Anyone else find it annoying to figure out skills for NPCs?

[el-remmen]

I remember back in 2E one of the things that annoyed me about creating NPC rogues was doing the point allocation for their thieving abilities, and I never have been the type to use the generic spread of points offered in the DMG b/c it does not seem true to the vision of hte character when you use those things (personally, for me all those NPC tables in the DMG are wasted space).

Now in 3E every single character has the equivalent of that kind of point allocation, except more complicated and with more exceptions and things to remember.

I find myself often skipping doing skills for NPCs altogether - and sometimes faking it (which chafes me to do) or just jotting down a skill or two and then realizing I forgot something important when it come down to a check being made, or realizing that the "faked" bonus I came up with was too high or too low - so it comes back to having to figure it all out again.

Now don't get me wrong, ideally I love the skill system of the 3.X it was the best improvement on the old editions and when you run a low magic gritty game like I do, skills are damn important and are used all the time (which I like) it just adds a ton to prep time.

I don't know what my point is - except that I have been sitting here doing skills for a bunch of NPCs all morning. . . and then realized I had forgotten to include armor check penalties. . . and got annoyed. . .

 

[LostWorldsMike]

The key to that problem is coming to grips with the concept that...

Rules are for players.

Once you've taken that as your personal mantra, your GMing life will be a breeze.

 

[GlassJaw]

Use Excel! It's your friend.

I actually made a spreadsheet to quickly calculate total skills, BAB, and saves. I agree with you though, skill points is the toughie.

Anyway, check out my sheet. I made it to be quick and dirty. The skill section is a little funky. You start with 1st level and then select however many other levels you have after that. I could have made it cleaner with some fancier functions but ehh.

 

[Arnwyn]

Yep, doing up NPCs - especially their skills - is horrendously brutal. For me, the worst part of 3e is making NPCs.

 

[MerakSpielman]

I find it easy.

How many skill points does the NPC get per level? That's how many skills he has totally maxed out. Just pick 'em and move on. It's not like NPCs make that many skill checks anyway.

 

[Alhazred]

My biggest problem with skill points and NPCs is that I either have too many skill points or not enough. With PCs, there are never too many skill points.

 

[cmanos]

I have no problem with it. I just assign whatever ranks I so please in the skills and don't bother counting to see if it is anywhere near what a character of that level should have. Rules are for PC's. The only rule govorning you is Rule Zero.

Somewhere around here wasn't there a thread of random NPC's? Sort of like the old 1st Ed Rogue's Gallery?

 

[Mallus]

Rules are for players.

And the award for Most Succint goes to...

 

[S'mon]

The key to that problem is coming to grips with the concept that...

Rules are for players.

Once you've taken that as your personal mantra, your GMing life will be a breeze.

Well said. I've never found an NPC skill that "Level +3" or "Level+5" didn't work just fine for. I'm sure his Skill Focus feat & stat mod compensated for that armour check penalty...

 

[jodyjohnson]

I just ballpark it.

Class Skill the NPC should have = Level+3+stat (usually +0)
Cross-class Skill the NPC should have = level/2+stat
everything else is just = stat.

Run of the mill NPCs have all 10s and one 12. (14 point buy).


An important recurring NPC would get a more detailed treatment.
Leftover skill points are assumed to go into Prof or Craft or something which doesn't come into play.