Hey, I’ve been trying a little 2e, and I wasn’t entirely sold on the new rules for Wises to begin with, but I’m starting to really feel frustrated. I have a potent NPC, who is influential, persuasive, and knowledgeable. He’s a politician; as such, he acquired City Problem-wise and Coastal Living-wise which are intended to reflect the hometown and his work in government.
However, now that he’s in a pitched argument with patrol mice, he can’t provide himself any assistance or support from his knowledge.
If in case he were contributing to the work of the PCs, he could offer a Helper in the form of his knowledge.
So, it appears the wisdom has been made impotent when dealing with those less informed. He has no Fate / Persona and cannot aid himself.
I guess that NPCs should always travel in groups and assist each other with their Wises in order for such knowledge to bear sway. This is rather than facing PCs singly.
I’m not really looking for empathy; What would you do? How would you ensure the Wises of an NPC–given to reflect the upbringing, lifestyle, or education which personify those NPCs–bear influence on tests when opposing PCs?
I don’t really like giving NPC fate and persona because those are the stats that distinct player’s heroes from other mice. With fate and persona you do the heroic acts and so not anymouse should have them.
I have made the decision of not implementing new Wise rules to NPC.
I’m not sure on this one. I’ve never done that in past, but thought about implementing.
I feel less inclined for this case; because, this NPC is not listed as a relationship character for anyone among the patrol. It’s true this is an influential and potent character, but no one really cared about him until this moment. Maybe if they want to start listing this NPC I’ll use that as a tool.
I’m always worried by placing cameo NPCs; however, I’ve found that frequently players don’t select a relationship to NPCs of much weight. Thus, cameo NPCs come up in places where the patrol is really facing figures of influence, power, authority, etc. When facing issues with animals, weather and wilderness, it is far easier to bring those relationships into focus; since, those events typically impact all mice similarly, if not equally. When facing mice issues, sometimes the relationships don’t fit the scene.
In this case, they’ve got a relationship who introduced them to the politico specifically because that relationship didn’t have the power to solve their problem. I wonder to myself now if maybe I just should have given that relationship more power to begin with. That would have kept the focus on a relationship NPC and a cameo NPC could be used as a support character instead of a focused stage-time character.