4th Edition Red Wizards

[Wormwood]

70 is a random number, but following some guidelines. Giving it 7 or 700 (random numbers too) HP wouldn't make much sense.

If the DMG states that a level 7 Brute should have approximately 70 HPs, is that random?

 

[Charwoman Gene]

It's not random. It's following rules. They just aren't designed through a laborious "character creation" style process and there are *gasp* room for creativity.

 

[Wormwood]

It's not random. It's following rules.

And since those rules differ from the PC creation rules, every single thread will devolve into this argument. Again and again and again.

edit: ugh. I just realized that this really is the case. I'll catch up to y'all when Keep on the Shadowfell hits---but for now I think I need a break. Later.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

And since those rules differ from the PC creation rules, every single thread will devolve into this argument. Again and again and again.

Unless certain posters use common sense and courtesy to stop destructively poisoning this board out of spite that their chosen rules wankery isn't supported.

 

[DandD]

Bah, if you really followed the rules in D&D 3.X, you had to roll randomly for your NPCs as well, so in the end it simply is the same as in D&D 4th edition if they're going to tell you how much hp the NPC should approximately have. If in D&D 3.X you should have 24d12 for an epic lich, that could range from 24 to 288 hitpoints. If they're going to simplify this and say that an epic lich level 24 should have between 150 and 220 hitpoints, it's going to be faster, and therefore better.
Only the people who really love to randomly roll hp are going to gripe about this, but I really couldn't care less for them, as I've played RPGs where you really rolled for everything (The Dark Eye 3.0). I'm not going back to those dark ages...

 

[hong]

The Dark Eye? Is that the system underlying the Realms of Arkania CRPGs?

 

[DandD]

Yep, it is.

 

[hong]

Man, I remember beating on some random bandit for 5 minutes before finally managing to kill him. That was one wacky system.

 

[Cirex]

If the DMG states that a level 7 Brute should have approximately 70 HPs, is that random?

I'm not talking about 4e, 3.5e or 7.18 (random number hehe), but about the concept of randomly stating NPCs.
If DMG states that a level 7 Brute should have between 65 and 75 HP, what is 70?

Now, it was not my intention to enter this discussion, just wanted to clarify the usage of the word random in different contexts and languages.

I fully welcome the new NPC stating. It makes things simpler, smoother and definitely faster.

 

[cwhs01]

And since those rules differ from the PC creation rules, every single thread will devolve into this argument. Again and again and again.

wellll... having this discussion ONCE (or twice) is a good thing i guess

It is perfectly reasonable to expect pc creation rules to match NPC creation rules. But 3e showed us, the hard way, that this doesn't equal an easy or fast method for generating NPC's. 4e presents a (certainly faster and possibly even better?) alternative by giving a set of guidelines and defining average statistics for NPC's at different levels and dependent on metagame functions (brute, controller etc.). The exact details are unknown i think, though people have reversed engineered them (kinda) and created a lot of monsters allready.
what IS certain is that there will be a set of rules for npc creation in 4e (Dependent on how you define the word rules, ofcourse).

yes. i loves me the parenthesiseses.