Help a new GM

[sasha]

The NPCs do not have to be numerous or overly interesting at the start. You may only need one or two. Think about their goals and what motivates them. That can jump start their development.

Otherwise I think gadrin is 100% correct. You can force some things on the PCs but you have to be careful about actually forcing it on them. File it away and remember it for later, which could be the next session or it could be next year.

Also knowing the PCs' motivation can help your planning. Understand what they are looking for and plan for that; it reduces the loops they throw... well, sometimes. You can always discuss with them the loops they do throw. You should try to roll with the punches as much as possible but sometimes you just have to stop and think about it as a group.

[sasha]

I like it.


All my planned encounters and things I think are essential to do are as free form as possible.

In other words, if the characters go west and originally I had this thing in the east, I just move it to the west. Or save it for later when they actually do go east.

The key is enough specifics without being locked into the specifics.

[Killer Cyborg]

Do you have any tips on writing play sessions and interesting npcs? How do you get inside the mind of a person (npc) that you havent created yet?

Personally, I really enjoy rolling up characters.
So I tend to roll up a lot of characters, whether or not I'll ever get to play them.
Which means that I have a folder stuffed with characters who are complete enough to toss into adventures as NPCs any time I want.
It works; I just have to avoid being too attached to any of them, because I don't want to be one of those GMs with pet NPCs that outshine the party and that can't be killed.

Also, rolling up characters increases your knowledge of the game, and it decreases the odds that a player will come up with a character ability, skill, spell, or power that throws you for a loop.

Just keep in mind to roll up a lot of vagabonds and such, because a lot of NPCs are just going to be average people.

[lather]

Yea definitely watch out you don't develop a pet NPC.

Like some of the others said, think about their motivations and goals; if you know what they want, you'll make consistent decisions on their behalf. For example, you have a very cowardly, meek, and timid Computer Hacker NPC. One of the PCs puts a gun to him and says, "talk". You know the PCs alignment and know that he won't actually shoot. The NPC should start singing though; only rarely would it actually embolden him and make him say, "go ahead". Unless of course he was also severely depressed then he might actually do something to get shot. But see, that's all part of developing the NPCs character.

Also spend more time on the ones you think are going to be around the longest/most. Nothing sucks more than not having an answer to, "so, uh, got a sister?"

[sasha]

Nothing sucks more than not having an answer to, "so, uh, got a sister?"

That's not true.

But it is still good advice. Don't spend time developing a NPC that's never going to really matter. Unless you want to; Killer Cyborg pointed out the merit of creating characters that you might never use.