[Nine Worlds] Creating NPCs

[Stefan / 1of3]

Hi.

I'm thinking about running a game in the Nine Worlds. It's just... I have no idea about how much Power, how much Force and how many points for Urges an NPC should receive. There is no guideline in the book neither in a point distribution type of manner (Distribute x points!) nor in the form of game world physics (Chaos x means...).

I like games where I have expplicite rules and tools as a GM. Be it in the form PtA's Budget or DitV's Proto-NPCs. Nobilis is fine, too. Give 20 CP to an average Noble, 70 CP to an average Imperator, and 100 CP is Lord Entropy's level. Nine Worlds has nothing.


So how does it work?

[Iskander]

Hey, Stefan.

Matt gave some advice in this thread that you might find worthwhile.

Having been through the same feelings as you, now, I would make sure to give your guys a bit of Force, and don't present weaklings. I had a hard time scoring any victories off my players, to the point where I started busting out some quite heavy opposition, IIRC.

Now that I think about it, one of the things that pretty much hosed me was that too few of my NPCs had relevant Muses. My (smart) players had maybe, one or two medium-to-long-term Muses, and a clutch of immediate ones that they used aggressively, building with the points they took and then resolving within a session to kick my ass. You should do the same! (The bastards took out Atlas, ffs!) So, if you've got someone like Atlas on scene, he should have a muse that makes him the PCs problem, and two or three that make them his problem right now.

In short: don't be afraid to beat up on them. They'll gang up and beat you in turn. Also, remember that unless they absolutely torn-to-bits-by-the-Furies obliterate someone, that person's going to have a mad-on to get back at them. With all his mates.

[Ron Edwards]

Are you using the ring-bound first version of the published rules, or the paperback/perfect-bound version?

My reading is that the latter provides good guidelines for making NPCs, including examples. If you are using this version and are still having trouble with that, please let me know and I'll help.

Best, Ron

[Stefan / 1of3]

I bought the .pdf. I guess it's the final version. There are example NPCs, I just didn't find any guidelines for making my own.

But Matt's advice in the other thread is better than nothing.

[Ron Edwards]

Now I'm confused. I offered to help you if you had the current version, and you do have that version. Do you want help from me or not?

Best, Ron

[Matt Snyder]

Ron, it's not as clear cut as comb bound vs. perfect bound for editions. The revised edition (aka "Aristeia Edition") was in comb-binding a few months before going to paperback / perfect bound.

Very likely, Stefan has the new edition.

Stefan, Ron has run Nine Worlds and provided some really useful insight on how to manage NPCs. I'm sure he can provide some tips.

Otherwise, is that thread Iskander linked to answering your question in full, or do you want some more advice? If so, what kind?

[Stefan / 1of3]

Ah, I guess it's not urgent anymore. My group found the setting "too weird".

I'll get back to it, when I find willing victims. But thanks for the help for now.

[Matt Snyder]

Stefan, if you can provide some more information about their reactions, I'd love to hear it. The game does not appeal to everyone, and that's ok. But, I'd love to hear some more about how that interaction went down. Like how you approached them about it, why you like it and what you explained. That kind of thing.

[Stefan / 1of3]

I described the universe with ether ships and gods ruling their respective planets. I said a few about Prometheus and the archons and that's pretty much all.