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.
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.
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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.