Any good ways for the party to develop value/attachment to NPC, viewing them not as a "mere NPC", but as a character of value their characters would happily return to after a day of whatever they did that day.
Something to have them be memorable. Detailed descriptions and friendly dialogue only get one so far.
Note: partially for possible for "oh no :'( " related moments, for good or bad.
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It's all about the role-playing. That's the only way to get players emotionally attached to an NPC.
True, i intend to. But since the adventure is still early on i'd toss the fishing line for tips. Maybe in other campaigns a setting/event is a good setup.
For a specific NPC, I'm not sure you can. What you can do is introduce a few and see which ones they take to. It also depends what sort of attachment you're after. I suppose someone feeding them, fussing over their injuries and generally looking after them would be fairly reliable.
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Your fishing line metaphor may well be apt, Chyrone. As Chief Cook and Bottlewasher says, "introduce a few and see which ones they take to", bait your hooks and see which ones they bite.
Having half-a-dozen or so sympathetic NPCs who offer snippets of information, want to hear the story of their latest adventure or who just generally come across as likeable should get them to like one or two. It might help to have the NPCs located in places the PCs are likely to return to - a Bard in the local Tavern, the Steward to the questgiving Mayor, the Assistant at the Magic Shop they frequent - all of these can interact regularly but unintrusively with the Party.
It might help to have the NPCs located in places the PCs are likely to return to - a Bard in the local Tavern, the Steward to the questgiving Mayor, the Assistant at the Magic Shop they frequent - all of these can interact regularly but unintrusively with the Party
Indeed, they are currently following a lead on a big profit theft. It being in a tradeport city, no shortage of possibilities there with the bigger families in town, though they will still have to make contact with them.
I'll keep these tips in mind. Thanks.
How experienced are your players? One of mine, going on 4 decades of gaming now, has a saying: "Never get attached to NPCs with names."
Y'see more experienced players automatically suspect that the more well developed an NPC is the more chance there is for the GM to pull some kind of shenanigans with them. They might go darkside and become the villain, they might get kidnapped or killed for a plot hook, etc.
That being said, I still create rich NPCs anyway. Glass of Vino has it right though; lots of NPCs, in places the PCs will go, and with a variety of quirks, will make them memorable.
Finally find out what the players like. Not the PCs, the players. If you've got a super-competitive guy who likes winning everything, drop in an athlete who constantly brags that no one can beat them at X. On the other hand if you've got a player who really wants a mystery to solve add a stranger in a cloak that randomly appears and disappears, sometimes in the blink of an eye.
I do find it's a good idea to create a 'hook' for NPCs, something that the players can easily remember which makes them more than just a name. A distinctive laugh (good for recurring villains), a job title that's part of their name ('Smith' isn't memorable but 'Smith the Gardner' or 'General Smith' probably is), a distinctive look (he dresses like a bat), or an unusual way of talking (Yoda-ish odd word order, or infuriatingly slowly, or like a pirate, or uses very long words)...
Making them memorably won't automatically make them likable. Three things that can make them more likable:
(1) Show them being treated unfairly - the old "his adoptive parents make him sleep in the cupboard under the stairs" trick.
(2) Make them useful - even generous - though not by stealing the limelight. A cleric who casts spells on the players for free is going to be more popular than one who charges money. If non-magical, they could give the PCs things they might need ("You're going werewolf hunting? Take some silver weapons!") without asking anything in return.
(3) Make them entertaining. A captured demon who boasts about all the children he's eaten can still be sort-of likable if he's funny.
How experienced are your players?
Party of 5, 1 started with this, but got the basics from a friend of mine (also one of the players), 1 unsure and 2 who've been quite active on the paizo boards. 1 of whom is the GM of a campaign i'm in.
And i agree that making "rich" NPC adds a certain feel to an adventure.
I asked them what they'd like to see later in the adventure, something personal background tied, that i'll be using.
How experienced are your players? One of mine, going on 4 decades of gaming now, has a saying: "Never get attached to NPCs with names."
Y'see more experienced players automatically suspect that the more well developed an NPC is the more chance there is for the GM to pull some kind of shenanigans with them. They might go darkside and become the villain, they might get kidnapped or killed for a plot hook, etc.
That seems to be a strange response.
Realizing that NPCs make the story more complicated/interesting/dynamic should encourage players to connect with the NPC. After all, you are all there to tell a story.
Do they just not want interesting story stuff to happen?
My players' PCs adore any NPC that praises them authentically. The more competent the NPC seems, or the more authority he/she has, the more valuable the praise. Combine praise with a few freebees - be they information, leads, tips, discounts, free spells or whatever - and my PCs will risk death to protect them.
They also like the "damsel/young noble person in distress" hook. They'll form an attachment every time. As a variant on this theme, I threw an Artful Dodger type NPC at them who wanted into their group and started taking credit for their deeds as a way of getting their attention. They were amused and vexed at first, but turned him into a sort of runner, information gatherer in return for rights to hang around and look cool.
I find the more personable you make them the better. It's easier for someone to get attached to an NPC if they know them, their family, their personality, hobbies, demons etc.
Also don't kill of NPCs that you make them attached to, this not only kills their current attachment but makes it harder in future campaigns. Kidnapping, item theft, threats, and protection are all great plot hooks. Just don't end the relationship. Revenge is a terrible plot hook for a good aligned hero anyway.
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How can i make the party get attached to certain NPCs?Sovereign Glue
Yeah, my old group was always looking for the NPCs to betray them or become a plot hook at any time even though I never gave a reason for it.
Savage Tide from Dungeon magazine was the worst...they hated the NPC Vanderhoff woman that was supposed to be their patron and someone they could trust even though I made her thoughtful, generous, and likable. They were sure they were gonna get stabbed in the back by her at any moment....Another thing that groups often have extreme wariness about is becoming owners of a boat (learned in the same AP). "Oh I wonder how long until the ship gets sunk", "Why customize the ship, it's just gonna be sunk soon anyway", and "I ain't wasting any money on a boat that is gonna get hijacked or sunk soon"....after around 10 levels of owning the boat it did finally succumb to the sea and sunk. A huge round of "See I told you it would sink!!!" and "That's why you don't invest in owning anything besides personal gear!!" happened afterward even though I pointed out that they could retrieve the boat and effect repairs and that they had many awesome adventures on it for the past 10 levels.
Some players are just waiting and paranoid about getting screwed over.
"Make them" get attached, not so much (aside from the sovereign glue... which might make an interesting plot hook/campaign for low-levels...), but maybe "encourage" and, as others have noted (effectively): cast a broad net and see what sticks (many possibilities). Otherwise depends heavily on your group and the campaign. I'll read more/contribute more later (maybe, depending on time).
Also, dot for interest.
How experienced are your players? One of mine, going on 4 decades of gaming now, has a saying: "Never get attached to NPCs with names."
Y'see more experienced players automatically suspect that the more well developed an NPC is the more chance there is for the GM to pull some kind of shenanigans with them. They might go darkside and become the villain, they might get kidnapped or killed for a plot hook, etc.
That seems to be a strange response.
Realizing that NPCs make the story more complicated/interesting/dynamic should encourage players to connect with the NPC. After all, you are all there to tell a story.
Do they just not want interesting story stuff to happen?
D-man; you've almost got it. My players don't really care about plot. They feel like a paragraph of fluff at the entrance of a dungeon is too much. As a result the feeling about ALL NPCs in my game is that, if the party gets too invested in them they'll lead to MORE plot.
No, my players want to go to the adventure location, fight evil, and get rewards. Period. The only NPCs they're concerned with are Generic Smith, Generic Wizard Crafter, Generic Cleric, etc.
Now I shouldn't make this generalization about ALL my players. This is true of my more experienced guys. And I think why it comes from them is because they see the NPC = plot complication as cheezy and done-to-death. If they're going to care about plot they want it to surprise them.
Thinking about it, you could also try a couple of NPCs who temporarily join the party for a while for specific reasons. Maybe the party need to escort them somewhere and defeat a bandit ambush, guide the Baron's sage to examine some ancient ruins or the like. If the party get on with them you can reuse them, if not put them on the back burner and pull them out at a later date.
Also don't kill of NPCs that you make them attached to, this not only kills their current attachment but makes it harder in future campaigns.
I wasn't planning on doing something like that, kidnapping true enough though. Theft...they're investigating the theft of lottery money.....the unnamed sum will be A LOT, with hundreds of people having bought tickets of 5gp a piece.
The nice PC might be an inn keeper who shines all their shoes or gets them better chairs around the fire. No charge, just because he likes them.
They will have one, the innkeeper whom the helped downtalk two rude sailors. The sorceress rolled a 26 on intimidate and the oracle bluffed on "slitting the throat"....encounter over before it started.
A child, that follows the party around wanting to hear of their exploits might start dressing up like a party member, or be seen imitating one of the characters when they play.
Ugh...you make me think of that annoying fanboy from elder scrolls 4 .. :)
The general attachment was indeed that they would come to find that NPC worthy of remembering and being a character they'd voluntarily return to. I've seen some suggestions that are in planning as well, the things that didn't occur to me yet can very well be implemented.