How to RP NPCs Smarter than Me?

[the_brazenburn]

Hello all,

I am DMing CoS (campaign overview here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?540101-Ivor-and-Brazenbuns-Curse-of-Strahd-Farce) and the final session is coming up.

This is the moment of do-or-die for the PCs, and the session will most likely shape up as a huge battle between the forces of evil and only-kind-of-evil-in-that-murderhoboish-kind-of-way.

Strahd is supposed to be a genius and incredible tactician, and I'm a bit nervous about trying to RP him to his full potential. I'm pretty smart, but nowhere near Strahd's level, and I don't know how to utilize his full potential.

Any help, Playground?

[Doug Lampert]

Hello all,

I am DMing CoS (campaign overview here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?540101-Ivor-and-Brazenbuns-Curse-of-Strahd-Farce) and the final session is coming up.

This is the moment of do-or-die for the PCs, and the session will most likely shape up as a huge battle between the forces of evil and only-kind-of-evil-in-that-murderhoboish-kind-of-way.

Strahd is supposed to be a genius and incredible tactician, and I'm a bit nervous about trying to RP him to his full potential. I'm pretty smart, but nowhere near Strahd's level, and I don't know how to utilize his full potential.

Any help, Playground?

The biggest point is simply to think about the setup and his own abilities in advance and think about what he'd do if attacked by a party.

Don't try to plan against your particular party, just generic tactics. Know what he can do, have a plan for how he'll do it, have a backup plan "this is what I do if things go to pot".

Look at the rules implications of the terrain. Maybe he's set up some fortified choke points where his minions will have cover, and any PCs they target will not. Maybe he's got a bunch of command detonated traps targetting different places in the room, and minions who can set them off. He should do a competent job of trying to pick targets for save powers based on likely saves.

If all else fails, seriously consider bringing in someone to help, either someone else takes over the routine tracking crap (initiative, damage, hit chances, ext...) or someone else runs Strahd, IMAO far and away the most common source of stupid NPC actions is that the GM is trying to do about 10 things at once while the players are trying to run one guy at a time. If you can get someone else to run all the minor crap while you concentrate on running the bad-guy you may find he acts a lot smarter.

[Temperjoke]

It's not as difficult as you might think. Strahd is going to know almost everything that you know about what the party has done, and invariably know more about what's going on than the party does. But he's also over-confident, and rightly so given how powerful he is. That means that he's not going to bother planning every possible scenario and have a counter for it all, he simply doesn't need to. At this point he's either bored with the party, or irritated/angry with them, and ready to be done with them in any case. He's not going to waste a bunch of time on banter.

[GooeyChewie]

In this particular case, I actually would make plans against your particular party. Strahd has been watching them the whole time; he knows what they can and can’t do. He should provide and epic fight, and frankly a well-prepared party can take the vampire down pretty quickly if Strahd doesn’t also prepare.

In addition to knowing your party, you also know the terrain. The cards may show where the party will first meet Strahd, but don’t be afraid to have him escape to more advantageous rooms during the fight.

[Nidgit]

If you're concerned about RPing a character like Strahd, just do your best to seem calm and in control of the situation until the very brink of defeat. Take a little bit longer to speak lines so you can better formulate your sentences, but don't go out of your way to use excessively large words. The biggest thing is confidence in his intelligence and power.

[Unoriginal]

An important thing about Strahd is that, despite his intellect and his powers, he is, fundamentally, a loser.

Other well-known D&D bad guys are no stranger to pride and lack of empathy, of course, such as Acererak who just cannot imagine adventurers as anything but walking cans of Energy Drink, but the thing about Strahd is that he's much like a petulant kid who cannot realize, or cannot admit, that much of his own misery is due to his own doing only.

Imagine Anakin Skywalker if Padme had been Obi-Wan's wife instead.

[Spiderguy24]

An important thing about Strahd is that, despite his intellect and his powers, he is, fundamentally, a loser.

Other well-known D&D bad guys are no stranger to pride and lack of empathy, of course, such as Acererak who just cannot imagine adventurers as anything but walking cans of Energy Drink, but the thing about Strahd is that he's much like a petulant kid who cannot realize, or cannot admit, that much of his own misery is due to his own doing only.

Imagine Anakin Skywalker if Padme had been Obi-Wan's wife instead.

Are we talking about the less whiny and actually cool Anakin Skywalker from The Clone Wars T.V series, or the whiny guy from the movies?

[OldTrees1]

Are we talking about the less whiny and actually cool Anakin Skywalker from The Clone Wars T.V series, or the whiny guy from the movies?

The latter unless your PCs have time travel.

[Waffle_Iron]

So for RP purposes, pause before you speak, but speak quickly. Don't concentrate on big words, but rather on speaking down to the player characters. He's haughty.
As for battle plans, he'll know the party's strengths and weaknesses. Have him target their weak saves, and once he hits half HP, use but and run tactics, and environmental advantages.
The PCs are supposed to have a chance at beating him, kinda, so don't worry about it too much.

[Unoriginal]

Are we talking about the less whiny and actually cool Anakin Skywalker from The Clone Wars T.V series, or the whiny guy from the movies?

Reminder the one in the T.V series left a man to die for no reason except said guy was Padme's ex. I mean, the guy was working for the Separatists and betrayed the Republic, but he also helped save Padme's life as soon as she was threatened.

Also, like OldTrees1 said, the latter.


and I don't know how to utilize his full potential.

Any help, Playground?

Also, OP, an additinonal advice:

Try looking at different movie interpretations of Dracula's meeting with Harker, especially the Bela Lugosi's version


https://youtu.be/ZtZ5pDYgsE8

All in all, to play Strahd, don't try to act like a genius. Act as if you were in control, like an aristocrat who had to handle annoying guests while knowing he's already beaten them and is just waiting to reveal it to them.

Then, when things start going wrong, show the cracks in this veneer. He'll still pretend to be in control, but it's obvious he's improvising. Have him be impatient, sneer his contempt, shout, lose his cool then try to act as if it was a calculated move.

And once it's obvious the PCs manage to actually hurt him, show him like the pathetic, petulant jerk who can't deal with being denied victory or anything else he truly is deep down

[nickl_2000]

Two words: British Accent

Everything sounds better and more intellegent with a British accent.


Oh and I'm only giving this advice now that you have gotten a while boatload of really good advice from others.