I've been playing some off-normal hours for me outside my regular group and doing some exploring of the deeper reaches. In doing this I've encountered a number of friendly NPC character types camping out in the middle of nowhere, both monster and PC racial types. Some are even just STANDING there with no camp or anything (and I'm not talking about wandering traders here). Many have no conversation or even descriptions associated with them. Talking to one gives nothing, not even a grunt.

I move that they be either eliminated or given SOME kind of conversation and/or description to justify why they are there. I get excited when I see something new like one of these and when I engage it and get zero response, it's kind of immersion breaking for me. :cry:

I understand that some might be leftovers from DM quests or something, but having some kind of reaction defaulted into the NPCs would be great (even if it's "the goblin kobold squeaks in terror and bolts through a hole much too small for you to get through", adn then disappears - like the svirfneblin in *spoiler*).

Thoughts, or am I just smoking crack here?

Find out in-game why there are here. But I assure you, there's always a damn good reason, whether it'll become IC NPC interaction or IC DM interaction.

Sigh. I thought that might be the kind of response I would get. I still maintain it can be somewhat immersion breaking to have essentially a static stature standing there.

Suggestion to self: Treat them as if they are not really there. There, problem solved.

Seriously, at least something on them would be helpful so as to make it a bit easier to get a clue what to do IC rather than go back to Sanctuary and start asking "Hey, anyone know anything about the scary looking but quiet short guy in red armor hanging out near the Spire/Drow City/Goblin Tunnels who wouldn't even give me the time of day but was standing alone in a cavern with his back to the cave mouth?" How do other players deal with this issue?

If they are "in place" for a DM to come in and control for a quest later, in the interim some sort of description or standing rule about ignoring them would ease my taxed brain (sort of like how the QA transitions say things like "It's dark scary and smells bad, you cannot stomach to enter the portal"). At least with those, I KNOW I have a clue that there is something worthy of investigating that will likely be available later if I find the quest giver.

Similarly, I LOVE finding still open DM quest areas and exploring them. Finding a lair that has already been looted is kind of a neat thing. Besides, sometimes I actually find things the original party lucky enough to get the quest missed! I just don't get that flavor from the "statues" I'm meeting in the underdark.

I'll shut up now and crawl back to my hovel. :oops:

Some of them are there for various reasons, from wandering traders to travellers, to wanted criminals.

Giving them a conversation as a hint is a good suggestion. They're there for a specific purpose - the bounty quest, basically, but I can understand their total lack of dialogue can be concerting for people who are just exploring.

Vindication!!!!!!

So 'tough looking dwarf' and 'lift operating private' are there for a reason? I mean, there's no lift anymore!

Must there be a particular reason for a dwarf to look tough?

Tough Looking Dwarf has a story to tell.

He just doesn't like your face.

As for the lift operating private its just that no one has ever botherd to ask him his name.

Lift operating private has a name..... Damn