D&D 5E Character or monster builds for important NPCs?

[Fenris-77]

If it's an appropriate humanoid it's got a class and level, if it's a monster it's a monster. I'll usually simplify the leveled NPCs, but I don't turn them into monster stat blocks. I quite enjoy using classed NPCs as big bads. If the players are using feats, so are the bad guys. Call it the price of admission.

 

[Lidgar]

Both.

If it's an NPC that may side with the party, then I tend to use PC builds. This allows one of the players to run it as another PC to take it off my hands, as well as someone they can play in case of the untimely death of their main PC.

Enemy NPC's are almost always monster builds. More flexibility, plus sometimes need legendary/lair actions.

 

[Lanefan]

If it could theoretically be a PC then it's built as a PC. (e.g. the Big Bad Human Wizard could in theory be a PC, so it's built as a PC)

If it's close enough to what could theoretically be a PC then it's built as a PC. (e.g. the Big Bad Drow Wizard is built as a PC even though Drow cannot be PCs in my game)

If it's a monster then it's a monster, except if its abilities overlap with those of PCs they use PC rules for those. (e.g. the Big Bad Lich Wizard uses monster rules for the Lich part and PC rules for the Wizard part).

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Depends on what you expect the NPC to be doing.

The sidekick rules from "Essentials" can also be useful for "levelled" NPCs.

 

[Li Shenron]

When you create an important NPC for your homebrew game do you use character or monster builds?

Mainly monsters build, in the sense that I just make something up. Normally however I don't design monsters from scratch, but I just take existing monsters and add extra features.

However, building PCs with classes is fun, so why not sometimes using that too for designing NPCs?

 

[Olrox17]

I enjoy building relevant NPCs with PHB rules. Not your regular foot soldier or thug, but that powerful sorcerer that advises the king? Definitely.

 

[dave2008]

I definitely start with a pretty typical monster stat block. If the NPC continues to interact with the PCs, I may add more traits, equipment, actions, or whatever so that it eventually becomes something in-between a PC character sheet and monster stat block.

 

[R_J_K75]

I generally do a little of both and bend the rules a bit to get the desired result. I just make sure they are interesting and beatable for the players.

 

[R_J_K75]

I often think having good story is the most important stat block for NPCs tbh.

This!! As the years go on I have statted NPCs less and less. They generally start as a very small idea in game and I build their personality and details/minimal mechanics the more it interacts with the players. I read a good piece of advice regarding NPCs years ago and I have used this ever since. Obviously this requires some discretion and isn't used for everything but if an NPC is trying to do something, at the lowest common denominator theyre either going to succeed or fail so just roll percentiles, 50/50. Saves a lot of time and has served me well for over 20 years.

 

[aco175]

I always use monster stats for NPCs. I tend to layer PC abilities to make them unique, but the plan is to keep them simple. I may give a fighter-type NPC d10 for HP instead of d8 and maybe be able to crit on 19/20 as well. I also like to give 4e abilities as 1/rest powers. I have a close burst 1 fighter-type power where he can attack all the monsters/PCs next to him as an action.

Is there a point when a monster statblock becomes a PC statblock?