THE ART OF MAKING MEN: A TREATISE ON NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS, LIMITS, AND REGRETS (And mini blog from Charlie) Part 2
THE NPC CAMP: A SAFE SPACE FOR CHAOS
If you’re lucky enough to be involved in a game with an NPC camp, consider it your playground, your lab, your artist’s garret. NPC camp is where you can test out your most unhinged ideas without fear of lasting consequences.
Think of it as a stage where your absurd concepts can play out, free from the weight of expectation. Is there a wandering merchant who thinks shoes are evil and demands everyone toss their footwear into a bonfire? Perfect NPC material.
NPC camp is your sandbox. It is where you discover whether your weird idea is a fleeting joke or something that has legs, preferably two, unless you are designing some sort of horrifying arachnid character, in which case, I commend your bravery.
REGRET: THE CHARACTER WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN NPC
Let’s talk about Regret, not their real name, a character I made (whom I don’t regret at all but roll with me here) a character that taught me the painful lesson of knowing when to let go.
Regret was supposed to be a one-off NPC, a feral scavenger crawling on all fours, screeching like a banshee, embodying chaos. The plan was simple: terrify some players for an hour, die in a blaze of foam dart glory, and be remembered as a bizarre footnote in the annals of LARP history.
But then someone suggested, “Hey, why don’t you make him a full-time character?” And in a fit of poor judgment fueled by ego and lack of sleep, I said yes.
What followed were years, literal years, of enduring the physical and emotional toll of this character. Walking on all fours, screaming until my voice shattered into a raspy shadow of itself, enduring the relentless demands of a community that had come to expect this unhinged presence at every event.
Regret should have been an NPC. A temporary disturbance. A chaotic burst of energy that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Instead, it became a marathon that probably took more out of me personally than I got out of them. I love Regret, and told lots of great stories with them but boy were they exhausting to play.
TLDR: PRACTICAL TIPS FOR CREATING NPCS
Signature Behaviors: Give your NPC a quirk, a nervous tic, a catchphrase, a weird obsession. Maybe they’re always chewing on a piece of leather. Maybe they hum a tune only they know. Small, consistent details create a lasting impression.
React Like a Lunatic: If someone insults your NPC, overreact. If they praise them, burst into tears. Emotions should be dialed up to eleven because subtlety is for protagonists.
Be the Hook, Not the Story: Your NPC doesn’t need to be the center of attention. They are the spark, not the flame. Give players something to engage with, then step back and watch the fireworks.
Charlie Note:
Remember that this doesn’t just include talking roleplay style characters. If you are playing a shambling zed, get into it! Maybe that zed has a broken leg, a dislocated neck that swings a little bit, or can barely walk and stumbles on every obstacle. Maybe your raider really hates the color red and you prioritize attacking people in red because it makes you angry. There are little things that may not be communicated with words, but it gives these monsters more life with a story that no one but you gets to know. But players will notice. They are going to have more fun interacting with the starving zed that wants to bite at them and snarl than the person that looks like they are falling asleep while walking. Have fun with it!
