Writing Child characters

[Fetchystick]

For my homebrew campaign, there will be a few characters age 7-12. How should I write them so that they're not all stereotypical annoying children that the PC's will want to brush off? How can I get my players to listen to and like these kids when they really don't have a whole lot of influence or anything important to say?

[Indagare]

Why are they there?

[Fetchystick]

Indagare wrote:

Why are they there?

I should have specified: Mostly for flavor/people which I want the PC's to like. Fluff characters. edit: Also, some of them may become important when they grow up

[Indagare]

Fetchystick wrote:

I should have specified: Mostly for flavor/people which I want the PC's to like. Fluff characters.

You could make the kids like miniature versions of your PCs. Alter a few personality traits, but have something they can relate to.

The important thing would be that your players are actually okay with this sort of fluff being added. If they enjoy the storytelling aspects over the hack and slash stuff, then they should appreciate the kids. If not they're going to find them annoying no matter what you do.

You may also want to consider having them be just a bit more than fluff if they're going to be around a while. Players (not unreasonably) are going to assume that there's going to be something related to the kids at some point - even if it's just a rescue mission.

[Cap. Darling]

Why is it important that the PCs listen to them if they dont have any important to say?
Just make them lokale kids that admire PCs that should work. But dont spend a lot of energy on making background kids if you dont think the players will like it.

[Fetchystick]

Thanks, this is all good help!

[Kerney]

Make one of the kids show themselves to be reliable in smaller ways before you count on them in big ways.

Give the pcs a hint of the evil before the kids report it. For example, pcs meet goblins on the road. Then kid reports seeing a goblin through a sewer grate.

Do something horrible to one kid. Reign of Winter's first book has a horrible/good example of this. It lets the pcs know kids are being targeted and thus pay more attention to them.

Hope that helps.

Kerney

[Captain Wacky]

Fetchystick wrote:

For my homebrew campaign, there will be a few characters age 7-12. How should I write them so that they're not all stereotypical annoying children that the PC's will want to brush off? How can I get my players to listen to and like these kids when they really don't have a whole lot of influence or anything important to say?

Don't make them stereotypical and annoying?

Make them well behaved.
They Ooh and Aww everytime the party comes to town.
They ask them questions about how to become an adventurer.
They want to help by doing menial tasks for the party, like shine their shoes and what not.
One or more of the kids could develope a kid crush on some of the PCs.
They squabble over who gets to sharpen Sir *whoevers* sword.