World's Oldest Profession- Salacious Sales in The TTRPG Space?

For folks who don't keep a close eye on my releases, I recently had an impressive showing with my new supplement. World's Oldest Profession: 100 Courtesans and Concubines managed to do something that very few of my supplements have managed, which was to hit Copper status on its first day of release! Not only that, but it also hit Silver status by the end of 48 hours, which is something that's only happened a handful of times in the past for something I've made.

Oddly enough, the last time this happened was with the original supplement that led to this project, World's Oldest Profession: A Baker's Dozen of Brothels... a supplement which is now sitting at Electrum status, and still rising!

If something happens one time, it could be a fluke. Twice could be a coincidence. But three times? Well that just might be a trend...

Do you want to see more entries in this series?

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Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Does Salacious Content Generate Sales?

We've all heard the phrase sex sells, and even if we haven't heard it before we've all seen those commercials filled with bikini-clad supermodels, and voice overs from sultry performers trying to reach in through your ear to your wallet. And we've had our share of questionable covers of Dragon magazine, and occasional tables, monsters, and even asides in adventure paths, but outside of tomes like The Book of Erotic Fantasy (yes it's real, don't try to check it out if you're not of age) we don't have a lot of major examples of books predicated entirely on the selling power of adult (or at least mature) content.

Don't get me wrong, we have a lot of examples of this kind of content (such as the entire catalog of Lewd Dungeon Adventures), but it's usually been something we keep in the background, and which only bubbles to the surface from time to time.

And I'll be the first one to say that neither of my World's Oldest Profession supplements is particularly lewd. The first installment details brothels, as well as those who staff them, but there's nothing explicit in that supplement. The second installment is also more suggestive than anything else, with a lot of nodding and winking among the list of 100 prostitutes, but there's nothing in it that would prompt more than a PG-13 rating. At best.

Despite that, though, both of these supplements have sold like gangbusters!

What conclusions can I draw from this? Well, first and foremost, the price point for NPC and locations lists continues to be important for supplements I write. Secondly, cover art is also pretty important, and this particular piece by Dara Williamson is definitely eye-catching. However, the content is definitely responsible for both the initial sales, as well as the long-term viability of the supplement. And even with the age restriction on these supplements, they still outsell well over 95% of the stuff I produce.

Are the folks who buy either A Baker's Dozen of Brothels or 100 Courtesans and Concubines suddenly going to have uniquely spicy locations and NPCs in their games once they buy them? Probably not... but they at least have the opportunity, if that's what they and their players want to do!

A Final Note

As I so often say when I talk about the business side of TTRPGs, you have to follow the money. And while are all kinds of things I could work on (and things I definitely want to work on), this pattern has definitely drawn both my attention, as well as my publisher's attention.

So I wanted to ask... would folks like to see this become a longer-running series? Whether it's making sci-fi versions of these two supplements, or adding to them with other, similarly bawdy titles (things like 100 Laws Regarding Prostitution, 100 Slang Terms For Sultry Activities, A Baker's Dozen of Flesh Trade Guilds, etc.)?

I've got ideas... the question is, what would you all like to see going forward?

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Does Your Character Leave a Calling Card?

The overseer stood, arms folded as she looked at the destruction. Crates had been smashed open, or in some cases thrown out into the water. Weeks of effort and sweat, ruined. The guards sat on the floor, being tended to by healers. Eyes were swollen shut, lips split, and in several cases teeth had been shattered. Arnulf was still slipping in and out of consciousness, dealing with a severe concussion.

"Was it him?" she asked, without turning to look at Gerand. The small man winced as if she'd struck him.

"It's impossible to say for certain," Gerand said. "But... whoever it was, they left this."

He held out a flower. It was a simple, white rose dotted with scarlet droplets. The corners of the overseer's mouth turned down.

"It was him," she said, her voice flat.

"Should I double the guard?" Gerand said.

"The damage is done," the overseer said, turning on her heel and storming out. "I have a letter to send. We can't stop him with what we have on-hand."

I don't want a bouquet of these when all is said and done.

Before we get into the meat of this week's topic, I wanted to let folks know that I'm trying to get more active over on Twitter, so if you haven't followed me there, I'm @nlitherl. Also, for folks who want to get all my latest nonsense right to their inbox, consider signing up for my weekly newsletter as well!

Does Your Character Have a Calling Card?

Despite all the shady, illegal, and violent things our characters often do in game, sometimes we want to take credit for those actions. We want people who come across the aftermath, whether it be in the form of a bloody battlefield or a burned down prison, to know who did it.

That is where the calling card comes in.

Some are, admittedly, more horrifying than others.

Taken from a Victorian custom, a calling card was originally a method of announcing one's presence and requesting a visit. The practice has largely fallen out of favor, though modern business cards are one of the last vestiges of it. The phrase, "To leave one's calling card," means to leave some sort of mark behind to let people know you were there. Something associated with your character that declares in no uncertain terms that you are the one responsible for what the onlookers are seeing.

It might be a bloody, four-fingered handprint left behind by the Maneater (one of the gang leaders in 100 Random Bandits to Meet), a banner planted on a field of battle by a victorious order of knights (such as the ones in 100 Knightly Orders), or just a gang tag painted on a wall of a black skull, a green serpent, or a red jester (such as the ones you'll find in 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns). A calling card can be as personal or as unusual as you want, from a playing card left on the body, to a red rose swapped for a stolen item, the nature of the calling card is completely up to you!

Heck it could even be a particular battle cry, letting people know just who they're fighting, and telling onlookers who's responsible for the ensuing carnage. I put together quite a list of those in 100 Fantasy Battle Cries (And Their Histories) for folks looking for inspiration!

Why Leave a Calling Card?

A calling card serves a couple of purposes in a game. First, it's one more personalized detail of your character. The story of what the calling card means, how you chose it, etc. feeds into your Small Legend, and makes the character that much more unique and interesting. However, a calling card can also help in games that are more stealth-focused, or where players are creating personas and identities that are different from themselves so that when they take off their armor, their robes, or other accouterments they can still live a relatively normal life. Like Bruce Wayne, or the members of KISS.

And if you're going all-in on a calling card in that way, you might also want to check out my 5 Tips For Playing Better Vigilantes article.

Heroes and villains alike may benefit from this.

Even if you aren't trying to create the identity of some phantom thief or of a dark avenger, calling cards are useful ways of taking credit for your deeds. When someone comes across the wreckage of a battle, and they find every body has been decapitated, the heads stacked in a pyramid, they know this is the work of the Skulltaker. An arcane mark that's as unique as a fingerprint makes it clear when something was the work of the sorcerer Gildan Fey, and as their deeds grow so does their reputation. And so on, and so forth.

However, there is also a risk that comes with calling cards. If they're easy to duplicate, the narrative can get away from you. If someone mimics your calling card, leaving it at the scene of a crime you didn't commit, that can be a problem. If a rival outfit wants to tarnish your reputation, or a rival gang wants to convince the city watch that their deeds were committed by someone else, they might fake your calling card to throw the scent onto you. On the other hand, if you've established that you always leave your mark, then you might choose not to leave a calling card when doing something you'd rather people not know you were responsible for.

At the end of the day, a calling card can be a fun little addition to a character, whether it's a PC or one of the antagonists they're trying to deal with in the campaign. So if it's not something you've considered, take a moment and ask what your character would leave to let people know they'd been there!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my alley cat thriller Marked Territory, it's sequel Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Game Masters, Make Sure The General Populace Actually Reacts To The Party

The figure came in from the mist like a spirit out of some dark tale. With shoulders like battlements, and a black, ragged cloak drawn up against the mist, his black mail was visible to all those who cared to look. The steel was hard-used, but more than that, it was wound through with symbols that hurt the eye to follow. Even those who couldn't read the runes could feel the palpable air of violence baking off of the armor, and of the warrior who bore it. His right hand was encased in a steel gauntlet covered in wicked looking spikes, and the hilt of the sword bore a blood ruby; the symbol of a champion of the Dread Lords.

 

The dark warrior's boot heels rang like a knocking on a coffin as he entered the inn. The innkeep, a florid-faced man, looked up with a smile on his face.

 

"Hail, traveler," he said, smiling cheerfully. "Will you be needing a room? If so I have fair rates, but no funny business or I'll have you out in the street, mark me."

 

The warrior glanced around the room. The maids continued on their routes. The drunks kept on drinking. One man with ragged hair and beard stubble glared at the black-garbed nightmare, and shouted a challenge at him. The figure frowned, shook his head, and sighed.

 

"How many towns like this do I have to slaughter before you have my character's reputation precede him, Jerry?" he asked, taking out his cursed blade.

 

Because I will seriously do this until you give me some goddamn respect!

The Setting's Reaction Matters (So Tailor It Appropriately)

Anyone who's ever played a video game has had that experience where the reaction of the characters around you just doesn't fit the character you're playing, or the actions you've recently taken. Maybe you just murdered five town militia in the street, yet when you walk over to the merchant he gives you the same stock line as always, and is more than happy to sell you whatever you need as you stand there covered in blood with cooling bodies no more than half a dozen feet away. Maybe you exude black shadows from your eyes, and your hands are constantly dripping blood from your dark marks of devotion to the lords of slaughter, but for some reason every farmer-turned-bandit thinks you're an easy mark.

It breaks our immersion, but in a video game we sort of accept it. There's only so many reactions you can program into characters, after all. But in a tabletop game, this is a major sin that I've seen over and over again in genre after genre. My fellow game masters, I entreat you, please make sure the setting reacts to the PCs as individuals. I guarantee you that the energy you get out of your players is going to make it more than worth the effort.

Those are nasty bloodstains, friend. Care for a shoe shine?

Now, to be clear, I'm not saying reactions always have to be positive, or that they have to be big and showy. They simply need to be individual, rather than a canned response that will read the same no matter which member of the party is stepping up to the interaction.

 

Even more importantly, the reactions need to be based on what the NPCs see, what knowledge they might have, and what signals the PC in question is putting out. So take into consideration every aspect of a character; what they look like, how they act, what their reputation is (more on that in Character Reputation in RPGs: The Small Legend), and even if they're bearing badges or arms that would send signals to a particular NPC that they need to modify their behavior. Hell, just being prettier or more fearsome can tip the scales one way or another.

This Applies To Every Aspect of The Game

Whether the party is walking into a store to make some purchases, having a night at the inn drinking, facing down bandits on the highway, or riding up to the lord's manor to present themselves, the world needs to react to how the decisions they make and what actions they take. Because it is that response that shows the players' actions matter, and that there will be consequences for the things they do... or don't do.

The lord recognizes your livery, and greets you with respect.

As a for-instance, take the character of Asurai Vaile. An enchantress who works her arts subtly, all that's known about her to most is that she's a diplomat who appears to have wealth. Most think that her bodyguard Murdak is the true threat. It isn't until things go sideways that their enemies realize she's a self-taught wizard, and at that point it may be too late for them to correct their course. By keeping her spellcasting on the down low, and relying more on subtle spells and raw skills, Asurai wouldn't be known as a great wonder worker to many people. They would likely respect her position, her money, or both, but the deference wouldn't be due to her powers unless the character in question had some reason to know about them (they'd spied on her, rumors were circulating, or perhaps she'd had to unleash a spell to defend herself publicly in a recent assassination attempt).

At the other end of that, though, is Murdak. An imposing orc with the unique trident-shaved hairstyle, he's marked out as a master of the Three Mountain Storms style. Even those who don't recognize that hallmark would be able to feel the static charge in the air from his falcata Thunder Fang, and note the tattoos encircling his arms and creeping up his throat. Everything from how he moves, to the scars on his hands, to the mystic weapon at his hip, marks him out as someone who is not to be trifled with. NPCs who should have knowledge of what his markings mean should address him appropriately (others trained in that fighting style, those who are from the area where it is well known, etc.). Even those who can't read the marks and know their specific meaning, though, should be able to assess the threat Murdak presents, and to treat him appropriately. Potent warriors, high-level spellcasters, or NPCs who believe their position insulates them from violence may still be dismissive, or attempt to goad him, but that should be because it's in-character for those NPCs to act that way, not because they would have delivered the same lines to whatever party member they happened to talk to.

Different aspects of a character are going to hit differently depending on the circumstances. A full-blooded elf in a place where elves are rare may be greeted as far more important than they are, with people treating them almost like a comet or a famed celebrity; someone to be seen before they vanish again. They might even have backward beliefs about how elves bring good luck, or that they can grant wishes, simply because the populace has never seen one and have only stories. Someone bearing the badge and regalia of a well-known knightly order may be able to overcome trepidation or suspicion that would normally fall on an outsider, especially if the individual bearing the badge is bizarre, unusual, or even monstrous in their appearance. The same goes for someone wearing a noble's livery or a guild uniform, marking them out as a person who has the protection of a patron.

And that's before we get into things like the raw, physical size many adventurers boast (or don't boast in the case of gnomes, halflings, and other small races), what auras they may have, what powers they do or don't display, and how common people with those abilities are in a particular area. If sorcerers are a dime a dozen (as they might be in a city that boasts a mage's college) then one more arcane caster isn't going to be that big of a deal. In a town where magic is mostly something you hear about in fairy tales, then even a cantrip is going to be something to drop jaws.

It may sound hard to tailor every interaction, reaction, etc. to the party, but it's an easy habit to maintain once you get into it. It also helps you get more into the perspective of the NPCs you're portraying to ask, "What do they see? How does this make them feel? Are the excited? Afraid? Awed? Dismissive? Disbelieving?" Because it's the little things that make the game really stand out, and which will keep your players' enthusiasm running throughout a campaign.

Additional Reading and Inspiration

For GMs and players alike who'd like some flags to add to their characters to help clue-in the world around them, you might find the following supplements by yours truly to be of-interest.

- 100 Knightly Orders: As it says on the tin, 100 orders complete with their flavor, history, and often times a touch of heraldry. For those who are less noble, you can get the same inspiration out of 100 Random Mercenary Companies.

- 100 Gangs For Your Urban Campaigns: Out in the wilds they're called bandits, but in cities we call them gangs. If your PC used to run with a particular outfit (or still does) then what colors do they wear, and how does the population of the city react to them?

- 100 Fantasy Guilds: If you're a guild rep, that's going to carry authority depending on the size and strength of the guild in question. So whether you're a Witcher or a tax collector, this supplement has all sorts of organizations you could add in for membership, and public reaction.

 

Lastly, if you want to make sure you don't miss any of my updates again, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's newsletter list! I put out one update every week, and it helps make sure readers don't miss a thing.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

My "100 Kinfolk" Project is Now Available as a Bundle!

As some of my readers out there are no doubt aware, I spent roughly a year and a half tinkering with what I called the 100 Kinfolk Project for Werewolf: The Apocalypse. For those not familiar with the project, I went tribe by tribe out of the core book, and created a list of 100 kinfolk for each of them. The series was capped off by me teaming up with Clinton Boomer, providing a blowout 200 kinfolk for the Black Spiral Dancers!

Anyway, the project's finally finished cooling, and High Level Games decided it was time for the next phase... putting all the tribes together in a single bundle!

If you've been waiting, now is your chance!

What You Get in This Package

 

For those who just want numbers, you get 13 separate kinfolk lists in this bundle, which amounts to 1,400 kinfolk total! Normally this would run you about $26 if you bought them individually, but the bundle is up for $15. While it means a cut in my royalties, I'm more than happy to take that hit if it means more players are willing to take the dive and put some of these characters in-play at their tables.

Ah, but there's something else, too.

If you're still not sure about the 100 Kinfolk Bundle, though, let me reiterate what I said about it not so long ago in A Response to The "Flaw" in My 100 Kinfolk Collection. In short, I first started this project because I was tired of so many players and storytellers leaning on the edginess of the 90s aesthetic, and using the bad faith excuse of, "it's a horror game," to justify exclusion and poor treatment of players. Since werewolves come from everywhere in the world, and the tribes extend into every part of humanity, I wanted to create a reference that was more inclusive and more welcoming than a lot of the "typical" setups we see. Especially from when the game was younger.

And for those who complained that I ignored too many of the usual archetypes and cringe-worthy things that were tolerated in the game nearly three decades ago, well, I found a place for them. The white-power Get of Fenris kin? The Red Talon kin who wants to murder any human they see? The Black Fury kin who tortures men for no reason other than because they are men? The Shadow Lord kin who abuses their power and makes others suffer for their own personal enjoyment? All of them wound up in the Black Spiral Dancer book.

Because if everything is dark and awful all the time, then what's the point of the game? Werewolf, perhaps more than any other World of Darkness sphere, is about battling the chaos, trying to find the balance, and saving the world. And the only thing that let the tribes succeed for so long was the unity of the pack... without that, everything falls apart.

Just some thoughts to consider, if you weren't sure about whether or not this was a bundle you'd be interested in!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Make NPCs Part of Your Story (It Makes Everything More Interesting)

"So, it is down to you, and it is down to me," Sa'Thirael said, standing from the throne of skulls he had been lounging in.

"Just us?" Shireen asked, raising one eyebrow.

As the sorceress entered the throne room, her companions entered behind her. The hulking giantkin Forufti, whose life she had spared in the Sky's Teeth mountains after Sa'Thrirael had tricked him into trying to kill her. The zipping blur of Black Morgana, the pseudodragon she'd freed from a cage in the lair of the assassin lord known only as the Red Spider. The dark-skinned minstrel Ariadne Asher leaned against the doorway, idly strumming her lute, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she took in every detail of the scene to be re-told once the battle had finished. The courtyard rang with the chant of the Thousand Swords, a company of allies that had flocked to Shireen's banner with every victory she'd won on her journey to the Throne of the False God.

"No," Shireen said, lightning beginning to spark from her fingers. "You are alone, Sa'Thirael. I am not."

And you will see why that was a mistake on your part.

The Friends You Make Along The Way

Every player has little tics, and one of mine is that I have a habit of stealing NPCs, and sucking them into my character's personal gravitational pull. Even in games where my character isn't a part of a larger organization, and hasn't taken the Leadership feat, I have this tendency to adopt NPCs who cross my path.

Because even if the NPCs aren't there to help the group mechanically (they're not fighting on the field, hauling our loot, or making us money), they still add to the story. Their interactions reveal things about the party's beliefs and histories, and they can add interesting support elements to the tale being told. And just because I'm the one who pulled the NPC in originally, that doesn't mean they're exclusively mine; they're a part of the story, and they may end up growing closer to someone else in the party over time, adding to their personal arc as things go forward.

All those little story points form a beautiful ring around the party after a while.

Something else I've found, though, is that when you include these extra elements that are attached to your character, it makes your character feel more like a part of the setting. It turns them into an organic element of the world, and that in turn makes everything in the story just flow better.

Which is why I recommend everyone try to either grab onto a few NPCs you meet along the way, or just pre-package your own as part of your backstory if possible.

How Do You Get NPCs To Add To Your Story?

As with most things in storytelling, the simple answer is, "You just say they're present, and bam, there they are!" However, since RPGs are a collaborative game (and sometimes it helps to have some useful prompts) these are some of the most effective situations I've found for adding support NPCs to a game in a "legitimate" way.

- The "I Know A Guy" Method: I talked about this back in The "I Know A Guy" Strategy For Adding NPCs To Your Game, but the short version is that when your group needs assistance, information, etc., ask who in the group knows a guy. Does the watch detective with the extremely high Knowledge (Local) check have a regular informant? Does the fighter who used to be a local champion have a fan that might get the party invitations to the duke's party? Stuff like this is the easiest way to draw in NPCs spun from the ether. A good way to tie these NPCs in is to make them part of your Small Legend, too, so if you're not familiar with that idea click through to read up on it.

- Hiring NPCs: Whether you take on a hireling to help carry loot, or a driver to mind the wagon, this is one of the easiest methods in the game to expand your roster. Because even if the character's purpose is to be your party's coachman, or valet, they still add to your party and can make for a fun expanded cast.

- Recruiting Defeated NPC: This one isn't just for video games, but it does require you to have a DM that will run NPCs who surrender, and whom Diplomacy can work on. Still, if you're in that sort of situation then it can be a ball to negotiate terms with former "villains" to earn their loyalty. Whether it's the orc raiders who just needed supplies who now operate as the guard staff of your party's captured castle, or the cleric of a dark god who reformed and found a new faith in order to redeem their past misdeeds, this can be a great way to continue the story, and ask what happened after. It also gives players a good reason to take NPCs alive, for any DMs out there.

- Class Features: The most common method of adding NPCs to your game is to do it via class features and in-game abilities. While some deride it as just looking for cheese, it is arguably the best way for a player to exercise some control over the narrative, and to have some characters that are entirely theirs to control.

If you take the Leadership feat, for example, you gain a cohort and a bevy of followers that can give you (and by extension the party) a wide reputation and a lot of support in small ways when you need it. Animal companions, familiars (especially improved familiars), and eidolons can also inject a lot of personality into a game, and act as ways for you to spiral out your character's story. Even something as simple as summoning monsters via spells can be a good way of injecting a little glimpse into the character's relationship with the cosmos beyond. While animals may not offer much in the way of story, the reaction of celestial and infernal creatures to the one who summoned them can offer fun details. Especially if you make it clear that you're summoning the same creatures again and again, implying they respect you, they fear you, or you have some power over them that can compel them to aid in your endeavors.

These are just some of the more common methods that I've found work in my games, so I thought I would pass them on to all the other players out there. However, as with anything else that happens at the table, you need to make sure your group (your DM included) is willing to embrace this kind of strategy. If they are, it can lead to a lot of great stories. If not, though, then you're going to end up fighting to try to bring in supporting characters to your narrative, and that can often lead to far more stress than it's worth.

Some Inspiration For Your NPCs

Whether you're a DM who wants NPCs on-hand for your players to interact with, or you're a player looking for some characters to implant into your backstories, the following supplements by yours truly may be just what you need to start the wheels turning!

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern
- 100 Random Bandits To Meet
- 100 Merchants to Encounter
- 100 Nobles to Encounter
- 100 Pirates to Encounter
- 100 Prisoners For a Fantasy Jail

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post! If you've used this in your games, share a story down in the comments!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my recent short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Somebody Who Knows You (A DM Tool For Moving The Plot Along)

At this point, most of us have heard of the "I Know A Guy" strategy. If you haven't come across it before I covered in The "I Know A Guy" Strategy For Adding NPCs to Your Game, but the short version is that whenever the party is stumped about where to go, or they need a little help, someone can declare, "I know a guy," and bring in an NPC from their backstory. Maybe it's an old contact they ran with when they were still a thief, a favorite uncle who's a respected wizard, or a friend who has a knack for finding certain kinds of information. This helps fill out the NPC roster, and it makes the PCs' stories the focus of the game (though most sensible DMs limit players to a few uses of this rule so as not to allow them to weaponize their backstories too much).

"Somebody Who Knows You," by contrast, is a tool used by the DM to help move the plot along instead of the players. However, while the person who knows you might be useful, they are always going to be a complication.

When Your Reputation Precedes You

Unless adventurers purposefully keep a low profile and ensure no one knows who they are, you're bound to be recognized eventually... for good or ill. This is where The Small Legend about who a character is and what they've done comes in particularly handy for the DM, as it can provide some fertile ground for adding difficulties that move the plot along.

Difficulties, you say?

As an example, say your party needs to figure out a way to get into the duke's ball. They're coming up short on ideas, when an excitable drunk stumbles over, gushing about what an honor it is to meet them. He's heard all about Borontus the Bold, and even without the huge sword Dragonsbane he'd know that scar along the huge warrior's neck anywhere thanks to the periodicals with his portrait on them. As the party shushes the drunk admirer before he lets the whole city know who they are and that they're in town, he lets it slip that his cousin is the head of the duke's household... he's sure he could get their names onto that list. For just a small favor; or maybe to bring him along on one of their adventures!

On the one hand, this complication has provided a way to get the party where they need to be. Unfortunately, it comes with strings attached... but that's the trade off.

The somebodies who know the party can come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, catered to fit the current needs of the adventure and what the PCs have done (both as individuals, and as a group). For example, the somebody in question might be a member of a local gang who's willing to scratch the party's back if they scratch his... nothing too deplorable, but it's a job no one in his crew really has the skills to pull off. Perhaps the party is in dire straits, and the barbarian is about to be killed, when an arrow comes out of the darkness. A bounty hunter's been on the party's trail, but if Tolasha Grimtooth is dead, then there's no reward for her. Perhaps having her life saved means she's now indebted to the hunter according to the honor code of her people, and now the party have to defend her against the crime she's being turned in for (and it's possible said bounty hunter could become an ally or an enemy in the future, depending on the party's actions). Perhaps the party is cornered at the inn, about to be cut down, when a gang of hobgoblins rushes in; the war band has been on the party's trail for months, and they're not going to let a bunch of militia pink skins steal their kill!

And so on, and so forth.

Keep The Theme, Offer Opportunities

While the examples above are all characters from the DM's side of the table, you should feel free to ask your players if they would allow you to add NPCs to fit certain parts of their backstory when using this mechanic. For example, if a character is a runaway noble, make sure the player is going to be okay with you introducing one of his old swordmasters, or a rival baron's son who knows him from before he left home. Especially if you're using both the "I Know A Guy" and "Somebody Who Knows You" strategies at the same time.

You don't want to step on your players' potential flourishes by beating them to the punch, after all.

Come on, Dervish. Boss has been wanting to talk to you for a while, now.

The key thing to remember with "Somebody Who Knows You" is that it should solve the problem, but present an extra hurdle, or separate task to be completed. The bard gets recognized by an old criminal contact he owes a favor, and sure he can get them on the guest list, but the bard's got to lift some papers from the lord's study... then they're square. The sorcerer needs to get somebody out of Black Gate prison, when someone offers to tell them about a secret way in... if they'll get a friend of theirs out, too. The sheriff's deputies have been following the rogue, comparing his face to wanted posters... it means they're on-hand when a gang of cutthroats jumps the party in an alley, but it also means the party now has the law on their backs as an added difficulty for whatever they plan to accomplish.

You get the idea.

The biggest piece of advice I want to drive home to my fellow DMs with this strategy is that it should emphasize the characters' reputations, and dip into their backstories. Make them feel like this is a direct result of who their characters are, and they will bite it much harder than it you just gave them a generic plot hook.

And if you're looking for some NPCs to keep on hand as the "Somebody Who Knows You" character, you might find the following supplements to be helpful:

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern: My biggest seller to date it's got travelers, sages, muscle for hire, bouncers, brawlers, gang lords, and gamblers... a mixed bag to fit all sorts of situations.

- 100 Random Bandits To Meet: Because sometimes you get recognized for entirely the wrong reasons, by entirely the wrong sort of people. And for those running a more nautical-themed game, you should check out 100 Pirates to Encounter as well!

- 100 Merchants to Encounter: Whether they're big fans, or you move in the same black market circles they do, there's all sorts of dealers in this one from the mundane to the magical.

- 100 Nobles to Encounter: Perhaps they want to rub shoulders with real adventurers, or they need bodyguards for the evening, sometimes it's good to have admirers (and even enemies) in high places.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

DMs, When It Comes To World Building, There's No Such Thing As Wasted Effort

How many times have you slaved over a dungeon layout, a unique monster, or a deeply thought out bit of world lore, only to have your party skate right past it without so much as slowing down? If you've been a dungeon master for any length of time, the answer is probably more times than you can readily count. And there are typically two reactions to this scenario. The first is to contrive some reason that the party is forced to stop and admire all of the hard work that you did, typically by throwing the brakes on to make them ask about the lore, fight the monster, or acquire a macguffin. The second is to sigh, close your notebook, and then when the players go home at the end of the night, to drink and think about what could have happened.

It could have been a great dungeon... but they didn't want to explore it. Why do I bother?

However, for those DMs who get caught up in "wasted" effort, I think you need to be reminded of something. You're the one who makes the world go round... you can always bring that thing back around again somewhere else, if you think creatively about it.

A Great Re-Structuring Is Always Possible

The most obvious example of these situations is when the players miss something you spent a lot of time working on, hoping they would find. Maybe it was this massive dungeon complex hidden behind a wall, or a crumbling temple that your party could see off in the distance, but they decided to nope right past because it wasn't part of their current mission.

That's fine. Because if the players never saw it, they won't realize that you just moved it to a different location later up the road.

And we'll just move you... here. This spot's perfect!

I mentioned this way back in Herd Your Players, Don't Railroad Them, but it bears repeating. If you wanted your party to explore an area you put a lot of time and effort into, but they didn't take the bait, just move the area to another spot, and make it more relevant. If your players didn't see the dungeon, meet the NPC, face off with the monster, etc., then as far as they know it doesn't exist. You are the only one who will know that you're recycling an "old" location/person/fight and connecting it to a different spot. Additionally, you'll look super prepared because you have something ready to go, complete with map notes, diagrams, riddles, etc.

Lore Isn't Wasted (Even If No One Bites The Hook)

Sometimes the thing you want your party to interact with is less tangible. Maybe it's the history of a particular knightly order, or the legends swirling around the royal family, or the rumors on the street about girls who are going missing on the second night of every full moon. It might be interesting background, but the key thing to remember is that unless these lore details are actually part of your party's current adventure, that's all they are; part of the scenery.

Just mentioning these things exist means they're doing their job, even if no one pursues them.

Anyone curious about the Dragon Pikers? Anybody? Come on, guys...

Background lore and details like this set the tone for a place. While you might think it's fascinating that each of the gargoyles perched on major public buildings has a name and a history associated with it in the city of Evernight found at the base of the Obsidian Mount, gushing about it won't endear that fact to your players. Instead, just describe what they see, and let them react appropriately. Work references to the gargoyles into the way people speak, making warding signs and invoking the creatures' names the way others might offer prayers to saints. Have certain, specific gargoyles crouched over doors, or left inside like household altars, to drive home how important they are in this town, and show how people touch the statues as a way to gain good luck, or protection, or how they'll pay one of the statues' heads the way we might knock on wood to avoid ill fate.

Some players might wonder what's going on, and either ask to make checks or talk to your NPCs to find out. Others will simply nod, and take it as part of the atmosphere. And even if the religious import, cultural significance, etc. of this worship is never discussed, its very existence is enough to make the place unique... that means it did its job. The goal is not to inundate your players with a guided tour of this fantasy setting's religion, but rather to use that aspect to make the place feel unusual and different. Mission accomplished.

If your players are overcome with curiosity and ask questions, you know the answers. If they don't ask, they still have the haunting visuals you've described, and the feeling of eyes watching them from above. Either way, it's a win for you as the DM. The lore is a bonus, but force-feeding it to your players is going to bore them, rather than engage them. If they don't ask, don't take time away from their actions to tell them.

Looking For Some Inspiration?

Another option I'd suggest for all the DMs out there is to keep some lists handy so you can just grab names, places, and backstories as you need them. This can save you a lot of work, and a lot of staring off into space as you try to spitball an NPC's name, or layout the rumors about a location or a person. If you're looking for some inspiration, might I suggest some of the following by yours truly?

- A Baker's Dozen of Rumors (And The Truth Behind Them): Each of these rumors can be used to add a little flavor to a game, but they also have enough meat behind them that you could build an entire session out of them. Handy to have on-hand if you need a plot, but can't spitball something in a hurry.

- 100 NPCs You Might Meet At The Tavern: Perhaps my bestseller yet (at Electrum status at time of writing) this one has a bit of everything. So whether you need merchants or scholars, gang lords or private muscle, you can find a little of everything in this collection, ready to go!

- A Baker's Dozen of Noble Families: Every family has a story, and noble families tend to have several. Whether you want shining lords or corrupt patriarchies, there's a bit of everything in this particular collection of the high and the mighty.

- 100 Knightly Orders: That crack about unique knights above wasn't just a crack. Elite troops and stand-out orders with their heraldry and histories can capture the imagination, but coming up with them on the fly isn't easy. So, here's a hundred of them ready for their marching orders!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used run these kinds of games before, leave us a comment to let us know what worked for you!

For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

DMs, Prevent Murderhobos By Rewarding Alternative Player Strategies

We're all used to hearing from the dungeon masters who complain about the murderhobos at their table. DMs who are trying to run a world with depth, complexity, and meaningful characters, but where the only response from their players seems to be to keep stabbing until either the plot moves forward, or people stop trying to talk at them.

He's a big guy, right? I take his shoes.

While there are numerous reasons that players turn to the life of the murderhobo, there is one thing you can do to help reform them. In some cases it even stops PCs from becoming murderhobos in the first place. The method is simple.

Reward the effort that comes with taking alternative routes, rather than simply making death the quick and easy answer to everything.

Enemies Should Be More Than Mere Mooks

There are going to be some enemies that have no unique characteristics. They have no personality, they aren't important to the story or the world, and they really are here just to have their heads staved in by the PCs. Your automatons, your mindless undead, things like that. However, any time there is a living, breathing creature involved in a combat, you need to signal to players that these characters aren't just targets to be knocked down so they can progress. They're a living, breathing part of the world that can be interacted with in ways other than violence.

It's still AN option, just not THE option.

 

You can lead by example on this, if you want to. For example, rather than just having a gang of outlaws ambush your party while they sleep, have them hail the camp. The leader lets the party know they're surrounded, and they have a choice. They can hand over a tithe (some reasonable amount of gold, typically), and the gang will leave... or if they refuse, then the gang will take everything they have.

Sure, some players are going to just draw steel or cast a spell, drawing all the readied actions coming their way. But others might try to get a dialogue going. To make a deal with the bandits by appealing to their sense of professionalism, by scoffing something like, "I thought the Cardinal's men had honor, yet you approach us like this?", or even by challenging them to single combat. But by opening the scene with dialogue, you've shown these particular bandits are characters. They react like reasonable, rational people, and they're open to suggestions if the party can make something worth their while.

That's a start.

Taking Prisoners, Instead of Taking Heads

Another thing you can do, as a DM, is to institute the Old West rule of bounty hunting, as I call it. If you've seen old-timey Wanted posters, then you know the phrase, "Dead or Alive," that was so famously tacked to the bottom of them. But the thing a lot of folks forget is that the reward for a live capture was often a great deal more than that given for a dead body. And in some cases the reward was entirely contingent on the individual being handed over while they were still alive, and able to stand trial, with no reward for someone who was dead.

Poster don't say nothing about the condition his knees have to be in, though.

 

Take that logic and apply it to early quests in your game. PCs want to get paid, but if killing someone means the reward for them goes up in smoke, then they're going to approach the situation very differently. It will get them thinking about the world, and about how they can win without needing to deliver a death blow. The sheer challenge is why I listed this approach in my 3 Ways To Spice Up Combat in RPGs, but it can have a larger effect than a single mission.

Especially if you plant the seeds just right.

Let's go back to that bandit gang example. Say you've got a low-level party, and they want to claim a reward that's out right now for the Cardinals; a gang of cutthroats and highwaymen who have plagued the area. Rather than just giving the PCs a flat reward for killing all the bandits, change it up. Give them a big reward for bringing in the leader of the gang to stand trial, with a smaller reward for him dead. Give the lieutenants the same treatment. But for the smaller foot soldiers of the gang, there's no reward if they're dead, unless a living prisoner verifies who they were.

Now you've got a challenge on your hands. Because not only do you have to take captives (ideally), but you may need to negotiate with some of them get them to act as your witnesses that their dead comrades-in-arms were actually part of the Cardinals so you can get paid. How do you persuade them to do that? Do you scare them into it with Intimidate checks? Do you talk to these bandits, and find out who they are, and who they used to be? Does the fighter recognize an old army tattoo on one of the prisoners, cajoling him to stand up, and tell the truth like a soldier should? Can the rogue get one of them talking over their soup, finding out that he only joined the outfit to get the money to take care of a wife, or a sick mother? Do they use that knowledge to make a deal with them, agreeing to take some of the proceeds to that bandit's family, if they help them out here and stand witness?

Repercussions For Their Actions

If you set the tone early, then you can give PCs repercussions for their actions... both good and bad.

Valor may be its own reward, but sometimes it helps to sweeten the deal.

 

As an example, say your PCs are trying to stop the bloodshed between a clan of orcs, and a local town. Common setup. While some raiders might be slain, those who are taken prisoner present another opportunity. Can the PCs show their captives that they will treat them with respect and dignity, as enemy combatants are due? Does this improve the attitude of the prisoners (perhaps from hostile to distrustful)? Do they find that the orcs are unique from one another, with some holding forth about the blood debt the town owes them, and others saying this whole thing is just a show because they're hungry and pushed off their land, but pride won't let them just move onto greener pastures... so to speak?

To take it a step further, say that the chieftain's son was among the raiders. A party of murderhobos would see his fine equipment and noted rank (likely as the raid leader), charge him, and kill him. Doing so might make him a martyr, and entrench the orcs that much more deeply. PCs who think to make knowledge checks, and who disable him so he can be captured may find they now have a prisoner who is very valuable... both for the information he possesses, and because he could force the chief to come to the negotiation table so terms for ending this feud can be discussed.

Repercussions can be small things, as well as big ones. Characters who bring in prisoners instead of corpses might find themselves admired and treated as heroes, while those who kill for gold are seen as untrustworthy and dangerous. PCs who pause long enough to find that the rampaging manticore has a toothache might be able to solve the problem without slaying the beast, giving them an opportunity to, if not tame it, then to earn its positive regard. Those who challenge an ogre to a test of strength when it tries to mug them on the road, and who then trick that ogre with some Grimm fairy tales Sleight of Hand shenanigans, may find that other ogres are deferential to them, having heard the tales of the man who squeezed blood from a stone.

And so on, and so forth.

You Get What You Give

To carry through the theme I started with If Your Players Focus On It, Make It Matter, players are going to latch onto the things that reward them. Both in a monetary sense, as I mentioned above, but also in the sense that you show them their actions are having an effect on the game world around them. That what they're doing matters, even if it's in small ways.

Return on investment is the name of the game, here.

 

If you want your players to take actions other than mindlessly killing NPCs, then those other actions need to give them something. Because if you stolidly refuse to have any give-and-take when PCs interrogate prisoners, you insist that all enemies fight to the death like zealots, or you refuse to reward any other course of action, then sooner or later players are going to stop using any other method because they aren't getting anything out of it.

On the other hand, if you show them there are multiple ways to approach a problem, and that the NPCs they deal with have real concerns, real lives, and are still characters in the world, then the PCs are more likely to treat them as such. And when they take actions, play them out. If the PCs try to reform a goblin rogue, throw them a bone for their efforts. Maybe he runs away after a while, but then at a climactic moment returns to stab another enemy in the back because a little glimmer of what the paladin was saying to him actually got through. If the party makes a deal with a crime boss instead of just killing him, develop that relationship. It could become a kind of gentleman's agreement over time, and he could act as a neutral player in the city, rather than just being another mobster to hack on their way up the chain of command.

And so on, and so forth.

This mindset takes some work, and you don't have to go whole hog on it right away. Start small, and keep several NPCs around who have more going on than just enemy #4 in this evening's fight. Lead by example, and show your enemies interacting with the party in different ways; bartering, threatening, cajoling, but doing more than just mindlessly attacking them. It's something a lot of players will pick up on, and you can establish some real back-and-forth once they've got the tune.

And if you're looking for some ready-made NPCs to help get the train rolling, I'd suggest checking out the following:

- 100 Random Bandits To Meet: Whether you want to follow the example I gave above, or you're just looking for more personality for your highwaymen, there's all sorts of thugs and mugs you can use in this supplement.

- 100 Pirates to Encounter: Whether your game is on the high seas, or just near a port town, there's scalawags aplenty to choose from in this collection.

- 100 Prisoners For A Fantasy Jail: Whether the PCs sent them there in the first place, or the game starts off in a prison, there are lots of colorful characters here that can add a dash of danger and intrigue to any game.

Lastly, there is one other thing I'd like to draw your attention to as a DM. The concept of a PC (or even a party) rogues' gallery. As I said in Who's in Your Character's Rogues' Gallery?, the individuals you oppose can define you in important ways. And if your party tries not to just murder every NPC they find (or if they do end up killing someone whose brother, father, mother, lover, etc. swears vengeance), then this can be a particularly useful narrative device.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used this tactic successfully in your games why not leave a comment below?

For more of my work, check out my Vocal and Gamers archives, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Dungeon Masters, If Your Players Focus on Something, Make it Matter

It's a story as old as time. The dungeon master has carefully constructed an epic magic item meant to take the center stage of the dragon's treasure hoard, but no sooner are they through with the description of the legendary Seven-Body Blade than everyone in the party wants to ask about that weird jade figurine of the bird-headed woman the DM included just for atmosphere. Or when they walk into the tavern, and there's clearly a Mysterious Stranger with the words Quest Giver practically floating over their head, but the PCs would rather make small talk with the bartender, or dice with the shady-looking NPCs in the corner with the lip rings and strange accents.

"So, Boblin, what's up with the smoking man there? And what the hell is he drinking, eh?"

A lot of dungeon masters get frustrated when this happens, because they put a lot of work into major NPCs and set pieces, and having them ignored can feel like all your effort went to waste. When you compound that with the side of frustration you can sometimes get when throwaway items or set-dressing NPCs have now become the focus on your party, it can feel like a double slap.

However, instead of trying to push your players back onto the course you had planned for them, you'll get better results by just finding a way to get them where you want them to be using this new thing that's caught their attention. Or, at the very least, throw them a bone to show that interacting with the world (even in unexpected ways) garners results.

How, Exactly, Does This Work?

All right, let's start with the infamous tavern scene. As a dungeon master, you've put one figure in the bar who is clearly marked as an important NPC. Maybe it's the hulking man in the ragged cloak with his hood up, attended by three floating eyes of fire as he drinks from a skull that isn't the bar's standard cup. Perhaps it's the woman in the plain cape that keeps slipping, not-so-subtly revealing her badge of office, or the tattoo that marks her as a member of an infamous assassin's guild. Whoever it is, they may as well have a big, glowing sign over their head that they are the person the party is meant to interact with.

All right... but who ELSE is at the bar?

Instead of going and interacting with the NPC whose name, backstory, and prepared dialogue you've got ready, though, the party asks about who else is in the tavern. And you don't want to say, "No one, just go talk to the NPC you're clearly here to meet," so you toss out a few other random characters. There's the ogre-blooded bouncer leaning against the support post in the corner, the gnome waiter, the long-limbed bartender with her one eye, and a handful of other patrons. And for some reason the party just fixates on one of these other NPCs. Maybe it's that you made up something really cool and flashy on the spot, or there's something endearing about them, but now they're focused on the wrong thing.

Or are they?

As I said in Avoiding Railroading (More Than One Way To Skin A Cat), you get a lot more mileage out of deciding what goals need to be met instead of how the party needs to meet them. So instead of trying to figure out a way to get your players to focus on what you think of as the proper way to move forward, ask instead how you can progress from the direction they're currently facing.

It's all connected!

For example, say your party is at the bar so they can meet with the local thieves' guild rep to get some information. You already put together the dual-dagger wielding, slick-talking thief with the badass facial scar and black cloak, but the party decided they wanted to spend their time talking to Shengo the blue-haired gnome waiter instead. If the party doesn't actually know who the guild rep is, the easy thing to do is just to make it Shengo instead. Now you can take most of the information you were going to put into that guy in the corner booth that everyone's ignoring, and give it to your party via their new friend. This makes you look smart as a DM, and it lets your players feel rewarded for interacting with the scene you set up.

Another option you have is to connect this random thing the party has focused on to what you want them to pay attention to, making them part and parcel of the same overall scene.

Let's go back to that treasure chamber for a moment. There's this super-epic sword of legend in the middle of the room, but for some reason the party is focused on the jade statuette. Instead of just telling them, "Look, it's a normal statue, it's barely even worth gold at the level you're at, stop paying attention to it," add some flavor that connects it to the item you want them paying attention to.

For example, have your party make a check for the item's history, realizing that this statue was connected to the last-known wielder of that blade. A funerary statue, it was meant to contain her soul, and to keep it safe when she finally laid aside her weapon. Alternatively, you could put a legend into the back of the statue, the words declaring the origin and powers of the Seven-Body Blade. Now the party feels smart because they got to sidestep the check to know the weapon's history, and you still brought their attention back onto the item you want them looking at. You could even give them a cryptic warning about how once the sword is hefted, it cannot be put down until death, alluding to how it bonds to one wielder at a time.

Everything in Service of The Overall Goal (When You Can)

By focusing on the general goals of your game, rather than on the specific characters the party needs to interact with or the particular paths they have to take, you add an air of flexibility that allows you to respond more quickly with creative solutions to the actions your players take, and the things they show an interest in.

You just need to get into the habit of asking, "How do I point them toward the end goal?" rather than, "How do I get them back on track?"

Subtlety is your friend, here.

Admittedly there will be times where you can't come up with some way to tie this particular thread your players get stuck on into your overall plan. The scarf-seller on the corner isn't an undercover agent of the crown, and that beggar sitting in the shadow of the alley doesn't have some dire secret that the PCs need, they're just background that the players are zeroing in on. Sometimes that bauble they found in the dungeon really is just a bauble, plain and simple.

If your players are willing to put in the effort to interact with your world, though, give them a reward for doing so. Maybe let them buy a headscarf that doubles as a star char to help with navigation, or let them make a friend out of the beggar, who can come back later when he's in trouble and needs the PC's help. If they are fixated on finding the origin of a random ivory cat statue and its secret meaning, then give them something. It doesn't have to be big or important, but make it a unique item carved by a noted sculptor, or maybe it allows them to talk to cats as long as it's been dipped in milk that day.

Rewards, even minor ones, will get players more interested in the setting, and encourage them to explore. Which is more than worth the cost of shuffling around a few NPCs, and taking the long way to get to certain plot points.

Some Additional Advice

The first thing I would recommend for all the DMs out there is to not put passive situations in your game if you want the PCs to do something specific. If they really need to talk to the guard captain, or they have to get this piece of information from the duchess's chambermaid, then don't wait for them to figure it out and go looking. Have the NPCs approach the party, and get the interaction started. It immediately takes the guesswork out of the situation, no one gets frustrated, and no one will try to use creative (or "creative") solutions to figure out what will move the story forward.

But... but I had the molotovs prepped and ready to go!

Another thing I'd recommend is that, if you want to give the PCs freedom to mingle, put as few "strictly background" NPCs in the scene as possible. That way no matter who they approach, you can keep the scene moving forward in some way, shape or form. If you're looking for useful characters to add into the mix, I've put together 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern, along with 100 Merchants to Encounter and 100 Nobles to Encounter, all of which are filled with PCs that can provide rumors, give helpful information, and generally assist you in moving your plot forward.

Make sure you never fold your arms and wait for the PCs to hit a certain DC in order to go forward. I covered this more in my recent post Dungeon Masters, Embrace The Concept of Failing Forward, but if your PCs fail to disable a lock, or make a high enough Diplomacy check, don't just say, "nothing happens," and wait. Succeed or fail, if the situation was important enough to warrant a test, then something needs to happen whichever result turns up.

Lastly, remember the characters that are actually at your table. Who knows them, who are their friends, who are they related to, and what enemies do they have? These aspects can often help you come up with appropriate ways to tie things together in your game to keep everyone moving forward. You'll find more detailed advice along these lines in The Small Legend: Character Reputation in RPGs, as well as in my other recent post Who is in Your Character's Rogues' Gallery?

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. Hopefully you enjoyed, and if you've used this tactic successfully in your games why not leave a comment below?

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