>dming for friends as always>starting off campaign>they start interacting very heavily with one-off NPC number 356 for some reason>have to come up with a background and deeper characterization on the fly because I never planned anything past basic conversation>they really like this guy and invite him to join the adventure>uhhh sure I guess I can have a DMPC>write down more background and plan plotlines on downtime>Gary the Farmer has been in the party since day 1H-How long do I need to keep doing this for?
>>98011623just recycle a plan you had for an actually relevant NPC for this oneif your future quest giver was going to come from someone else, have it come from this guy instead
Just have him tagging along and carrying stuff for the party, you don't need to write a whole character arc for him.
>>98011623have players take control over him every so often to reduce the payload
>>98011623Yeah, that’s how it works. I’ve found the best way is to have a list of names, come up with NPCs on the fly, and then write them up after the session in which they first appear. Offhand comments and one-off background characters being brought to the foreground makes the world feel alive and is something that players love.>PC tries to get out of interrogation for a crime he committted by claiming that it was ACTUALLY committed by his identical twin brother>roll a d%>stare him dead in the eye>”Nothing you’ve previously said about your character’s backstory precludes him having a twin brother. The interrogator isn’t falling for it, but we’ll flesh out your sibling relationship later.”
>>98011623Having followers has been a part of the game from the 70's.
>>98011623>Oh no, my players are invested in my game and having a lovey time! Woe, wow betide this simple man!
>>98011623No you don't. You don't have to do anything.
>>98011623Just take it as a compliment that your players are so interested in an NPC you made and roll with it. Also improvise as you go and write down whatever you come up with on the spot so you don't contradict yourself later on. No need to spend time outside game writing Gary content if you don't want to.
>>98011623Just be glad you don’t need to invent like five other guys to fulfill the aid Gary the Farmer is already performing for the party, all with both the party’s blessing and their favor too. Seriously, that’s the best outcome for a gmpc, especially one you didn’t plan out.
Besides what others have said, also keep in mind that you can give Gary a goal that will serve as an organic breaking off point once it's been achieved. Maybe his farm is afflicted by a curse from the local woods witch, so once she's killed or convinced to call off the curse he's free to go back to his land.
>>98011623Make Gary a blatant ripoff from some book or show nobody else at the table knows about
>>98011623Okay, so what's the farmer's class level, if any? what's he been doing?
>>98011808I think what the GM here is confused is that his group picked up a stray Glub Shitto and they've basically adopted it as the party's mascott/buttler and are putting unexpected work onto the GM for a throwaway NPC.
>>98013640Which means that he has players who are engaged and enjoying themselves. Oooooh nooooo what a terrible problem, you have to prep something slightly different that you expected! Oooooooh this is nine hundred and eleven 9/11s!
>>98011623Yeah, we've all been Boblin-ed at one time or another. You get used to it.
>>98011623I deliberately started to name every single NPC who is insignificant or cannot meaningfully help the PCs in any way "Robert", as an instant indicator that they will gain nothing from interacting with him. Try something like that.
>>98011623Until they get bored of him. Be proud; you've created an NPC on the fly your players adore. Let him follow them around and progress with them, but only do stuff if they ask him to. That's the key to what you've got going on.
>>98011623Gary the Farmer is now "They KILLED GARY? Those fucking BASTARDS! We will BURN the world to avenge him!"There ya go DM, here's the cheat code.
>>98011623OP, don't feel bad... My campaign is on session 62 and I basically have to have one of the players act as my stenographer and secretary. I wrote my campaign over the course of 10 years of nogames downtime, and now that I'm actually able to run it, I have to remember every major and minor character with a 800 mile radius AND also come up with some bullshit name when they spare Gulubo the Goblin at the end of a random fight and make him a slave without any warning.
>>98011938You don't really believe this.
>>98011623Just have him fade into the background, carry luggage, look after the horses and baggage carts outside the dungeon, and eventually either retire or die.For a laugh, you could have him raise the subject of owed back-pay after he's worked for the party long enough; if that doesn't make them drop him off at the first town, then just mark him down as an official hireling and roll with it.
>>98011623>players are invested in the game and your characters>panic for no reasonThis a good thing, OP. This is exactly what you want.
