NPCs — non-player characters — offer a unique way to flesh out your RP characters.  It gives others an opportunity to see your character from a different perspective — how do his close friends see him?  What does her superior officer say about her? Did she get her sharp tongue from her mother?

You might introduce them in a story, you might actually roll them on your realm and bring them out to interact with your characters’ friends and guildmates.  Maybe you don’t do either, but your character’s always telling stories about a childhood friend, enough that other people feel like they’ve known that other person for years even though they’ve never met.

If you’re having a lot of fun with that NPC, sometimes this magical transformation occurs where they stop being an NPC and become a character in their own right.  Threnn’s sister Annalea started off that way — first in a few fics to establish their relationship, then rolled on Feathermoon to poke her head into the Pig ‘n’ Whistle every now and then.

But then there are the characters in-between:  with enough personality, interest and backstory that they’re not entirely NPCs anymore, but not quite ready to be full-fledged PCs, either.  You’re out of character slots, or simply don’t have the time to devote to a new character. Or — and this is when it gets fun — the NPC has sparked someone else’s imagination, and they’d like to borrow him for a story of their own.

So, what do you do when a friend says “Hey, I’d like to borrow Bob the NPC for a story arc?”

As always, communication is key.

  • Ask how involved they’d like you to be. Do you simply need to proofread a post where the NPC makes a cameo for accents and mannerisms?  Do you need to log in and play the character to help with the plot progression?
  • Get a run-down of the plot. What part does the NPC play in it?  Why would she get involved in the first place?  What will keep him hooked?
  • If you don’t have a very hands-on part or can’t commit to one, write up a short character sketch for the person who will be controlling the NPC. Beyond the physical details and a paragraph or two on major events in his life, think about the scenario he’ll be facing.  What are the NPC’s motivations?  What will get him/her upset?  What points will she argue, what points will she concede?  How trusting is the character?  What things will they do reliably (do they stammer when they lie?)  What things will he never do (betray his family?  Commit treason?)
  • Let the borrower know how much rein he has with the NPC. Can they make up bits of backstory if they need to?  Are you willing to let the NPC get hurt if the story calls for it?  Killed?  Exiled?

A lot of this hinges on trust.  If you’ve RP’d with the person borrowing the NPC in the past, chances are you’ll feel relatively comfortable sitting back and letting them call the shots.   If it’s a person you haven’t worked with as often, you might want to have a bit more editorial control/veto power.

The guidelines are much the same if you’re the one borrowing an NPC:

  • Let the NPC’s creator know what the story entails. Give them an overview of the plot, let them know how long you think you’ll need the NPC for, if it’s a plot that would take up a lot of the character’s time or require them to travel away from the PC with whom they’re usually associated.  While you don’t have to go into every detail of the arc, be specific about the NPC’s role.
  • Ask for a rundown of the NPC’s quirks and traits. It helps you get in the character’s head better, and lends authenticity to the writing/RP.
  • Put it back the way you found it. Don’t do anything that breaks the NPC unless you have specific permission from his or her player to do so.
  • Send a summary home with him. When the story arc is done, let the NPC’s original owner know what their character did on his summer vacation.  It might spark further RP, or give them a new angle for character growth.  It also ensures that, if someone else refers back to the plot later on when she’s back under her creator’s control, the NPC isn’t going “Huh?” about thing she’d know.

Thread’s open!  What else should we keep in mind when borrowing or lending characters?

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