Adding the Quirk Into NPCs

After our session of BSing last night one of the subjects we spoke was quirky characters added to the game.  I love having a sprinkling of them in my games.  I was just working on an adventure last night and the set up is a beat up village outside the evil temple (that was once a good temple).  There is one guy name Gordon who refuses to leave even though he and his house are attacked each night.  As I explained it to Trey, "He's like that old guy you see on the news who refuses to leave even though there is lava inching closer or the tidal wave looms over him."

Quirky is cool and fun, but it only works if there is a reason.  You don't have to get into a psycho-analytical involvement, but it helps maintain the continuity if there is a reason for the quirkiness.  In my newbie game there was a small mage guild in town.  The 'host' mage (think greeter at wal-mart) was a very difficult man.  He asked a lot of questions and when answers were given he became very suspicious.  He would do this for a while until it seemed the business was legitimate.  He figures if he acts crazy enough people won't bother him and the others for help as much.  Otherwise villagers would be bugging them constantly.  The players never knew why he did what he did, but they still talk about him today.  (Partially because I was fucking funny when I played him.)

There are some quirky NPCs that don't need that much detail.  Maybe just one thing that sets them off.  A personality trait or physical tic or feature that's exaggerated.  All it takes it one memorable detail and the players are more likely to remember.  Ex. Herbert the merchant deals in fine wines.  Or.  Herbert the Merchant is known for his fine wines and giggles like a small girl when he's amused. Not the best example, but now the players have an identifier hung on old Herbert making it easier for them to remember.  "Lets go see the giggle guy for some wine."

Don't mistake quirky characters as secondary, or weak or bit players.  They can be significant and have a great deal of influence in the game.  And a quirk does not need to define the NPC, but accent him or her.  I'll use a Whisk analogy, the quirk isn't the meat, its the seasoning.  But you have to make sure you have a good piece of meat of the seasoning won't matter.  (I learned this trick over at Hack & Slash, Thanks Courtney)

Like all good things, don't overdo it or the quirkiness becomes watered down and becomes a David Lynch movie.  Oww, didn't see that shot towards David coming.  But being weird to be weird is boring and not weird.

I'm done.  Off to work.  Hi ho.  Hi ho.

So What Happens When You Have A Game and No One Shows?

You bullshit about gaming for a couple of hours.  Tonight would have been our third foray into the world of Trey's, Weird Adventures, but due to some technical difficulties, family issues and over scheduling only Trey and I were able to make the session.  So for the next two hours we BSed about gaming, blogs, bloggers (that means you), movies, comics, cons and drinking or lack there of.  No dice were rolled, but sometimes its just good to shoot the shit about our geekness and enjoy the company.

Zombie Obstacle Course!

This looks so fricking fun!

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!

Dwarven Logic: Game Session

Last night we completed our third session of trying out the new system. We had a LOT of fun. I’m playing a boisterous dwarf who bellows when he talks and he is often heard shouting “THAT SUCKS!” when he misses or gets hit. He’s a blast to play.

But, just because he’s loud doesn’t mean he isn’t crafty. In the adventure we just completed he would have won the award for the most uses out of a table. Last session I was getting chased by demon spunk blobs. They were tough. I barricaded myself in the room using a table and spread salt all over the floor. They didn’t like that much.

In the most recent adventure we encountered a statue with twelve gems. Our thief with a six wisdom, kept plucking out gems that summoned a dozen skeletons for each gem. It got crazy until I threatened to melon hole his skull if he grabbed another gem. Back to the table. Barricaded the room with another table. Run a rope from the top of the statue, thief can grab gems from a safe height then shimmy down the rope back behind the barricade to safety again. BRILLIANT! And if the thief falls off the rope than we don’t have to split the treasure in fours.

Then we encountered a room with an evil chamber pot inside a magic circle. The called it an urn, but all I wanted to do was pee into it. So while they are debating how to handle the evil pee pot. I grab yet another table and shove it into the magic circle knocking over the pot and it broke. The mage slept the thief before he got to touch it.

Dwarven logic dictates if you don’t want to get touched, put something in between you and what wants to touch you. If you don’t want to touch it then grab a table and shove hard. “YEAH! THAT DOESN”T SUCK! WOOO!”

Monday Morning News

Didn't blog much late last week or through the weekend and looks like a lot of stuff has happened.  First off, I power watched the Game of Thrones first season and was impressed.  It look fantastic in blu-ray.  Now I have to wait another year for season two.  I'm hoping Spartacus second season is out this summer.  I don't watch them on TV (because I don't get cable, just internet) then I either watch the whole season in a couple of days on Netflix or get the DVD collection. 


Matt Jackson, maker of maps, has released Issue 12 of Lapsus Calumni: The Environs of Milagros.  You can download it at his blog for free.  This issue is a hex crawl with great looking maps you come to expect from Matt and detailed areas and people.  I really like the United Halfling Shippers.  Matt has a stripped down style that including this hex into an ongoing campaign would be a simple task.



 
Carter Soles from The Land of Ara has released his 2011 Compendium.  Artwork is done by OSR favorites, Johnathan Bingham with his lovely wife, Daisey, Kelvin Green and The Marg.  I tried adding a picture of the cover, but for some reason couldn't get it to work.  I haven't had a chance to look at it yet.  Just got it last night before bed.  But after a quick glance I see he included Sleestak and for that I can only give this product my highest recommendation and will belittle, ridicule and give you a nuggy if you don't get it.


There is a ton more going on, but time for work.  Monday is calling and it wants its due.  Tonight is game night and we continue on with play testing.  I'm not sure how much we are testing as just having fun.  Have a good day my friends, stay rolling.