Roleplay tips for setting up NPCs in trpg
Edit: this is written 2 years ago and is somehow still sitting in my scratch paper. Anyways.
These are some things I tried and thought, hey that worked nicely. Some of it is stolen from theatre/other GMs I played with/watching replays, so this post is more for my own reference.
Tip one: Generally voice and background music (if applicable) is the first impression players actually get of the character. Voice acting involve the following aspects:
resonance (nasal/chest/that back-of-the-throat position I can feel but can't describe)
clarity (slurring/stuttering/calm/etc.)
accent (if you can do it, because I can't do accents to save my life)
When preping for NPCs, set up some info about these aspects. What type of environment are they in? What music may indicate the mood? I use BGMs a lot so music choice is important for me. Some quick tips: slow speaking sounds prepared and stern, high pitch may indicate irritability, slurred speech indicate drunkness.
Tip two: When making a description, do this:
one trait about appearance + posture & expression + connotation + overall vibe + optional speech
For example, 'a fair young man in police uniform is walking briskly towards your crew, his hair the color of carrots. When he approaches, you notice lively colors in his eyes. '
'You see the local sheriff speaking with his colleague. Russel Davis is a stern man with powerful shoulders and prickly short hair. His uniform pants seem a bit too short, too. When he noticed your approach, he quickly exchanged a few more words with his colleague and turned to greet you.'
'The doctor turned around when she heard you enter, her eyebrows shooting up as you closed the door. 'What is it this time, Sammy boy, who fucked up something that I need to fix?''
ok so. These are translated but they have to make do. Basically first time meeting an npc, the players need to know their identity, some identifiable trait, and attitude. irl you feel attitude, so in game I show instead of tell. Indication of overall vibe / first impression is done through using words that have connotations and giving the character a sillowette (how do you spell it anyways).
A comparison, using Mr.carrot as an example, would be:
a fair young man is approaching your crew at a hasty pace, his hair the color of carrots. As he got closer, you saw the shape of a gun coming through his coat.
