Characters and dialogue
Learning paths through this topic
Play a banter between two companions once, in either order
Two travelling companions have a scene together, but it fires twice because the pair is listed the other way round, or it fires again on every campfire. Here is how to key a pair so it counts once, and how to space the next one out.
Hand over a companion's items when they leave or die
A companion walks off in anger or falls in battle, and with them goes the key you needed, or the sword you only lent them. Here is the rule that decides who gets what back, so no quest is stranded and nothing vanishes with the person.
Bring a companion back at a fair level after a long absence
A companion who left early returns far weaker than everyone else and is useless, or a loyal friend suddenly jumps past the player. Here is the rule that lifts them close to the group without ever taking anything away or running ahead.
Choose which companion comments without one dominating
With four companions in the party, the one with the most reactions written for them speaks every time and the rest feel like furniture. Here is a rule that still picks the best-fitting speaker but shares the stage over a whole playthrough.
Let a companion refuse gear that goes against their beliefs
A healer who will not wear anything made from animals, a knight who refuses stolen goods. Auto-equip must respect that, explain itself, and still leave the character with something sensible rather than empty slots.
Let the player script a companion's behaviour in a few simple rules
Companions that do something silly on their own are annoying, and ones that wait for orders are tiring. A short list of if-then rules, read top to bottom, lets the player shape them. The hard part is what happens when the first matching rule cannot be carried out.
Find conversations that lead nowhere or trap the player in a loop
A conversation with branches is easy to break: an answer that goes to a line nobody can leave, a block no choice reaches, a circle with no way out. Here is a check you run over the whole conversation before anyone plays it.
Switch a character to the other side mid-fight without confusing the enemies
A trusted ally turns on you in the middle of a battle, or an enemy changes sides after a speech. Enemies keep attacking their new friend, or ignore the traitor who is hitting them. Here is the cleanup that makes targeting follow the new loyalties at once.
Build a conversation menu that hides used questions but never runs dry
The player asks about the town, the king and the missing sword, one after another, and the menu should shrink. But it must never end up with no choices at all, and it should not let the player walk away before the one thing they must hear. Here is how to get both right.
Pick a dialogue line by what the speaker and the player know
The same character needs different lines before and after a secret comes out, and a line must never mention something the player has not been shown yet. Here is how to store the variants and the rule that picks exactly one, with a safe line as backup.
Let a disguise hold up differently against sharp and dull eyes
A disguise that works or fails at a single moment is boring, and one that fades with no logic is unfair. Here is a slow build of suspicion, different for each watcher, that starts with stares, ends in an alarm, and does not forget just because the guard looked away.
Give fallen heroes a few turns to be saved before they really die
Dying at zero health is harsh when a healer is one step away, and never dying makes fights toothless. A short, countable window between falling and death gives the party a chance. Here is the small machine, with the exact rules for good and bad rolls and for being hit while down.