What’s the “wing it or roll it up” threshold for NPCs?

[Walking Paradox]

What’s the “wing it or roll it up” threshold for NPCs?

In general, there are two kinds of NPCs: those that the GM created with as much love and care as a player would give to a PC; and those that are either pulled out of a template of stock characters or are outright invented on the spot with no stats written down at all.

How important a role in the story does an NPC need to play for it to be worth a complete stat-up job?

I had an experience running a Traveller game that started out being planet-bound and moved to interstellar travel when the PCs got hold of a ship. While the game was planet-bound, there were plenty of major NPCs who the PCs interacted with on a regular basis and surprisingly, they didn’t make a special effort to kill them (my players tend towards NPC-icide). Once they went to the stars, they met a new NPC almost every week. I started making full NPCs at first but it was less and less fun to do so when they would be left behind at the next jump or worse yet, killed by the PCs who intrinsically knew that every new NPC was a “guest star” for the week’s episode.

I know there’s no hard and fast rule for this but I’d like to hear how other people handle it.

 

[El Mahdi]

I only fully flesh-out an NPC if they're going to be an important recurring character throughout the campaign (not just an adventure). Otherwise, I only record the information I'm going to need for actual play.

 

[delericho]

I have a bank of 'stock' NPC stats which I'll use if I'm in a hurry.

The focus bad guys of an adventure get a custom stat block if at all possible.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I usually have a collection of generic unassigned stats for stock character types prepared for use.

For example, ruffian, sedentary layperson, burly working guy, typical guard, are all stock stat templates.

For regular npcs I just need a name, a couple key personality notes, some goals (if relevant) and a notation to which stat template applies.

This way,any npcs that become involved in the action have stats available to use.

Important recurring npcs get a custom writeup in more detail.

 

[S'mon]

Varies hugely by game. Certainly I've never created a 4e NPC using PC rules. Even in 1e I rarely actually rolled them up.

 

[Umbran]

How important a role in the story does an NPC need to play for it to be worth a complete stat-up job?

For me, it isn't a matter how how important their role in the story is expected to be. It is a matter of how important it is that they have detailed mechanics. If the PCs aren't likely to interact *mechanically* with the NPC, then their stats aren't important.

In D&D, for example, the bulk of a character's stats are combat-focused. If the NPC is nto going to get into fights against or alongside the PCs, or if the details of their performance in the fight aren't relevant (ay, it is a 1st level NPC, and the PCs are 14th level, or vice versa) then the NPC's stats just don't matter that much.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Their skills might be important though. I've made a series of minion skillsy types, which often have an encounter or daily ability to boost their skill checks. Eg a diplomat can get a +5 once per encounter to Diplomacy (much like a bard).

 

[Michael Silverbane]

Usually I don't give an NPC full stats until the third time (or so) that they're going to feature sort of prominently.

Sometimes this construction comes up organically, as the NPC needs some specific ability or attribute (i.e. if the PCs make friends with a smith, he's going to have some smithing type abilities, or if the NPC needs to do some heavy lifting he's going to have a specific strength score)

NPCs that are going to feature in combat get a slightly more detailed combat write up (a vaguely appropriate to-hit number and defenses, a couple of spells prepared, or whatever).

 

[The Shaman]

I usually have a collection of generic unassigned stats for stock character types prepared for use.

For example, ruffian, sedentary layperson, burly working guy, typical guard, are all stock stat templates.

For regular npcs I just need a name, a couple key personality notes, some goals (if relevant) and a notation to which stat template applies.

This way,any npcs that become involved in the action have stats available to use.

Important recurring npcs get a custom writeup in more detail.

This.

 

[Janx]

Varies hugely by game. Certainly I've never created a 4e NPC using PC rules. Even in 1e I rarely actually rolled them up.

I'd like to point out the link in S'mon's sig. It basically covers the minimal work needed for an NPC.

As I recall, it mostly says, start with a name, and follow some basic principles to add more details as needed that don't fully violate the actual creation rules.

Rather than spending time building NPCs, its faster to just say "this is the butcher Bob" and not worry about Bob's skill list until he actually needs to make a roll. In which case, if it seems like he'd have that skill, then give it to him at max ranks. like Butchery.