Hallavast
2011-02-05, 10:43 PM
As a "rule", non-rules/mechanics related threads rarely get a lot of mileage on this particular forum. Maybe that claim will goad some of you into proving me wrong here. :smallwink:
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Here's the short version of my latest DnD game: the PCs are on the lam after being falsely accused of murdering the King. During their flight from the capitol, they ran into a gate guard captain whom they bribed for passage out of the city.
The bribe in question was a promise of knighthood (and a magic sword). See, the PCs are largely a group of young nobles who have run afoul of the central political arena of the kingdom. Now they are fugitives trying to make their way back to their own lands. I plan on making the journey difficult for them.
The nature of the bribe suddenly makes the NPC guard captain a bit more interesting to me, and I wish to flesh out the character further and incorporate him into the campaign in the future. I hadn't expected to do this, so now I've got some work to do. Maybe the playground can help out with some brainstorming. Here's what I've drawn up so far about the captain:
-even tempered and opportunistic
-war veteran of a recent civil war
-he's taking a considerable risk in the bribe, itself
-may be willing to help the PCs in the future to protect his investment
-or willing to backstab them if a better deal comes along
-before the war he held a good-natured, optimistic outlook on life (now he's a good deal more cynical)
-holds the trust and admiration of his 6 subordinate guardsmen who look up to him as a charismatic leader and mentor with their best interests at heart.
The political landscape of the campaign will be a nation fractionalized by the loss of their strong leader and by the schemes of lesser noble houses trying to grab power.
So, if this were your NPC, what plotline tropes would you like to use with him and are there any character traits that would make him more interesting? There are a lot of ways he can go, I think, so the more suggestions the better.
Alternatively, feel free to describe your own situations where you've been inspired by the PCs' actions to elevate or add depth to an otherwise minor NPC. I love hearing gaming stories from the playground about these. I hope I'm not the only one.
:
Here's the short version of my latest DnD game: the PCs are on the lam after being falsely accused of murdering the King. During their flight from the capitol, they ran into a gate guard captain whom they bribed for passage out of the city.
The bribe in question was a promise of knighthood (and a magic sword). See, the PCs are largely a group of young nobles who have run afoul of the central political arena of the kingdom. Now they are fugitives trying to make their way back to their own lands. I plan on making the journey difficult for them.
The nature of the bribe suddenly makes the NPC guard captain a bit more interesting to me, and I wish to flesh out the character further and incorporate him into the campaign in the future. I hadn't expected to do this, so now I've got some work to do. Maybe the playground can help out with some brainstorming. Here's what I've drawn up so far about the captain:
-even tempered and opportunistic
-war veteran of a recent civil war
-he's taking a considerable risk in the bribe, itself
-may be willing to help the PCs in the future to protect his investment
-or willing to backstab them if a better deal comes along
-before the war he held a good-natured, optimistic outlook on life (now he's a good deal more cynical)
-holds the trust and admiration of his 6 subordinate guardsmen who look up to him as a charismatic leader and mentor with their best interests at heart.
The political landscape of the campaign will be a nation fractionalized by the loss of their strong leader and by the schemes of lesser noble houses trying to grab power.
So, if this were your NPC, what plotline tropes would you like to use with him and are there any character traits that would make him more interesting? There are a lot of ways he can go, I think, so the more suggestions the better.
Alternatively, feel free to describe your own situations where you've been inspired by the PCs' actions to elevate or add depth to an otherwise minor NPC. I love hearing gaming stories from the playground about these. I hope I'm not the only one.