The Players of Knight Realms play the heroes - warriors, mages, and rogues who save the day from evil threats and foul forces.  But who plays the villians?  Who plays the foil to these heroes we so love to be each month?  That is what NPCing is all about!

The Basics of NPCing

Everyone likes being a hero, whether it's a front-line fighter, a powerful wizard, or even a scholar, healer, or blacksmith on the sides that supports the town.  But in order for the heroes to win, they need to have a challenge to triumph against - and sometimes, lose to.  This is where the NPCs come in Non-Player Characters, or NPCs for short, are the roles you play when you're not playing your own PC that you have paid to play for the weekend.  While you have some discretion in how to play them, the ultimate goal of an NPC is to further the plot and excitement of the weekend, and they must act within the guidelines of this when playing out their parts.

NPC Duty & Time Slots

Everyone that attends Knight Realms is required to fill a single NPC time slot for the weekend.  The only exception for this are Staff Members (who are always on call for other issues), Monster Marshals (who cover their own NPC shift running Logistics), and individuals working the Kitchen that have been approved by the Director to fill their service to the game there instead of NPCing.  It is vital to note that without NPCs, the game is not fun for everyone else. Because of this,  NPC Duty is a vital part of Knight Realms, and is taken very seriously.

When you sign in and collect your Character Card, you will be required to take an NPC slot.  Slots are filled on a first come, first serve basis, and if a slot fills up, may not be available for further NPCs.  The slots are:

Friday:

• 10pm to 2am
• 2am to 6am

Saturday:

• Saturday AM Break - Logistics Closed
• 10am to 2pm
• 2pm to 6pm
• Feast Break - Logistics Closed
• 8pm to 12am
• 12am to 4am

Sunday:

• Sunday night Break - Logistics Closed
• 9am till Closing

The following people do not have to serve an NPC shift:

•   Officers – contribute a great deal of time between and during events helping KR to run efficiently and so are excused from NPC duty.
•   Monster Marshals and Storytellers - contribute their four hours by developing and executing encounters and adventures and so are excused from NPC duty.
•   Kitchen Marshals - contribute four hours (and usually much more) working in the kitchen and so are excused from NPC duty.
•   Players that attend an event for less than twelve hours are excused from NPC duty, at the Director’s discretion.

The first three groups of players defined above are responsible for signing their own cards in the NPC Shift area, and their names are then verified as excused from NPC duty when Character Cards are updated. The final group – players who attend for less than twelve hours – must report to the Director to have their cards signed for NPC duty and their names added to the roster of excused players for that event.

Rules Marshals that are not also Monster Marshals should spend approximately half of their NPC shift in a White Headband, marshalling encounters for that NPC shift.

When you arrive at an event and sign in, you must select an NPC shift and write your name on the sign-up sheet and the shift time on your character card. If you cannot participate in combat or would strongly prefer to avoid it, you should discuss this when selecting your NPC shift, so that you can be placed on a shift where there will be the most need for non-combat NPC players.

At the end of your NPC Shift, your Monster Marshal will sign off your NPC Duty slot on your Character Card.  Without this signature, you will receive a Rules Violation on your card. Repeated Rules Violations will result in a loss of Build for your character.  Please make sure you get signed off by your marshal!  Because of issues in the past with people trying to avoid NPCing, ONLY the Marshal you NPCed for will sign you off, to verifiy you have completed your duty properly.

Performing an NPC role that a Monster Marshal, Storyteller, or Main Plot Author has asked you to play does not count as the entirety of your NPC obligation, unless that role consumes your entire shift. If you are asked to played such a role, you should still follow the normal procedure - select an NPC shift when you sign-in on Friday night (whichever shift aligns with the time of the role that you have been asked to perform), report to the Monster Marshal at the start of the shift that you selected, and then inform the Monster Marshal about your special assignment so that he or she knows to coordinate with the person that you are working for to fill your shift around his or her needs for you. You cannot insist upon remaining in Logistics and waiting, but must fill other roles as the Monster Marshal needs you to. The Monster Marshal is responsible for ensuring that you are available for your special role when you are needed for it. At the end of a shift in which you perform a special role, you must once again follow the normal procedure and have the Monster Marshal overseeing that shift sign your card for NPC duty.

What to bring to your NPC Slot

When you NPC, be prepared with the following:

• Bring some generic In-Game looking garb, that is NOT your PC's clothing.  You want to look In-Game, but not like your PC.  Additional costuming will be provided (Masks, tabards, makeup, etc.) but it is helpful if you bring the basics.
• If you have nondescript weapons, please feel free to use them.  NPC weapons are provided if you wish to use them instead.  Do not use weapons that are recognizable as belonging to a PC.
• Bring your best game face!  Your ability to Role-Play is as important while NPCing as it is while PCing.
• Bring your sense of fun!  Remember that this is not about winning, but about entertaining the players.  Be fair, be smart, and enjoy it as much as you do PCing.  Remember that in a few hours, you'll be PCing while someone else is NPCing for you.
• You may want to bring a wash kit to remove makeup and sweat when you're done NPCing.

Tips on being a successful NPC

When you NPC, you are helping the world of Knight Realms come to life, and providing an exciting weekend for other players.  Below are some tips that help you get the most out of your time as an NPC, and how to make sure others do as well.

• Role-Play - Do more than just attack PCs.  Do more than just run head-long into the Inn to be killed like cannon fodder.  Actually play out your part, wether it is a clever Lizardkin, a greedy Goblin, or a mindless, but terrifying skeleton.  Adding the RP to your role makes you far more memorable than "just another monster" in Travance.
• Engage the PCs -  Don't just fight them.  Why are you there?  Are you looking for something?  Are you luring them into a trap?  Engaging the minds of the PCs makes for a better encounter than just a stand-up fight.
• Be Fair - It's not about winning, and no one likes a cheater.  NPCs should be challenging the PCs, but not slaughtering them.  The player of an NPC should not be counting how many PCs they killed - that is the wrong attitude.  They should be gaguing how much fun they are having, and how much fun the PCs are having playing with / against them.  If you suspect a PC is cheating, ask a Rules Marshal to intervene - don't attempt to fix things on your own.

With these guidelines, your weekend at Knight Realms will be filled with memorable moments, both as a PC and an NPC!