On the Gameable NPC

06.05 Unknown 0 Comments

Telecanter has an superlative post on an implementation of NPC's as locks. The kind of post that kickstarts your game and makes you want to design something that you can use in the game right now.

So, how do we implement this as functional?

Here are my thoughts.

The card design Telecanter made is brilliant. It contains space for an image, visible traits, and what tumblers (interactions) we can make to unlock information.

The picture and the visible traits serve the purpose of avoiding the basic confrontational stance that players always end up in to meet their goals when interacting with NPC's. The image and traits, as well as the introduction used by the Dungeon Master will provide clues as to which techniques will work best against the NPC. These traits can be generated from the link to the Character Traits.pdf (author unknown) on my sidebar, or whatever tool you use to generate NPC personalty. A automated one is online at B/X character creator.

Failure Conditions

First, We need a mechanic for creating a cost in the interaction. Otherwise players could just go down the list trying different things. It is important that this cost take into account the charisma of the player. Fortunately we already have that mechanic, in the 2d6 Reaction Roll. Each action taken will reduce or raise the reaction value by a specified amount with certain conditions (storming off in a huff, fighting, pressing charges, spitting, joining the party, etc.) occurring when values are met.

Note that this is extremely similar to the relationship mechanic in pathfinder or various bioware relationship games. What makes this different are the locks -- activities which unlock specific behaviors or events, rather then just timed events or specific actions that increase a singular numeric score. The score is simply to track win or endgame conditions, so that the process cannot be infinitely gamed.

Interactions

Second, we need a list of interactions and a list of rewards and results!

Designing the list of interactions first involves an iterative collections of various options that are significantly or noticeably different from each other.

• We want the list to be comprehensive, not in the extent that it be huge and cover every possible action, but in the sense that any action the player characters take could be fit within it. 
• We also desire for the list to be evocative. If this were a mechanical system not dealing with sentient creatures, I would suggest a limit of 7 to 9 things. But human beings are complicated creatures, so creating a system with more options then we can easily keep in mind provides a sense of that complexity to the players (who after all, are interacting with a picture, two descriptive words, and three optional action/results.

We also have to worry about speed and conciseness. Not every option should unlock a tumbler and not every option will be good or bad. A simple way to track this is to say any unlisted option reduces the reaction level by 1. Actions that raise the reaction level (I would suggest by no more than 1) or lower the reaction level a greater amount (by 2 or 1-4 for example) would be rare and specifically noted.

An optional rule, is that a particular conversational stance, such as obsequiousness, friendly, or hostile is selected, and this gives a one time adjustment to the reaction track.

Rewards and Results

Thirdly, we need a list of what you get for unlocking the NPC! This has less to do with a specific list of items, after all, context will suggest many of the rewards. What this has to do with is acting as inspiration or random generator for those 'NPC' results generated in the dungeon.

I also believe for ease of use that perhaps results of 'NPC party' should be treated as a single NPC in this case.

Comments, Thoughts, Conclusion and Two Lists