Meet an NPC: Gideon

Disclaimer: Current players, I ask you please not to read this post. The game will be less fun for you if you do.

So, in an earlier post I promised a good "behind the scenes" glimpse at how I develop and use NPCs. I don't have a clear cut system, but I do try to obey the rules I set out earlier;

Make important NPCs cool and memorable, but not cooler than the PCs. Don't make them significantly more powerful than the PCs if they're going to be involved in combat with them. Don't make them be the hero unless you have to; you want the PCs to be heroes.

So, with those in mind, meet one of my NPCs, and the thought process that went into him. You all know I like to play paladins. And one of the things I like to do with them is strain the limits and boundaries of the class and it's alignment. Everyone tends to think Paladin=mounted holy knight with lance and heavy armor.

Well, what about an urban Paladin? One who does most of his work inside a city. Like, say, Sharn. Not much use for lances and horses on the crowded streets and floating cityscapes of the City of Towers.

Well, an urban paladin would need a different skill set, and a different role. Luckily, the Complete Adventurer has a pair of the best Prestige Classes WoTC has yet devised; the Shadowbane Stalker and Shadowbane Inquisitor. An "urban paladin," probably multiclassed (necessarily if you're going to take one of these PrCs) would feel something like these. So whether the PrC comes into play or not, we'll sort of use one as a goal. Probably the Inquisitor.

So, how do you make a multiclassed paladin/rogue and make it make sense? Well, as I said, I like to have a backstory for my NPCs, and in many cases, an NPC is a germ of an idea for a character I just haven't gotten the chance to play yet. As long as I rein in my desires as a player a bit, I can make him a fine fit for the campaign and a foil/aid/friend/ally/enemy of the PCs.

So, Gideon. Born in Thrane. Son of a Silver Flame clergyman (not necessarily a Cleric, with levels and spellcasting and all that). Rather devout, if not exceptionally (by Thranite standards, anyway). Was in training to head off to war, as were most young men, when the war ended, and his unit was disbanded without ever being activated, but it left him a basic familiarity with weapons, horses, training, etc. Wanted to see the wider world, however, and despite warnings about how it'll corrupt him, he sets off for Sharn, full of thoughts about the bigger world, and making it better.

One thing cities always need is warm bodies for the watch, right? And Sharn is the biggest city in the world, so a healthy young lad like Gideon can find work there, get some training, get a uniform, some respect, some coin in his pocket, a career. And Gideon, who is a smarter and more stalwart fellow than most, has the intelligence and the disposition to rise rather quickly and receive a bit of training to match his talents.

Meet Gideon, the 1st Level LG Rogue, Junior Inquisitive on the Sharn City Watch. Now, we're not done; that's not the Gideon the players will meet in a few sessions. There's more.

Gideon, being the unyielding LG sort, is not necessarily likely to get on all that well in the Sharn City Watch. No matter how competent he might be, being LG and unbuyable aren't going to endear him to some of the men he has to work with. Eventually, I figure, Gideon, perhaps after gaining a level or two, doing some good work, learning something about the city and the people, helping some folks out...is framed for corruption and tossed off the Watch in disgrace.

So what does Gideon do? He's started to build a life for himself, and the bastards took it away. He was doing good work. He was helping people. Now that's gone.

Or is it? Falling back on his faith, Gideon visits a Temple of the Silver Flame to pray for guidance.

And boy, does he ever get it. Receiving what he believes to be a vision of his future, Gideon sees himself, gleaming silver blade in hand, righteous anger on his face, helping and defending the people of Sharn like he has for the past couple of years, but doing it not just for them, but for the Flame.

Meet Gideon the 2nd Level Rogue/1st Level Paladin of Skyledge Investigations, Independent Inquisitive; people found, crimes investigated, for a reasonable price, barter accepted, payment plans available. Cheaper than Tharashk, less likely to forget about you than the Watch.

Ding! We have an NPC. Let's sketch out his stats:
Gideon's a big strong fellow, and smart and personable. Not the most dextrous or super sturdy. Remember that in my games, I tend to let players have high stats anyway; increases survivability, and besides...heroes are supposed to be exceptional.

Str:16 Dex:12 Con:12 Wis:12 Int:14 Cha:16 (around the # of points I prefer PCs to have in my campaigns- I run a high powered game. Not as high powered as some, mind you).

What feats must he have? Well, definitely Investigate. And probably Knightly Training if we're doing it by the book. Those are his two first-level feats. At third? Silver Smite seems a likely guess, since it's for Silver Flame Paladins, and an extra d6 of damage never hurts.

Skills: I preach maxing out, and I practice it as much as possible. He gets 8 as a rogue, +1 for human, +2 for Int, for a total of 11 maxxed out skills. Search, Sense Motive, Diplomacy, Spot, Listen, Intimidate, and Gather Info are absolute no brainers. Decipher Script is handy- but I don't think it makes sense, so it's out. He has military training from the past, so Ride is good. Knowledge Local, Sharn, only makes sense. Got two more. Hide and Move Silently are very handy, but do they make sense? I imagine Sharn Watch Inquisitives learn how to skulk. I don't think they learn how to open locks or disable devices, however. Gideon is not a dungeoneering rogue.

Okay, now all the math is basically done. How do you flesh it out? What sets him apart? Where might they meet him? Well, in his work, clearly. What does Gideon do to make ends meet when his one-man Inquisitive operation isn't raking in the cash? And, given that he's a Paladin, he isn't going to squeeze people for bills or demand retainer. He'll barter. He'll let them slide. And he'll need some kind of regular work. Not protection racket or strong-arm stuff, obviously, but some basic security work will probably do.

Who might need cheap but reliable security work? Who needs a guy who is untouchable, unbribeable, unflappable, might have a little magic healing on hand, won't steal or harm merchandise or skim cream? Who meets all those requirements and might be palatable to a Paladin who isn't under the watchful eye of a church hierarchy? The average merchant is going to go bargain-basement and figure theft and incompetence are expenses he can write off. The top flight merchants (Dragonmarked Houses) have in-house security. Ditto temples and banks. Who's left?

Did I hear anyone say "modest brothel?"

Think about it. Brothels are legal, for one, so he isn't breaking the law by being there. He's watching over people that probably need some protection, and maybe a little bit of soul-saving, so long as he isn't too obnoxious about it. He isn't going to harm them or steal them or be a pimp. Just sit in the bar with obvious arms and a steely eye for anyone thinking to make trouble.

Plus, I just really want to somehow force the PCs into making a brothel their erstwhile headquarters in Sharn and I'd like them to meet Gideon there. Heck, maybe he'll even have some half-assed crush on one of the girls there...no, I am NOT above a paladin-prostitute romance...and if he becomes the PCs ally, someone can lean on him that way. Why might they need him? Well, see the post on Session III below. They're going to need to investigate the people those statues were headed to, and who knows what else. They'll need someone who knows the city, perhaps someone with the "Investigate" feat, someone who isn't the Watch (the Watch won't touch either of the names the players have) and someone who isn't afraid of the Watch. Maybe someone with a grudge against the Watch.

I'd say Gideon fits that bill. He can also be a foil for the players if someone else hires him to come after them and he thinks the other hire is legit. Then maybe we do the "fought each other but banded together to go after our real enemy" bit. I love that bit. That bit works. It's a classic bit.

Anyway, Gideon can, I believe, do what I want NPCs to do; provide skills or knowledge the party doesn't have, but needs, be a unique and hopefully memorable character for them to meet and get to know and fight beside. And he isn't so powerful that he makes the PCs look silly. I can scale him up or down depending on their level when they meet him. And if he needs to kick a little ass, he'll kick a little ass, without overwhelming the PCs.

As for how I manage my NPCs, I use index cards. They're big enough to fit all the pertinent info on, and I usually try to scribble a quote or two the NPC is prone to using, as well as a descriptive word about their overall appearance, mien, demeanor, or presence. For Gideon; reserved. Calm. Strong. Don't really have a quote yet, but I'm leaning towards, "help you?" spoken neutrally and softly.

Other examples of these adjective/quote combos; Urik Rorham: businesslike. Unruffled. Alert. Quote: Always have two strings for your bow.
Derrin Leyn D'Sivis; cheerful. Nonthreatening. Quote: What service can House Sivis provide today?

Ya'll get the idea, I hope.