NPC Guide

What Are NPCs?

Our game cannot run without Non-Player-Characters (NPCs). These are characters that, as opposed to PCs, are created and overseen by Plot Team. They are how we run plot and enrich the game that all PCs participate in. We greatly encourage all of our playership to NPC. We deeply thank all those who NPC and offer XP for their time.

If you have questions about NPCing, please reach out to Plot Team through email (plot@cotvlarp.com) or by asking on the #plot-questions channel on the Discord server.

Types of NPCs

Call of the Void offers three tiers of NPC work:

Full-Time NPC

• A Full-Time NPC means that a player has devoted their entire event to NPC shifts. They stay at Plot Camp and support Plot when and where needed to run the game. They will receive a lower cost of admission as well as more XP than the following two tiers. It is not required that you be a full-time NPC every game.

• A player can apply to be a Full-Time NPC on a game-by-game basis through reaching out to Plot Team. Please reach out through email at least two weeks before game. You must receive approval from Plot before receiving the invitation to register with the Full-Time NPC ticket price. 

• A Full-Time NPC earns 6 XP per game and pays $20 for attendance.

Part-Time NPC

• A Part-Time NPC, or volunteer NPC, means that a player still can play their PC for the event, but they come to Plot Camp for shifts as an NPC as well. XP will be granted in accordance with how many shifts a player takes on. Shifts can be scheduled ahead of time with Plot Team or players can drop in at Plot Camp during game to offer their time. If a player decides to drop in for an NPC shift, please come to Plot Camp and notify a member of Plot that you’re there to NPC. It may take time to assign an NPC role to you. If there may be no open NPC positions at the time, you are encouraged to try again later. 

• A Part-Time NPC earns 1 XP per NPC shift, up to 3 XP total per event.

• Part-Time NPCs pay the PC admission fee since they are mainly PCing.

Cast NPC

• A Cast NPC means that a player has been asked by Plot to fill a specific role for the game. This can be a one-off character or a recurring character. When that character is needed, the player reports to Plot Camp to fulfill that role. A player of an NPC can either be a full-time NPC or a player with a PC who accepts that their PC will not be IG while the NPC is in the game space. 

• If you have been recruited for a Cast NPC by a member of Plot Team, please make sure you are at Plot Camp one hour in advance of your shift. Please also read all character information and plot details that we send to you. If you have not received a full write up for the NPC by two weeks prior to game, email us requesting the information. Please also email any questions about the part to Plot Team before the event.

• Cast NPC XP earns 1 XP per NPC shift, up to 3 XP total per event. 

• If the Cast NPC is a PC, they pay the PC admission fee.

Conduct Expectations for NPCs

This is the story of the PCs and NPCs are there to make it happen. Please focus fully on helping Plot make the world real, engaging, and exciting. Plot puts a lot of faith in those that we recruit as NPCs and we hope that you will in turn help us run events. Below are the guidelines for our NPCs.

1. NPCs are expected to behave with integrity. Integrity in this case is: carrying out your instructions to the best of your abilities, not deviating from those instructions (though PC actions might in some cases change this), and monitoring yourself to ensure you never make choices as an NPC that are motivated by personal interests.

2. When you are out there as your NPC role, you should be focused on roleplay, staying in character, the instructions given to you by Plot, how you aim to accomplish any goals the role you’re given has, and how you can do both while also creating interesting and impactful moments for PCs. 

3. Your NPC is not your character and is not a PC. Their ultimate direction, major choices, key motivations, and decisions are up to Plot Team, specifically the member who created or authorized the NPC. Plot Team will try to work with you on NPC creation and development, but Plot Team has the ultimate say in what an NPC does.

4. NPCs should not bring up their characters on the player facing discord unless it is appropriate to do so. Please verify with Plot Team before sharing any information about your NPC to protect plot secrecy and integrity. NPC roles come with the knowledge of things the players can’t or wouldn’t know. This is why we have a special discord just for NPC hype, where we don’t have to worry about giving things away. Hyping with players is great, but giving information about your NPC outside of playing that role in game space takes away from the mystery and could ruin a plot line.

5. Do not meta-game. Any knowledge a player gains by fulfilling their NPC role or in collaboration with Plot Team is not for dissemination to other players or your own PC without the approval of Plot Team. If you are uncertain, ask a Plot Team member. 

6. If you're in a situation where something needs to get done IG (medical treatment, investigation, combat) always advocate for PCs to fill that niche before volunteering yourself as your NPC. Examples include: not offering your services as a nurse ahead of PC nurses, not offering your services as a doctor ahead of PC doctors, and especially not offering to solve problems for PCs.

7. NPCs should always focus on helping PCs write their stories, not writing the stories for their NPCs. Your NPC’s story may develop from interactions with PCs or PC influence, but the emphasis should be on the significance of the PC(s) and their actions or choices.

8. The focus should always be on PCs. NPCs should never occupy the space of a PC or Main Character. Avoid this at all costs. If multiple players are paying attention to your NPC, ask yourself if it is because the players are choosing to make your NPC the focus or because you are making your NPC the focus. If the latter, adjust the focus back onto the PCs.

9. NPC theater takes up space that PCs could fill and should be greatly limited. If engaging in prolonged interactions with other NPCs, ask yourself if the scene is leaving enough room for PCs to interact and if the scene is providing any value to PCs witnessing it.

10. With few exceptions, no NPC should go out without both approval and instructions from a Plot Team member. If you're not given instructions, ask for them and wait until you are given them. Some roles are the exception, such as Townie roles, but even then check in before heading out into game space. 

11. PCs should never be corrected OOG on their IG statements and theories by NPCs. If you hear something concerning on a meta-level, report it to Plot Team. Otherwise, let PCs think what they will, even if it's wrong. Correcting them discourages PC creativity and denies them the chance to figure things out for themselves. 

12. NPCs should not overly police the game’s rules with PCs. If a member of the playership breaks a rule in front of you, it is fine to gently correct them. But do not argue over it or make a scene. Call for a Rules Team member or a Hand of Rules if needed. If they cannot be located, you can always take the matter back to Plot Camp for clarification. If this concerns a matter between an NPC and a PC, rule in favor of the PC.

13. NPCs should never, ever cheat. If you forget a rule, apologize and correct the behavior, but never intentionally break rules.

14. NPCs should never, without instruction or legitimate urgency, interrupt another player’s scene, either between PCs and/or between PCs and NPCs.

15. Do not be rude OOC to other players and do not use your NPCs as a way to “punish” other players.

16. If PCs ask your NPC a question and you do not know the answer then don’t answer the question. Improvising based on what your character may know is acceptable, but do not try to share wrong information that your character should know. Simply say “I don’t know” and suggest they talk to Plot Team. Or you may ask Plot Team for clarification later and pass the knowledge to the PC at the earliest.

17. NPCs should not give out plot information that they have not been explicitly instructed to share. Examples include but are not limited to: names of key beings, meanings of symbols or glyphs, translations of ciphers, and solutions to puzzles.

18. Be mindful of the needs and safety of the players, especially during combat. NPCs are required to telegraph their intent to initiate combat in order to ensure that non-combatants have an opportunity to leave the area. Reaching for weapons, stating their intentions, or moving aggressively towards characters are some examples of how to accomplish this. Additionally, please avoid combat near any safety hazards as much as possible. If combat breaks out or migrates to one of these areas, NPCs are responsible for calling a hold to pause the action and move the combat back into an appropriate area before continuing.

For Full-Time NPCs

If you would like to be a Full-Time NPC for us, whether it’s your first or fifth game, Plot would like to hear from you. Please email plot@cotvlarp.com for verification and registration details, including a ticket link and access to reserve your bunk space. There are some things you will need to prepare if you are interested.

• Garb: Plot Camp has a great deal of clothing to pick from, but we request that all Full-Time NPCs bring at least two sets of clothing:
  1) a set of basic in-period clothing items. This can be a dress, shirt with a skirt or pants, jacket or coat or wrap, and some additional pieces for layering. Please check the Aesthetics Guide for further information on what we hope this garb will look like. If you plan on Full-Time NPCing with us for a long period of time, we encourage you to create whatever costume you wish that fits the time period and the roles that Plot assigns you.
  2) a set of "all-blacks." This is a set of all-black sweats, leggings, shirts, underarmor, or some combination of them all. These are especially important for playing monsters. Please take care that these pieces of clothing are free of designs and logos.
  Whatever you bring, please ensure that it will keep you warm, dry, and mobile. Please also note that while Plot Camp has garb that can help supplement the clothing items you need to play some NPC roles, we will not have any all-blacks to loan you.

• Food: Plot Team provides some snacks and coffee at Plot Camp, where you will be spending some of your time. Other than that, and especially if you have dietary restrictions, please bring some good food and drinks that will keep you going all weekend. Additionally, we strongly encourage NPCs to participate in the Meal Plan.

• If you are new to LARPing, please read our New Player Guide and especially review the Suggested Packing List.

If you would like any additional information, please reach out to Plot Team at their email: plot@cotvlarp.com.