Why does your character know all the NPCs?

[Munroe]

I see this alot. A character will walk into the Regal Griffon and say hi to Kale and Biedello by name, then go out and say hello to the guard by name (I don't know his name), then go say hello to the farmer by name, then Trey (the PDK on the road) by name, then Parrick (the next PDK, near the ogres) and on into Redmist.

Does your character know every single NPC on the server by name just because it says their names over their heads? No. I recognise the faces of a lot of people I see in Real-Life and I know I've seen them somewhere before, and they recognize me too, but we never get eachother's names. Some well-known NPCs and ones specifically related to your character, I can understand. Such as Kale, Merriss, Waric, the farmer outside town (forget his name), Callen, Bentin (that's the guard's name!), ....and so on, even knowing Myrkyr the priest in Eveningstar or various NPCs in towns, but all of them, and on friendly terms?

I saw a woman pulling out of a gas station today ($3/gallon!) and she had her window down. She said "Where do I know you from?" I studied her for a moment and said "I'm not sure." Then I remembered that she was a customer where I used to work and she remembered too. Did I know her name? No. Did she tell me her name? No. Do I know her less than if I knew her name? Yes. Doesn't change the fact that we aren't bosom pals.

Just, there's no need to know everybody.

Also, this extends to writing NPCs into your character's history/background. Just because an NPC is around all the time, does not make that NPC your friend. It does not mean that you have insight into the NPC's choices or opinions. I know a lot of people use townie NPCs in their backgrounds and mostly it isn't anything that rubs me wrong, but when you give the NPC opinions you don't know whether he has, that makes me frown.

Anyway, this is just a rant really, but please keep in mind just how friendly your character is, that s/he has all these NPC friendships.

[Quadhund/Greenhouse]

I agree with this to a certain extent. I think it is fine to pick up a few names here or there. Also, I agree, PCs should not be giving the NPCs opinions. That is for a DM to do. However, I have seen many DMs play with Mano, and each time he seems to pick up a different personality. Once I saw him as a drunk, another time I saw him as a seedy rogueish fellow, and then another time i saw him as a doomsayer. This is not a criticism against the dms, but it just goes to show that PCs cannot determine what an NPCs reaction will be because every single NPC in cormyr has a split personality.

And just for a bit of justification, Hroth has been in cormyr for 9 years. But typically i only play him knowing inn keeper and merchants names, because these are the only types of people he cares about. The former provides him with booze and the latter provides him with money.

[Grozer]

Darn it Quad ya beat me to it.

As far as the different personalities of NPCs I chalk it up to mood swings.

I would suggest if anyone wants to include NPCs in a RP post or character background they give the DM team the opportunity to post the response/reaction in character... kind of like the letters to the crown forum.

Oh and Ranan knows many of the guards by name since they are all neatly listed on his hit list!

[Manshin]

Also, it must be kept in mind that Isinhold isnt New York. I come from a small town, and I know just about everyone there. People who lived back during those times were a bit differant. They probably werent terrified of speaking to one another, and in a place like Isinhold which is under constant threat of attack, there would probably be a closer bond amongst those who have choosen to stay.

Also, people who have put time in FRC like to "believe" they have a place here. Part of what makes them feel that way is a familiarity and the idea that they arent strangers. Manshin always pretends to know the local NPCs (only in the Mantis and Isinhold), even if im not sure I have talked to them. Ive been here even longer than Hroth and fought off the Zhents, gith, drow and god knows what else in Isinhold more times than I can remember. So, it seems like it would be valid to at least know their names. Also, If you want to look at it from an RP standpoint, when I am not playing Manshin, that doesnt mean he doesnt exist in FRC, so I just figure he is hanging around the Mantis shrine, or back in the day, Isinhold... mingling. I mean, in the midevil ages, there were no video games to keep people isolated from one another... there were really only three valid sources of entertainment. Drinking, mingling, and pig tossing. Manshin isnt a big drinker and is cutting back on pig-tossing.

As for the personalitities, well, like the others said, they always change, so, just try to keep them neutral? (I personally think Mano is a drunk)

I could certainly see that rant being Valid in the larger cities like Redmist and Suzail, or especially seedy places where saying hello to a local will probably get you stabbed and robbed. Oh, and I do agree about using NPCs in backgrounds for the most part. This is because it puts an obligation to the DM team that they may not want. I would suggest asking for permission before doing anything like that. Otherwise, FRC is your world and you should feel like a part of it.

[Munroe]

Not talking about Isinhold so much. You'll notice the NPCs I listed as understanding people knowing were all Isinhold NPCs.

Mano, however, is another case altogether. I see him as an roguish adventurer more than anything. (This based on the description when he is examined.) Actually, his personality is probably closer to Hrothgar's than anyone else's. Unfortunately, everybody and their brother writes him into their background and has a different opinion of his personality. Waric is another split-personality NPC. I play him as the Regal Griffon's handyman and the other day I logged on to find him crapping in the Regal Griffon's well. :-P

It's when the people walk into Redmist and keep knowing all the NPCs that it gets weird. Talbot the innkeeper I understand, the shopowners I understand, Lord Chandy (or whoever is in charge now), sure, but when characters say hello to the random named NPCs on the street by name? Too much.

[Keetena]

Well boys, I hope this doesnt applies to Keet she has almost a photographic memory *unlikely the player*, a bard of prestige who can't adress people who met can have some problems with fame, specially one always so worried about adress properly and very well (miss a name isn't polite at all), cause of this I already lost huge amounts of gold traveling to enter Inns and places and interact with npcs *yeah, I roleplay the crazy chick who talks alone with npcs LOL* - in the other hand some of my less played characters are bad with npcs names, like Alorde Crine, he adress few by name, even if he is a polite man *but can be harsh and tongue nasty when necessary*

But yes, the threat is a good one to remenber of small things sometimes we don't pay much atention

SO, I do think this is a case of roleplay - if you're the antissocial one always hided most probably you'll not know everyone, the excuse of 'prestige thief' serves well to you know only those important , like inn owners, important officers of law and so... but of course I'm not telling anyone how roleplay their characters, I'm justing droping two cents here that are my own ideas only

[hexer]

That's the thing. Why are you roleplaying whole conversations with NPCs alone? It is a DM's job to give an NPC a personality... When a player does it, it causes unneccessary conflict... There are waaaay too many times when I possess an NPC that the player sends me a tell saying "Oh, no, this NPC knows me really well, blah blah". The point is that, if the NPC hasn't talked to you, then they probably don't know you. This doesn't apply so much in Isinhold where everyone knows everyone else, nor does it apply in frequently visited inns, shops, etc...

The only person you should be making personalities for is your character.

[Booze Hound]

well I think there are 2 sides to this coin. I mean what would you rather? A player arrives in a bar or Inn or something like that, and decides that his character is feeling a bit chatty. the only person around is that NPC bartender there.
Well the player has 2 choices:
1.) Strike up a one way conversation with the NPC
2.) go out and find something to farm.

I would think that choice one would be the way to go. Hanging out at the Inn, some other character may walk in, and thus ensues some roleplay that would have been missed had they gone out killing stuff again.
I know that I have taken my character and after long walks, instead of resupplying and hitting the road again, I do what my character would do. Go to the Inn, order some ale, order some drinks, flirt with the serving wench, etc etc etc. I do this all the time. I have no idea if someone is watching or not, and dont really care.
BUT!...more often than not some DM happens along and posesses one of the NPCs and some fun little side note RP happens, and it's a hoot, no harm done. I mean seriously, do you really only want us to notice the NPCs when they are occasionally posessed?
I hear where you are coming from in using NPCs in backgrounds, and giving them personalities and such, but they are as much a part of our characters lives as are the other PCs, and I think should be treated as such. But yes, I can see that some people may get a bit overzealous in their interaction and such, but it just means they are trying to do the one thing that this server is all about...Roleplay.
So I am sure there is a happy medium to be found in this. I mean after all, each DM gives every NPC a different personality when they posess them,...it gets a little hard to keep up.

[Keetena]

Of course the dm has the final word in npcs but really I don't see why a bard doesn't talks with others, this is their profession, their ways, they look for fame, a bard don't knew isn't a bard - a mute bard serves as well as coackroach without paws... seriously guys, you do very very well, but I can't see Keet passing NPCS mute and saying nothing, cause I know you have to much more troubles in mind than look to how each npc in each city will react.

By the way Alorde rarely talks with anyone, Elowin talks only with the ones he see every passing day and few words, please be fair in your judgement here, the chances to roleplay talks are so few sometimes... I say this is a roleplay matter about your character ways

I say 'use common sense' don't roleplay npcs telling you secrets, neither intimate matters, know names only of those you see many times... in cities you rarely enter mostly you will barely know the inkeeper name and the one who arrange travels - considereing you know many people or worries about this, and think about how you roleplay as well: My pc has good memory? I care to talk with somoene?

[hexer]

logandoug said:

well I think there are 2 sides to this coin. I mean what would you rather? A player arrives in a bar or Inn or something like that, and decides that his character is feeling a bit chatty. the only person around is that NPC bartender there.
Well the player has 2 choices:
1.) Strike up a one way conversation with the NPC
2.) go out and find something to farm.

I would think that choice one would be the way to go. Hanging out at the Inn, some other character may walk in, and thus ensues some roleplay that would have been missed had they gone out killing stuff again.
I know that I have taken my character and after long walks, instead of resupplying and hitting the road again, I do what my character would do. Go to the Inn, order some ale, order some drinks, flirt with the serving wench, etc etc etc. I do this all the time. I have no idea if someone is watching or not, and dont really care.
BUT!...more often than not some DM happens along and posesses one of the NPCs and some fun little side note RP happens, and it's a hoot, no harm done. I mean seriously, do you really only want us to notice the NPCs when they are occasionally posessed?
I hear where you are coming from in using NPCs in backgrounds, and giving them personalities and such, but they are as much a part of our characters lives as are the other PCs, and I think should be treated as such. But yes, I can see that some people may get a bit overzealous in their interaction and such, but it just means they are trying to do the one thing that this server is all about...Roleplay.
So I am sure there is a happy medium to be found in this. I mean after all, each DM gives every NPC a different personality when they posess them,...it gets a little hard to keep up.

There's a difference between this and being close friends, or knowing names of people you've only seen once before, or writing an NPC a role in your character's life, etc, etc. The above I have no problem with the stuff you mentioned. I just dislike it when I end up possessing an NPC on the street of Suzail and hearing from the player that I'm interacting with that they've know each other for years, have shared drinks at the inn, and have gone fishing out on the dragonmere bi-weekly for the last six months. Its annoying to try to keep up with this.

FROM A DM STANDPOINT: When a PC makes something up about an NPC it puts the DM in the ackward position of "Do I comply and let them have a long history with this NPC, spoiling my own plans for the NPC, and opening up for more of this in the future" or "Do I tell them they've never met and cause a bunch IG confusion?"

I don't like either options, personally.


Again, I must say, unless it is an NPC you've interacted with via DM possession, a frequently visited NPC (Kale, for example), or a shopkeep, please do not make personalities and experiences with them. Minor things like those logandoug mentioned are fine... Flirting with the barmaid, or joking with Kale... Things like that don't bother me. And, yes, occationally a DM swoops along and possesses the NPC with a witty retort... But beyond that (writing a history invovling them or making close friendships for example) please don't.

[DM the Usurper]

damn there goes my date with the Stenchman.

[Elaugzar]

Well said... an aspect of roleplay that i never thought into...
~Le'lorinel Imytholyn

[Spooks]

As far as I know, alot of NPC's introduce themselves in the dialogue. And even if they didn't it's not hard to assume that the NPC's that you come in contact with have at some point given their name, in a realistic standpoint, if not a mechanical one.

[DM Grizwald]

I see alot of the NPC's, especially in big cities as people part of crowds. The NPC's in shops and inns we might get to know a little better then most. I tend to see it as the inns and shops i visit the most i'll know the NPC better.

If Padrin tends to visit the inn in Dhedluk, Shallybrook, Arabel and in isinhold quite a bit. He knows the folks there well but if he were to go to the inns in suzail well...that might be a different story.

[DM Valkyrie]

I found this oldie but goodie of a thread, and thought I would share it. Please note the comments about NPCs, and try not to include thier own opinions in your writings. They really do have their own ideas....even if they may have "split personalities", but they are still theirs, and not neccessarily going to be in tune with what a writer may expect or want.

But we still *love* seeing creative writing in the Regal Griffon and the Free Redmist threads!

[shanara]

So I want to be sure about something. In my posts I was using generic npcs that are not named on the server itself, at least I don't think they were, just for this reason. And the youth is completely of my own imagination. I did ask a dm about the post before I put it up.

I'm not expecting anything to come of the post, just trying to become active and in character in the world. Are posts like the ones I made in both Redmist and Griffon, alright? If not I will stop making them. I just want to be sure what I'm doing is alright.

Thanks.

[gathera]

Well I certain hope it is alright. I quite enjoyed the stories and giving some of the NPC especially un-named ones a few foibles to my mind just adds flavour. Hope to read more of your stories soon and thank you for posting the works. Quite enjoyable.

[Pookey]

The concern is for named NPCs who you see in the various areas you may pass through.

What you're doing is perfectly fine.

DM Pookey

[Pookey]

oh, and Zak knows everybody because he's so cool, everyone wants to be his friend.

Heck, even Ranan was asking if he could hang out with Zak. What's implosion, by the way?

[shanara]

Thanks for the reply. I just wanted to be sure.

Gathera, I'm glad you enjoy them. They've been fun to write and rp about when I'm IG.

[kaltorac]

Well Zak ... Implosion is like ... uhm ... like a heal spell ... yeah .. that's the ticket. Only it moves all your ... uhm ... vital organs into the ... uhm ... open where they can be ... uhm ... bandaged .. yeah .. that's it.