DM Prep Work: The work involved with NPCs

[BryonD]

For a lot of standard or on the fly npcs I use pretty much the rules of thumb listed above.

For other stuff I get a lot of mileage out of Excel.
I do not use the calculation features of Excel. I just use it as a very handle electronic notepad.
If I just want basic stats I can jot down a few lines worth.
If I am interested in a character I'll do a full write up. But only if I find my interest in the character to be such that detailing is going to be fun for me.

Excel offers major advantages for me in this. If I want a more advanced version of a character, I just copy the cells or workpage and modify.
And if I want another very similar character a year later, I don't have to hope I still have the piece of paper. I just go through my old versions and find one that works. I have workbooks saved as "arcane casters", "orcs", "mind flayers", etc.... I find it quite efficient.

My main rule remains: D&D is supposed to be fun. Do the stuff that is fun.

 

[DM_Jeff]

Another vote for the fun and easy NPC Designer program. On top of that, steal like a thief. I've recently helped list some of the NPCs WotC used in its own books and in 3.5 alone were near 1,000 fully done NPCs right there. Just change a name and a weapon here and there and you have dozens to reuse. And last but not least, only stat out important skill or combat-intensive NPCs...others are just names and personalities!

-DM Jeff

 

[Arnwyn]

How much work do you put into creating a particular monster or npc?

I only stat up NPCs if combat with them is virtually assured. Otherwise, I completely ignore NPC stats.

For those NPCs that I do stat up, the answer to your question is "still too much". For skills, though, nowadays I just load 'em up all the way with Spot and Listen (and sometimes Hide and Move Silently), cross-class or otherwise.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I mostly use pregenerated monsters, either the average ones from their monster entry, or slightly tweaked ones. (Max hit points, different items, whatever.)

For "signature" characters, I put in as much time as it takes to stat them up, but none of them are likely to be in combat for a very long time in my campaign.

 

[Bardsandsages]

Run of the mill NPCs (shop owners, beggars, other non-essentials) No more than a name and a general personality.

Generic NPCs (bandits, guards, anyone in which the party may have combative or intense interaction) I'll normally just use the standard NPC blocks in the DMG or one of the piles of NPCs I've generated over the years.

Story NPCs (villians, important figures, anyone the party will have recurring interaction with): full character sheet, equipment included.