How detailed should NPCs be?

Games Discussion Ars Magica
1

A question for all the more experienced storyguides than I out there:

How much detail do you put into your major NPCs?

Case in point:

I'm working on the setting for my Loch Leglean campaign (using a semi-established covenant from another saga). It already has three remaining magi, who were initially described in some throwaway background fluff. Now that I'm setting my saga there, how much detail do I need for the magi (one of which will likely enter Final Twilight)? Complete V&F/arts/abilities/spells? Just the characteristics & V&F? Something in between, or other options that haven't occurred to me yet?

2

Depends. I have NPCs that read "Richard York. Bartender at Dublin. Busybody", and others that have a full blown character sheet. Since the release of TOME and MoH I have the need to blow hermetic characters with a name, age, main arts and a reference to an existing profile. So it can be "Gareth Sailor, 60. Weathered and straightforward personality, no tricks. Focus Storms. Thunderclap sigil. Auram & Rego. MOH: Maris ex Tytalus". That works well enough for most of our NPC if we ever need a numerical reference for the dude.

Cheers,
Xavi

3

There is something in New World of Darkness core that I liked pretty much:

They've got 2 ways of describing NPCs:

  • full stats + typical quote + backgound (=motivation) + description (about 5 useful adjectives, e.g. broad-shouldered and intimidating) + storytelling hints (detached, aggressive, eager to ..., might also include a signature quirk like fiddling with his clothes)
  • like above, but they just give a number for potentially relevant dice pools (finished totals)

For ArM5, this would mean: Either full chargen (takes like forever - but you could outsource them to willing people - there are always people more willing to do chargen then to play)

or

some reduced version.

important:

For a good NPC numbers are less important than quirks, a detailed description and a good characterisation. I also firmly believe in the signature quote.

4

As a person who currently has way too much time on my hands, I suggest not getting so detailed that the guy who sells the magi, correction does not even sell but rather simply refers them to a different cheaper merchant to sell them grain, and then know that the guy lives in Basil and is OCD about selling the most pristine grain and goods and left his father's merchant house in Trier because the Bishop became aware of the guys relationship with another young man who's parents wish him to enter the priesthood, but refused to leave his lover.

Yeah... that was way too much info for a guy who had a 20 minutes scene. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

But I don't think you can ever go wrong with a NPC that is too detailed, but it should not be necessary.

One trick I use though, to keep a game silky smooth, is I make a list of say 50 men's names and 50 women's and then write what their name means. Just a few words. GAËL: "white, fair, blessed, generous". This way as I go through a game if I suddenly need a NPC who is a fair and honest librarian, merchant, captain, ect. I just look at the list and say, "Hey Gael is a good name." And plop it goes in.

However I also do the other trick of if a character is going to be adverse to the players and there will be dice rolls, I keep a list of relevant scores. ((Oh I lie, I actually make out the entire sheet and history... but again, I have endless amounts of time))

Though Xavi does make a great point, having the sigil of a NPC magus, a strange tick or feature of a NPC, or even a odd vocal affect of the NPC, are easy and terrific ways to bring a NPC to life without doing much work. The woman in scarlet who cast snakes of flame in a alley is fine, but if she were to have eyes that bulged and twitched or a voice that was broken and stuttered, people will remember it and it will spark a memory in their own heads of someone they know and then they will identify with it.

I was playing in a RPG called Kult, and the ST describe a man as "smelling like vanilla covering up rotting flowers" and that blew my mind!

5

I have to say it heavily depends on what you are planning for that NPC. If they're just members of a far-away NPC covenant, I'd postpone thinking about them entirely until such time as that becomes relevant (tribunal? A PC is chasing an expert in X?). If you want to flesh out a covenant that the PCs would be in contact with, do some rough sketch of the things that matter for their role - status/power in covenant, Arts and spells willing/able to teach, political ideas and allegiencies, and so on. Having some personality and color (quirks, quote, attire, how his lab looks like, wizard's sigil, signature and important spells, familiar, talisman, magic items...) is great too. Fully statting him out, however, would IMO be a BAD idea - keep things loose. Only stat magi that should be a "fair" challenge to the PCs or something like that; otherwise, wing it. Even for combat, just list basic stats and spells, and be free to improvise with spells "no one knew" he had or somesuch to keep the combat entertaining (or, rarely, the plot on-track, if such a heavy-handed approach is needed).

Unless you enjoy statting him out, that is. It's often fun. :slight_smile:

Cheers,

Yair

6

These magi (the Bjornaer about to go into final twilight, a Nature Merinita, and an Ex Misc weather witch) are going to be residents of the covenant that the PC will be trying to bring back from the brink of Winter.

7

Names, ages, personalities and areas of interest.
Actual stats are only needed if you're as damaged as I am :slight_smile:

8

needs editing: "as WE are."

:laughing:

9

...I started with the founders of the covenant, none of them are still alive.
One of their apprentices are, but both he and his apprentice are nearing death due to failing longevity rituals.
I have full stats for every wizard who was ever a member of the covenant, even the dead ones or the ones that left straight out of apprenticeship - who knows, maybe the PCs'd like to call upon their ghosts?

A combination of unemployment and metacreator can lead a person to do odd things.

10

These characters I'd probably detail completely. I've found that a detailed NPC is often -- how to say it? -- more independent of my Storyguide's whims, in that his stats often suggest courses of action that I would not have thought about; and thus makes the story richer, because in some sense it's not just me telling the story, but him as well (I hope this does not sound too crazy...).

If you feel it's too much trouble, I think the forum will be very happy to help you out. Just post hermetic age and any other details that are fundamental to the plot and thus should not be contradicted (e.g. the fact that the Bjornaer is about to go into final twilight), and I am sure that you'll see great character designs quickly posted.

11

+1. I felt bad for using Metacreator to generate the stats even for the covenant's baker and the guy who will appear just five minutes to sell them a ligature... now I see I'm not alone! :smiley:

But yes, if the NPCs are going to interact often with the PCs (as it seems the case), it's nice to have them as detailed as possible... Even the guy going into final Twilight, he will have a more colorful ending!

12

as Ars Magica player i often sugest NPCs to the SG. With the troupe we set orientative chart i write the History of the NPC and the SG set down the stats according to the History. Just for information, last NPC haven't entered in game yet, it's the Phantom of a failed aprentice who died at the age of 92 years during the schism war on a Diedne covenant. The history have love, traition, intrigue, philosopie, recapacitation and is 11 Word pages long leter, size 12. If someone want to read i can lend (in Spanish)

that for an NPC my last PC were 24 pages

hope that help you.

PS: I am Kult SG. Im allways that accurate. Weren't unusual tachicardia during the sesions. I had to lie down with one F-player due to nigthmares. :laughing:

13

Since players have this (good) habit of running everywhere except where you have planned I recommend less detail. Unless you like doing the old magi's advancement (and/or have a very strong feeling that everything in the world must conform strictly to RAW...) keep it simple. Then expand it as it is needed.

One important thing for me is to remember to note down NPCs as they pop up during play. Remembering that the barmaid was very well endowed, but cross-eyed, is very good for the mood when the players revisit the tavern several sessions and 4 years later. Remembering her name is very important. Players often take notes, so taking down name, quirk/distinctive feature, function and location is what I do. If I use a skill I also note the level I used it on (stat + skill), so that can be consistent. Adding a short motivation and weakness makes for a full NPC:

Mary, well endowed, squint-eyed bar maid in The Lusty Pig in the harbour of Barcelona.
Charm +7, Bargain +8.
Wants to own her own tavern with a weak-willed husband. Attracted to scholary weaklings.

Long lasting NPCs with much play-time I often stat out. Planned combat/conflict opponents I try to always stat out (to keep me from changing too much during play, and reduce the temptation to make super-NPCs). Long lasting adversaries (the head of the rival covenant, the Master of the Tremere PC...) I play and develop as GM-characters since I find developing them along the PCs fun.

But my advice is to follow the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Sir/Stupid!) and add detail (only) when needed (and/or fun).