usefulness/uselessness of powerful NPCs

From: ian (i.) gorlick <"ian>
Date: Tue, 7 May 1996 16:42:00 -0400


Martin Laurie:
> I find that they [powerful NPCs] ... are useful duex ex machina at times.

Which is part of why I don't like them. Deus ex machina (when the protagonists are rescued by forces from completely outside the narrative) is a crutch for poor plotting. If you allow yourself to use it, then you tempt yourself to be sloppy when you create your scenarios. I won't accept it in any fiction I read, therefore I won't tolerate using it in my scenarios.


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