User Blog:
LARP Plot Tips: Getting Skilled NPCs

 Anyone who's run a LARP game knows that a lack of NPCs makes things exponentially more difficult. Many games will reduce the cost (or eliminate it completely) or give away production or magic items to get people to NPC. The problem is that this might bring in a number of unskilled players to NPC, but skill is a huge component in combat-based LARP games. How do you get skilled NPCs?

I ran Plot/Staff at an in-game location that had four events a year for seven years and we never once had NPC issues. When you have a large stock of NPCs to work with, it makes it easy to run large-scale battles and two-front attacks. It also gives the ability to work around problem NPCs.  We used a few tricks to make sure we always had good players working on our side.

1. Get the player involved.
The most successful tactic to get NPCs is to target the players you want, and make them staff. As staff, they have a lot more input on the game and they also get a feeling of accomplishment when a quality event is run. Give them one aspect that they are in charge of (random encounters, marshaling, traps) and keep giving them positive feedback. Don't wait for players to volunteer to be staff - get out there and recruit!

This was the way I got involved in Staff/Plot. The Plot team came to me and asked if I wanted to be a part of their staff.  

2. Write a part for a specific player.
Once you have a fully stocked staff team you can continue to recruit players to NPC. Simply drop a line to the player letting them know that you're writing your plot line and you have a part that they would fit perfectly. Let them know that you have the basic motivations of the character, but that they'd be free to flesh out the personality, mannerisms, and costume. Remember to design the character around what that player likes to do. If the player hates fighting, don't give them a combat-heavy role.

A lot of skilled players keep coming to the game to socialize and for the story. These people may not be convinced to play by offering loot, but make a role specifically catered to them and you'll find that, more often than not, you will be able to have them NPC for at least some part of your event.