[Suggested] Final Haven NPC Guidelines

NPC Levels
Level 1 – Brutes (Basic)

• Demonstrate the ability to follow the directions of the person running the encounter.

Level 2 – Minions (Basic)

• Demonstrate competence with Special Abilities and Calls.
  Demonstrate competence with improvisational spell casting.
  Have at least one set of extra garb that is not something your PC would wear.

Level 3 – Named Lieutenants (Advanced)

• Demonstrate an understanding of combat and social tactics.
  Learn the names of your NPCs, in and out of character

Level 4 – Villains (Advanced)

• Demonstrate an ability to retain and execute complex instructions or utilize multiple special abilities.

Level 5 – Master Villains (Master)

• Demonstrate an ability to write and run an encounter, plot or theme.

Basic NPC Rules
NPC Rule 1: Everything is a role-playing encounter.

• Get into your non-player character and play it to the hilt. It does not matter if you are a human bandit, a goblin child or a wooden chair. Make the PCs believe you *are* the NPC. Movements, sounds, speech pattern, fighting style, thoughts, everything is role-played.

NPC Rule 2: Fall at Zero.

• When your NPC reaches zero Body Points, fall safely and play dead until your corpse is removed or the PCs are gone, unless given specific instructions to do otherwise from the marshal running the encounter.

NPC Rule 3: Quiet NPCS are quiet.

• Unless the PCs are directly interacting with you, when your NPC is dead or “not there” don’t interfere with PC role-playing. Be silent, sneak away with your weapon on your head, move to the next encounter, or return to the staging area. DON’T talk to the other NPCs out-of-character when the PCs can still hear you.

Advanced NPC Rules
Those who have progressed to be able to proceed to playing an Advanced NPC must learn these rules.
NPC Rule 4: Know what you are.

• Know what your NPC is, what lore skills apply to you, and what to tell PCs. If you are unsure, ask the person running the encounter. Some information can be volunteered; other information is only given if the PCs ask.

NPC Rule 5: Take charge

• Know the chain of command and work to enforce it. If no one is giving orders, you’re in charge. If someone is giving orders, follow them. You are part of a team, whether the encounter is a mob of kobolds or a family of traveling gypsies. See NPC Rule 1, the most important time to communicate with the PCs and NPCs is during combat, physical, verbal or social.

Master NPC Rules
Those who have progressed to be able to proceed to playing an Master NPC must learn these rules.
NPC Rule 6: Balance the encounter

• You are here to have fun, and to make the encounter fun for everyone else, PCs and NPCs. Trust your instincts when it comes to balance. Don’t be afraid to order brutes and minions into or out of combat at a whim. Don’t be afraid to turn up the emotion in a tense role-playing situation. If things are going to easy for the PCs, make it harder. If things are going poorly for the PCs, you are doing your job. If things are going disastrously for the PCs, or they are no longer having fun, change the scenario to make it fun. Think outside the box.

NPC Rule 7: Delegate when possible

• If you have underlings, use them. If you need underlings, get them. If your underlings are making mistakes, train them to do things the way you want them done. You are too important to waste your time on trivialities.

NUMBER ONE RULE.

Your NPC is there to make the PCs have fun. It is THEIR story. You are there to help them live it.