Social conflicts for PCs & NPCs

[Aliquid]

I've been running a game and slowly increasing the number of NPCs that the PCs interact with.

Contacts, informants, allies, enemies etc...

I decided to throw in a bit of conflict, and it went surprisingly well:

The PCs were fighting off some monsters that had infiltrated the city. During the battle, the city guard eventually joined, and then some other NPC adventurers came to help (near the end). After the monsters were defeated, the townsfolk cheered etc., and the NPC adventurers stepped forward and took all the credit... claimed that they saved the day.

One of the Players went ballistic. Her PC totally freaked out on the NPCs, and the city guard had to pull her away (note the NPCs were higher level, and already popular with the townsfolk).


Now I'm trying to think of other things like this to throw into the game.


Any suggestions for other NPC interactions that might get the players emotionally involved... where the NPC isn't necessarily a villain or anything, just conflict.

[Darth Ultron]

Rivals and competition. Other adventurers just like the PC's, doing the same things.

Just about any NPC merchant that...while not ''stealing'' is more then willing to mislead a PC....even more so when the character sets them selves up. Like when the character buys a potion of healing for like 1,000 gold (of course they meant to say potion of cure serious wounds, or such).

[Aliquid]

Yes being ripped off will get the players worked up.

Maybe I should just think of all the annoying people I come across in real life, and create NPCs to match.


The co-worker that always says they are "super busy", but doesn't accomplish anything
The contractor who says that they will come and fix your furnace tomorrow... but keep on having excuses and pushing it off to the next day
The manager that throws you under the bus whenever anything goes wrong
The friend that always needs to borrow something but doesn't return the favor


etc

[Quellian-dyrae]

Lightly corrupt heroes can be good for this. I'm not talking villains with good publicity, but heroes who have a reputation for personal power and good deeds, but who are more in it for the glory than the work. They might allow low-end criminals or evils to operate under their noses for some personal profit, lord their power over the common folk they protect (not actually hurting anyone, but clearly throwing their weight around and such), and so on. They also might refuse to assist with serious threats, either because there isn't anything in it for them, or because they primarily only fight weaker enemies who they can easily beat and aren't willing to actually risk their lives fighting enemies that could actually have a chance of beating them. For a group of truly heroic individuals, these sorts can be pretty infuriating.

Also, consider people who could provide assistance in critical situations, but demand something in return for it even if the heroes winning is clearly in their best interests. Like, an army is approaching, the heroes go to the local ruler to get some more troops to fortify their next target, and the ruler will only do it if they do some favor like intimidating a political rival or whatever. The pettier the demand and the more haughtily dismissive they are of the actual problem the better.

[Vitruviansquid]

Your player party picks up an apprentice of a sort. He is young but showing potential, eager to learn from your party, and still too vulnerable to be obnoxious as a DMPC... only he hasn't really picked what skills to develop yet, and so he's kind of "shopping around" for a mentor. When your one PC does something noteworthy, he will become that PC's fan, and may act slightly condescending toward the other PCs, and then he might change his attitude once another PC outshines the first ("Wow! Did you see the way wizard put down those two monsters in one spell? I wonder if he will teach me a cantrip and show me how to become a wizard!... fighter? Oh sure, I suppose fighter is decent too, at whatever it is he does.") Of course, there is always the unpleasantness that the apprentice will find the other, douchey NPC party to be more praiseworthy.

[Pelle]

I would love to burden my players with a 'DMPC' inspired by David Brent / Michael Scott, an annoying socially inept guy that tries too hard to be liked, and see how long they can put up with him

[frost890]

So what other places can the NPC adventures bump in to them? Will one of them offer to help (loadly for all to hear) they next time the kids get in trouble? Maybe the inventor/alchemist/wizard needs supplies and is excitable and needy. PLEASE!! You simply must help me!!