I generally did have some "pet" long-term NPCs set up ahead of time. Some were allies of the PCs, and some were adversaries. All my games were pretty big quest-type games, and yes, it was helpful to have NPCs set up like that.
The game I'm playing in right now is pretty mechanical, but it's the only game I've got. I'd love to be involved in the sort of large-scale semi-serious game I used to play in, mostly with this guy as the DM. But this thing telophase is working on sounds fun too.
Actually, I will throw in an NPC if they're really stuck for a healer-type. But mostly my players were pretty good about balancing the classes themslves. When I'm playing, I'm often the cleric/lay healer (which nowadays makes me think of Hakkai ...) - although one of our current players was running a game for several months, and I played completely against type as a swashbuckling half-orc bard! She fought with a rapier, wore lacy shirts and velvet britches, and her musical instruments were guitar, bongos, and concertina ... .
(Re your 2 cents ... what are you, kidding me? Whip me, beat me, talk gaming to me ...!)
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I generally did have some "pet" long-term NPCs set up ahead of time. Some were allies of the PCs, and some were adversaries. All my games were pretty big quest-type games, and yes, it was helpful to have NPCs set up like that.
The game I'm playing in right now is pretty mechanical, but it's the only game I've got. I'd love to be involved in the sort of large-scale semi-serious game I used to play in, mostly with this guy as the DM. But this thing telophase is working on sounds fun too.
Actually, I will throw in an NPC if they're really stuck for a healer-type. But mostly my players were pretty good about balancing the classes themslves. When I'm playing, I'm often the cleric/lay healer (which nowadays makes me think of Hakkai ...) - although one of our current players was running a game for several months, and I played completely against type as a swashbuckling half-orc bard! She fought with a rapier, wore lacy shirts and velvet britches, and her musical instruments were guitar, bongos, and concertina ... .
(Re your 2 cents ... what are you, kidding me? Whip me, beat me, talk gaming to me ...!)