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

[el-remmen]

I think this is ridiculous - players have to keep track of ONE character, GMs have to play an entire multiverse! Hundreds or thousands of NPCs, in a typical campaign. Where's the 'fairness' in that?

Well, the vast majority of NPCs in my game never get more notes than:

Maxel (F4/LG) - Acts as town smith and constable.

But if an when the time came that I thought he was going to play a more substantial role in the campaign or a particular adventure - then I would do something like this (as I did for one of the members of the afore-mentioned Company of the Impervious Ward):

Auncellus of Anhur
Male Human – Militant of Anhur 7; HD: 7d8 + 28; hps: 67 (rage:74); (Dies at: -43)
Init +1 (Dex); Speed 30 ft (rage 40 ft); Al: LN

AC 24/21/21 (+10/+7/+7 half plate, +3 BDB, +1 AF); Attack: BAB: +5/+0; +8/+3 (melee), +5/+0 (ranged), +10/+5 (masterwork spear (+1 to atk); weapon focus), +8/+3 (warhammer); Dmg: 1d8+5 (masterwork spear (+1 to dmg), 1d8+4 (war hammer)
SV Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +7;
Str 16 / 18 (+3 / rage: +4), Dex 13 (+1), Con 18 / 20 (+4 / rage: +5), Int 10, Wis 15 (+2), Cha 11

Special Abilities: Holy Rage (2/day; +2 Str + Con, +10 to speed, +2 on all will saves vs. mind-effecting spells/effects); lasts 11 rounds), Die Hard (fight at negs), Divine Spell-casting

Skills: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +4, Heal +4, Know (heraldry) +4, Know (law) +2, Literacy (common) +1, Riding +4, Spot +4, Listen +4, Jump -3
Feats: Weapon Focus (short spear), Power Attack, Armor Focus (half-plate), Fleet-Footed, Cleave

Spell Progression: 6 / 5 +1 / 4 +1 / 2+1 / 1+1
Prepared Spells: Cure Minor Wounds (x2), Light, Mending (x3), Cure Light Wounds (x2), Divine Favor (+2 to atk), Shield of Faith (+2 to AC), Magic Weapon, Aid, Bull’s Strength, Spiritual Weapon, Silence, Cure Moderate Wounds, Invisibility Purge, Divine Power (BAB: +7/+2; +6 to STR +7 temp hps). Domain Spells: Endure Elements, Ignore Pain, Bull’s Strength, Unceasing Stamina

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I write up all my NPCs in an electronic format, and recycle them a lot, sometimes with minor modifications.

If it helps you, I have also written up a small number of "generic" NPCs, which you can find here. More will follow in the future.

 

[Henry]

But if an when the time came that I thought he was going to play a more substantial role in the campaign or a particular adventure - then I would do something like this (as I did for one of the members of the afore-mentioned Company of the Impervious Ward):

Auncellus of Anhur
Male Human – Militant of Anhur 7; HD: 7d8 + 28; hps: 67 (rage:74); (Dies at: -43)
Init +1 (Dex); Speed 30 ft (rage 40 ft); Al: LN

AC 24/21/21 (+10/+7/+7 half plate, +3 BDB, +1 AF); Attack: BAB: +5/+0; +8/+3 (melee), +5/+0 (ranged), +10/+5 (masterwork spear (+1 to atk); weapon focus), +8/+3 (warhammer); Dmg: 1d8+5 (masterwork spear (+1 to dmg), 1d8+4 (war hammer)
SV Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +7;
Str 16 / 18 (+3 / rage: +4), Dex 13 (+1), Con 18 / 20 (+4 / rage: +5), Int 10, Wis 15 (+2), Cha 11

Special Abilities: Holy Rage (2/day; +2 Str + Con, +10 to speed, +2 on all will saves vs. mind-effecting spells/effects); lasts 11 rounds), Die Hard (fight at negs), Divine Spell-casting

Skills: Concentration +10, Diplomacy +4, Heal +4, Know (heraldry) +4, Know (law) +2, Literacy (common) +1, Riding +4, Spot +4, Listen +4, Jump -3
Feats: Weapon Focus (short spear), Power Attack, Armor Focus (half-plate), Fleet-Footed, Cleave

Spell Progression: 6 / 5 +1 / 4 +1 / 2+1 / 1+1
Prepared Spells: Cure Minor Wounds (x2), Light, Mending (x3), Cure Light Wounds (x2), Divine Favor (+2 to atk), Shield of Faith (+2 to AC), Magic Weapon, Aid, Bull’s Strength, Spiritual Weapon, Silence, Cure Moderate Wounds, Invisibility Purge, Divine Power (BAB: +7/+2; +6 to STR +7 temp hps). Domain Spells: Endure Elements, Ignore Pain, Bull’s Strength, Unceasing Stamina

Auncellus of Anhur
human male Militant of Anhur 7; hp: 67 Init +1 Al: LN AC 24 (tch 21 ff 21) Attack MW spear ( +10 dmg 1d8+5), War hammer (+8, 1d8+4) Save F9 R3 W7; Abil S 16 D 13 C 18 I 10 W 15 Ch 11; Holy Rage (11 rds, 2/day, +1 to hit & dmg, +14 hp, +1 Fort, +2 Will vs. mind-affecting, +10 spd) Skills: Conc +10, Heal +4, Spot/Listen +4

Spells: 6 / 5+1 / 4+1 / 2+1 / 1+1
Cure Light Wounds (1d8+5), Divine Favor (+2 atk), Shield of Faith (+2 AC), Aid (+1 atk, 1d8+7 temp hp, 7 rds), Bull’s Strength, Spirit Weapon (+7, 1d8), Silence, Cure Moderate (2d8+7), Invisibility Purge, Divine Power (BAB: +2; +6 to STR, +7 temp hps), Ignore Pain, Unceasing Stamina

Equip: MW Spear (Celestial runes on side), Half-plate armor (Anhur insignia)

While there's absolutely nothing wrong with statting out every aspect of this character, were it me, I could not run him with those reams of info to read through at game-time. So I would stat him as simply as possible, only statting those things that would be obvious in a combat situation. For instance, a 7th level character is rarely going to be using his 0-level spells, so I didn't stat them. If he needs a light spell or a guidance, then *poof*, he's got it. I didn't take the time to list out every hit point alteration, or his base speed, etc. because there's every chance he may not even get to USE them. If he does, I've only listed it once, in the hold rage description, specifically by what it does. I've not had a player nail me yet if an NPC cast a light spell instead of a guidance, or a fireball instead of a flame arrow.

Statting it out completely is ultimately a "fair" way to do it, I'll agree; but as S'mon says, where's the fair in a DM keeping track of a cast of dozens and the Players keep track of ONE?

And see I would be annoyed if I knew the DM did this for a BBEG when he ostensibly had plenty of time to prepare and knew this conflict/meeting was evetually going to happen.

Likely, he was using the time instead to plot out the complicated riddle that the tactician in the group gets to solve, or coming up with an in-depth mystery for the storyteller, or hot-swapping power supplies in a failed server at 3 in the morning...

When it comes down to it I would not feel personally satisfied doing it any other way. . . like I said, the way the skills work is the best part of 3E as far as I'm concerned - it just takes a lot of time in some cases - esp. since I tend to have a lot of multi-classed NPCs - as I prefer multi-classing to the myriad of alternative classes that have come out since the core books. . .

Cool deal - and when it works for a DM it works great! But if you ever get tired of assigning the last craft(pottery) point to the 17th member of the company of the Impervious Ward, you know where to find me and S'mon.

P.S. BTW, is attacking at +5/+0 a special of the Militant of Anhur class? If not, he should only be getting one attack at +5, unless there's something I'm missing.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I used to have a form where I did a breakdown of character level by class and level so that I could keep the cross-class skills clear.

Then I realized that for 95% of NPCs that it didn't matter so unless the character hasn't shown all his skills, I usually just go for that skill at character level +3 + modifier.

 

[el-remmen]

P.S. BTW, is attacking at +5/+0 a special of the Militant of Anhur class? If not, he should only be getting one attack at +5, unless there's something I'm missing.

The priest classes of war gods in Aquerra gain that as one of their special abilities - meaning they get a second attack at the same level as an equivalent fighter - but not being as good at it.

 

[Enkhidu]

My preferred style of gaming mirrors Nemm's pretty much, and as such I've lamented the fact that the latest edition of D&D makes it so hard to stat up fairly unique NPCs "on the fly." As such, I'm really hoping I can one day convince my group that a classless/leveless d20 is where we need to go.

Someone said above said it well - in Champions, point are for PCs. In such a system, only the PCs need to worry about collecting and assigning points, while the DM can easily eyeball an NPC's abilities, jot the info down, and proceed, and not worry about whether the feats and skills match with someone of that level.

 

[jester47]

Most combats don't get past ten rounds. So for a spellcaster all you really need to know is what ten spells they will cast first.

Otherwise if they are high enough level and can research the spell, and it is not prohibited to them, they can cast it.

(man thats horrible english)

Aaron.

 

[el-remmen]

Most combats don't get past ten rounds. So for a spellcaster all you really need to know is what ten spells they will cast first.

Two things:

1) Actually, I have found in my own game that the average combat length is closer to 15 rounds - and we regularly have combats that last 20 or 25 rounds.

2) How will you know which 10 spells they would be if you don't know exactly the circumstances that a fight might break out or what the PCs might do? Your advice just serve to cripple the NPC's options.

 

[Henry]

My preferred style of gaming mirrors Nemm's pretty much, and as such I've lamented the fact that the latest edition of D&D makes it so hard to stat up fairly unique NPCs "on the fly." As such, I'm really hoping I can one day convince my group that a classless/leveless d20 is where we need to go.

Someone said above said it well - in Champions, point are for PCs. In such a system, only the PCs need to worry about collecting and assigning points, while the DM can easily eyeball an NPC's abilities, jot the info down, and proceed, and not worry about whether the feats and skills match with someone of that level.

I don't understand your two statements; why could you do this for Champions and not d20?

 

[carpedavid]

Any NPC that's interesting enough to have a "name" I try to stat up. As Nemm mentioned, there are tons of ways that NPCs can interact with PCs. I tend to use Diplomacy and Sense Motive a lot, for example. Therefore, any NPC that I know the PCs are going to intereact with gets statted up.

Since I simply don't have time to do it all by hand, I use PCGen. I would never try to DM without it in my arsenal. Ocassionally, it gets things wrong, but 99% of the time, it takes into account things I would miss - like AC penalties.

That's my solution. I whipped up 11 fully-statted and equipped NPCs one morning last week - and that'll last me through about a month or so of sessions.