"How much NPC detail do you want in a skirmish solo game?" Topic

We're working on a solo adventure for Gutshot. This sets the action in an Old West town with about 13-20 NPC townsfolk wandering around, minding their own business until the lead starts to fly. Even though this is specifically a Western, I'd like to come up with something generic enough to use in a modern game, as well.

As I said, this is set in a small town with the usual buildings: bank, saloon/bar, boarding house, sheriff's office, livery stable, etc. We need to have the NPCs wander about on various missions or tasks (this is required because the players need to interact with them to find some information), and I'm wondering what would be the best mechanism to handle this?

We use a chit-pull activation system in Gutshot. Characters get 3 or 4 actions per turn, NPCs get 2 (a turn ends when all the chits are pulled from the hat, then they are replaced and a new turn begins). Characters (those minis controlled by a player) move one at a time. In this scenario, the NPCs will all move at the same time (we call this our "Mob Rule" in the game).

My thoughts are:
- Set up a 6x6 matrix and roll 2d6 to determine: attitude and action
- Just put a bunch of tokens in a bag/hat and pull them out, one at a time, and put them under the miniature. The chits would say things like "Going to the bank (move there then stay there)," "Going to the livery stable, stay one action, then go to the bank," or "Just stands where he is, talking to someone next to him."
- Use a playing card mechanic? Spades = walking, Club = standing, etc. Use the number to determine how many inches the figure moves that action?

MY CONCERNS:
1) I want the NPCs to do more than just stand there. They need to move around.
2) But, I don't want this to be too complicated or time consuming. Their actions need to contribute to the solo game, not dominate it.
3) I'm leaning toward the token solution because it's easy to implement and, by putting the token beneath the mini, you can tell at a glance what he/she is going to do. That would greatly simplify bookkeeping.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I would have the bulk of them just stand there engaged in some kind of activity.

A few could have programmed movement (i.e. moves between stables and feed store or a deputy walking up and down the board walk.)

I think it would subtract from the fun if I had to generate 20 random variables every turn.

I would also have a section that goes something like this, once shooting starts flip to last page of book for NPC responses. (i.e. Sally Mae runs home, Bob retreats inside his store and locks the door, Deputy Smith heads towards gunfire etc…)

I like the token solution, too. Tokens could just stay under the NPC figure until they complete the required activity (it might take four actions to walk all the way through town to the bank, for example). That way, Varina doesn't walk 6 inches toward the bank this action, then double back to the dry goods store before she does her banking.
I suppose you could have figure unique notes: Old geezer moves at half speed, if Mary Kate draws "Go to the saloon," she stops outside and harangues passersby on the evils of demon rum, etc.
Grelber

I would use the chit method. In fact I just printed up some to use with the Rules with No Name. They could easily be converted to gutshot.

PDF link

You might also try a general events deck that would affect the entire town and thus determine what the populace in general is up to. That would include events such as hangings, fires, bank robberies, runaway horses, etc. This deck could be supplemented with subdecks to determine what individuals will be doing at the time of the event.

ALV

I like Terrement's approach. I would only add a fight or flight consideration to his proposal. Above all else, an NPC wants to live. Whether this is best accomplished by fighting or running away is something you will need to work on.

mjc

One approach is as follows…

Each NPC has a statline with perhaps a courage score, a playing card suit and number, and four actions…

Default "Out of Line of Fire" Action
Passed Courage "In Line of Fire" Action
Special Action
Poker Pair Special Action

So at the beginning of the turn before the PC's move, draw five cards (more or less depending on number of NPC's).

So Sally McJesuslover might have a profile like this…

Default "Out of Line of Fire" Action: Curious, move closer
Passed Courage "In Line of Fire" Action: Pray and Sing
Special Action: Bolster nearby NPC's Courage
Poker Pair Special Action: Beat nearest gunslinger about head with Bible

Perhaps a failed courage test for all NPC's would look like this…
Courage: low
1 Panic. Plead for life.
2 Panic. Transfixed.
3 Flee
4 Flee
5 Flee
6 Head for the Hills (Routs)

Courage: High
1 Take Cover & Call for Help
2 Take Cover
3 Back Away at Half Move
4 Panic. Transfixed.
5 Flee
6 Flee

So if Sally's card is not drawn, she moves closer to any gunfire…wants to see a real live sinner.
If she is in the line of fire, she rolls a courage test and runs if she fails and stays and prays if she passes.
If her card is drawn, she automatically passes her Courage and helps other NPC's pass Courage tests.
Let's say Sally is the 6 of Diamonds. If the 6 of Spades is also drawn, she actually can attack a PC if thaty are fighting.

Obviously, you can have lots of fun with the 4 reactions.

So if you have 25 NPC's, only 2 or 3 are likely to get drawn to attempt complex actions each turn. The others will use default actions that are generally to avoid harm.

Thank you all for the great feedback! I really appreciate you guys giving us so much to think about.

Specific comments follow:

Dragon Gunner: I agree with you completely. I don't want to generate 20 different activities per Action (especially since some of them may take more than one Action to complete -- it might take Miss Sue 3 Actions to walk to the Mercantile). I've already covered their actions after the shooting starts. They will either flee or (if a certain condition is met) they will rush to arm themselves and attempt to kill the outlaws.

Grelber: Those are the exact reasons I'm leaning toward using tokens placed beneath the minis.

Gamer With No Name: The solo activity is specific to this adventure, so your deck wouldn't be appropriate for this particular game. HOWEVER, I really like it! It's got a lot of fun things in it (The "Momma's Boy" one would be particularly fun to play because, in Gutshot, all female characters get a +2 when using a frying pan against a man (and he's at -2 to defend himself)! Really! It's a small note on Table 11.3.

Terrement: I don't think I want to go to that level of granularity for this adventure. Maybe if we were coming up with a large section of rules for solo play, but in this case we're just going to apply it to one particular scenario. I also like the idea of people coming and going (although that's not a good idea for this particular game). This kinda makes me think that a combination approach of tokens under the minis and a few action slips might be a good approach. Also, LOL for the comment about kids (except Billy) running off!

quidveritas: Townsfolk NPCs are supposed to scatter for cover the second the lead starts fighting. In this one game we do have a special condition that will trigger a mob mentality that will have them arm themselves and start shooting. But this should only happen if the players get really, really stupid.

religon: Thanks for the well thought out suggestions. We don't use a courage score in Gutshot, but we do have a morale system that covers whether or not NPCs flee or run (and we've got modifiers for whether they're defending themselves or their homesteads, stuff like that). I'm definitely going to think about this, as having a system for random mob attacks might be a very cool thing to develop. Thanks for the ideas.

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Thanks again, everyone. I think we're going to go with a combination of the tokens (less record keeping) and possibly add one or two special event slips into the game to make a few special things happen. I'm even considering writing up a dozen slips and then having the player only pick two or three (sight unseen) so the player won't have any idea of what might happen during the game. These would be put into the hat (where the other slips are stored) and drawn out at random during the game. This would allow for a few unique scenarios that would be outside the knowledge of the "All-Knowing GM."

Thanks again for your help!

I would suggest a table or two. Firstly draw up the out of gunfire table.

List npc names down the side and action number across the top.

Then list what each npc is doing each action. so blacksmith might spend first 4 turns shoeing horse, then 1 turn going to saloon, then 2 turns drinking.

At the start of each turn have the npc's act. You could add a line at the bottom of the chart which is a randomiser, so each npc rolls a die and on a 6 (or whatever) they do the special action for that turn. Say listen to preacher, buy from medicine man, use the convenience, wave to Miss Abigail etc. Once the special action has been completed (say it takes 3 to find the dunny etc) then they revert to where they are on the chart track.

It adds a small amount of randomness but allows the action to progress quite smoothly with as little book keeping as possible.

Then you have a different chart for them once the lead flies with the special ractions again.