RPGaDAY 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 5

Ya' got to have friends,

The feeling's oh so strong!

Ya' got to have friends,

To make that day last long. 

Ah, Companions! The more the merrier I say, at least in the context of tabletop RPGs.

I love creating and encountering the myriad of quirky denizens in a campaign setting and the experience is made all the better if you like them so much you form a relationship of some kind with one (or more).

It might be a mere acquaintance but they could turn into a fast friend, an informant, a business rival, a frienemy, or even a romantic interest. At the very least your PC knows someone in the world they inhabit, which gives them access to more options and information than they have on their own AND makes the universe feel more lived-in. Being able to tap your contacts as a resource when needed, is extremely beneficial. 

Now Companions, well they hit a bit different don't they? These are NPCs who hang around with the Player Characters on a regulars basis. They're part of the group, members of the gang as it were, and for the most part they're there to help. Mostly. Sometimes they are there to add a complication or drain resources but I like to think we are better off with them than without them. 

The players I game with are pretty split on their feelings about Companions.

Half of them aren't fans of NPC Companions being part of party. They don't want too much 'screen time' dedicated to NPCs. 'The PCs are the main characters. The stories should be about them.' And...it is. It always is. These players are largely complaining about an idea not being put into action. Why? Because players.

Now, I will agree that too much focus on the NPCs wouldn't be a good idea. The games we run and play should focus on the PCs for a variety of reasons. Not the least of these reasons is that the players are living people there at the table (really pr virtual). It's a good idea to include them and made them the stars of your show. They'd the campaign's strongest supporters, most active participants, and truly dedicated audience. 

The other half of my player base loves them! They love interacting with them, building relationships, and sure, they can sometimes spend a little too much time doing so. 'Too much' such that it does approach giving the Companions more 'screen time' than they should have. How does  this happen? Well, those involved are having fun. Go figure. Don't yuck the yum of another's enjoyment.

If you don't want the game to focus on NPC Companions, try engaging with the other players/PCs. If you're not doing that, don't be surprised when players gravitate towards hanging out with the NPCs.

Beyond that, trying getting in on the fun. You never know, you might make a friend.

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 5 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

Um...you got me. I got nothing. Is there an RPG with great writing? I mean, most professionally made games have decent, functional writing but great? I am not really sure how to judge this.

ALIEN by Free League is very good. I think it captures the feel of the setting and explains the rules clearly. Let's go with that. 

RPGaDay Challenge 2018 - Day 4 & 5

Ugh. We were doing so well. 

*Sigh*

and

These are the kinds of questions I come across in this challenge [and others] that generally bore me.

Why? Well for one thing, I feel like they ask this or something like it every year. They don't, not exactly anyway, but it feels like they do. I could almost swear that some other blog challenge asked this exact question not long ago. It just seems too familiar.

Not only that, but question #5 is roughly the same question as #4. Isn't it well within the realm of likelihood that my favorite and most memorable NPCs are the same NPC? Why waste two questions on this?

Anyway...let's see...

Man oh man, I have come across and created so many memorable NPCs over the years I have no idea where to begin. In addition, I don't want to cover someone I've already covered. I think I'll avoid PCs who later became NPCs, as well as NPCs who other GMs created because it's my answer on my blog so it might as well be one of my NPCs.

Right. So...

Allow me to introduce you to Lieutenant Gravph, Assistant Chief Engineer of the USS Prosperity, NCC-1587, a Ventura Class Light Cruiser exploring the Beta Quadrant spinward of the Typhon Expanse in the Original Series era.

Mr. Gravph is a popular, reoccurring NPC in my current Star Trek Adventures campaign, Star Trek: Prosperity, and definitely one of my personal favorites.

The campaign is presently in it's third year. We played through Season 1 and the first half of Season 2 using the Star Trek Role Playing Game by Last Unicorn Games. The remaining half of Season 2 and now Season 3 has been played with the Star Trek Adventures game by Modiphius Entertainment. 

Gravph first appeared in the 'pilot' session of the game but didn't receive a proper name until a few sessions later. He primarily serves as the right hand man to our PC Andorian Chief Engineer, Lt. Commander Bhoth, as well as our go-to Transporter Chief. Over time and numerous day-saving lucky rolls, Gravph became the person our PCs want at the Transporter controls when beaming under less than perfect conditions. 

The other major purpose Gravph serves is as a counterpoint to Bhoth, as their personalities, as well as their command styles, differ quite a bit.

Bhoth has little to no sense of humor, is constantly try to prove himself, takes daring risks, and adheres to a strict personal code of conduct.

Gravph has a dry, sardonic wit, is very comfortable in his own skin and in his position, makes calculated decisions, and is generally pretty flexible in social situations. That last part is interesting as he is a Tellarite and Tellarites love to argue. Debates, disagreements, and heated discussions are an art form among the Tellarite people and Gravph is no exception. I've made it clear however [through his dialogue and actions] that he never argues just to argue. If he agrees with you about something he'll calmly admit you're right, but probably remark, "You were correct. I can not argue with your logic. Do you need a medal now? A commendation? Don't get to used to this feeling or else trust me, you'll be disappointed all too soon."

He has a gruff, deep voice, and often makes the face you see in the image above when you ask him a question whose answer seems obvious. I love doing his voice, his expressions, his mannerisms - he's just a fun character to portray and see the players interact with. 

In the past two seasons, though far more in the current one, Gravph has been given the Conn when the PCs go off the ship for a landing party. The Captain trusts him with her ship and the authority of the center chair. He's also interacted a lot more with other departments and characters as opposed to just Bhoth, such as [most recently] the Captain, the Vulcan First Officer, and more rarely our Intelligence/Communications Officer. 

What makes Gravph so special as a character is his normal-ness. He didn't graduate top of his Starfleet Academy Class. He has no special abilities or knowledge per se. Gravph is just this blue collar fellow who enjoys his job, loves giving his boss a hard time yet knows when to dial it back, and makes the PCs feel like they don't have to babysit their Starship. They can leave and go down to the planet, comfortable knowing it's in good hands.

See you Monday!

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Barking Alien

True Story...

This year I started writing up these posts early; most were completed a few days in advance of when they were to be posted. All but this one.

Each time I sat down to write it, I would get a quarter of the way through and suddenly feel very sleepy. It was as if attempting to answer these questions literally drained my energy and enthusiasm. I've seen boring questions but WOW! Nothing like this. 

Do not be alarmed. There are more and better questions on the horizon

Old Dog Says...People It With People

WQRobb of Graph Paper Games is apparently quite impressed with me over I claim I made some time ago which stated that I statted out nearly the entire crew of a Miranda Class Cruiser for an old Star Trek campaign I ran. A TOS Movie Era Miranda Class has a crew compliment of 336 to 352 personnel according to the original FASA Federation Ship Recognition Manual. I believe I said I settled at 300. 

The truth is, yes, I did this.

There are 50-75 members of the Order of the Winghorn Guard statted out for my D&D-But-Not campaign world of Aerth...per era of the campaign history. A little quick math places that at roughly 240 NPCs. That does not include shopkeepers, innkeepers, knights or captains of the guards of any cities, no rulers or royalty and certainly not the villains or their henchpersons. That would place the total NPCs for that campaign universe in the order of 500 at least.

My Superhero games are similar though there are actually less non-player characters statted on average than in other genres.

Am I insane. Perhaps.

***

I love NPCs and it's not about generating lots and lots of them but about creating ones that the characters will remember, want to see return and (hopefully) miss if they should they perish.

I once had a PC Chief Engineer in a Star Trek campaign over his Asst. Chief out of the Engine Room so he could perform an operation with the Matter/Anti-Matter system that would have saved the ship and surely killed him. The NPC said he would do it and the player said, "You have a wife and a child Lieutenant. Get out of here and up to the bridge and that's an order!" The two actually wrestled for a bit before the NPC tossed the PC out of the room as a blast door locked shut. "I am sorry sir, you will have to put me on report." The player was nearly in tears when the poor guy died. It was epic.

Damn I love running Star Trek. Where was I? Oh yeah, NPCs...

Here are some of my tricks to generating cool NPCs:

Naming

I have a knack for naming but I have picked up so great tricks over the years. WQRobb's post has some cool ideas as well.

Your first best friend...the Phone Book. Mix and match the names and your have thousands of potential PC names for Modern or Science-Fiction settings. I also highly recommend Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names. Awesome resource for Modern, Future or Medieval names of a variety of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Naming conventions help me a lot. My Vulcan males always start with an 'S' (sorry Tuvok) and I try to utilize the 'L', 'P', 'V' and 'K' consonants as much as I can. By placing this limitation on myself I get more creative with the names while keeping the proper feel. So off the top of my head: Solvock, Slevek, Sukel, Stevalek, Stolop and Spovol.

For Superhero and Supervillain names (as well as Fantasy Elf and Dwarf and Starship names), the Thesaurus is your friend. So is typing in, 'Synonym for...' whatever word you're looking for into Google.

Personality

I usually develop the personalities of my NPCs by starting with a character cliche or familiar type in my mind or by thinking of a similar character already in existance and modifying them. My Superhero Black Emerald's persona is a thinly veiled parody on all the Black Superheroes of the 70's, especially Luke Cage, while Mr. Spaceman is both the Martian Manhunter and David Bowie from The Man Who Fell To Earth.

Over time, that is, with each additional appearance of the NPC, more and more of an actual three-dimensional personality is constructed. It doesn't happen all at once. It takes time. One must be sure to give them that time.

The problem, as I understand it, for many a GM (most notably DMs specifically) is that their NPCs never get the chance to develop as they are often killed by the PCs. This is an issue I will not directly address here as, to be honest, I haven't the faintest clue how to avoid that if your players are that bloodthirsty. I've never experienced it myself.

One way to ensure this development time is...

Purpose

Give your NPCs a purpose. Noisms noted as part of the post that started my GM advice series...

"My NPCs tend to blend together, unless I put on a funny voice or accent, being universally sarcastic, cynical, mean-spirited, and rather unhelpful."

If the only purpose for the NPC you've created is to be unhelpful than I am not especially surprised if the PCs don't care for them, don't want to encounter them again or try to off them in pursuit of a less aggravating work environment.

Some of my NPCs are local color, like the Baugh the barkeep, his wife Bera, who makes the mutton soup that has those mild though massive onions, their daughter Bini, the barmaid, who loves to hear tales of dungeon delving and their niece, the odd girl, Helg, who talks to squirrels and raccoons.

Some are sources of information, such as Jimmy 'Jitters' McIntyre, an informant in the Superhero team's home city. Jimmy shakes a lot, sometimes so much that he visually blurs and is virtually impossible to see in the dark or in the rain. He can see and hear pretty well during these moments though and he, ya'know, notices stuff. Jimmy is a Mutant but with a power he can't control which has limited uses. Between that and his drug habit the heroes feel back for Jimmy and want to help him but how?

Some are employers like Lars Reinholden, snappy dresser and lover of coffee liqueurs. There are the neighborhood street kids like Big Gus, Little Gus and that kid who insists you call him DJ Hyperjump. Don't forget the local law on the space station at Gamma Plesiades II. Sgt. Cho'Glick is a real ass (I think he doesn't like Humans) but Corporal Kenner really is trying her best.

***

Another trick I love to use, usually checking player approval when at all possible, is to have old PCs act as NPCs in a later campaign. My entire world of Aerth sort of revolves around this. Any PC that has ever walked the face of the world and did not clearly die has the distinct chance of returning as an NPC. I do this in Star Trek to sometimes but in D&D it's a mainstay. It gives the world a cohesive feel as well.

***

Now, I still haven't revealed how I generate so many so quickly have I? Hmm. No, I haven't. Well than the secret is...

Sorry. We've run out of time. Tune in again soon won't you?

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Barking Alien

Lost In A Cast of Thousands

At one time, one of the things I was well known for among the gaming circles I was associated with (and something I was pretty proud of I might add) was my NPCs.

Not only did I have NPCs in my campaign universes that players enjoyed 'seeing' and dealing with but the sheer number of them was staggering to many of my fellow GMs.

There were Star Trek campaigns where at least a third of our vessel's crew compliment of 350 were jotted down with enough tips and tags that helped me to remember them as if they were three dimensional characters with co-starring roles. I recall Supers games where, not unlike the one I just finished, the New York or Metropolis based heroes were on friendly terms with teams of heroes from Detroit, Coast City, London and Tokyo. Even in my D&D-But-Not campaign world, heck especially there, PCs are often visiting allies and relatives in far off lands, checking in with contacts and favorite merchants across the sea and getting to know the common folk who live and work in the town that serves as their base of operations.

I love NPCs. I love thinking about them, making them, doing different accents and strange alien speech patterns, and getting honest to goodness tears out of players when they are threatened or, heavens forbid, die.

Just the other day, one of my players, the often inscrutable Lee, remarked that he enjoyed one of my previous one-shots quite a bit as it didn't feature my usual 'cast of thousands'. I have to ask myself (partially because I didn't get the chance to ask him) why he liked not having so many NPCs around?

Knowing what I know about Lee, his perceptions of things (which are quite often so unlike mine it's hard to sync them up when gaming) and his feelings on what he likes and dislikes in a game, I can make some educated guesses about why he, and others of a like mind, would prefer a game where fewer fleshed out, allied NPCs existed.

Some players, especially in games based on or set in a known licensed universe, feel overshadowed or threatened by the presence of so many popular and powerful NPCs...automatically. They think, "How is my hero ever going to be the coolest, most powerful guy out there if Superman or Captain America exist in this game." How can my female Jedi ever rival Luke Skywalker?

Good question. My answer is that they won't if that is your default mindset. No actions on the part of the established NPC heroes in the Champions setting I created prevented or overruled actions by the PCs in a direct fashion. In fact, numerous successful actions by the PC group's least powerful character won him a higher and higher level of notoriety, privilege and respect among the NPC organization the PCs operated under. Could he have someday taken the top spot from a retiring NPC? Sure. Why not? No one is stopping you from being more heroic than Superman but you.

Another reason for not wanting so many NPCs is distrust. While I don't see this on Lee's part, I have seen it in other players in this and a few other groups. People used to the old school D&D style of play seem to know in their hearts that there are only three kinds of NPCs...The ones who hire you, the ones who steal from you and the ones who work for you. Often, these types mix and match and the first and middle ones can easily evolve into the ones who want you dead. Therefore, the only good NPC is either a dead one or one you can ignore.

My answer to this is, well, how sad. I've never run NPCs quite that way. Rather, those three types are among a dozen or more other types that occupy my game worlds. Some NPCs are friendly and want to get to know you because their lives are boring and talking to you is a moment of excitement in their daily monotony. Some think you're cute. Some are experts in their field and enjoy letting you know this every chance they get. NPCs are people too and there can be as many reasons that they do things and as many things that they can do as there are for PCs and real life people.

***

A different view of the 'lots of NPCs in a campaign' idea is taken by my good buddy and player Dave (which matches many of the players I have gamed with in the good ol' days). It should be noted that Dave's very first RPG was a Superhero game.

Dave said that he finds the aforementioned old school approach, which he experienced first hand playing D&D with Lee and his old group, disinvolves him. According to Dave, what he means is that it makes him feel like he is not fully immersed in a living, breathing, functioning place. The world feels more like a game and less like a setting where his character lives.

This is because he notes the existence of NPCs, helping, hindering and just plain being there, in virtually every other medium that inspires our games. Video games, MMOs, comic books, TV shows, movies and books are all full of characters who aren't protagonists but aren't out to get or hinder the main characters either. Every last barkeep and city guard can't be a threat or it becomes weary very quickly from Dave's point of view (and mine as well).

Now, there is one drawback to a large cast of extras that I hadn't ever experienced until this recent campaign that is making me rethink the use of so many powerful allies (not necessarily those more powerful or as powerful as the PCs even). NPC over-reliance.

In our Champions campaign, it seemed like no one was brave enough to do anything when they could either go into battle with an NPC by their side or heck, send in the NPC while they sat on the sidelines planning John Madden. By Einstein! It drove me crazy I tell ya! Players were treating this Superhero RPG like a real-time strategy computer game where they moved pieces around the field but made sure they were in little danger themselves. It was so opposite what I was used to in Superhero RPGs.

I thought that by the time I got to the end of this post, I would have come to some answer or epiphany on how to handle my NPC allotment with this current group in the future. Nope. Instead, I think it's going to depend a lot on the game I'm running. I am likely to make the PCs the first or only Superheroes in their town if I run another Supers game. Our next Fantasy game may be more focused on just the small group of them with no larger guild family to be seen for some time. For Science Fiction, perhaps a small trading vessel where the PCs are the only crew.

Hmmm. Sounds boring. Sounds like it could be anybody's game.

Sorry, I gotta be me. Extras...this way please...

Auditions for parts are on Sound Stage A.

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Barking Alien

Supers And Their Supporting Cast

As usual, a little sad my last post didn't solicit any comments even as the previous one, which inspired it, did. Oh well. They say timing is everything and perhaps my timing is a bit off with the weekend approaching (and now here as of this writing).

Still and all I think some of the ideas I put forth are worth a look. Please take a gander when you get the chance.

Now then...

One of the under used elements of the Supers genre among many Superhero gamers and GMs (myself included from time to time) is the use of an effective supporting cast in the heroes' costumed and secret identities. In Champions especially, the 'Dependant NPC' Disadvantage is only a disadvantage if the NPC is truly dependant upon the PC. If Lois Lane is never in trouble or even around, Superman has less to worry about and as we all know, that's not as fun.

The problem for me is, more and more, my new and younger players don't really think about plucky reporters, dear old aunts and best buddies who try to figure out their identities. Most are reading Marvel comics where the secret identity and double life traditionally attributed to the superhero is sort of passe'. The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Luke Cage and many other Marvel heroes have publicly known 'secret' identities. It doesn't hinder them in the least because their supporting cast, once an important part of the comic book soap opera milieu, now consists primarily of other costumed super beings.

This conversation is not out of the question:

Hawkeye: "I'm worried that if they find out my secret identity, they'll go after my girlfriend."

Spiderman: "Um...dude. You're dating Spiderwoman. She can kick your ass. And mine. And likely theirs who ever 'they' are."

I do have one player, the always awesome Dave, who has an interesting Dependant NPC for his Champions alt character, Silver Sun. Silver Sun adopted a young boy who has evidenced super powers of his own and with the help of the Scaramangler Foundation (a sort of global, non-profit Xavier's School For Gifted Youngers meets the Red Cross), the kid is learning to handle his abilities while Silver Sun learns to handle having a kid.

Again however, the kid has powers. He is not a normal child who has no means of defending himself at all against an attacking supervillain. That dynamic is simply not often as evident as it once was.

Now, as to a supporting cast of Supers and those who can hang with them...

I can create Superhero concepts at the drop of a hat and as such, I tend to. For my Champions campaign I am actually showing a huge amount of restraint, as part of the setting is that the word has considerably less Superheroes than Marvel or DC comics.

New York City for example, often depicted as the mecca of all superhero activity in mainstream comics, has just over a dozen Supers. What I have done is given the team, individually or as a group, the chance to move around and see the rest of the country and even the world. As such, they have forged relationships with Supers from other states and discovered just how hard their jobs can be.

For example, Georgia, former home town of Silver Sun before he moved to New York, is protected by only three other heroes. Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Wyoming appear to share not but a handful of costumed do-gooders between them. This makes each one stand out more and gives the players a reason to not only help but to get to know them. Sometimes they become friends, sometimes they rub each other the wrong way. It makes for good TV as they say.

Finally, taking a cue from current Marvel as well as my old Villains & Vigilantes days, the government agents, SHIELD types and other law enforcement officers and officials round out things nicely as people who can handle themselves but still need to call in the heroes for the big jobs. Here more than anywhere else you get the people who can either love or hate the PCs and NPC heroes in a big way and have enough clout to make things easy or hard for the supers. Some agents are honored to fight beside these gifted individuals. Some would prefer the freaks would stay out of the way and let them do their job. You know the drill.

So those are some of my supporting cast thoughts. Not all of them mind you but enough for an early Saturday morning. No game today as personal stuff takes precedent but back to the fold next week.

Oh and just a quick heads up...June 30th is the next RECESS game event! I'll be there and I hope, if you can, you will too.

Laters,

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Barking Alien

Did you just make food come out of the wall?

So you've asked yourself, "Who is that smiling, green-hued, distinctly canine gentleman to the right and why is he there?" You haven't? Well go ask yourself now. Go ahead, take your time, I'll wait. There now wasn't that easy? You really should talk to yourself more often. Look, don't take my word for it, after all you have to live with you, not me.Where was I? Ah yes, the emerald pooch.

That is none other than Ambassador Bartholomew B. Barkley, interstellar diplomat, galactic entrepreneur and cosmic celebrity extraordinaire! Barkley is a non-player character I created on the fly for a one-shot RPG adventure set in the universe of Galaxy Quest, the 1999 SciFi Comedy film starring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman amoung others. I love that movie and it was nothing less than destiny that drove me to try and turn it into a role playing game.

Barkley was one of several frightening looking 'spidery legged, dog things' (according to my notes from back in 2003) that seemed to attack the PCs as they approached an abandoned NSEA outpost. The player characters end up firing at the barking, growling creatures, zapping one to death before the universal translators kick in and it turns out the natives are just trying to scare the newcomers 'off'a thar property'. Read my previous post...Never trust universal translators.

Barkley proceeds to demand reparations for the poor treatment of his species and insists he is not intimidated or impressed by the strange ways or fancy tools of the Galaxy Quest crew. To calm the irate alien, the crewmembers use a 'replicator' to give him something to drink and eat. Barkley is stupified. Staring at the device he says, "Did you just make food come out of the wall? FOOD just came out of the WALL!" Barkley then changes his tune in an attempt to cash in on his situation and a chance to hang out with the 'magic food wall' people. Essentially moving into quarters on the PCs' ship, he declares himself 'Ambassador Barkley' and helps them out on their mission between bouts of creative mooching.

Barkley remains one of my favorite characters I've ever created. I can't wait for a chance to use him again. Hopefully soon...heheh...

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Barking Alien