Handling a PC that tries to have a relationship with a one-shot character

[atemu1234]

A PC of mine wants a relationship with an Nov I originally intended to only show up once. I think I'll let him do it, but any suggestions for things to be wary of?

Edit: Sorry, NPC.

[Segev]

I don't know what a "Nov" is, but this just sounds like something to play with organically, to me. Remember that this NPC has desires, drives, and needs of his or her own. Barring the PC taking Leadership to get this NPC as a cohort, said NPC shouldn't be tagging along with the party - at least not very often, and not unless their interests align rather directly. But the NPC can be of aid to the PC, as long as the PC is equally of aid to the NPC. This latter can lead to any number of side quests and the like.

[KillianHawkeye]

Does the player want like a friendship or business relationship with this NPC, or more of a "relationship" relationship? How does the NPC in question feel about one night stands?




I don't know what a "Nov" is,

I believe it's an NPC when the typist's hands shift one letter to the left mid-word.

[Flickerdart]

Get the NPC murdered, milk it for all the drama you can handle.

[KillianHawkeye]

Get the NPC murdered, milk it for all the drama you can handle.

Plot hooks galore!! :smallbiggrin:

[icefractal]

Don't overuse that kind of thing (NPCs the players like getting murdered) though. That's what leads to orphan murder-hobo characters.

[HammeredWharf]

I'd go all the way. Let the PC marry the NPC, get a house, make some babies, etc. It's a nice way to make the players care about the country they're in. Killing that NPC would be a bit cheap as a plot twist IMO.

[Bullet06320]

the Npc may have been intended to be a one shot, but apparently one of the players took a shine to the character, great for future plot hooks, and its a great way to continue a campaign beyond the immediate adventure and makes the world grow beyond the next encounter

[Hyena]

To me, the answer is obvious. Make one-shot character a recurring character. When I started a campaign, the 1st level party was accompanied by a level 2 warrior called Diсk Richards, meant to act as a damage sponge and die in the first encounter, so puny one-digit hp PCs won't have to. His lifespan and role in the plot became somewhat... bigger then I planned.

[chainer1216]

Let him go for it! The same thing happened in a game I'm in, we met another groups of adventurers, my character was kind of a **** back then, wooed their rogue and then ended up growing attached. Fast forward several in game months they're married and she's 8 months pregnant and he's doing his best to help make the kingdom he's in a good place to grow up in.

[hemming]

I think the number one thing to be wary of in this situation is letting the PCs choices drive the NPC - which can be easy to do without a good strong set of motivations/goals for the NPC

If the NPC is not adventuring with the party, keep the life of the NPC moving so that circumstances aren't exactly the same the next time they meet

[Dimcair]

level 2 warrior called Diсk Richards.

*giggle

On Topic: It CAN be annoying to your other players if interaction with said NPC is somewhat exclusive and benefiting for the player who has said relationship with the NPC.

I say it CAN be because it is not a must... obviously.

[Sith_Happens]

To me, the answer is obvious. Make one-shot character a recurring character. When I started a campaign, the 1st level party was accompanied by a level 2 warrior called Diсk Richards, meant to act as a damage sponge and die in the first encounter, so puny one-digit hp PCs won't have to. His lifespan and role in the plot became somewhat... bigger then I planned.

In the first session of a campaign I played last summer, we had a chance at a surprise round on a group of three kobolds in a dungeon. Except while the rest of us were trying to agree on a plan of action, the changeling Swashbuckler turned into a hobgoblin and unilaterally tried to make with the Diplomacizing. One of the kobolds turned out to be a hilarious wannabe-mad-scientist, whom we subsequently dragged along with us as an ally for the rest of the campaign. On one occasion he saved us from a TPK using a bomb we didn't even know he had.

[Vhaidara]

This is how one of my groups got the party wizard. He was a new member of a cult of Talona who was poisoning a forest, and his superiors left him to kill us. My crossbow bolt put him at 0 HP, and then we got him geased. And boom, party wizard has arrived.

Yes, it was a DMPC that we forced upon him.

[Tengu_temp]

When PCs do things like this, it's a good thing. Expand the NPC's role make her show up more often than intended. And see if the PC makes a good impression on her - if he does, he might get a shot at a more lasting relationship.

Killing the NPC off for cheap drama and then going "ha ha!" like Nelson is the worst thing you can do in this situation. It just teaches your players not to care for your NPCs because everyone they get attached to will die.

[Red Fel]

Play it fairly. If the PC wants to try for a relationship, let him try.

But don't just have him succeed or fail based upon some rolls. Oh, no. Expand on the NPC in your notes. Give the NPC more depth. A history. Feelings, desires, like Segev says. Maybe the PC is appealing to the NPC. Maybe he's abhorrent. Maybe the NPC has no romantic feelings for him, but finds him useful. Decide on the NPC's feelings and tendencies, then let the PC try. If it goes well, let it move forward. If it doesn't go well, let the PC keep trying if he wants to - one-sided relationships can be hilarious, and are a potential RP goldmine.

Whether the NPC likes the PC or not, keep the NPC around. At least for a time. If it becomes convenient for the NPC to become a cohort, or a rival or enemy, or a corpse, play it out, but play it fairly. Don't just kill off an NPC to cause pain, just like you wouldn't have the NPC automatically fall head-over-heels for the PC; play it fairly. But if it is appropriate to the plot, do as ye will.

Avenging a fallen loved one is a beautiful story objective. So is retrieving a loved one from beyond the veil of death. So is retiring with a loved one and walking off into the sunset. So is protecting a loved one from danger. So are repeated futile attempts to earn her love. Really, any are correct. Just make sure they're appropriate to the story.

[roko10]

To me, the answer is obvious. Make one-shot character a recurring character. When I started a campaign, the 1st level party was accompanied by a level 2 warrior called Diсk Richards, meant to act as a damage sponge and die in the first encounter, so puny one-digit hp PCs won't have to. His lifespan and role in the plot became somewhat... bigger then I planned.

Can you tell me more?

[Hyena]

*giggle
It was absolutely intentional, because I have a brain and maturity of six year old.


Can you tell me more?
Well, I tied him to the plot as a govermental spy and ladies' man (and also kidnapped insane gnome inventor's best friend and colleague) posing as a dumb brute for hire. Sadly, he didn't live up to his full potential, due to campaign being finished in TPK.
For some reason, the players just loved him. Which is weird, because my NPCs tend to attract their wroth.

[Red Fel]

It was absolutely intentional, because I have a brain and maturity of six year old.


Well, I tied him to the plot as a govermental spy and ladies' man (and also kidnapped insane gnome inventor's best friend and colleague) posing as a dumb brute for hire. Sadly, he didn't live up to his full potential, due to campaign being finished in TPK.
For some reason, the players just loved him. Which is weird, because my NPCs tend to attract their wroth.

Clearly, it's not the size of the NPC that counts. It's how you use him.

... I'll stop now.

[Segev]

I have a brain and maturity of six year old.

Do you keep it in a jar, or is it dried and preserved on a shelf somewhere?

[Lord Vukodlak]

Frasier was originally only to appear in a few episodes of Cheers due to audience response he not only became a series regular he got his own series. The same logic should be applied to NPC's if the PC's take a liking to them they become recurring NPCs.

I once had a one-shot NPC a poison dusk lizardfolk named Gizmo who made these zanny inventions. He's sense become a recurring NPC across campaigns.


If a PC or a group of PC's take a shine to a one shot character.... well they aren't one shot characters anymore.

[Sith_Happens]

Frasier was originally only to appear in a few episodes of Cheers due to audience response he not only became a series regular he got his own series. The same logic should be applied to NPC's if the PC's take a liking to them they become recurring NPCs.

Jesse was also supposed to be killed of in the first season of Breaking Bad.

[hymer]

Jesse was also supposed to be killed of in the first season of Breaking Bad.

In M*A*S*H, Klinger was supposed to be a one-gag throw-away character. Harry Morgan, who played Col. Potter, made such an impression as a visiting general that they brought him back as a regular character.

All that to say I agree with Vukodlak's sentiment. If an NPC strikes a chord, it makes sense to bring them back. It's one of the basic ways to improve your campaign: Keep what works, get rid of that which doesn't.

[lytokk]

If we're just naming characters that weren't intended to stick around but did, Steve Urkel on Family Matters was only intended to ever be in the pilot, just some annoying neighbor kid. But he tested so well he pretty much became the series mascot.

And onto advice: Recently I had a one shot character that I hadn't named, that the party loved. It started with an NPC who was only supposed to check on a captive of the party, basically a healer to set a broken bone before applying healing magic. 4 completely botched heal checks later (complete with flavorful descriptions) the party demanded him to leave and fetch his superiors, who came, set the bone, and then said as punishment for failing his duties, had to attend to the needs of the unconscious captive, who was being watched by the party.
Later that session, the PCs need to run back to their wagon to make a quick escape, and the wagon ends up completely surrounded. Party asks, wait, what happened to (NPC) and I realize, he's still going to be in the wagon. I make simple rolls, and he ends up bashing skulls better than any member of the party. Now, the party wants to keep him around.
Many sessions later, the party loves this guy, and even give up the one DM save I told them I would make in order to keep this guy alive, and then practically demand that I remake him as I would if I was building him as my own character, as opposed to a simple NPC.

You can never predict what the players latch on to. Embrace the fact that you're making NPCs the players want to interact with, instead of little bags of XP or people they HAVE to talk to in order to get things done.