questions, like, “Does everyone here look like a mercenary or sol- who move the story along to the
ng to the rescue of the princess. They also
dier?” “Yes, except for the trio in the corner.” “What do they look
like?” And the G.M. offers a description. Maybe they are peasants,
or mages, or merchants, or ... whatever.
The Game Master (G.M.) also controls all of the NPCs or
Non-Player Characters. NPCs are important people that the
player characters meet and interact with at places like the Rusty
Cup Pub and, well, everywhere. That bartender mentioned above,
he is a Non-Player Character (NPC). In fact, he is an NPC that
the G.M. has immediately made available to the player characters
with his cheerful invitation of a stiff drink for only one credit. The
barkeep may have information that the characters need and that he
will share if one or more characters engage him in conversation,
buys him a drink, and so on. It can also lead to confrontation and
a momentary side adventure or action. In the context of the story,
that could be wherever you, the G.M. wants to take it. Let’s use
a story most of you should know: Star Wars, A New Hope. The
young, farm boy Luke Skywalker who is not even a Jedi, walks
right into trouble when he and Obi-Wan Kenobi enter the cantina
on Mos Eisley. The wise and experienced Obi-Wan knows how
to carry himself to avoid trouble. Poor, young Luke looks like the
innocent bumpkin that he is, and an ornery thug who has had too
much to drink decides to mess with the kid. Conflict and adventure
ensues. It also moves the story along.
In the Rifts® bar scenario above, the wrong question to the
wrong person could lead to ... well, almost anything. A brawl, a
fistfight, a duel, a challenge of skill (fighting, wrestling, knife toss-
ing, a toss of the dice) or drinks for everyone, or a “friend” who
volunteers to step forward to help them stay out of trouble (why
and what’s his agenda?), or a merc looking for work may offer to
be their “native guide,” or a pretty girl, or a thief, or CS spy or a
mage may approach them, the possibilities are endless. And all of
these NPCs are controlled and played by the G.M. (Game Master).
NPCs (Non-Player Characters) can be very important in
creating atmosphere and helping to further the story along.
They are meant to provide clues, information and challenges to the
player group. If there is a puzzle the player characters cannot fig-
ure out, then perhaps the NPC can provide some insight that helps
them succeed. An NPC can also provide direction and purpose for
the characters. This makes some NPCs important figures in the
context of the game. However, something an NPC should not do
is provide all the answers nor lead the player characters. An NPC
should always be a secondary character in the background, never
a primary one in the forefront of the action. And he should never
have all the answers or save the day whenever the player group
gets into trouble. An NPC should not be coming to the rescue of
the players except, perhaps, under the most dire of circumstances,
and even then he should need to roll to succeed like any other char-
acter. Likewise, an NPC who joins the adventurer group should not
be a glory hog. All NPCs should be a background character who
does NOT steal the spotlight from the player characters.
Again, using Star Wars as an example, you may recall old Obi-
Wan provided a purpose for the group, and that was simply to get
them to Alderaan. He helped them find a ship and pilot, but this too
helped advance the story and bring other “central heroes” together.
Once on the Death Star, Obi-Wan takes on a secondary role, be-
cause this is NOT his story, it is the story of Luke, Han and the
other heroes. Two other notable Star Wars characters who func-
tion in the role of NPCs are R2-D2 and C-3PO. They helped set up
the next part of the adventure, and know and do things that assist
the central character, but they are sidekicks, secondary characters
worked as comic relief. Humor and laughter are great for games
too. You will notice that none of these characters stole much of the
action through the course of the adventure, but did provide critical
aid and vital information when needed. This is exactly how NPCs
should be used. I call them support roles, like supporting actors
in any movie.
Use NPCs to help drive your story and establish atmo-
sphere. This includes NPC villains and monsters. In fact, villains
and monsters are often a major catalyst for adventure. “We must
rescue so and so from the wicked X,” or save the town or a beloved
NPC, and so on. Villains can also lead to adventure campaigns of
revenge, quests for justice, pursuit, preventing atrocities and de-
struction, etc.
More Game Master Tips and
Tricks for Running Rifts® Games
So if you are reading this section, you are either a Game Master
ready to run the adventure included in this Primer, or someone
curious about the Game Master experience. Or maybe, a G.M.
looking to see what we have to say about running RPGs. First off,
welcome, one and all. Being a Game Master is an awesome experi-
ence. Don’t worry if you’re a new G.M., because it is not as hard
as you may think it is.
So the first tip is relax. Just like anything new, you will get
better as time goes on and you become more comfortable running
games.
Second, have fun. This isn’t a competition. You are orchestrat-
ing a story. Enjoy weaving your adventure and watching it unfold
in ways you likely never expected as the players take your plot and
make it their own.
Game Masters, it is your job to play all of the non-player
characters. Again, don’t worry. This may sound daunting, but is
actually a lot of fun, especially if it suits your disposition. It al-
lows you the opportunity to stretch your role-playing skills. Kevin
Siembieda (creator of Rifts® and the Palladium game system), me
and most Game Masters enjoy playing the many Non-Player Char-
acters and running the adventure. That said, not everyone is suited
to be a G.M. You may be such a person. That’s okay. We’ve found
that while many people can become a good G.M. with time and
practice, only one in eight or ten are naturals who thrive at being a
Game Master. But you know what, all those other Game Masters
do a fine job too. As long as you and the players are having fun,
you are doing fine.
So what’s next? It is your job as G.M. to create a fun story
arc filled with adventure, action, suspense and most importantly,
a sense of accomplishment. Combining all of these elements is
really not that difficult, especially with some of the tips and tricks
below. So let’s begin.
Tip Number Three – Preparation. I have always found it eas-
ier to run a game when I am fully prepared. It makes sense. Most
people like to be prepared for any job. Being prepared provides
confidence and makes it easier to anticipate problems and over-
come them. For role-playing games, which tend to be open-ended
and very flexible, this is not always as easy. Or is it?
The first part of preparation is game knowledge. No, you
don’t have to have every little rule memorized, that’s why you
have a rule book to refer too. I (Carl) have found you do want to
become familiar with your game world. Read its history, its setting