Some Notes On Motivation
RBS Members:
OK, I know it is for ME to use as a tool to assign NPC motivation, but I offer it to anyone interested to use GDW's NPC Motivation Table towards the back of the Core Rules Set to give their PC motivation. As some people have multiple characters, or just as some interesting wrinkle to the game, it might be a good way to take your PCs in a direction you hadn't been planning on.
So when you read the below, substitute the letters 'NPC' for the words 'my character'.
From the rules:
NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
A variety of non-player characters (NPCs) will be encountered in
the course of adventures. These are characters which the referee
will play, either in cooperation with or opposition to the players.
Motivation: In many cases, the motivations of NPCs are either
obvious or unimportant. An enemy soldier, a merchant in a
bazaar, a common field hand, the general range of background
characters do not require the referee to determine motivation.
Usually motivation is only determined for the leader of a group of
NPCs or a solitary NPC with which the players will have important
or extended dealings.
To determine the motivation of an NPC, draw two cards from a
standard deck of playing cards. The highest value card is the
NPC's primary motivation, the other is his secondary motivation.
The particular motive is determined by the suit of the card. The
values are classified as low (2, 3, or 4), middle (5, 6, or 7) or high
(8, 9, or 10). Aces and face cards are special results explained
later.
CLUBS: Violence: The NPC has a greater likelihood of reacting
with violence than most people. At low levels this indicates the
NPC is not frightened or intimidated by threats of violence and
will not hesitate to use violence if the situation seems to warrant it.
At middle levels the NPC is aggressive and inclined to view
violence as the preferred means of resolving disputes. At high
levels the NPC loves a good fight and either is or wants to be a
warrior. Even a high violence rating does not, however,
necessarily indicate that the NPC is brutal or a bully. For example,
an NPC with a high violence level and a high fellowship (hearts)
level could be described as friendly, good-natured, loyal —a
good man to have with you in a fight.
DIAMONDS: Wealth: The NPC wants to be rich. At low levels
the NPC will generally sell items for gold, even if alone in the
wilderness. At middle levels the character will probably only
accept gold or will strike very hard bargains in barter. This sort of
character is very easy to bribe. At high levels the NPC can be
expected to accept bribes, deal only in gold, and may attempt
treachery if he believes the players have considerable wealth and
he can get his hands on it.
HEARTS: Fellowship: The NPC is highly influenced by his
love of people. He tends to be friendly, loyal, and just. At low
levels the NPC will be amiable, talkative, and cooperative with
most people he meets. At middle levels he will have a strong
sense of duty and loyalty to the group he belongs to. At high levels
he will have a strong commitment to justice and the welfare of all
he meets. He will look for the good qualities in anyone he comes in contact with but will react with anger to injustice and brutality.
SPADES: Power: The NPC seeks personal power and in fluence. At low levels this manifests itself mostly as
boastfulness and a desire to impress the NPC's peers. At middle
levels it indicates a wish to be in a position of real responsibility in
an organization. At high levels it indicates a desire to manipulate
and control the people around him, to become a ruler of men.
Special Cards: Aces and face cards are special cards, each with
its own special meaning. If a special card is drawn, it is
automatically the primary motivation or most prominent
characteristic of the NPC. If two special cards are drawn, the
NPC has two competing primary motivations or dominant
characteristics. The meaning of the special cards are shown
below.
Heart Ace: Justice. The NPC sees justice as the greatest
virtue in a person and the only important consideration in
deciding on a course of action. He will display great justice in his
dealings with others, will have no respect for cheats, and will
wholeheartedly assist any attempt to right an injustice.
Heart King: Honor. The NPC is scrupulously honest in his
dealings with everyone, and his word of honor is his absolute
bond. If he believes that he is honor-bound to do something,
either because he has promised or because his position carries an
obligation to do so, he will attempt to carry out the task even if it
means his own death. He has utter contempt for liars or people
who break their word.
Heart Queen: Love. The NPC loves a person so completely
that he would willingly sacrifice himself for that person. This
could be a spouse, parent, child, or friend.
Heart Jack: Wisdom. The NPC is very wise and always exhibits good judgment and offers sound advice.
Club Ace: War Leader. The NPC is an unusually good leader in
combat situations. He has an instinctive grasp of tactics, a good
eye for terrain, and never panics in a fight. In game terms, treat
the character as having a coolness rating of 0. In addition, the
referee should assume that the NPC can anticipate many
situations in combat and will make the best allowances for them
possible.
Club King: Brutal. The NPC is a sadistic brute who enjoys
inflicting physical injury on others. He is likely to use torture
whether or not there is anything to be gained from it.
Club Queen: Stubborn. The NPC is stubborn and pig-headed
and will be extremely difficult to persuade once he has made up
his mind. He is set in his ways and resists change of any sort.
Club Jack: Murderer. The NPC either has committed murder or
is planning a murder. Murder in this sense does not mean a
simple killing, but rather means the secret and intentional killing of
an acquaintance for reasons of personal gain. Although the world
is a very violent place in the year 2000, murder is still rare.
Diamond Ace: Generosity. The character is generous to a
fault and will gladly give away anything he has to someone in
need, even if this leaves him with nothing. In less extreme cases,
he will be inclined to make very generous trades and will always
refuse payment for help with a task other than one directly
related to his normal livelihood. For example, a generous farmer
would give the group all the food they needed and accept in return
whatever he felt they could easily afford to trade or pay. If they
needed help repairing a vehicle, he would help them and refuse to
accept payment for it.
Diamond King: Selfishness. The opposite of generosity, a
selfish NPC will never help without demanding payment and never give away anything. He will also demand higher payment.
Of course wouldn't you just know that the Core Rules I found to download had the next page missing! For those of you interested in the rest of it, the NPC Motivation Table IS present at the back of the rules. You can see the rest there.
Jozef