UNE (Universal NPC Emulator)

8/18/2019 UNE (Universal NPC Emulator)

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CONJECTURE GAMES PRESENTS:

ÜNE the üniversal NPC emulator

By Zach Best

Artwork by Matthew Vasey



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“Nothing happens unless first we dream.” –Carl Sandberg

“One day one of my little nephews came up to me and asked me if the equator was a real line thatwent around the Earth, or just an imaginary one. I had to laugh. Laugh and laugh. Because I didn’tknow, and I thought that maybe by laughing he would forget what he asked me.” –Jack Handey

Dedicated to Claire.

I hope your imagination will be as wild and large as the sea.

Written by Zach BestArtwork by Matthew Vasey (http://www.users.fast.net/~rrv311/digitaldemiurgemain.html)Published by Conjecture Games ([email protected], Tip Jar at PayPal.com)Special Thanks to Matt Mooney, Aaron Zeitler, Keith Emery, and Scott Rieger for playtesting,editing, and general commenting.Very Special Thanks to my wife, Katie, who believes in me and supports me in every way.

Anyone may freely distribute this work as long as it is not used forcommercial purposes and it is distributed in its original form. The workmay be used to create resulting derivative works as intended by this workfor commercial use as long as acknowledgement of this work isaccompanied by said published derivative work. Permission from theauthors must be granted if this work will be used for any other purposes,including but not limited to, reusing any artwork or text for a separate orderivative work. All text is © Zach Best (2007). All artwork is ©Matthew Vasey (2007) and used with permission for this work. Themention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is nota challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.

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A Tale of a TableAlex: You three are hot on the trail of the evildragon’s servants. You recall they have stolenthe scepter of your king.

Bob: Is there a town ahead?

Alex: Yes. Carol, you know this area well andknow there is a town about 10 miles or so away.

Bob: Good. I need to stock up before we hit thedungeon.

Alex (smirking): Up to you guys.

Dooley: Are we there?

Alex: Yes.

Dooley: I want to talk with the Mayor.

Alex: Oh. Okay, sure. What about?Dooley: I want to see if the town has anyproblems of their own, and feel the Mayor out.It is my sworn job as a paladin of the king touphold the law and make sure only the good leadthose of faith.

Carol: That sounds cool. I don’t know why wecare about the scepter anyway. It wasn’t evenmagic. I am sure the king has plentyreplacements.

Bob (whining): I want treasure.Alex: Uhhhh…okay. Can we take a break…for an hour. I need to figure out what to dothen. Or, I have prepared the adventure to thedragon. You guys can do that.

Dooley: We can wait.

IntroductionThe role of a game master (“GM”) running a

tabletop roleplaying game can be a tough one. Notonly do they have to maintain a handle on thestage they are setting, but they also have to keep

things interesting. A lot of times a GM will looktowards a pre-made adventure – many of whichrequire players to do A then B then C to get D,etc. – to save some time in the game preparation. Just as many times, players will start at A then sendtheir characters to X, destroy C, and then run awayfrom D to get to M. All the GM’s planning in theworld cannot account for every action the playerswant their characters to take.

Perhaps the worst situation in which a GMcan find himself results when a player character(“PC”) is trying to have an unforseen conver-

sation with a non-player character (“NPC”). Forexample, the Mayor that Dooley wants to meet.The GM could just ignore the player’s request andsay that the Mayor says nothing interesting.Another GM could use the Mayor to get the PC’sback on track with the prepared adventure. AGM could take a break to flesh out the area thePC’s want to explore.

This supplement attempts to help a GMcreate interesting NPC’s on the fly so that if thethird option is taken, the task is simpler and the

results fun. Instead of just a stereotypical Mayor(whatever that may be), with a few die rolls aMayor can be created with a history, motivations,and even a reason to speak with the PC’s. Thebest part is that this supplement is universal. Itwas designed to work for every genre from fantasyto horror, space opera to post-apocalypseadventure.

AbbreviationsGM = game master, usually the person runningthe game.

PC = player character, a character played byone of the players.NPC = non-player character, one of the manycharacters a game master will act out in order tofurther the story through interaction with player-run characters.d# = a die with # of sides, for instance a d100is a die with 100 sides.



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What is ÜNE?ÜNE is a supplement for just about any pen

and paper roleplaying game to help facilitate thecreation and playing of an NPC.

ÜNE is universal. It was designed to be run

with almost every standing genre in tabletoproleplaying. Some terms must bend a little moredepending on a genre. A shopkeeper or wizardmight not be apparent in a space opera, but youmight look respectively to Quark from StarTrek: Deep Space 9 or Mr. Universe from themovie Serenity as reasonable examples of thoseprofessions in that genre. The terms are notdefinite answers; they are ideas to get thecreative juices flowing.

ÜNE is focused on the NPC aspect of agame. Often a GM will hesitate to include a

variety of NPC’s for fear that they will seem trite.Alternatively, a generic role may need to befilled and the GM fears that the NPC that fills itwill be viewed as a prop, not as a person. WithÜNE, a simple NPC can become a true characterin the story with just a few die rolls.

ÜNE is an emulator. It can be used withouta GM, and in fact some of the best results mayoccur when a whole group of players uses it.This particular emulator is not a completereplacement for a GM-driven NPC.

Nonetheless, when a GM is absent or is notinspired to create a new NPC this emulator willshine.

When to use ÜNEThe supplement should be used when the

game is stuck. More specifically, when the gameis stuck on “who?” and there is a problem withhow to proceed.

This typically arises is when a player wishesto have her PC interact with an NPC that wascreated as a prop. An example could be a

burglar about to break into a trailer-home, andone of the neighbors comes out for a smoke anda drink to up the difficulty of breaking andentering. As a prop the neighbor serves merelyto deter the PC or increase the difficulty. Theproblem occurs when the PC engages with theneighbor. Is the neighbor brash? Will the herun inside the moment he is threatened? Is he

friendly enough to share a smoke with a strangerwandering around the trailer park? What if thePC escalates the situation and gets into a fight,or even worse kidnaps the neighbor?

Other examples of prop NPC’s needingfurther depth include: a merchant of whom a PCrequests an abnormal favor, a waitress used as aninformation delivery prop with whom a PC startsto flirt, or an enemy that is interrogated withunforeseen questions.

Undeveloped NPC’s also commonly occurwhen a player wishes his PC to seek out a generalNPC he just “created.” The example of Dooleywanting to speak with a mayor, as describedabove is not uncommon. A player decides his PCknows somebody, or at least knows they exist, andseeks them out. The problem occurs when the

PC starts interacting (usually requestingsomething) with the NPC. It compounds whenthe PC continues to return to that NPC on manyoccasions.

Many skilled GM’s develop this informationon the fly. However, even the best GM’s can getstuck in an adversarial or cliché rut. Anadversarial-rutted GM will make the neighbor asantagonistic as possible. The neighbor will bebrave, undeterred by any threats, and possibly bethe first to resort to violence so as to force thePC’s to “stay on track.” A cliché-rutted GM willsnag the first idea that pops into mind, and itwill usually be the most cliché.

This is when to use ÜNE It will give theNPC meaning and depth that will not burden thegame with stalling moments or GM-rutted ideas.ÜNE can be lightly used when the NPC conceptis pretty much solidified, but the supplement ismost useful when an NPC is pulled out of chaos.

Designer Notes on ÜNEDropping the Reins

The first convention of tabletop role-playingthat this supplement breaks is the paramountcontrol of the GM. Random creation willusually cause some amount of control over thegame to be lost. Consider a treasure won at theend of a dungeon. A strict GM may havecustomized the treasure specifically to eachcharacter. A lax GM may just roll on the



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treasure tables. Neither is the correct way. Thecorrect way should be tailored to each group.But, it is important to understand a randomlyrolled treasure may change the game inunforeseen ways. Without a GM, the game mustbe played so that unforeseen events continue tooccur.

This convention breaker is directly appliedhere because this supplement assumes thatNPC’s in your game are more than props. Theyare people that allow for interactions beyondwhat props can deliver. If they are not props,then the NPC’s will likely affect the story. If oneis randomly created it’s affect on the story mightbe one never contemplated by the GM (or theplayers).

Collaborative Gaming The second broken convention is that ofplayers controlling only their own characters.The supplement works best when the rolling isdone with everyone chiming in. Think of it as acrucible. A lot of inappropriate ideas might bethrown in, but a mixture might create a gem.However, the possibility of metagaming – PCaction based on player knowledge, not characterknowledge – rears its head. If the NPC is rolledup to be an evil villain with the demeanor of asaint some players will not have as much funbecause they already know that the NPC is evil,while their PC’s don’t. The GM will have todecide based on how the group finds their fun,whether to allow players to help create NPC’susing this supplement or to keep it a surprise.

PreconceptionsThe battle will always be preconceptions

versus the random terms rolled. In the priorexample, Alex might want the Mayor to berotting the town from the inside out, but all the

terms that ÜNE provides point to a saintly Mayorwho goes out of the way to help the passage ofsnails. The GM (or group) will have to decidewhich ideas to throw away. If the preconceptionsare strong, they may overshadow or conflict withanything rolled. Of course the goal in the designof ÜNE was to have most characteristics be ascomplementary as possible. This is not always

feasible. Coming upon a hermit that has lived inthe swamp for thirty years, and then rolling“drifter” may cause a few problems. Theappropriate method is to see if a few ideas get therolled terms to join with the preconceptions tocreate a NPC with depth (such as a swamp hermitwho lives in a houseboat floating around theswamp). If they conflict too greatly, just toss outwhat does not work.

The Rule of Negative InferenceSome terms will have to be thrown out. The

conflict between the preconceptions or otherrolled terms will be too great to utilize them insuch a way that the fun of the game continues.It is always better to keep moving forward thanto spend a gross amount of time trying to

reconcile some terms. However, it is beneficialto ask when paring down terms “why does thisterm not work?” This will not only strengthen your NPC concept, but it may also provide moredepth to the preconceptions and terms that areleft on the table.

Term DesignUsers should feel free to replace any terms

they wish. If a group or person solely plays a spaceopera roleplaying game, some of the NPC Nounscould be replaced. NPC Motivation Nouns canalso be edited for specific systems according togroups of NPC’s, goals or actions unique to thesetting, etc. ÜNE should definitely be edited tobe more specific if necessary.

Story CreationOne of the easiest ways to create an

adventure is to create numerous NPC’s and thenmake a tangled web between them all. Have theplayers sort out who is right, who wins, etc.ÜNE works well for this GM exercise because it

eliminates much of the time consumingapplications of character creation. The results(and gameplay) may work out surprisingly well,even when little time can be given toadventure/story creation. A separate appendix isavailable to see an example of this type ofexercise.



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NPC CreatorThe NPC Creator can be used for many purposes. First and foremost, a strong idea for an NPC can be

created from nothing in a very short time. The NPC will have a stereotypical title, motivations, and asense of the NPC’s power in comparison to the players. The NPC Creator can also be used to expand onthe NPC’s inner workings. A GM might know that a certain NPC has information pertaining to an

artifact the PC’s are seeking, but what will drive the NPC to want to give it to them. With a motivationor two, a GM will know what actions the PC’s will have to take in order to acquire that information. Asmentioned above, if preconceptions overrule what is rolled, use what works best. Do not be afraid todiscard terms, especially in the case where speedy creation of an NPC trumps depth.

1. Determine what the NPC is. Roll a d100 to obtain an NPC Modifier from Chart 1. Roll a d100 toobtain an NPC Noun from Chart 2. Combine the two as if forming a simple sentence. For example if a21 is rolled followed by a 45, the sentence would read “Inept Actor.” If some facts about the NPC arepreviously known, merely use what works and discard what does not.

Chart 1: NPC Modifier1 superfluous 21 inept 41 pleasant 61 lethargic 81 jovial

2 addicted 22 banal 42 insensitive 62 defiant 82 shrewd3 conformist 23 logical 43 titled 63 obnoxious 83 liberal4 nefarious 24 subtle 44 inexperienced 64 insightful 84 compliant5 sensible 25 reputable 45 prying 65 tactless 85 destitute6 untrained 26 wicked 46 oblivious 66 fanatic 86 conniving7 romantic 27 lazy 47 refined 67 plebeian 87 careful8 unreasonable 28 pessimistic 48 indispensable 68 childish 88 alluring9 skilled 29 solemn 49 scholarly 69 pious 89 defective10 neglectful 30 habitual 50 conservative 70 uneducated 90 optimistic11 lively 31 meek 51 uncouth 71 inconsiderate 91 affluent12 forthright 32 helpful 52 willful 72 cultured 92 despondent13 idealistic 33 unconcerned 53 indifferent 73 revolting 93 mindless

14 unsupportive 34 generous 54 fickle 74 curious 94 passionate15 rational 35 docile 55 elderly 75 touchy 95 devoted16 coarse 36 cheery 56 sinful 76 needy 96 established17 foolish 37 pragmatic 57 naive 77 dignified 97 unseemly18 cunning 38 serene 58 privileged 78 pushy 98 dependable19 delightful 39 thoughtful 59 glum 79 kind 99 righteous20 miserly 40 hopeless 60 likable 80 corrupt 100 confident



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Chart 2: NPC Noun1 gypsy 21 missionary 41 villager 61 mediator 81 performer2 witch 22 outcast 42 magus 62 crook 82 magister3 merchant 23 mercenary 43 conscript 63 civilian 83 serf4 expert 24 caretaker 44 worker 64 activist 84 brute5 commoner 25 hermit 45 actor 65 hero 85 inquisitor6 judge 26 orator 46 herald 66 champion 86 lord7 ranger 27 chieftain 47 highwayman 67 cleric 87 villain8 occultist 28 pioneer 48 fortune-hunter 68 slave 88 professor9 reverend 29 burglar 49 governor 69 gunman 89 servant10 thug 30 vicar 50 scrapper 70 clairvoyant 90 charmer11 drifter 31 officer 51 monk 71 patriarch 91 globetrotter12 journeyman 32 explorer 52 homemaker 72 shopkeeper 92 sniper13 statesman 33 warden 53 recluse 73 crone 93 courtier14 astrologer 34 outlaw 54 steward 74 adventurer 94 priest15 duelist 35 adept 55 polymath 75 soldier 95 tradesman16 jack-of-all-trades 36 bum 56 magician 76 entertainer 96 hitman17 aristocrat 37 sorcerer 57 traveler 77 craftsman 97 wizard

18 preacher 38 laborer 58 vagrant 78 scientist 98 beggar19 artisan 39 master 59 apprentice 79 ascetic 99 tradesman20 rogue 40 ascendant 60 politician 80 superior 100 warrior

2. Find the NPC Power Level. Determine the R-level of the scene by assigning a numeric value rangingfrom 1 (fairly boring) to 5 (surprises at every single turn) based on the extremity of the situation (chaos,confusion, disorder, etc.). The R-level can also represent a difficulty level where the higher the R-levelthe harder the challenges. Roll a d100 to determine the NPC’s power level relative to that of the PC’susing Chart 3. For example if the R-level of the scene is 4 and a 76 is rolled, the NPC will be SlightlyStronger than the PC’s.

Chart 3: NPC Power LevelR-level Much Weaker Slightly Weaker Comparable Slightly Stronger Much Stronger1 1-2 3-10 11-90 89-98 99-1002 1-4 5-15 16-85 86-96 97-1003 1-5 6-20 21-80 81-95 96-1004 1-8 9-25 26-75 76-92 93-1005 1-12 13-30 31-70 71-88 89-100

3. Determine the NPC’s Motivations. Roll a d100 for anNPC Motivation Verb in Chart 4, and roll a d100 for an NPCMotivation Noun from Chart 5. Combine the two as if toform a simple sentence. Repeat this two more times. If

successive rolls result in two Motivation Nouns from the samecolumn, discard the second one and re-roll.For example, the first roll is a 24 followed by a 94, giving

“Chronicle Animals.” The second roll is a 60 followed by a 7,giving “Account Opulence.” The final roll is a 21 followed byan 89, however 89 is in the same column as the previouslyrolled 94; therefore that NPC Motivation Noun must be re-rolled. NPC Motivation Verb rolls never have to be re-rolled.



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Chart 4: NPC Motivation Verb1 advise 21 shepherd 41 take 61 work 81 manage2 obtain 22 abuse 42 discover 62 accompany 82 suppress3 attempt 23 indulge 43 deter 63 offend 83 proclaim4 spoil 24 chronicle 44 acquire 64 guide 84 operate5 oppress 25 fulfill 45 damage 65 learn 85 access6 interact 26 drive 46 publicize 66 persecute 86 refine7 create 27 review 47 burden 67 communicate 87 compose8 abduct 28 aid 48 advocate 68 process 88 undermine9 promote 29 follow 49 implement 69 report 89 explain10 conceive 30 advance 50 understand 70 develop 90 discourage11 blight 31 guard 51 collaborate 71 steal 91 attend12 progress 32 conquer 52 strive 72 suggest 92 detect13 distress 33 hinder 53 complete 73 weaken 93 execute14 possess 34 plunder 54 compel 74 achieve 94 maintain15 record 35 construct 55 join 75 secure 95 realize16 embrace 36 encourage 56 assist 76 inform 96 convey17 contact 37 agonize 57 defile 77 patronize 97 rob

18 pursue 38 comprehend 58 produce 78 depress 98 establish19 associate 39 administer 59 institute 79 determine 99 overthrow20 prepare 40 relate 60 account 80 seek 100 support

Chart 5: NPC Motivation Noun1 wealth 21 the wealthy 41 dreams 61 gluttony 81 advice2 hardship 22 the populous 42 discretion 62 lust 82 propaganda3 affluence 23 enemies 43 love 63 envy 83 science4 resources 24 the public 44 freedom 64 greed 84 knowledge5 prosperity 25 religion 45 pain 65 laziness 85 communications6 poverty 26 the poor 46 faith 66 wrath 86 lies7 opulence 27 family 47 slavery 67 pride 87 myths

8 deprivation 28 the elite 48 enlightenment 68 purity 88 riddles9 success 29 academia 49 racism 69 moderation 89 stories10 distress 30 the forsaken 50 sensuality 70 vigilance 90 legends11 contraband 31 the law 51 dissonance 71 zeal 91 industry12 music 32 the government 52 peace 72 composure 92 new religions13 literature 33 the downtrodden 53 discrimination 73 charity 93 progress14 technology 34 friends 54 disbelief 74 modesty 94 animals15 alcohol 35 criminals 55 pleasure 75 atrocities 95 ghosts16 medicines 36 allies 56 hate 76 cowardice 96 magic17 beauty 37 secret societies 57 happiness 77 narcissism 97 nature18 strength 38 the world 58 servitude 78 compassion 98 old religions19 intelligence 39 military 59 harmony 79 valor 99 expertise

20 force 40 the church 60 justice 80 patience 100 spirits

4. Combine all the terms to create an NPC. The creator should now have a rough sentence describingthe qualities of the NPC. For example: A corrupt recluse, slightly stronger than the party, guardsmoderation, abuses pleasure, and communicates prosperity. The next step is to decide the why or how foreach term. The examples that follow will expand on this process. Having context is the best way todetermine how the created sentence will generate an NPC. Try to link the terms not only to the overallgame or setting, but also to the story, campaign, chronicle, or adventure itself.



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Completely Random NPC Creator Examples: Georgey Mal the Wizard

The party members walk into a tavern to seek out a mercenary to help them in their latest quest.The setting is in a generic fantasy RPG.Step 0: No facts are known about the mercenary prior to the NPC creation.

Step 1: Rolled 40 on the NPC Modifier chart to get “hopeless,” and rolled 87 on the NPC Noun chart toget “villain.”

The players easily agree that this is the town’s villain whose great plans for domination areconstantly being thwarted by simple undoings. The race and class of the “hopeless villain” are unknown,but one of the player’s speaks up and talks about a wizard in an old cartoon that was constantly foiled bylittle blue creatures. The players agree that the fit is good, and name the new NPC “Georgey Mal.”Step 2: The R-level of the scene is 3, and a 22 is rolled giving the NPC comparable stats and powers to the party.

Step 3a: The first motivation is rolled for 38, “comprehend,” and 56, “hate.”

Step 3b: The second motivation is rolled for 65, “learn,” and 57, but because 56 and 57 are in the same column,

the latter is re-rolled to a 13, “literature.”Step 3c: The third motivation is rolled for 74, “achieve,” and 29, “academia.” Note that the second and third

NPC Motivation Verbs came from the same column. This does not require a re-roll, as a re-roll is required only if

successive NPC Motivation Nouns are from the same column. The players decide that Georgey does not understand what it means to be a villain, going along

with the “hopeless” modifier. He might be constantly trying to do evil things only to find out that theywere not evil at all (in some cases even helping his would-be victims). Therefore, one of his motivations isto learn to be an evil villain. Georgey also tries to learn a lot from books. With a light-hearted gamealready in place the players decide that many of his books are in the vein of “How to be a Villian” and“Evil Things for Dummies.” One of the players notes that in a more serious game the books Georgey ownsmight be an ancient memoir of a lich lord. Finally he may have been kicked out of wizard school. NowGeorgey is enacting revenge on the world for not having a diploma of wizardry. Satisfied with thecharacter, the characters join Georgey at his table in the inn.

The Spirit of the Lair

In a game heavily set on animism and the spirit world, the characters come upon a spirit’s lair.Step 0: The only known fact is that the NPC is a spirit.Step 1: The dice are rolled and “prying” and “hero” are obtained.

One of the players jokes that it sounds like their own spirit-totem companion, and surprisingly therest agree that this spirit is a totem companion for another person or group. The spirit is always poking atthe affairs of its own companions, but usually helps to “save the day.” One of the players is disappointedthat the type of the spirit is not yet apparent.Step 2: The chaos of the scene is a little more than normal, but the spirit is rolled to be roughly the same power

level as the party members. Step 3a: The motivation is rolled to be “produce the wealthy.” Step 3b: The motivation is rolled to be “ascertain modesty.” Step 3c: The motivation is rolled to be “refine peace.”

The players agree that the latter two motivations are in accord, but the first motivation is aproblem. One of the players asks, “how can you become modest while making rich people?” For amoment the players ignore the first motivation and decide the spirit will be a Spirit of Enlightenment.However, the spirit, due to its prying nature, is more of a judge than a teacher. It demands much fromthose that seek it. A player mentions that the wealth it gives might not be silver and gold, instead it is awealth of personal spirit.

The players send the PC’s into the lair wary that their characters are probably going to be judgedand possibly sent on a quest for atonement.



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NPC Association Emulator

NPC Response ModuleThe NPC Response Module is used in circumstances where the NPC has the ability to say “yes” or

“no.” Questions are best because most of the time you will get either an affirmative response (i.e.,

question answered mostly truthfully) or a negative response (i.e., no answer or a lie). Statements ofmotivation and fact are also good if the NPC can react definitively. The Response Module does not workas well with more ambiguous questions (Where is the ring?) or statements of feeling (Road kill makes mesad). The NPC Response Module can also be used in making sweeping generalizations of whether anNPC will be helpful or not.

1. Determine the NPC Relationship to the speaking character. This is the long term variable in thisemulator. It should rarely change from use to use unless major in-game effects occur between the NPCand the speaker. That is not to say an NPC cannot go from neutral to hostile in the course of the scene;only that this change should be strongly justified in game.

2. Determine the NPC Conversation Mood to the speaking character. This is the short term variable inthis emulator. This can change from sentence to sentence or scene to scene.

3. Get the Binary Speech Response. Roll 1d100 and reference Chart 6 below. The numbers are splitbetween affirmative and negative responses (usually an affirmative response is not a lie). An affirmativeresponse will be the middle number or lower; while a negative response will be higher than the middlenumber. A very affirmative response will be the left number or lower, and a very negative response will begreater than the right most number. For instance, if the NPC Relationship was “distrustful” but the NPCConversation Mood at the moment was “helpful,” the numbers would read 14/67/93. A very affirmativeresponse would be 14 or lower. An affirmative response would be 15-67. A negative response would be68-93, and a very negative response would be 94-100.

Chart 6: NPC Binary Responseloved 5/ 30/87 9/ 45/90 12/ 60/93 15/ 75/95 18/ 81/96 21/ 88/97 25/ 95/99friendly 4/ 25/85 8/ 38/88 10/ 51/91 13/ 64/93 16/ 73/94 19/ 82/96 23/ 91/98peaceful 4/ 21/83 7/ 33/86 9/ 45/89 11/ 56/91 14/ 65/93 17/ 76/95 21/ 87/98neutral 3/ 17/81 6/ 28/84 8/ 39/87 10/ 50/90 13/ 61/92 16/ 72/94 19/ 83/97distrustful 2/ 13/79 5/ 24/83 7/ 35/86 9/ 44/89 11/ 55/91 14/ 67/93 17/ 79/96hostile 2/ 9/77 4/ 18/81 6/ 27/84 7/ 36/87 9/ 49/90 12/ 62/92 15/ 75/96

N P C

R e l a t i o n s h i p

hated 1/ 5/75 3/ 12/79 4/ 19/82 5/ 25/85 7/ 40/88 10/ 55/91 13/ 70/95withdrawn guarded cautious neutral sociable helpful forthcoming

NPC Conversation Mood

NPC Discussion ModuleThis emulator should be used when you have no idea what the NPC will want to talk about. In a

story almost every actor has a purpose. This emulator can be used to help figure out why the NPCappeared, or what purpose that NPC will bring. Instead of dealing with binary responses using the NPCResponse Module, you can use the NPC Discussion Module to quickly focus the conversational aspect ofthe NPC.

1. Determine the NPC Bearing. The NPC Bearing is how the NPC regards the focus of the discussion.If there are enough facts to do so, choose the demeanor of the NPC from the top of Chart 7. Otherwiseroll a d100 or d8 to determine the demeanor. After a demeanor has been determined, roll a d10 or d100to find the NPC Bearing using Chart 7.



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Chart 7: NPC Bearingscheming insane friendly hostile1-12 (1) 13-24 (2) 25-36 (3) 37-49 (4)

1-10 (1) intent madness alliance death11-20 (2) bargain fear comfort capture21-30 (3) means accident gratitude judgment

31-40 (4) proposition chaos shelter combat41-50 (5) plan idiocy happiness surrender51-60 (6) compromise illusion support rage61-70 (7) agenda turmoil promise resentment71-80 (8) arrangement confusion delight submission81-90 (9) negotiation façade aid injury

91-100 (10) plot bewilderment celebration destructioninquisitive knowing mysterious prejudiced50-62 (5) 63-75 (6) 76-88 (7) 89-100 (8)

1-10 (1) questions report rumor reputation11-20 (2) investigation effects uncertainty doubt21-30 (3) interest examination secrets bias

31-40 (4) demand records misdirection dislike41-50 (5) suspicion account whispers partiality51-60 (6) request news lies belief61-70 (7) curiosity history shadows view71-80 (8) skepticism telling enigma discrimination81-90 (9) command discourse obscurity assessment

91-100 (10) petition speech conundrum difference

2. Determine the NPC Focus. Roll d100 to find the NPC focus of the conversation using Chart 8. Ifpossible the NPC Focus should be regarded as pertaining to the PC of the player rolling, the PC that willbe speaking, or the party members in general. It may be helpful to put the word “PC’s” or “your” in frontof the NPC Focus if there is a question. It is also helpful to narrow the NPC Focus. If “last story” was

rolled figure out what the last story was. What happened during the last story that made this NPC wantto discuss it?

Chart 8: NPC Focus1-3 current scene 4-6 last story 7-9 equipment10-12 parents 13-15 history 16-18 retainers19-21 wealth 22-24 relics 25-27 last action28-30 skills 31-33 superiors 34-36 fame37-39 campaign 40-42 future action 43-45 friends46-48 allies 49-51 last scene 52-54 contacts55-57 flaws 58-60 antagonist 61-63 rewards64-66 experience 67-69 knowledge 70-72 recent scene

73-75 community 76-78 treasure 79-81 the character82-84 current story 85-87 family 88-90 power91-93 weapons 94-96 previous scene 97-100 enemy

3. Combine the NPC Bearing and NPC Focus to determine the basis of the NPC Discussion. Thewords should be combined as in a simple sentence; for example, “the insane NPC speaks of madnessregarding the PC’s allies.” That sentence will be the substance of what the NPC will want to discuss.



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Completely Random NPC Association Emulator Example: A band of soldiers at war in a foreign land comes upon a derelict motor home at the side of the road.

The sniper in the party had seen a person inside the motor home, and the soldiers decide to investigate.NPC Creator determines that the person inside is a dependable merchant that sells his wares at the villageand city markets. However, he is doing what he can to make sure he stays at the top of the food chain,

and doesn’t want the cultural upheaval the war is likely to bring. (If you want to see under the hood…dependable merchant comparable in power level, motivations: burden progress, attend the populous, and achieve poverty).

The commanding officer silently motions for the grunts to get in position in case the person isdangerous. He then knocks on the door.

CO: Please come out, sir.The merchant steps out.M: What can I do for you, gentleman?CO: Sir, is this your vehicle?

This is a question with a binary response so we’ll use the NPC Response Module. The merchant is distrustful

of the soldiers (stories of horrible things they have done to the country) and is guarded (the less said the sooner theywill leave). This gives us a 5/24/83 from Chart 6, and a 9 is rolled. Therefore the merchant will give an

affirmative response, meaning he will not lie. This does not mean he will be forwardly honest (that could get him

in trouble). Also, the soldiers will have to decide for themselves if he is lying, depending on how separate the

omniscient player’s knowledge is with regards to character knowledge.

M: Thankfully it is not. I was checking for parts to sell at the markets.

The commanding officer motions for his men to stand down and then to hydrate. There is some smalltalk between the commanding officer and the merchant as both feel each other out.

The players are not sure how this encounter should proceed. The merchant is not openly hostile. They don’t

have any more questions they wish to ask the potential enemy, but they feel that there might be more to the

merchant than is evident.

This is the time to use the NPC Discussion Module, when it is not apparent what the point of the NPC is, but

the players wish to continue an exchange (or the characters are forced to). It is not apparent what the demeanor

of the NPC is to the commanding officer or the soldiers, so Chart 7 is used to determine the demeanor. A d8 is

rolled and 7, mysterious, is obtained. A d10 is then rolled to get the NPC Bearing: 1, rumors. Then Chart 8 is

used to determine the NPC Focus: 22, relics.

Thinking he might be able to make a quick buck, the merchant pulls off his pack and pulls out a fewartifacts, apparently from the region’s ancient times.

M: I have a few curious wares to sell, that I think you might be interested in. This knife is said to containthe unrequited love of an ancient priestess, and if it is laid in the bed of a lover, that lover will never leave

you. This compass is said to have been used when this land was sea, not desert. It is said that it will pointto water if you ever thirst…

And so on. The NPC has now been given purpose in the story. It might have little do to with the soldiers’

mission, but the encounter might prove more useful than a mere combat scene.

Documents

UNE (Universal NPC Emulator)