, have index cards or something where you can write down their name personality and what they do and where they're at...
3D stands for "three dimensions". My screenwriting teachers argued you didn't even need 3D for an interesting minor character, but if the character is going to be integral to the story (or in the setting in our case), then go for all 3Ds.
The article jhkim posted covers most of the territory that professional authors use for character creation. It's worth reading.
Quote from: jhkim;1141254A friend of mine just posted some advice on the subject.
https://penspaperpolyhedrals.wordpress.com/2020/07/18/120/
Look at Greedo from Star Wars. Here's his 3Ds
1) Weird Alien
2) Overconfident
3) Treacherous
Quote from: LiferGamer;1141348You want a genuinely memorable NPC? Look at the tropes and go against them - not all the time, but shake it up.
Have them like the party, or at least a member of the party. "Hey, you're from Elmshire? I'm from Elmshire! Come in, have a drink."
They'll remember the generous shopkeeper.
They'll remember the cheerful watchman - base him on Andy Griffith.
They'll remember the 'regular guy, not mysterious at all' sage or old wizard.
They'll remember the Good sport, friendly rival party.
I can see that working very well. It would certainly help to make them feel memorable.