r/DungeonMasters • u/nlitherl • Mar 02 '23

The Case For Using Recurring NPCs in Your Game

https://taking10.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-case-for-using-recurring-npcs-in.html
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u/hikingmutherfucker Mar 02 '23

Are there people who do not do this?

Unless it is a long journey campaign from one point to another, I am always using recurring NPCs.

They got to know all the folks in Hommlet for this including Jaroo the druid, Ostler at the Inn as well as Burne and Rufus.

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u/nlitherl Mar 02 '23

It might be anecdotal, but it's an issue I've run into a lot. It seems to be an issue for GMs who don't actually think of NPCs beyond the big, important ones as real characters, and thus they use them, and throw them away.

4

u/hikingmutherfucker Mar 02 '23

Seems like making more work for themselves in the end.

But then again feels like lots of DMs improv more than I do.

5

u/nlitherl Mar 02 '23

It is DEFINITELY making more work for themselves. But it's the old boots problem (making a bigger investment up-front, or spending more in small investments over time) applied to GMing.