Who and what are the PCs

[Tolkien geek]

Hi there, I am a new member :smallbiggrin:

I enjoy the OotS and besides the great inspired story, I also like to delve at its cosmology (as you noticed I am a geek).

I understand that OotS is a fourth-wall-breaking metafictional world where nature is defined by numbers, possibilities, percentages and checks... oh, and instead of "persons" we have "characters".

Yet the OotS world is a world on its own, not an imaginary world in the head of some players. And the characters are actual persons, not imaginary figures or avatars of "actual" people. So I am not sure I understand what means "PC" and "NPC" in that context.

Are PCs to be meant as superior "destined-to-change-the-world" persons? do they have conscience opposed to soul-less NPCs? Should we imagine the NPCs to be something like p-zombies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie)?

Or is PC something like a profession? I mean, as soon as some character joins a party in a quest automatically "becomes" a PC? Yet I think Crystal considered Haley a PC even before the OotS.

Are the Order of the Scribble and the Linear Guild PCs too? Are there any other non-party characters PCs also?

[littlebottom]

at the end of the day, when they say "PC" or "NPC" they are simply breaking the fourth wall, not much else to it realy, but im not sure about a new character joining the party makes them a PC opposed to NPC? celia has joined with oots now realy, so is she automatically a PC? well i dont know, but otherwise its use is more of a joke to the readers.

[TheBST]

It seems to be a holdover from the early daysa when the comic was primarily poking fun at D&D without an actual story. Could also refer to some (bad) games where the world revolves around the player characters while NPCs are considered expendable and ignored.

[Optimystik]

It seems to be a holdover from the early daysa when the comic was primarily poking fun at D&D without an actual story. Could also refer to some (bad) games where the world revolves around the player characters while NPCs are considered expendable and ignored.

A trope lampshaded in the comic several times - Roy manages to forget the presence of both the party's loaned teleporting wizard and Lord Hinjo himself while expounding to his teammates.

[[TS] Shadow]

I think that PCs in the OotS world are another term for adventurers. Thus, anyone who isn't part of their group is automatically an NPC.