Need GM advice: Cohorts, companions, friendly NPC's and alike.

[Saganen Hellheart]

Hello fellow GM's.

I would like some hints and help. I love when my players wants to make alliances, either with animal companions, NPC's and something alike. But I want to make the followers more alive. As it is now they first truly comes to action when they are needed - not before.

I want them to be more alive, but how? I want my wizards familiar to get hit by a trap or a cohort to talk with another of same religion at the street.

Do any of you know how to make this more alive?

[kaishakunin]

Personally, I find that my NPCs are more memorable due to their personality traits and their actions than anything else.

I've had animal companions that were always getting into trouble, always the first into the fight, that sort of thing. I had a sabertooth tiger companion for a druid that thought of his human as "the companion," and not the other way around. We had a ferret as a familiar that was forever knocking things over - especially when the wizard was crafting potions - and was always stealing things from PCs and NPCs around him, which lead to a bar brawl or five...

The same idea applies to NPCs. Numbers on a page have no life of their own, but the sellsword with the missing left ear and eye always has a story to tell around the fire. Similarly, the gnome who dressed more brightly than a Russian Easter egg, and pontificated endlessly about his bravery and battle prowess, but was always the first to run from battle and would later boast how he'd flanked the enemy and struck when the PCs most needed his amazing skills. Then there was the farm boy who has hero worship for one of the fighters and copied everything the fighter did. It was annoying at first, but eventually the fighter began to see the farm boy as someone to "take under his wing" and train.

I always have a list of names nearby to drop into the adventure for an NPC, but if I have any chance to plan ahead then I'll write a sentence or two about each NPC to give him or her a breath of life. Everyone comes from somewhere and some have had exciting lives and others who have mundane lives, but know a thing a or two. I've seen a single sentence turn into very memorable friends and others into violent enemies. The easiest trick I've found is to assignment a personality trait to the person, such as Shy, Talkative, Lusty, Sneaky, Loud, Self-important, Greedy, and so on. For NPCs who may be around a while, I'll assign two or more traits and reveal each of them over time.

I'm also a parent who read a lot to my children so I'm very inclined to give different character different accents and voices when they speak. I'll use Australian slang, Southern USA twang, Newfoundland accent, or a Cockney accent, or a South African accent, which adds life to your characters and helps players keep the NPCs words separate from each other.

Good luck!

[Pirate Robot Ninja]

The way my DM runs cohorts is that we're allowed to suggest a concept, but he reserves the right to build them however he feels appropriate. It makes it so we have to really focus on the character of our cohort rather than the crunch of his sheet.

edit: as an example, I was building a cohort for my Order of the Cockatrice cavalier and couldn't figure out the sort of person he'd be thrilled to have following him around everywhere. Then I realized that, of course, he'd want a bard who travelled with him to write epic songs and tales of his glorious exploits. However I also wanted him to act as a squire.

Took that to my GM and he came up with a pretty cool herald/bard cross. He built the entire character though, so all I really have an attachment to is the character I wrote and designed.

[Saganen Hellheart]

Thanks for your post guys :)

My problem is, that i miss they are more alive in the "now".. I'm really good at GM'ing and roleplaying NPC's.. But when it comes to making party companions alive while they investigate and so on.. There is my problem..