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Your average NPC is forgettable and blends in with the environment. Shopkeeper Bob is just another shopkeeper, or the "Jennifers" are the servants, no one stands out and any NPC can fill the roll they take on (named or not). But we all have a favorite NPC. When you think about your favorite one, you remember something about them that makes them different. As a GM, I create a lot of characters for my players to interact with, and I have had several I really enjoy. Two in particular come to mind. Let me introduce you.
You are traveling through the wintry forest. As you trudge through the snow, you are cold and getting hungry. You come to a clearing with a monastery whose people are quite friendly and inviting. The courtyard is dominated by an ancient oak tree and sitting on a low branch is a pale blue skinned elf with silvery hair. Meet Spring, the only dryad that lives openly among the people of the monastery and their guests, proving wisdom, healing, and guidance to any who listen. Spring first met the party in another forest where she asked for their aid in stopping an evil mage from taking any more of her children. In doing so, they found out she was the spirit of the ancient oak found within the keep. Eventually, they were able to return her to the oak and in return, still aided the party by providing history and guidance for any situation. As a young page, you come across some ancient texts. You have scoured the library to try to find understanding. After hours of study, you find yourself amid multiple piles of books and still nothing. As a last hope for clarity you turn to the one who would know best. Meet Tatra, an elder within the temple. She provides her wisdom: Thoughts intrude with a breath so deep, Find them more clearly throughout your sleep. Guides for the path to knowledges lost, Know not how steep this action does cost. Tatra is a prophet. In asking her questions, she often provides riddles. Rarely will she speak plainly, but often causes more questions than gives answers. Those that heed her advice are better for it, they just have to decipher it first. With riddles such as this, what could go wrong? The players in my games remember these characters for the reasons I have shown. They are unique and have their own personalities, making them stand out among the other NPCs. These are not the only two, I have several unique ones in each of my campaigns, but I felt these two provide strong examples. So, want your players to invest in a NPC? Make them memorable.
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I know I need to get on the ball here. More and more people like to use maps as a visual guide, and miniatures to represent their characters on a battlefield. I have to admit, mechanically speaking, it can be far easier to use a map and figures to run a battle. This alleviates questions like, “How many are left?”, “How far are the creatures from me?”, “Can I move in a way to hit more than one creature?”, etc. I think you get the picture here.
I have often played “theater of the mind” in battles and I get these questions frequently. In my small home group it can work. They trust me not to be fickle about who and where, and I trust them not to argue with me every time I make a decision. When I run games at cons, or for a friend of a friend, this is not so easy. So I try to have a map, miniatures, and maybe even some terrain. Going from nothing to something has been a bit difficult (though I imagine going the other direction has its own problems). I find myself looking for new maps, both physical and digital, and finding ways to create more terrain. I have hunted through hobby stores, scoured the internet, and jumped on kickstarters to build my inventory. This can be time consuming and financially draining, but it doesn’t have to be. Some things are as easy as picking it up from your own yard, while others have to be built or bought. I have discovered that out-of-the-box thinking is crucial for this. I work around the costly terrain made specifically for TTRPGs by using train model structures, or even things designed for doll houses. Taking it with me has given me a new set of challenges as well. Traveling to the cons now requires me to carry more things than just my iPad. I have a folding dolly and a crate at the moment, but have already outgrown that. I need a wagon. My advice to you: start small! Pick a specific encounter that you want to build a map for and work to achieve that first. After you complete that goal, then do another. Before you know it, you have a whole inventory of terrain that you can pull from for any scenario. A GM has a lot to juggle, from encounter balance to character backstory. Not only does the GM have to know mechanics, but they can feel like they need a degree in psychology to work with each person at the table. Often the GM gets the brunt of engaging the players, incorporating character history, and managing the tabletop interactions. It’s time to delegate!
To all my fellow GMs, I hear you! I know that you try hard to do better each session. You should learn new tricks and skills to improve. I believe this is important for you as well as your gaming group. However, do not put so much on yourself that it gets overwhelming. Your players have responsibilities too. Like I’ve said before, this is a collective storytelling game. The players have a responsibility to engage in that story and make it come alive. They need to put a little effort into remembering what has happened so they can build upon it. Interact with the other players and learn about each other’s history and dreams for the future. Talk out what has happened and decide upon what actions need to be taken next. Players, your GMs can only go so far. You must take the next step! Do not be afraid to make something up on the fly, especially in regards to your character’s experiences and feelings. A lot of us like playing these games because we can be someone else for a while, so step into that role. Look at the other players as friends (most of them actually are) who want to enjoy this journey alongside you. I’ll admit, it is much more engaging to be the one in the middle of the action. Talking to the NPCs and running the show is exhilarating. Unfortunately, it does put others in the background and will often make them feel as though they are only supporting characters in your story. The spotlight should be shared among the players.
This is not an easy task to do for the GM. Incorporating each character’s background, allies, enemies, etc. is the best, most direct way to do this. However, sometimes it still makes you focus on one character at a time. Don’t forget there are others in this story as well. Take a moment to pause your interaction with the one character to turn attention to the others. This allows the others to engage in the story being created in the moment. Players, you are not off the hook here. You have more control over this than you think. When someone else’s story becomes front and center, you will feel you need to take the back seat, but you do not have to. Have your character work with the other to complete their quest. Form a bond of friendship and they may just become one. When the GM asks what you want to do, think about incorporating yourself into their story. Bandage their wounds, provide a shoulder to cry on, give them a gift, anything to have your character show support to the character in the current spotlight. When it is time for you to be in the spotlight, they will do the same. Developing relationships between the characters is what truly brings the story to life, not the one character’s personal quest. Think of Merry and Pippin, Harry and Hermione, Captain America and Thor. These are all main characters who share the spotlight between them. Though they could each tell their own stories, it’s just not the same without the other. |
AuthorJodie 
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April 2025
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