Wednesday, May 20, 2009

OD&D Solo Game - The wife posts about NPCs and hirelings

[My wife wanted to post her thoughts about the NPCs and hirelings and how they've contributed to her game. So I'll now turn over the keyboard to The Princess Wife...]

Aeli's posse - OD&D solo style

Having had very little experience to begin with playing D&D the NPC’s have been extremely valuable to me in learning the game as a whole. A little prodding from them went a long way in learning much more then I believe I could have from any of the books at first. They helped to fuel my own imagination.

Currently including Aeli the posse is now eight. Part of the storyline I helped make up in the beginning of the campaign is that she needs a big group to go after the evil mage that killed her family. Problem is trusting anyone with her real identity. Aeli and Tironell have a feeling the dark magic users are on their trail now. She is supposed to be keeping a low profile but unfortunately being from nobility and young she likes to roll into town and fight and party like it’s … yeah 1999. I’m pretty sure this is going to invite trouble.

Still alive:

Tironell - Aeli's very first friend despite herself because she has no trust for magic users.

Rather & Turchao – Loyal and hopefully faithful followers, Rather’s response to anything is always “yeah!” They think they are brothers but they are nothing alike and probably don’t even come from the same continent. Aeli would do or spend just about anything for them.

Emyd – the always drinking hireling.

Roih – not a whole lot of quirks to him, just a good fighter so far.

Quellam – Handsome son of a jeweler Aeli lured away from home with the promise of adventure.

Brother Atu – Quirky cleric that just cracks me up, but effective as all get out.

Not so lucky:

Bieb - Died bravely chewed/poisoned by a spider. He was the first killed in my party.

Nodwig - Dead torch bearer, was errr... accidentally left behind in a tunnel while we were fighting. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor when my wonderful DM hubby Chgowiz said “where is Nodwig?” this one nearly made me cry. I know, there’s no crying in D&D.

Torim - Died bravely stabbed by goblins

Chacao - umm.. Died bravely, heh. Clobbered by zombies

Jelub – Didn’t really die but just ran away. I think he had a little arachnophobia.

So, what else can I tell you?

-- The Princess Wife.

[Editor's note: That's about a 50% survival rate... needless to say, some of the hireling rates are high when she decides to leave town... ]

3 comments:

taichara said...

No crying in D&D? Bah.

Some of my players, of either gender, would disagree with that one ;3

ze bulette said...

Thanks for your comments - I will be passing them along to my greenhorn wife as a hint to pick the NPC's brains!

Michael S/Chgowiz said...

@Bulette - I've had the NPCs offer comments, but I've always had them defer to @theprincesswife in decisions.

One of the best teaching tools is by example. My wife's character would charge into combat while the hirelings were forming defensive formations. She learned... :)