Hi all

Hi all

Hi all,

how do you create NPC for US?

I use to create NPC like DW monsters, because I’ve found some problems using only informations given in the corebook.

In particular when I need moves to react to players moves. For examples, if I create an NPC mage, I need spells in the form of moves, to have an idea of what he can do. But in US corebook there are no informations about NPC moves.

 

18 thoughts on “Hi all”

  1. There are no NPC stats or moves – you are playing the game wrong. As the MC your job to create situations and react to what the players do and the outcomes of their moves not to act yourself.

  2. Players make moves. The MC do the same. The game is a continuous discussion between players and MC. Like in all PtbA games.

    When a MC react to players move, like you said, he make a move.

    What I’m saying is that in US there are no specific rules for NPC, like in DW. For me sometimes is difficult beacuse I’d like to have guidelines on what the NPC can do/do not when, for example, a PC roll a 6 on a move.

    Is it clear? I’m talking about NPC creations rules/guidelines.

  4. Ok, I understand this point. And I’m doing this. But I’d like to have a list of possibles NPC moves to avoid the possibility to take a random decision.

    In DW for every monester you have a list of what he can do. When a GM make a move he knows exactly what the monster can do and he doesn’t need to take an arbitrary decision.

  5. Why not just write some moves for your NPC’s then? You clearly have the DW experience to draw upon to suit your needs. Wizard NPC moves: ‘unleash deadly magic’, ‘surround themselves in a ward’, ‘veil themselves in invisibility’, ‘teleport somewhere nearby’. Bam, done!

  9. I personally wouldn’t want to be hampered by preconceived ideas about what could happen – the the Player succeeds then they can narrate the outcome to the situation and if there are any consequences just ask yourself do they make the encounter more interesting? My only advise is to not punish a Player for a failed roll with hefty damage if there is a more interesting option available. This is where you are generating new drama – use the possibilities open to you.

  10. I dunno, inflicting a huge amount of harm is one of my favourite moves to make. It immediately escalates things and tells the characters that the stakes in this scene are serious.

  11. NPCs in US are all individuals and the flavour of given supernatural creatures is meant to be customizable to your campaign. There is no such thing as a stock NPC zombie or demon or politician or cop, so there isn’t any sort of list of zombie moves or demon moves, etc. and no one can really write one for you since what each being is capable of in their setting could be very different from yours.

    When I make a move, I pick a MC move and have the nature of the NPC inform how it plays out. The only guideline is what you feel the given NPC ought to reasonably be capable of.

  12. But it is so dead end plot wise – why have the zombie T-Rex bite the Wizard when it can start eating innocent bystanders or the Wizards NPC girlfriend?

  13. A huge amount of damage is very dangerous in US (my friend’s hunter is always near to death xD) and I agee with Andrew Medeiros: if you want to escalates the conflict is the best solution.

    But I like very much other options when the fiction suggest to make a different solution. You can make pressure on PC in a lot of different ways!

  14. Harm isn’t a dead end, imo; it changes the stakes. Now that they’re harmed, they need to decide if they’re going to stay in it or bail. Then they need to do something about all that harm, time to Hit the Streets to find a healer friend, oh wait, their buddy is being extorted by the Werewolves and need your help. No rest for the wicked.

  16. I see Hard as the easy soft option but then I GM a LOT of Cthulhu where death is common place.

    I’ll always go for the heart rather then the hurt.

Comments are closed.