Playing the Npcs

A “nonplayer character” (NPC) is
anyone played by the GM. The GM
gets to play dozens of characters
throughout an adventure – from
chance-met travelers to powerful
patrons and villains.
As the GM, you may create your
NPCs in any way you like. You should
design important NPCs just like player
characters, but you can give “cannon
fodder” and “bit players” logical abili-
ties by using templates (see Character
Templates, p. 445) or by assigning
appropriate traits on the spur of the
moment without regard to point value.
Once you create an NPC – major or
minor – play the role! Your NPCs will
try to earn money, look important and
admirable, protect their skins, and
achieve their goals – just like anybody
else! The more skilled you become at
roleplaying, the better a GM you will
be and the more fun you (and your
players) will have.
Some of your NPCs will automati-
cally be friendly to the PCs; others will
be “natural enemies.” These reactions
will be preset when you work out the
scenario. But many NPCs have no
“automatic” response to the PCs.
Instead, you will use the Reaction Table
(p. 560) to see how they respond.