Pc<npc

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Skyman
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Pc<npc

Post by Skyman »

Ever get the feeling the NPC yyou met would be more fun than the character your currently playin? Please discuss
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Post by cczernia »


[quote="Skyman"]Ever get the feeling the NPC yyou met would be more fun than the character your currently playin? Please discuss[/quote]

Yep, this is especially true if the story is about the NPCs or I don't like my character.

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mordraine
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Post by mordraine »

There have been times when I haven't liked my character, but I don't recall any time where I thought I'd want to play an NPC instead.
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Post by ekomega »

Only in games that suck. I can admit to causing this problem as a novice DM.

These feelings might be a good metric to decide if you should keep playing in a game.
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Dragonmaster Zoc
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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

I don't quite understand the question, because if I was playing the character instead of the Game Master, then it would be a fundamentally different character.
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Skyman
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Post by Skyman »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]I don't quite understand the question, because if I was playing the character instead of the Game Master, then it would be a fundamentally different character.[/quote]

Well yes if you were playing the NPC it would be a PC and not an NPC anymore I guess



SO yeah it's a question about interacting with an NPC and finding out its sounds more fun to play than the one you currently have. I've also been in situations where the GM lets the players not active in the scene play the NPCs

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Dragonmaster Zoc
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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

Can anyone give an example?

I'm having trouble visualizing this.
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Post by Uber_snotling »

Example: Party splits up with group members A and B going to a bar while group member C goes to visit his Wizard master. During the bar scene, group member c is getting fidgety, so the GM scribbles some stats for Ronan the Barbarian on a scrap of paper, gives basic personality traits (large, angry, easily insulted, cheats to win) and gives player C the piece of paper. Player A and B are playing cards at the same table as Ronan the Barbarian. Hilarity ensues.
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Post by JustinStrife »


[quote="Uber_snotling"]Example: Party splits up with group members A and B going to a bar while group member C goes to visit his Wizard master. During the bar scene, group member c is getting fidgety, so the GM scribbles some stats for Ronan the Barbarian on a scrap of paper, gives basic personality traits (large, angry, easily insulted, cheats to win) and gives player C the piece of paper. Player A and B are playing cards at the same table as Ronan the Barbarian. Hilarity ensues.[/quote]

I hadn't thought of that approach before. I think I could have made things more fun as a GM for the players, if I had known about this trick. Seems like it would definitely keep interest going for players who's characters aren't in a certain scene. :cool:

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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="JustinStrife"]I hadn't thought of that approach before. I think I could have made things more fun as a GM for the players, if I had known about this trick. Seems like it would definitely keep interest going for players who's characters aren't in a certain scene. :cool:[/quote]

Yeah, I see it used a lot now (among the San Diego contingent, anyway). It's highly dependent on the players playing the NPCs, though. An improperly played NPC can wreck the whole thing. I'm thinking here specifically of a player in Chris's Dr. Who game at OrcCon who was a little [i]too[/i] enthusiastic about playing a tourist, to the point where I actually said to her "That has to stop."

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Post by JustinStrife »


[quote="devlin1"]Yeah, I see it used a lot now (among the San Diego contingent, anyway). It's highly dependent on the players playing the NPCs, though. An improperly played NPC can wreck the whole thing. I'm thinking here specifically of a player in Chris's Dr. Who game at OrcCon who was a little [i]too[/i] enthusiastic about playing a tourist, to the point where I actually said to her "That has to stop."[/quote]

The people I use to game with regularly would have worked well in most situations with this. It's just a shame they all had to get married AND move out of state or county. :frown:

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Skyman
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Post by Skyman »


[quote="devlin1"]Yeah, I see it used a lot now (among the San Diego contingent, anyway). It's highly dependent on the players playing the NPCs, though. An improperly played NPC can wreck the whole thing. I'm thinking here specifically of a player in Chris's Dr. Who game at OrcCon who was a little [i]too[/i] enthusiastic about playing a tourist, to the point where I actually said to her "That has to stop."[/quote]

See that person obviously wanted to play the NPC more than the PC...or was just wazzed out



@JustinStrife. Yeah that sucks. Most of us just impregnate our love ones and have babies

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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »


[quote="Uber_snotling"]Example: Party splits up with group members A and B going to a bar while group member C goes to visit his Wizard master. During the bar scene, group member c is getting fidgety, so the GM scribbles some stats for Ronan the Barbarian on a scrap of paper, gives basic personality traits (large, angry, easily insulted, cheats to win) and gives player C the piece of paper. Player A and B are playing cards at the same table as Ronan the Barbarian. Hilarity ensues.[/quote]

I'm glad I asked, because that's totally not how I read the question. In my view, that barbarian which was quickly scribbled on a piece of paper was a full-fledged PC as soon as the player said or did anything with it.



The main reason for players to stick to one PC over the course of a story is for the meta-game, because it makes it easier for everyone to become invested in those characters. Of course, there can also be significant in-game reason for the original player party to hang out together. The obvious problem comes if situations call for more than one character for the same player to be in the same place at the same time.

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Post by devlin1 »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]I'm glad I asked, because that's totally not how I read the question. In my view, that barbarian which was quickly scribbled on a piece of paper was a full-fledged PC as soon as the player said or did anything with it.[/quote]
Okay, but as soon as the scene's over, or that player's PC rejoins the party, Ronan the Barbarian goes away. Or he may come back later, played by the GM or another player. Surely that kind of transient character is distinctly different from a "normal" PC.

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Dragonmaster Zoc
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Post by Dragonmaster Zoc »

Sure, but it makes a lot more sense. Wanting to play a character after you've only had a short time playing it appeals to the sense of new; I'm sure we've all known players who were all too happy to roll up a new character at any opportunity. Short-term characters also have the possibility of being played less seriously, since you don't have to deal with the long-term consequences, and everyone likes to just cut loose and go with the flow once in a while.

I thought people were wanting to play a new character after seeing a different player (or possibly the GM) play that characters. That's what was confusing me, since the way I play a character won't be the same as the way someone else plays that same character; wanting to play the character for such a reason would be ultimately futile.
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Post by Skyman »


[quote="Dragonmaster Zoc"]
I thought people were wanting to play a new character after seeing a different player (or possibly the GM) play that characters. That's what was confusing me, since the way I play a character won't be the same as the way someone else plays that same character; wanting to play the character for such a reason would be ultimately futile.[/quote]


Well it could be that too. The whole idea was not totally exclusive but for sanity purposes we could just go with the one the makes more sense

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