Extras and Supporting Characters (episode 76)

On the Shoulders of Dwarves

### Using and playing extras As a GM, please avoid using these beings as easy targets. ### Taking advantage of this opportunity (6:45) * Treat as characters - start thinking about the supporting characters as characters and not as equipment/extensions of your character. * Names - so you can humanize and speak to them. * Interaction - the difference between “I use my wolf to track the scent of the escaping ogre” to “I ask Wolfenshtain if he manages to track the scent of Krislo the Ogre”. * Routine - create routines for yourself and the supporting cast. * Add the supporting character's point of view - the cave as seen through the nose of Bingo the blink dog. ### Mechanical representation (11:55) Use a system that makes it easy to handle them, and have the players do it. [Savage Worlds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds) - extras [Pathfinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinder_Roleplaying_Game) 2e - minion [City of Mist](https://www.cityofmist.co/) - extra theme [Dungeon World](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_World) ### Hirelings (20:20) An NPC with a mechanical element that's not a part of the character. Hirelings [work hard for the money](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09ZSKE38lTU). ### Animal companions (22:30) ### Familiars (23:55) ### Cohorts (25:35) Download for free: [Three Suggestions for Cohorot Morivations](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8GIH-SQ2wnrXzc4QXlUMnVUbWc/view?usp=sharing) [The full series](https://www.eranaviram.me/three-suggestions/), if you'd like to buy. ### Summary (29:00) [Avatar: The Last Airbender](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender) [Fate/stay night](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fate/stay_night) Non-genre examples: [The Wire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wire). [Brooklyn 99](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn_Nine-Nine). [Parks and Recreations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parks_and_Recreation). [My Name is Earl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Earl) ### Taking the Load off (32:25) Uri - Been to a wedding! My GM got married! With the party’s paladin! Eran - Going to run Path2 in Tabletop Gaming Live, come and play! (It's actually already over, so nevermind!) Aviv - Going on a family vacation! All my games got pushed to after I’m back. ----- Email us at [e-mail] with questions, topic suggestions, and comments on this episode, and check out [our Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dwarfpodcast) [We have a Patreon page](https://www.patreon.com/dwarfcast), in case you'd like to support us in a monetary fashion. Also, most links to [DriveThruRPG are affiliate](http://drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=29668), which means we get a bit of money if you buy through them, with no added cost to you. Intro and outro based on On the Shoulders of Dwarves by the Cliches Duo. On the Shoulders of Dwarves is shared under [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)