What to do when a PC hits on an NPC

[atemu1234]

Last mission I introduced an NPC who one of the characters keeps hitting on. What should I do? (Please don't suggest killing them for cheap drama)

[JusticeZero]

Is there some sort of problem with the NPC doing things with the PC? Is the PC being especially crude or acting in some way that might upset the other players? I'm not sure where the issue is here. The PC gets a fun date offscreen?

[sideswipe]

i am a great lover of immersion. if the npc has no reasons for not wanting a romantic relations ship, or a quick turn in the bushes for some of the more risqué characters. for example; married, high morals, chastity, PC having a charisma of "OH MY GOD GO AWAY YOU MONSTER!"
if the NPC would potentially want some form of other half in their life then you could have the PC make a charisma check to see if they are found attractive by the NPC. if its reasonably successful (15 or more) then start some role play and potentially a diplomacy check to see if they scores a date with the NPC. then break out the BoEF and go nuts.

personally the campaign my current monday night group that i am DMing was a very serious campaign. with a big overarching story that could be done and with no real time limits. i knew it would only serve as a guidance to give the party things to do alongside prat about.
they turned it into a comedy campaign, which i loved as i am very flexible.
after having a new party member, who has been known to dabble in this in real life, she decided to arrange an in character orgy with the NPC torture specialist and a few members of the party.

so not only is it ok to have romance or the other thing..... in your campaign i encourage it. since it can help the players believe that they are all characters with emotions and wants. and so are your sometimes faceless npc's. it adds depth and almost no work needed or preparing.

you turn from
a barbarian ubercharger with +X to hit and +x to damage
to
i am garthal the barbarian strongman and lover of many women.

it can also be good for encouraging 2D players and/or characters to flesh out and become fun.

disclaimer - the following comment is not intended to be hurtful to anyone, but rather a comical gag at the stereotype of D&D players
and hey we are all nerds here, some are nerds with social skills and girlfriends, and some who like boobs and the rest but have little experience. character roleplay in an adult setting can use escapism to help fulfil the need we all have.

[DrKerosene]

I would tentatively go with it, using the Diplomacy guidelines for how successful a PC might be and how much "effort" it would take to get someone into that level of "friendly".

However, I've only had female gamers attempt this before, so I'm not sure what I might do if it was "that guy" attempting it.

There is a good article from The Giant on Diplomacy somewhere. I would suggest that the group agrees to how detailed anything gets, and you really, really, probably do not need to use any other books for this.

Edit: You said "keeps hitting on", which makes me think they've been failing the RP or Diplomacy rolls, I would just start to push the NPC into an "anti-fan" roll as things continue/if the PC continues to fail at romantics/common courtesy.

[nedz]

LARP it up !

More seriously, different people have different comfort levels with this stuff but you can either play through as far as you are happy with until you fade to gray; or just describe the whole thing in general terms, wave your hands in the air, and get on with the rest of the game.

[KillianHawkeye]

Option A) The NPC rebuffs the player's advances

This can be for any reason, really. Maybe they're already in a relationship. Maybe they've repressed their own sexuality or just don't know how act socially. Maybe the PC just isn't the NPC's type (or is the wrong gender). Maybe the NPC just got out of a bad relationship and can't even think about flirting or what comes afterwards. Whatever, there's a million reasons.

Now assuming the player can't take a hint, things will escalate from there. Things could get violent. Law enforcement could get involved. Maybe the NPC just gets scared off and goes away forever.


Option B) The NPC is into it and the pair becomes an item

This can be a good thing because it gets the players more involved in the world. This is great even if you don't ever use it against them. If things go well, the player can settle down and start a family or continue adventuring while worrying about what will happen if they get killed in some ditch or subterranean crypt. Being attached to an NPC helps players get attached to a location or to a group that the NPC might be a member of.


Option C) AKA the middle ground: The NPC doesn't mind an occasional tussle but isn't interested in anything long-term

This can lead to an interesting dynamic where the player is really attached to a character that likes them superficially but otherwise doesn't really care about them. Or you can do the reverse if the player just wants sex and have the NPC get super-clingy and increasingly demanding of the player's attention and time. Or you can just let it be a casual thing that happens and adds a bit of flavor to when the party returns to town to rest and resupply.


Option D) Ambiguity: The NPC neither accepts nor declines the player's advances

This is really just to mess with the player, but it's also kind of a realistic thing that can happen. The NPC acts sorta flirty towards the player, but is disinterested by any actual propositions the player suggests. Maybe they just like flirting, or maybe that's just how they act subconsciously and they don't mean anything by it. Some people are just nice and the other person misinterprets it as flirting. Or maybe the NPC isn't opposed to the idea of hooking up but wants to make the player work for it, or they want to get something more out of it. You don't have to be a prostitute to take advantage of another person's desires, and one of the best ways is to keep stringing them along with suggestions and implied promises that never quite pay out.

Taking this option can make the eventual conquest more satisfying (for both parties), or it can just be annoying for the one doing the pursuing. Not that there's anything wrong with trying to annoy your players. :smallwink::smallbiggrin:





Regardless, without knowing the personality, scope, and plot-importance of the NPC in question, it's difficult to say which option you should choose. Hopefully, just sketching out some of the general possibilities like this will help you come up with something appropriate to the game and characters involved. And don't forget, have fun with it!

[fishyfishyfishy]

I don't normally require dice roles for that type of thing. It's a fantasy RPG. If the player wants to RP a relationship or a hookup, and it is not disruptive or offensive to anyone else at the table, I just let it happen.

[SVentura77]

I don't see why it's a problem. Roleplaying games mean all kinds of role playing.

I once had to sit through a sex scene narrated by my male DM (playing a dwarf woman) and a male player (playing a hideously burned man with a "unit" that suspiciously resembled raw bacon) sitting to my left. It was awkward. It was hilarious. I wish I had a Talkboy so that I can embarrassingly relive the experience at parties and other social gatherings.

I think these sessions can be some of the most fun. Honestly, if you don't mind straying from combat and stats then there is no reason why this RP shouldn't earn some bonus experience.

[prufock]

Determine the NPCs availability via setting an initial diplomacy attitude. Normally they're indifferent, but if they're married, betrothed, strictly moral, and/or discriminating in tastes, they might be unfriendly. If single, on the prowl, unprincipled, and/or not picky, maybe friendly. Get the NPC to "helpful" and you score. Of course +/- 2 or 5 bonus/penalties for circumstances apply.

[KingSmitty]

VD is always a real possibility too.

[Telonius]

OP, could you give a little more detail about what difficulties you're having? It's not clear if you want help for story ideas, mechanics for determining whether or not the NPC is into it, or general issues with the group being uncomfortable.

If the issue is whether or not you want to describe it at all ... I usually talk to all of the players about this kind of thing before any adventure starts. Just how much does everybody (you as well as the players) want to describe before doing a discreet fade-out? (Or depending on the group, should there not be a fade-out?) Asking them to give a "movie rating" to the campaign can be a helpful tool. The most important thing is to make sure everybody's okay with whatever the group comes up with. If anybody's uncomfortable (including you), for whatever reason, they should feel that it's okay to say so.

[ElenionAncalima]

OP, could you give a little more detail about what difficulties you're having? It's not clear if you want help for story ideas, mechanics for determining whether or not the NPC is into it, or general issues with the group being uncomfortable.

I agree that clarification on this issue would help.

If its about the DM or other players being uncomfortable, then you need to talk with the player and explain that you don't feel comfortable roleplaying this way.

If its about how to respond, there is a lot of good advice in the thread...but more specifics about the NPC would help. You basically have to figure out if the NPC would be interested...and if you are not sure, let him roll something. That's how I ended up with a rather amusing situation in my game where a player got a nat 20 to win the affections of his fling...and now feels guilty ever leaving her...even though there is another female NPC his character has great rapport with.

[Extra Anchovies]

Piece of advice: Don't determine romance via die rolls. A diplomacy check doesn't make someone fall in love with you, nor does a Charisma check. Good roleplaying is what does that, and if the PC is flirting in-character then they're already up to some good RP.

[The Insanity]

Roleplay it out.

[Honest Tiefling]

Introduce a rival for the person's affections. They might have levels. They might even be their spouse! Does this society allow multiple marriages...? Their family might also raise objections...And not be too happy if there is a chance that the first born for the marriage they have promised her to will not be the husband's. If it is a man, they might not appreciate the chance of illegitimate competition.

Or the family sells things the party wants and does not like this riffraff around their darling child. Shoo!

They're actually a part of a criminal organization who might not like them...Straying. Especially not to the hero, either due to race, actions, origin, etc. They might want out, however...

They could also think that hitting on an adventurer will not just result in an exciting time (with no commitments), but also a good deal of cash or at least some presents.

They might return the advances...To hide the fact that they are really interested in pursuing a socially unacceptable match, such as someone of their own gender or the local half-orc smith.

She gets chosen for a festival! This is a great honor to the family, and might repair their reputation after her uncle sorta lit a part of it on fire and was hanged for treason. However, she might need to be an actual virgin for that part...Could be sacrifice, or just something to delay getting close to one another. (rumors that she is no longer a virgin and therefore does not qualify will not help)

[jjcrpntr]

I had a player that hit on every female NPC he encountered. I actually let him succeed in bedding one with the idea that later in the campaign a kid would show up at his doorstep. Unfortunately/fortunately the player didn't stick around.