Unique NPC Companions?

[Geldridge]

...by which I mean 'unique' in that they cannot be replicated by a player in character creation.

 

I'm thinking of NPCs like Mort and Dak'kon in PS:T who were a different race / class / lifeform to anything we could create.

 

This could mean unique equipment slots, race / sub-race, class combinations or kit, attributes, feats or skills that we could never recreate for [charname].

 

Or it could be something as simple as (for example) giving Minsc Beserker Rage even though he's a ranger, Kivan getting a DEX score he could never have rolled or making Viconia a Drow when that racial sub-type wasn't available to players.

 

What do you think?

Edited September 21, 2012 by Geldridge

[evdk]

No.

No.

God no.

No.

[C2B]

I'm kinda torn between 1 and 5.

[Luckmann]

Hated it in PS:T.

Hated it in Dragon Age.

Hated it Mask of the Betrayer.

 

And I still loved all of those games.

 

They should be allowed to have unique aspects to them. Maybe a feat or ability that is signature for their persona. Hell, I'd even allow them to have all of their abilities be slightly, slightly different from whatever the PC gets. You can even feel free to give them personalized kits, such as the "Red Wizard of Thay", "Battlerager" or "Deathbringer" certain mods give to the appropriate characters in Baldur's Gate II (Edwin, Korgan and Sarevok, respectively).

 

But these things should be minor. Absolutely no revolutionary, special-snowflake insane or "wild and crazy" lets-think-outside-the-box-lol stuff. Characters can be unique without breaking the entire ruleset.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Luckmann

[teknoman2]

the first for me. the basic stuff that have to do with game mechanics should be the same for everyone in the whole game (you cant have everyone use SPECIAL and add an S for Superpowers for one of the companions), but adding something unique to the companions makes them more interesting (like having a unique weapon like Dak'kon's sword or a special ability like Minsc, who could go berserk even if that was reserved for berserkers and barbarians).

[Geldridge]

I guess for me, I kinda like the flavour that can be given to an NPC by giving them access to forbidden talents or stats (Minsc's beserker rage was a nice but of fluff that made sense for his character, even though it was forbidden by the rules).

 

And I can still remember how cool I thought it was in PS:T when I could recruit a flying skull (complete with biting attack!!) and a floating, burning man! Admittedly, that was a different universe setting, but still pretty cool...

 

I think so long as the alterations that break the game rules are done for legitimate story reasons, they add to the depth of the world and make it a bit more interesting... although I guess they have to be balanced by others who conform to the standard rules )

[Rabain]

There should be an option for:

 

Yes - but there doesn't need to be one.

[Jaesun]

No.

No.

God no.

No.

[smithereen]

Only if makes sense charactor-wise - like Minsc's rage or Morte's... being a floating skull.

 

And if it's only one special NPC... that's just asking for a Mary Sue to show up.

[Rostere]

I think it's a great idea to make NPCs truly unique. If NPCs are exactly the same as a player- generated character, this will destroy replayability. I would give all NPCs modified classes not available to the player.

[Elerond]

This is though one.

 

I like idea about unique NPCs, but I also want rule set that is same for all.

 

"Takes time to think, at least ten seconds"

 

But in end game I think I would prefer if NPCs unique value comes from their writing, not from special abilities or unusual race.

[wbn]

I like #1, but I also want things that can *only* be chosen by CHARNAME.

[Amentep]

...by which I mean 'unique' in that they cannot be replicated by a player in character creation.

 

I'm thinking of NPCs like Mort and Dak'kon in PS:T who were a different race / class / lifeform to anything we could create.

 

This could mean unique equipment slots, race / sub-race, class combinations or kit, attributes, feats or skills that we could never recreate for [charname].

 

Or it could be something as simple as (for example) giving Minsc Beserker Rage even though he's a ranger, Kivan getting a DEX score he could never have rolled or making Viconia a Drow when that racial sub-type wasn't available to players.

 

What do you think?

 

I think Minsc and Viconia really are more cases of those characters being made to fit the setting when all of the possibilities of the setting weren't in the context / confines of the game. Not really sure about Kivan.

 

But I'd like to think since the system is being built from the ground up that they would be able to create a robust system that allows for each NPC to have their own feel without breaking the rules they just created.

[Stevenaap]

Definitely, it adds flavor to the NPCs. The PC usually has special and unique abilities why shouldn't the same go for NPCs?

[eimatshya]

I'm not sure which of the poll options to pick. I'd say either two or five.

 

The diversity of the followers in Planescape made sense given the setting, but in a traditional fantasy world, it seems better to have companions that are not overly exotic (at least not all of them). This is especially true since this is our introduction to the IP. Our companions are going to be one of the key ways for us to gain insight into the nature of the world. This will work a lot easier if they are more-or-less typical members of the world. If one or two are bizarre and/or xenomorphic, that is OK for flavor, but I think it will be better to have a group that is representive of the different local cultures and backgrounds. If our companions represent the standard range of diversity in the setting, we can learn about the various viewpoints and cultures that predominate in this world through our interactions with them.

 

If they want to include more unusual companions in later games in the IP, I could see that working because by that time we will be more familiar with it. Sort of like how the unconventional set of companions in Mask of the Betrayer worked because we were already familiar with the Forgotten Realms setting.

Edited September 21, 2012 by eimatshya

[Tuco Benedicto]

I'm all for unique and distinguish traits in your companions.

It adds a lot of flavor to their contribute to the party.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Tuco Benedicto

[sollus]

Unique characters really add a lot to the game, both in terms of characterization and abilities. For me, more to learn about and experience is always awesome. Limiting everything to the same set of rules, unnecessarily removes opportunities for some amazing creativity.

 

I remember every PS:T NPC very easily compared to characters from other BI games. Some others though Minsc, Many as One, HK-47 stick out for me as well.

[alphyna]

Yes, if they're creative and fun.

[Monkcrab]

2, because if 1, I feel like I'm traveling with a circus gallery of the World Cultures Textbook instead of with friends I just meet along the way. However, having SOME of them be unique and non-creatable will increase the sense of size and mystery in the world.