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Loving Your DNPCs


Citizen Keen

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Guest WhammeWhamme

Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

I was looking around HERO Central when I saw a character who had the following disads:

 

DNPC: Frankie (names have been changed to protect the innocent)

PsyLim: Loves Frankie

 

Would you allow this? I wouldn't. Wanted to see if I was in the minority.

 

I would. A normal DNPC you will act sensibly to rescue, but you will rescue. A loved DNPC... has a real stranglehold on you.

 

Take Android (my PC). He has his maker as both (and as a Follower). As a DNPC she causes trouble for him. As a beloved, he does whatever she asks, and would risk his existence for her, etc, etc, etc. The love thing can come up even when she's not there, too; images, mental illusions, shapeshift... or just disguises.

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

Good question. I guess at the root of it is "Is the PC more encumbered by having the Psych limit on top of the other limit?"

 

I *might* give the PC a very low value for the Psych Limit. 5 or 10 points. Except under certain circumstances... Like... Say "Frankie" was a Goldfish, his first cousin, or if she outright detested him (and therefor resisted his help).

 

Of course if Frankie's his cousin I'm pretty sure I don't want to be roleplaying this. But I can see a lot of comedy value in the goldfish thing. ;)

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

Not to be contrary' date=' but how do you justify this? A DNPC [i']and[/i] Follower seems to be impossible. Either he's useful, or he's a disadvantage.

 

He's just taken the whole "DNPC has useful noncombat position or skills" to a new level...

 

I personally don't have a problem with it, as long as the PC realizes that they have a lot of points in this person. They have to realize its my duty as GM to screw with the both of them...

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

I don't have a problem with it either. Sometimes the person is useful...and sometimes they are a hinderance. It's fairly realistic and no different than having Reputation as both a disadvantage and a perk. As a disad, Rep gives the bad guys a hint about how to exploit the character's morals(we all know, Spidey will not let people die, for instance, so when Absorbing Man threatens to trash an entire plane full of people, he can force Spidey to let him walk away). On the other hand, Rep as a perk lets you add to PRE attacks for intimidating villains or getting crowds to go along with your suggestions in hectic circumstances. Same thing works with the DNPC/Follower thing. Sometimes, can help you by giving you information or fixing your gear; but other times they make handy hostages, especially if the character has a romantic interest as well.

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

The old DC Mayfair game had an advantage (like a Perk) called Buddy, which was a special kind of DNPC that could help a hero out of a jam, knew his secret identity, had long walks on the beach, would share his Bud Lite, yadda yadda. I think a DNPC/Loves (or deeply respects)/Follower is a perfect encapsulation of the very well-constructed Buddy advantage.

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

I'd easily allow In Love With on top of DNPC. It's an entirely different category of problems. Every episode, there's a chance that Frankie could be endangered, and a chance that your love for Frankie can be tested (and not necessarily by saving, there is more to love than just saving people).

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

Not to be contrary' date=' but how do you justify this? A DNPC [i']and[/i] Follower seems to be impossible. Either he's useful, or he's a disadvantage.

I agree. If the Follow is that much of a problem, toss in an appropriate Disad on him (like gets into trouble, danger magnet, etc.) If the DNPC is useful, put the "useful" adder on him.

 

Of course, there's nothing wrong with having In Love With Follower....

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

The only way I'd allow the original topic (DNPC+PsychLim) it is if there's some reason it's worth seperate points. I won't allow it for, say, Lois Lane (I still maintain she's less of a DNPC than a follower with "Psych Lim: Hostage fetish"). There has to be a reason why being in love with the DNPC causes a seperate set of problems from having to protect that person, such as the fact that the DNPC happens to hate the character's guts.

 

And, as someone else mentioned, as GM you had better believe any PC that double dipped in this way would be paying for it :D

 

On the issue of the DNPC/Follower, I've allowed this a few times in the past. This would be appropriate for the Silver Age Jimmy Olson, for example.

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Re: Loving Your DNPCs

 

Heroes!

 

I agree with the people who allow it, but require something more than what DNPC already does. If Frankie is a DNPC, you help when he’s in danger, but you can turn him down if he invites you to supper or asks you to do a favour. If you love Frankie, you help him even when he’s not in danger, and that increases the plot hooks you can use. Besides, if you love someone, the DNPC connection may be more obivious to others.

 

Cheers!

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