Non-Players in a Players World: Playing NPCs

So, we've gone over the importance of NPCs, the practice of writing NPCs and now we finish with the last point: playing NPCs. You can write them, you can plan them, but eventually you've got to let them run free in the wild. Sometimes literally. This post is about

But first, an anecdote.

I was aVST for Vampire the Requiem. Still am. The player who portrayed our Prince was on tour in the Middle East, and as a result wrote up a plotkit explaining where he had been and making it relevant to the New York venue. When I tell you how magnificent this plotkit was, let me tell you, I keep a copy of it and use it as a template for MY plotkits. The detail that went into this, with the characters, their motivations, their goals, their quirks, and their relationships with each other. It was beautiful.

Now, it was my luck that I would be running the particular game that this plot would be introduced. Sure, I thought, not a major problem. It was to be a light game, Easter and Passover weekend. Shouldn't be a problem. My VST had contacted players to portray these characters, but he didn't give them the info about them to prep.

And that's when everything went downhill.

One of the players was very intense in his performances, too intense. He was physically touching other players in a manner the player in question wasn't comfortable with. He had gotten too far into it without realizing what the goal was. The court was actually amenable to his demands, but his pushing behavior was shooting him in the foot with a shotgun. The other player, oof. The other player had the directions, read the information sheet and had a copy in case he was confused. He ignored all of it and instead decided to use the abilities on the sheet, and failed. Badly.

By the end of the game, the players and their PCs were equally ready to kill these characters, and killed them they did. Hard. All of that plot the Prince's player put in was shot and killed because bad management and bad roleplaying. My first hour was not my finest hour.

Since then, I've experienced different opinions about NPCs and different ways they are done. From the idyllic synergy of Changeling the Lost, to the shambling hordes of Zombies in Dystopia Rising to the trebuchet I use to launch them at the Mage game, there are numerous ways to prepare them and numerous ways to play them.

So here it is, my guide to portraying NPCs. I'm going to be doing this as both a player and a Storyteller because you need both to pull this off. The NPC is the Storyteller's character in this scenario, and you need one to get the other done.

This is the most important point, and I can't stress it enough. If you're playing an NPC, know who the fuck you are playing. These characters have abilities, skills, stats and most importantly they have lives of their own. Know them.

I mentioned in a previous post doing one game of Changeling as Hamilton, New York City's King of the Day Court. Before I went in, Chris, the man who founded New York's game and most of the NPCs in there, sat me down and gave me the man's history, motivations, relationships and hang ups. I knew his tendency to act as front man for his partnership with the King of the Night Court, and that he was a guidance counselor and PE teacher during the day. I knew he was dominated by the Vice of Sloth and needed people to come to him and do their own thing.I knew he had hero worshiped Erised, the Spring Sovereign. I knew these things, and therefore was easier to understand how to play with him..

I've also gone in with just the sheet of a character and no real information. A character who has history in Requiem's Clan Mekhet. I had a player with history with the character flip some bit of information that I didn't know, so I had to improvise something and quickly. A snide comment to dismiss them.

Roleplaying characters should not be so dismissive, especially not NPCs, who are suppose to act as hooks. You can evade, you can be elusive, but you should not dismiss an NPC unless there is a damned good RP reason why.
In my case, there was a reason, my NPC was a Lancea Sanctum member and the other was a high powered, and particularly antagonistic member of the Circle of the Crone. They don't get along ANYWAY, so history really did play out.

I should note that most of this is in regards to Named NPCs, which is the standard operating procedure for White Wolf Games. In games like Dystopia Rising, where there are hundreds of players across acres of land, being a named character sometimes doesn't have a lot of weight unless there are months of play involved. However, the point still emerges. Know as much about these characters as you can. Know how their Nationality works, what they can do, know what their goals are, as well as background stuff.

I went out as an Outer Guardsman, just a member of an NPC group sent to warn the players about a massive breach of Zombies. Having never really played the game much, I asked for a general rundown of what the Outer Guard was, and what my character could do.

Ask questions, please. If an ST is giving you this character, they should have at the least enough information to play this role accurately.

Another point, if you're playing an NPC, you have to actually want to play an NPC. I've seen too many plots die quickly and abruptly because they just didn't like the characters they were playing. With the above story of the Requiem players fucking up a plot, I did one plot which had gotten so obnoxiously convoluted that I frankly didn't care that I was in it. The ST at the time gave me the plot, but little information. He told me less than nothing about why. So I had no real way of even faking it like an actor and just run with it. I played the character, and that night saw the end and death of the NPC and plot.

One of the reasons why I think Cam/MES has kind of lost it's grip on NPCs is that, frankly, people just want to play their characters. And also that there seems to be a general lack of giving a fuck about the venue as a whole. Most just want their character's XP, their Prestige to make better. In short, there really isn't a sense of civic duty to the club, and performing an NPC is a sign of civic duty to the venue and the club. Dystopia Rising, on the other hand, it's part of Civic Duty. In game, when players go off on their mandatory NPC shifts (unless they buy out of it) their PCs are considered to go on, I shit you not "Civic Duty" which is seen as something important and sacrosanct. The culture actually rewards going off and playing other characters for four hours.

Another point to note, your job as an NPC is not to win, but to Challenge. That's not to say an NPC can never kill, but the idea is not to use the NPC to do just that. Give you a for instance, in Mage, one player's PC had opted to be an NPC so he could become an Antagonist. He got his hands on some plot-level wooj that could (and did) fuck up the venue. He also had access to a lot of things that could have killed three players. At one point the player said "Here is how I would play this, but since this is an NPC, here's how I'd like to evade this." And with that, he took the character and sacrificed himself. The NPC was about to win, it shouldn't.

Finally, there is one thing that all NPC players should do. Debrief. You need to sit down and talk to the Storyteller and explain what the situation was like and what those characters did. In the end, they are responsible for those character. They need to know because continuity is a thing.

So those are the four main points of NPCing. Know as much of your NPC as possible, Care about playing an NPC, Drive your NPC Responsibly, and Debrief your ST. Those are the things that are essentially. There are definitely others, but this is what I'd say is key. A lot of this comes down on the Storytellers as much as the players. If they aren't doing their job right, then there is nothing a player can do other than act their ass off and hope for the best.

For STs reading this, if you're taking the time to make an NPC, do it right. Yes, you can throw a few nameless mooks into the world, but if you actually want to give the players something to follow, they've got to give a damn about what they're chasing.

Otherwise, you just let them play with themselves.

Later

Non-Players in a Players World: Writing NPCs

"I'd love something more sculpted as to how to write and play good NPCs. A Wreck-it-Ralph post, if you will. For Dystopia, but especially for the Cam, where I think NPCing is a rare and lost art form these days" - Ericka

"I'm bad, and that's good. I will never be good, and that's not bad. Because there is no NPC that I'd rather be than me." - Shoshana, re-appropriating Wreck It Ralph for NPC support.

So, last time I spoke about the benefits of NPCing. Now let's get to the practical: How to write and play an NPC in a room. I'm going to keep these seperated to two posts to keep the thoughts clear and separated  I don't much guarantee they won't overlap.

Writing NPCs

I write NPCs like I write supporting characters in a novel. Supporting characters are just that: they support the main characters. In this case they support the PCs. They help give the characters something to work towards and sometimes against. They provide a different point of view, or enhance the mood. They also allow the protagonists in expressing themselves outwardly instead of internally.

 I know, I know, Craig, you're a writer and a Narrativist gamer. OF COURSE YOU LIKE TO WRITE THESE NPCs LIKE SUPPORTING CHARACTERS. Work with me here, folks, I'm trying my best. Let me give you an example, without NPCs or Supporting Characters, the protagonists only have themselves to work with. In a story, that's a lot of internal monologue and less external exposition. You're telling, not showing. Same with players, eventually they just start eating each other when there is nothing else out there to work with. NPCs add an external outlet for the players game.

Now, one of the main things  to figure out is what is the Role of this character, what purpose do they serve in terms of a Protagonist's journey? I should explain, one of my go-to writer's documents is Dramatica, not Encyclopedia Dramatica, dear christ not that. Dramatica talks about eight Archetypal Characters in a Story, ranging from the Protagonist to the Antagonist and everything in between. Here's the list and how it helps in developing NPCs.

I. Protagonist
Protagonists are, in their core, the character with whom they have the most affect on the world and are affected most by the world. I'm going to use Star Wars for these examples because, well, I'm a Star Wars nerd, and if you're reading a blog on LARPing, I'll be dollars to donuts that you're one too, or at the very least get the references. The Protagonist is Luke, learning about the world around him and the Force, and ends up being a Jedi Master. He also affects the world around him, as he is directly responsible for thwarting the Empire's plans.

In gaming terms, the Protagonist is always the Player Characters. Where the other Archetypes can be PC and NPCs, the Protagonists are the PCs. The World does literally hinge on their actions. They learn the most about the world around them, and change the most about the world. This has to be the case, or there is no development and growth in the character. I can't repeat that enough: Characters need to grow with time, they have to or it's just about builidng powers: and I refuse to accept powergaming as a rule.

II. Guardians

Guardians serve one real purpose: To teach and guide the Protagonists in their goal. This is Obi-Wan and Yoda teaching Luke about the Force. This is Virgil giving Dante his tour of Purgatory and Hell. They teach the characters the inherent rules about the world around them. The World of Darkness actually has a mechanic for this role, called the "Mentor" Merit. They are a PC's go-to for advice and learning.  They provide sound support for the Characters, but sometimes not always in the way they want them to. One doesn't need a Merit to have a Mentor, character ties and building always happen, even with NPCs and PCs.

PCs can definitely be Mentors. One of my best gaming experiences is my Mage's relationship with his Mentor, Liz Parker. Liz is a Free Council Acanthus in the Legacy of the House of Ariadne who met my character, Rhys, and taught him about her Legacy as well as teaching him that there are Mages who aren't complete assholes (his opinions of his Consillium are not the brightest). Her presence actually has lead to terrific Roleplay. Ericka, while also being a kickass friend, is also my Mentor in LARPing in general. Blame her, folks. Because of this role, I'm building an NPC for Next Chronicle Mage for a Venue-Wide Mentor who is out teach PCs about Magic and the City.

Guess what his Legacy is, go on. I'll wait.

III. Sidekicks

Sidekicks are characters who either junior or equal to the protagonist in skill, and serve as backup support to their endeavors and goals. This is C-3P0 and R2-D2, the translator and hacker, aiding Luke on his goal. They have skills the others don't, and that makes them invaluable. Note: I don't say that they are inferior, as is usually the way most Sidekicks are depicted. They are sideline characters only because the narrative is focusing on the Protagonist. Ron and Hermione are Sidekicks, but they also go through development and are in some ways better than Harry too. Also, the Sidekicks can just as easily be on their own adventure while the camera is off them

World of Darkness, again, has this mechanic in terms of Contacts, Allies and Retainers. Minor NPCs that the PC owns that give aid in small but important ways. Hackers, Concierges, bodyguards, the list goes on and on. An NPC I had for Mage that worked as a Sidekick was Sellers. Sellers was a Mage who sold his services to the highest bidder, but he also had a high moral ground. His goal was to assist the Mages, or more specifically Not Blow the City Up in Abyssal Shite. Many of the players, due to his attitude, felt he was in fact an Antagonist. He wasn't, he shared traits with another Archetype.

A PC that was a Sidekick was, ironically enough, my Vampire. Taglia was designed to provide backup, being the go-to Telepath for the Ordo Dracul. He aided in different PCs stories and actions. As time went on, he had his own adventures, and in a way had gotten to see things that many players introduced that late into a chronicle didn't get to see or do. He got to do it because he (and I) got to get a feel for the different experiences that happened before him.

IV. Skeptic

The Skeptic exists to challenge the thinking of the Protagonist's worldview. This is Han Solo undercutting Luke's naive beliefs in the Force (and really everything else Obi-Wan said). They aren't Antagonist, necessarily. Their goal is to calibrate and give the Protagonist the opportunity to rethink themselves and not look at something blindly.

An example of this is Sellers. Yes, he was a Sidekick, but he was also a Skeptic. The Mage's view seemed to be based on the principal that the ends justified the means. Sellers disagreed. This lead to Sellers being very sharp and sarcastic whenever a PC made an overly naive comment. This, plus the general "anything from the outside of the consillium is a threat until otherwise noted" attitude of the Characters garnered him the sense that he was Antagonistic. But he appeared to give aid, advice and assist in any large scale magic they needed. He just didn't do it as a simp.

V. Reason

The Reason Archetype is a character who is rooted firmly in Rational/Logical Process. Their goal in a story is to accentuate the logic and high concept thinking to the protagonist. This is Leia, who while the boys are shooting it out with stormtroopers, she's shooting out grates to get to the goal of escape. The Reason is sometimes seen as Cold and Calculating, but not always.

In Mage, I had written a Spirit named Osveta. Spirits are all Reason and Logic. They have to be. They are defined by their function and can even manipulate events to better suit their view on the world. Osveta was a Spirit of Revenge, focusing on child abusers/molesters. Her very being, like all Spirits, was grounded on this principal, anything that deviated was seen as a potential threat. This came up when someone got a Hold of Her Ban, and imposed his Reason on her, changing her actions. When he died and her Ban was destroyed. She returned to her default Reason and continued in aiding characters along their way.

VI. Emotion

The Emotion is a Character who is dominated by pure emotional response. This is Chewie, whose only means of communicating is through emoting. Their goal is to undercut the emotional tone of the scene. This is the McCoy to the Reason's Spock, who replies with Emotional Intuition against Logical Reasoning.

One of the more compelling NPCs I've encountered is from New York's Changeling game. NYC Changeling should be a master study in crafting a world through NPCs. They do it right and it is by all counts one of the most consistent histories I've ever played. One of the NPCs is Emma, a (as of February's game) 14 year old Changeling girl in the Summer Court. Let's make that clear. Pubescent girl+Changeling+Court of Wrath= really interesting interactions. She's a ball of emotional wants and needs. Reason and Logic, as far as they really go in Changeling, don't much factor in to her character.

Interlude: Cute little teen girl being launched into the air by a slingshot towards a monster, her hands are on fire and she's going "WEEEEEEEEEE!!" the entire time. It's adorable, you know it is.


VII. Contagonist

The Contagonist is an interesting one that doesn't get much play. The Contagonist's goal is to divert the Protagonist's goal. They don't seek to end the Protagonist's goals, but to delay or detour for some reason. This is Vader, trying to bring Luke to the Dark Side. He doesn't want to slow Luke's progression, he wants to dictate the road on which he progresses. A more neutral or positive example is Luke's Uncle, who wanted him to be a simple NPC on the farm and not the Protagonist.

In Mage, and really one of the things that sucked me in, was an NPC named Clockwise. Designed and played by my Predecessor, Matt, Clockwise was a Seer of a Throne who specialized in Time Magic. He had taken a shine to Rhys, and wanted to teach him. Of course, there was something very off about Clockwise, the fact he was sucking the Magic out of people being chief among them. Rhys opted not to take evil bastard lessons, and that lead Clockwise to become Rhys' Antagonist.

VIII. Antagonist

This is pretty straight forward. The Antagonist's goal is to stop the progress of the Protagonist. Period. Not divert, not slow down. Stop. This is the Empire, who sees Luke's bullshit as being directly problematic and want him out of the way.

Most RP games have built in Antagonists. In Mage, it's the Seers of the Throne and the Left Handed Legacies. In Dystopia Rising, it's the Zed and the Raiders. PC's can absolutely be Antagonistic, as eventually it's going to happen that one PC opposes the progression of another PC. However, an NPC Antagonist should not be designed to win, not completely. Make the players work for it, make them feel good about winning. In the final reel, it is the PCs who have to stand on top.


To tie off this section, let me say the point. An NPC should have a decided Role. They can serve multiple, but they should not be there for the sake of just being there. It doesn't have to be immediate, it doesn't have to be blatant, but there has to be a Role they serve and a Goal they have. 

Some will notice that I used a lot of World of Darkness references in my examples of Arcehtypes. That's because, as far as I can see, DR and WoD actually have opposite policies on NPCs. In Dystopia Rising, they have hundreds of NPCs. They kind of have to cover such a large player base. Very few of them are named, though, which makes sense since the NPC rotations make playing roles less consistent. Storytellers, for the most part, play the Named NPCs. However, when they do hand out NPCs (and they do, with gusto) they give you ALL you need to know about the characters, and then improv the rest.

In most of the WoD games, most of the characters are named NPCs in these long archs that span months and even years. However, they are often given to players without any real concept of who or what they are and any real history with the players. They almost feel more throwaway than DRs Throwaway NPCs. Again, this is with the exception of Changeling in New York. Where the history of these NPCs enrich the city itself. Example, I played the King of the Day Court in the City. Chris, one of the people who built the venue in the City, gave me the full run down on the character, including history, likes and hero worship of the Spring Sovereign. It was probably one of the most fun times I've enjoyed NPC shifts during WoD related LARPing.

When writing an NPC, be mindful of their history and their ability to acquire history the more times they specifically go out into the game world. While they aren't players, they are portrayed people. There is a level of growth going on there as well, but they are not the focus of the LARP, the players are.
Another touch I'd like to throw in is just that, a touch. An NPC should have a Theme, a motif they carry with them. The Day Court King had his Theme, with the Court of Shame and all. But Sellers had his insignia pop up in random places. Osveta's broken dolls. Clockwise's had a watch motif. Small little pieces add flavor and tone to any character. There should also be a tone. Sellers was very based on political thrillers, Osveta was horror. Clockwise was Conspiracy. So on, so forth. Hell, most of these characters have established playlists.

Finally, let me reiterate this: NPCs are characters,they should have a life and weight of their own. But they are not the focus of the game, they should not outshine the PCs. They should guide, support, add depth and challenge the PC's world. But it's still a players world.


Later