Tuesday 2 March 2021

400 Types of Pathetic Jerk

Anybody that runs enough games will start to notice recurring themes and patterns. It's even worse when you have twelve years of blogposts to look back on.

It's been almost ten years since I wrote this, but it reminded me that my NPCs far too often fall into one of three categories.

  • Pathetic losers
  • Detestable jerks
  • Both of the above
So why fight it? Let's embrace it. 


The bridge between those two archetypes is often an Insecurity. This is something that eats away at them. Maybe they overcompensate and do everything they can to prove themselves, maybe they withdraw into self-defeatism, or maybe they lash out against anybody else that tries to thrive in this area. 

Those truly memorable Jerks usually have some sort of Leverage that they can weaponise in defence of their insecurity. 

Let's put that into a Spark Table.

Roll 2d20 and combine.

d20

Insecurity

Leverage

1

Rhetoric

Family Connections

2

Physical Strength

Natural Talent

3

Professional Skill

Technology

4

Wealth

Good Education

5

Appearance

Unnatural Ability

6

Peer Respect

Personal Wealth

7

Artistic Talent

Celebrity

8

Authenticity

Protective Siblings

9

Morality

Cosmic Blessing

10

Humbleness

Raw Confidence

11

Place in Community

Hired Muscle

12

Drinking Capacity

Press Contacts

13

Popularity

Wealthy Benefactor

14

Book Smarts

Employees

15

Personal Struggle

Animal Magnetism

16

Worldliness

Hidden Oddity

17

Groundedness

Secrets

18

Politeness

Society Connections

19

Modernity

Martial Ability

20

Faith

Crime Connections


Examples

4+3: Wealth / Technology
Wealth is a common insecurity. It can be reflected by somebody flaunting their money around, but in this case let's take a different angle and say that this is the opposite. Somebody that comes from money, but is insecure about the benefits that it has granted them, so they're doing everything to show how they had to fight for every penny they've earned. 

Their leverage is technology, so let's say they're a factory owner. This ultra-modern factory basically runs itself, but the NPC claims to have built it by hand. Of course, it was passed down from a parent, but they'll take issue with anybody that points that out. 

The inherited-billionaire that claims to be self-made is pretty archetypal, but I think it resonates really strongly in creating a character you can hate. 

19+1: Modernity / Family Connections
Another way to read the insecurity is to have the jerk focus it outward, deflecting their own shortcomings outward onto others. So let's say this person just doesn't get modernity, and is sick of hearing about it. They want things to go back to how they were.

This ties into the Family Connections if we imagine an aristocrat type, fearful that the world is moving beyond the point where they can get a free ride on their family name. Yes, I can see them as a politician that's going to make sure that tradition is upheld and unfettered progress checked against our cultural values at every step, which just so coincidentally helps them cling onto their anachronistic life of luxury.

1+15: Rhetoric / Animal Magnetism
This one's easy. Somebody that people just seem to like, but if you disagree with them they just have to prove themselves to you by aggressively debating you until it's crystal clear that you were wrong

Perhaps she's a socialite that's so used to having people fawn over her, but we'll place her in a position where the players are going to have to get on her bad side.

3 comments:

  1. This is a super fun (and useful) table!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I just... I just feel like these examples are people we all know...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's just the internet. It does a thing sometimes

      Delete