NPC Motivation

Originally from Twilight:2000 RPG by GDW

A variety of non-player characters (NPCs) will be encountered in the course of adventures. These are characters which the referee will play, either in cooperation with or opposition to the players.

Motivation

In many cases, the motivations of NPCs are either obvious or unimportant. An enemy soldier, a merchant in a bazaar, a common field hand, the general range of background characters do not require the referee to determine motivation.

Usually motivation is only determined for the leader of a group of NPCs or a solitary NPC with which the players will have important or extended dealings

To determine the motivation of an NPC, draw two cards from a standard deck of playing cards. The highest value card is the NPC’s primary motivation, the other is his secondary motivation.
The particular motive is determined by the suit of the card.

The values are classified as low (2, 3, or 4), middle (5, 6, or 7) or high(8, 9, or 10). Aces and face cards are special results explained later.

CLUBS: Violence

The NPC has a greater likelihood of reacting with violence than most people. At low levels this indicates the NPC is not frightened or intimidated by threats of violence and will not hesitate to use violence if the situation seems to warrant it. At middle levels the NPC is aggressive and inclined to view violence as the preferred means of resolving disputes. At highlevels the NPC loves a good fight and either is or wants to be a warrior.

Even a high violence rating does not, however, necessarily indicate that the NPC is brutal or a bully. For example, an NPC with a high violence level and a high fellowship (hearts) level could be described as friendly, good-natured, loyal —a good man to have with you in a fight.

DIAMONDS: Wealth

The NPC wants to be rich. At low levels the NPC will generally sell items for gold, even if alone in the wilderness. At middle levels the character will probably only accept gold or will strike very hard bargains in barter. This sort of character is very easy to bribe. At high levels the NPC can be expected to accept bribes, deal only in gold, and may attempt treachery if he believes the players have considerable wealth andhe can get his hands on it.

HEARTS: Fellowship

The NPC is highly influenced by his love of people. He tends to be friendly, loyal, and just. At low levels the NPC will be amiable, talkative, and cooperative with most people he meets. At middle levels he will have a strong sense of duty and loyalty to the group he belongs to. At highlevels he will have a strong commitment to justice and the welfare of all he meets. He will look for the good qualities in anyone he comes in contact with but will react with anger to injustice and brutality.

SPADES: Power

The NPC seeks personal power and in-fluence. At low levels this manifests itself mostly as boastfulness and a desire to impress the NPC’s peers. At middle levels it indicates a wish to be in a position of real responsibility in an organization. At high levels it indicates a desire tomanipulate and control the people around him, to become a ruler of men.

Special Cards

Aces and face cards are special cards, each with its own special meaning. If a special card is drawn, it is automatically the primary motivation or most prominent characteristic of the NPC. If two special cards are drawn, the NPC has two competing primary motivations or dominant characteristics. The meaning of the special cards are shown below.

Hearts

Heart Ace: Justice. The NPC sees justice as the greatest virtue in a person and the only important consideration in deciding on a course of action. He will display great justice in his dealings with others, will have no respect for cheats, and will wholeheartedly assist any attempt to right an injustice.

Heart King: Honor. The NPC is scrupulously honest in his dealings with everyone, and his word of honor is his absolute bond. If he believes that he is honor-bound to do something, either because he has promised or because his position carries an obligation to do so, he will attempt to carry out the task even if it means his own death. He has utter contempt for liars or people who break their word.

Heart Queen: Love. The NPC loves a person so completely that he would willingly sacrifice himself for that person. This could be a spouse, parent, child, or friend.

Heart Jack: Wisdom. The NPC is very wise and always ex-hibits good judgment and offers sound advice.

Clubs

Club Ace: War Leader. The NPC is an unusually good leader in combat situations. He has an instinctive grasp of tactics, a goodeye for terrain, and never panics in a fight. In game terms, treat the character as having a coolness rating of 0. In addition, the referee should assume that the NPC can anticipate many situations in combat and will make the best allowances for them possible.

Club King: Brutal. The NPC is a sadistic brute who enjoys inflicting physical injury on others. He is likely to use torture whether or not there is anything to be gained from it.

Club Queen: Stubborn. The NPC is stubborn and pig-headed and will be extremely difficult to persuade once he has made up his mind. He is set in his ways and resists change of any sort.

Club Jack: Murderer. The NPC either has committed murder or is planning a murder. Murder in this sense does not mean asimple killing, but rather means the secret and intentional killing ofan acquaintance for reasons of personal gain. Although the world is a very violent place in the year 2000, murder is still rare.

Diamonds

Diamond Ace: Generosity. The character is generous to a fault and will gladly give away anything he has to someone in need, even if this leaves him with nothing. In less extreme cases, he will be inclined to make very generous trades and will always refuse payment for help with a task other than one directly related to his normal livelihood. For example, a generous farmerwould give the group all the food they needed and accept inreturn whatever he felt they could easily afford to trade or pay. If they needed help repairing a vehicle, he would help them and refuse to accept payment for it.

Diamond King: Selfishness. The opposite of generosity, a selfish NPC will never help without demanding payment and never give away anything. He will also demand higher payment than he is due and jealously guard his possessions.

Diamond Queen: Lustful. The NPC is driven by lust for the opposite sex. This may be lust for members of the opposite sex in general, or may be an obsession for a particular member of that sex.

Diamond Jack: Coward. The NPC is a total coward and will run from danger at every opportuniky. If escape is impossible, he will cower and be unable to fight.

Spades

Spade Ace: Charismatic. The NPC is a charismatic who others are naturally drawn to and want to follow. He is likely to have a large and extremely loyal following.

Spade King: Deceitful. The NPC is a liar and may be a traitor if the situation presents itself.

Spede Queen: Ruthless. The NPC will let nothing stand in his way in achieving any goal, and feels total disregard for the needs of others. The NPC can appear to be considerate, generous, loyal, or anything else which serves his purpose, but actually feels nothing.

Spade Jack: Pompous. The NPC is arrogant, conceited, and pompous in his dealings with others. He considers himself clearly superior to everyone around him.