Avoid NPC Betrayal
Created: 2025-09-18
Primary quest-giving NPC betrayal has three big problems:
Players lose trust in you. Players become cynical of the world. Adventures hinging on NPC betrayal easily fall apart if the betrayal is discovered early.
See in context at Avoid NPC Betrayal
Created: 2025-09-18
Numerous WOTC-published D&D adventures, including big and expensive hardcover adventures, focus on this same trope. The Planescape adventure Turn of Fortune’s Wheel, the Spelljammer adventure Light of Xaryxis, the entire plot of Vecna Eve of Ruin, and one of the adventures in Dragon Delves all hinge on not discovering the betrayal of a major quest-giving NPC. In each case, should the players discover the betrayal, the adventure falls apart.
See in context at Avoid NPC Betrayal
Created: 2025-09-18
Most of the time there’s no suggestion for handling the situation should the characters figure out the ruse too early. Because there’s typically no good way to do so.
See in context at Avoid NPC Betrayal
Created: 2025-09-18
Here’s an alternative to the betraying NPC – the shady NPC. Shady NPCs might betray the characters and the characters know it. Your quests must be compelling enough that the characters want to go on them anyway – maybe planning their own betrayal of the shady NPC before the NPC betrays them first!