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Thread: Keeping track of NPCs
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2019-11-03, 10:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2012
- Location
- Virginia Beach VA
- Gender
Keeping track of NPCs
DMs, how do you physically keep track of your NPCs? That is, the party says "Now that we're back in town, we want to talk to the blacksmith, the priest, and that barmaid at the Pasty Pumpkin", and you...remember everything yourself? Pull out your box of 3x5 cards? Go to the wiki you have set up so you can see "Barmaid Bianca is actually an agent for the Inquisition, will try to get people talking about using forbidden magic"?
Junior, half orc paladin of the Order of St Dale the Intimidator: "Ah cain't abide no murderin' scoundrel."
Tactical Precepts: 1) Cause chaos, then exploit it; 2) No plan survives contact with...(sigh)...my subordinates.
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2019-11-03, 10:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2019
- Location
- Wyoming
- Gender
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I have 3x5 note cards with NPC info on them. Name & brief relevant info. Bigger NPCs get 8x11 pages, usually typed in advance with the note card simply being a library-style reference card.
So yes, I have a rolodex.Knowledge brings the sting of disillusionment, but the pain teaches perspective.
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2019-11-03, 11:33 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2014
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I just write down names and remember the plot relevant details.
For example: Molos Harlesto. Younger brother of Pietro (guy who the party rescued from demon possession). New member in the guard force, got his promotion through corruption. Kind of an idiot, so he doesn't know how he got promoted. Wants to help PCs but isn't really respected by the guards, so his connections are limited.
In this case, all I wrote was Molos.
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2019-11-03, 12:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2012
- Gender
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I keep two separate "Notable Places & NPCs" googledocs... One with what the PCs know about these characters and places, and another one with the complete information for my benefit only.
Last edited by Lemmy; 2019-11-03 at 12:05 PM.
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2019-11-03, 04:11 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2018
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
Excel spreadsheet, printed and in my DM folder, with the NPCs sorted by groups (alliances, factions, places, depends what's relevant to the campaign), along with my brief notes on how they are role played (Always Serious, Lisps, Wears an Eyepatch, etc).
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2019-11-03, 06:17 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2019
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I remember a lot.
Index cards and notes.
Spreadsheets.
And a Wiki.
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2019-11-03, 06:52 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Location
- In my library
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I use new NPCs a lot, and make heavy use of nominal importance. There's not just one temple or public house in the city, and most of my games revolve around a hub city (which might have surrounding countryside in need of adventuring, or might be the entire setting).
For recurring NPCS they'll generally have a partially filled out character sheet in my 'game folder' and possibly a place on the relationship map. Less important ones might have basic stats and a brief description on a page with a few related NPCs, and I'm moving more and more towards this.
The same thing applies to locations, except all important ones are on the relationship map, directly connected to a character, or both.
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2019-11-04, 01:27 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
D&D 3.5 GM here. Organized DM notebook. One of the sections therein is for important NPCs. Unimportant ones are madeup on the spot from NPC classes (mostly) as necessary and if the players get attached it gets added to the notebook. Most of the NPCs important to the setting are single-class PC characters (hurts my soul to make those ) and the ones that are important to the plot are full builds.
Here's the important bit for organization though: NEW notebook for each campaign. Between location and encounter notes, NPCs of varying importance, and noting what the PCs have done so I can extrapolate for the effects on the campaign; they fill up quick. You don't want to mix up elements from different campaigns or have the notes get so bloated as to become unwieldly.I am not seaweed. That's a B.
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2019-11-04, 01:39 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2014
- Location
- Denmark
- Gender
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I generally forget names - but rarely backgrounds. So I keep a short list of who and where, and I can remember the rest. That way, I can keep the list public too, so my players will also remember.
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2019-11-04, 07:30 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- Italy
- Gender
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I've always managed to keep stuff in my mind, with only occasional failure.
I always prefer to expand on what i have rather than introducing new stuff, so i have perhaps 20 npcs that are relevant.In memory of Evisceratus: he dreamed of a better world, but he lacked the class levels to make the dream come true.
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2019-11-05, 02:52 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
I generally keep a name list with some extremely cursory notes. They're more mnemonic device than anything, but that works for me, and at one NPC a line it works well.
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2019-11-06, 03:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2012
- Location
- Virginia Beach VA
- Gender
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
This campaign involves some intrigue, so just "Evangeline" or "Evangeline the lovely witch" as an aide memoire is not going to be enough. I need something more like
Evangeline: (stats) (spells known)
Murdered Lord Vidal with a knife, allegedly because he was two timing her with Lady Somebody, actually because he found out she's a sorceress.
Reports to the Polite Sherem.
Hunted by M. Durand, an agent of the Cardinal, and by Jean Benedicti, of the Green Ring.
Secret: she's a sorceress.
Secret: Vidal's part in Gaston's conspiracy
Information to give the PCs: basic intro to Magic and the Green Ring
Mannerisms: evades questions, leans forward to empashize her decolletage, twirls hair around right index finger.
Given that some of this will change over time, I suppose I really need to type it into a searchable document or something and keep my laptop handy when I play, but I'm not really keen on that. Partly because I don't want to be tied to the laptop, partly because if more than one NPC is in play, I might need to flip back and forth among them for spells known and such.Last edited by Laserlight; 2019-11-06 at 03:34 PM.
Junior, half orc paladin of the Order of St Dale the Intimidator: "Ah cain't abide no murderin' scoundrel."
Tactical Precepts: 1) Cause chaos, then exploit it; 2) No plan survives contact with...(sigh)...my subordinates.
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2019-11-06, 03:37 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2004
Re: Keeping track of NPCs
So I have a notebook similar to this, where I create tabs at the top for "city/towns" - so for example if they're in "Port Nayr" - I will create a tab for the town. And inside of there, write down notable things and then highlight them with different highlighters (Orange = Taverns, Blue = People, etc). And this is also where I generally jot down notes and ideas (sometimes the players will say or do something that inspires a potential adventure, so I will quickly scribble it down and keep the game going, so I can look back at it after the game session and see if I want to do something with it).
But for NPCs, I typically do the name, race, hair & eye color (just for flavor) - general appearance (beard? Scruffy? Shapely woman? Thin woman? Motherly?), and anything notable ("married to the owner of the Lion's Pride Inn & Tavern, Marcus"), etc.
As for not being tied to a laptop - can I offer a counter to that? One of the best things I use/tools at my disposal (aside from my imagination) is TableTopAudio.com - I can't emphasize enough how much that can often help set a mood.Last edited by Tawmis; 2019-11-06 at 03:39 PM.
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