Before getting started on Twine with the development of the game I started with pen and paper deciding what sort of narrative would take place and thus what sort of choices could be incorporated knowing that the necessary ones would reduce a number of individuals within a group that the player would join would slowly get reduced based on the players choice with the ramifications of these choices being present within the game so as to understand the consequences of these decisions.
Using the the base of D&D for characters and world of the game so I had a reliable source of information to develop the game from made the most senes for a fantasy game and allowed me to develop lore during the narrative creation that could immerse them within the game.
Races that can be used as the NPC's
Classes that can be used for NPC's
Relying on the information available through message boards, handbooks for the games and other resources allows me to build more believable backstories for these NPC's that a player can have access to therefore making more informed decisions if they choose to read the information available rather than making snap decisions.
The above handbooks as well as others provide a lot of accurate information to keep all details of my game in line with each other i.e names/places/history/religion etc
I started by making 7 individual characters as well as a small backstory for the player character with the choice of choosing 6 of the available characters to form a group from to go adventuring on a mission with.
Bat Swoop - A Kenku Assassin
A raven humanoid being, they can only mimic sounds so conversations are limited by what words and sounds have been presented to them previously. Also the reason why they are named after the most common sound they can make and as an assassin who utilises silence and very quiet noises Bat Swoop was a lore fitting name. This character is designed to be a semi-mysterious element as they won't be willing to give away vital information about their past or why they are present in the village as it could spoil there cover for whatever mission they are on but the more they come to trust the player character through interactions the more information they could be willing to share.
Sudisturd - A Lizardfolk Cleric
Having a Cleric available to the group means setting up a whole deity narrative though in this case the Lizardfolk would have deities based on their own race, and given that they are often represented with an Aztec or Mayan aesthetic that utilising information from their religious background will be advantageous so looking at:
The top 15 Aztec gods:
- Huitzilopochtli - the supreme god of the Sun and war.
- Tezcatlipoca - the ever-present creator god and patron deity of warriors.
- Tlaloc - god of rain, water, lightning, and agriculture.
- Quetzalcóatl - god of winds and rain and the creator of humanity.
- Coatlicue - the earth-mother goddess.
- Tlaltecuhtli - the earth goddess associated with fertility.
- Mictlantecuhtli - ruler of the underworld
- Tonatiuh - god of the present and fifth Sun.
- Coyolxauhqui - goddess of the Moon.
- Mixcoatl - god of hunting, the Milky Way, and the stars
- Ehecatl - god of air and winds.
- Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli - god who represented a menacing aspect of Venus.
- Xiuhtecuhtli - god of fire.
- Xipe Totec- god of spring, seeds, and planting.
- Xochipilli - god of summer, flowers, love, and dancing
A lot of these Aztec gods seem close to earthly elements (fire/wind/earth/water) so looking at how these religious elements are represented through NPC's in other games will be necessary i.e Solaire in Dark Souls etc.
Rusty Guilder - A Warforged Barbarian
Warforged typically are not given any names except a serial number during manufacturing and production however if they from strong bonds with humans they may take on new names as part of this friendship as is the case here where Rusty is derivative of how old he is and having fought in a war centuries back formed a close bond with a human soldier who had previously worked on the manufacturing of Warforged for said war as part of his family trade hence the surname of the Human been Guilder and accepting the Warforged as a brother in arms led to them sharing the same family name. The war was against Dark Elves so naturally Rusty has a hostility towards that race.
Ulfgar Fireforge - A Dwarven Artificer
Stereotypical nordic naming convention for this Dwarf whilst utilising a last name that fits his class type of someone who can fix and invent weapons, technology, armour etc.
An artificer can create magic items for which he or she does not have access to the prerequisite spells. Artificers receive a number of craft reserve points every level. These points can be used instead of experience points in the creation of new magic items. Thus Artificers are able to make use of item creation feats without the experience penalty that other spell casters must take.
Constructs, mechanical beasts, and particularly Warforged fall under the artificer's area of influence. Specific infusions can be cast to repair or inflict damage to any creature with a construct subtype. At fourth level Artificers may craft a homunculus companion. A homunculus is similar to a Wizard's familiar but more intelligent and generally better equipped to a single task. This could make for some interesting story beats between the dwarf and the Warforged if both are accepted as part of the party.
Rinn of the Greyhawk - A Wood-elf Ranger
In Dungeons and Dragons, Elves are given a "child name" when they are born, then they choose a name once they come of age (around 100 years old). Of course, many elves will find themselves in a transitionary stage where the people they knew, who were not at their naming ceremony, may know them only by the child name. Their last name is often derivative of where they were born or the majority of their upbringing took place. For my Wood-elf they are still a child and this can be part of the conversations had between them and the player of understanding that under 100 years old is still considered childhood to them - or they are getting close to the age where they pick their own name and this adventure could play a part in that allowing for choices the player makes having lasting affects on this NPC that they may connect deeply with.
Thokk Presley - A Half-Orc Bard
The last name of this NPC is from the renowned singer Elvis Presley but if we imagine the sort of theatrical outfits that were worn by Elvis but put an Oak spin on it for comic affect. The bard often being the comedy element of any d&d campaign however its easily forgotten that bards are gifted linguists and can often talk their way out of trouble and thus in a game where the player gets more from the game the more they interact with the NPC's it seems obvious to have a character whose power derives from his speech.
Unnamed - A Changeling Fighter
An obvious mystery element to the game, Changelings able to take on the appearance of anything and thus struggle with identity so how the player interacts with this NPC can change their identity conversely, allowing for some projection from the player.
The idea of having such an array of characters is that as the player progresses through the narrative and are delivered choices, some of which will lead to the party being reduced in number it will become obvious that certain characters being present would have created an better or more positive outcome. some of these consequences will be quite obvious i.e there's a glowing button on the opposite side of a deep chasm, if only we had a ranger with their bow and arrow present to target the button. Others will only be as obvious if dialogue is had between the player and the NPC. I'm hoping to develop a tallying system within Twine that keeps up how many times you decide to listen to an NPC or not if such a scoring system is possible.
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