Expose NPC's True Nature

03 Apr, 2026

Expose Your Prep enlightens me and affects how I prep and run the game. In summary, good plays/questions should be rewarded with information and hiding them often does more harm than good.

What about the NPC? To quote the original post:

If they go to the effort of finding out about an NPC before engaging them, let them see their info. Show them the HP, their moves, their relationships with other NPCs.

NPCs' possible moves are solid toys to be played with. Less mind-guessing, more actions for players. However, it is typically hard to come up with and, for my taste, less exploitable.

Let’s step back a bit, shall we?

From Role Playing for GMs, actions originate from a character's wants and beliefs. They are not too predictive but still useful enough to be exploited by players. This is my preferred way to reward players with NPC's information.

In conclusion, Give your NPC a desire and a belief, and be ready to show their true nature! Tell it straight to the players' faces. Let players pull the lever they deserve and have fun!

Does this count as theory slop or merely the incremental-work slop? I don't even know. I only have my own random tables as a reward for kind readers who read until the end.

Character Wants and Beliefs