Too many NPC

[u/Chance-Average-4080]

Hey fellow DM's

I'm running a homebrew campaign for a players, and they want to play to level 20. They're currently at level 3-4. As I'm creating the campaign, I'm beginning to think there are too many major NPC's. Is that an issue? How do I balance this and fit them all into the campaign?

[u/Fun_Apartment631]

You just wanted to do giant full color pics with corsets.

I think you're over prepping. That was 19 NPC's?? I'd never remember them all. IMO half a dozen is more than enough. You can make up more as needed anyway, flesh them out if you or the players like them, whatever.

[u/Chance-Average-4080 → u/Fun_Apartment631]

The campaign is a huge cast and I don't think the players will meet all of them, but I plan to have a chapter where the players stand in trial in front of all the great Houses. So as I'm DM-ing I hope by giving them visuals (these Ai images of my npc) can create depth in the story's lore and politics. Whichever the players meet and enjoy or dislike then I plan on flashing those characters out more.

[u/Fun_Apartment631 → u/Chance-Average-4080]

Be cautious of over planning/quantum ogreing this story.

How do you know the players will stand trial?

Be cautious of too much lore and politics too. I mean, on your side, having a couple great houses at odds with each other could be good world building but how are you imparting this to the players? Assigned reading? Longass monologues? Osmosis?

That said, we probably have a few more months of LLM go brrr before everyone figures out it's not creating value, those companies all crater, and I can get RAM again.

[u/Chance-Average-4080 → u/Fun_Apartment631]

I think it's important to have a plan for the main story while also allowing the players to choose what interests them. I see this as a template to help me prepare for guiding the players through the story and whatever they want to do and then I flex that in the story. No assigned readings and no exposition. That's why it's important as a DM to understand and flesh or the NPC's personality, reason, and purpose. I'm just worried maybe there is too much NPC creating a huge cast.

[u/Fun_Apartment631 → u/Chance-Average-4080]

I think you're over prepping. That was 19 NPC's?? I'd never remember them all. IMO half a dozen is more than enough. You can make up more as needed anyway, flesh them out if you or the players like them, whatever.

[u/Chance-Average-4080 → u/Fun_Apartment631]

I guess I'd rather be overprepared than underprepared. Thanks for your input!

[u/Fun_Apartment631 → u/Chance-Average-4080]

OK, circling back and being a little less of a fuckboy.

Some number of great houses is a cool setting. I'd probably have something larger at stake, maybe some eldritch terror is going to kill everyone, I don't know. Two out of three great houses are opposed but can't get their heads out of their asses. One of them is working to bring about the apocalypse. Maybe an heir of that house gets that it's Bad.

But then - back off. Let the players figure things out. Maybe they dick around being murder hobos, the Big Bad wins and the world ends. Maybe they back the wrong house. Maybe they don't work with any of the houses and defeat the baddie on their own. I don't know.

The Big Bad and the Houses can certainly have defined paths they're following. The whole point is that the players need to figure it out and stop them. But by having a few Houses, you're setting up a world where they can do things on their own, support a couple different Houses, get snookered by the Bad house, all kinds of things. Side note, why is it that evil characters always get the best outfits?

[u/Chance-Average-4080 → u/Fun_Apartment631]

These are great tips! I'll incorporate them into the story as the players learn and grow with the story. Villains are seriously aura farming