Masks: 1,000 Memorable NPCs for Any Roleplaying Game (EGP42002) - Softcover

Authors Of GnomeStew; John Arcadian; Patrick Benson; Walt Ciechanowski; Don Mappin; Scott Martin; Matthew Neagley; Martin Ralya; Kurt " Telas" Schneider; Troy Taylor; Phil Vecchione

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0983613311 ISBN 13: 9780983613312

Publisher: Engine Publishing, 2011

Synopsis

Written by the award-winning authors of the GMing blog Gnome Stew, Masks is now available in print and PDF! Just got done looking at a preview of @gnomestew's new book, Masks, filled with cool NPCs for any game or genre. Looks great! - Game designer Monte Cook (via Twitter) Playing a character is like putting on a mask: Slip on a mask, and you become someone else. This book presents 1,000 masks - non-player characters that are fun to play, and that your players will never forget. Featuring a foreword by gaming industry legend Wolfgang Baur, Masks is the ultimate NPC resource. Think of your favorite character from a game, book, or movie. What makes them memorable? It's not their Strength score, or how many hit points they have - it's who they are as a person: what they look like, how they act, their personality, and what drives them. Using a simple but powerful template that features Appearance, Roleplaying, Personality, Motivation, Background, and Traits, Masks provides the core elements of a thousand great characters. Masks NPCs are designed to be used on the fly, no prep required - but with enough depth to be used when planning adventures, as well. Within this massive collection you'll find the resources you need to portray vivid NPCs in your games: Fantasy, science fiction, and modern NPCs: 333 of each (334 in fantasy), all easily adaptable to any genre and any RPG Roles and traits: Every NPC has a role - villain, ally, or neutral - and is categorized by traits like famous, criminal, and warrior Clear, useful game mastering advice: Masks covers re-skinning NPCs to fit other genres, making your portrayals memorable, and more Handy tools: NPCs are indexed by trait, name, and author; an appendix lists groups like Tavern Patrons and Spaceport Denizens; and Masks provides over 1,900 names in an easy-to-use format No game mechanics: These system-neutral NPCs can be used in any RPG Masks is a standalone volume - you don't have to own our first book, Eureka: 501 Adventure Plots to Inspire Game Masters, to enjoy it, although they go great together. Masks is designed to be used both as a table book and as a prep book. At the table, it gives GMs a tool for portraying vivid, memorable NPCs on the fly - if your players show sudden interest in that bartender, you can flip to just about any page and find a suitable personality, backstory, and roleplaying cues to flesh out that NPC. During prep, Masks provides a solid foundation for everything from signature villains to steadfast allies, as well as neutral characters you can use as everyone else - or tip one way or the other and use as a villain or ally.

About this title

Product Description

Masks provides game masters with 1,000 system-neutral NPCs suitable for use with any roleplaying game, plus GMing advice, three indexes, and the tools to make your characters unforgettable. Featuring a foreword by RPG industry legend Wolfgang Baur and written by the award-winning authors of GnomeStew.com and Eureka: 501 Adventure Plots to Inspire Game Masters, Masks is the ultimate NPC resource. Masks is over 300 pages of vivid characters, gorgeous artwork, and inspiring material for GMs. This book was designed to have a place on every game master's shelf, and to provide characters for years -- even decades -- of gaming.

Edition details

• Publisher: Engine Publishing
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0983613311
• ISBN 13: 9780983613312
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 336