Personality Mechanics: NPCs

Finishing up the series on Personality Mechanics, we have another possible good usage. While PMs are restrictive and often breaking of role-playing by players- they can actually be quite useful for GMs who typically play their NPCs from a much higher level and greater distance.

Some NPCs are as fully formed as any PCs, and those will encounter the same problems I've detailed previously. Most however are spear carriers and minor characters that the GM likely put little thought into, and are in any case less dependable and more subject to wild flights of behavior in any case.

Such minor PCs can make full use of any PMs to provide inspired moments of RP and interesting twists to the campaign. If combat is a focus, Morale rules are an obvious choice. One must be careful not to involve too much bookwork- otherwise the added burden could easily exceed the benefits gained.

For some genres, this is even accurate simulation. Many horror stories for example has secondary characters fall to insanity or overwhelming terror while the main character keeps his head. Most rpg campaigns are concerned with the lives of 'Heroes', and giving PMs rule over non-heroes is yet another way of highlighting the difference.

So if one encounters a otherwise interesting system that includes troublesome PMs, consider restricting their use to NPCs that you wouldn't put significant Role-playing investment in. They result may be better than dropping them completely.