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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WalterKovacs" data-source="post: 4564262" data-attributes="member: 63763">It is possible to have an NPC that is with the party, however it continues to be an NPC, which means it has more HP, but fewer surges, etc. If it does become a PC, it's a matter of whether it is possible for it to be a PC. A human wizard type would gain powers the NPC may not have used, since they get fewer options as an NPC to streamline combat. It isn't that they didn't have that extra at-will ... it's just they didn't use it. For the powers the PCs don't have access to ... it's up to the DM whether or not to allow it for a PC. It may turn what was an encounter power to a daily power (since NPCs don't actually have daily powers since they aren't expected to fight multiple fights in the same day under normal situations). As for same race/class but different powers ... it can be that they received different training. Why the PCs can't gain access to that power? A difficult process of training that requires you be trained since birth vs. retraining, to get access to that power.   They have rules for NPCs fighting amongst themselves in the gladiator article (similarly PCs fighting each other). Basically, the NPC has more HP instead of healing surges ... and so if they fight each other, they don't have to follow any special rules except for the DM perhaps "shaping" the combat to suit the needs of challenging the party ... but there is nothing that requires NPC on NPC violence to follow special rules. The major difference between PCs and NPCs is that PCs are expected to have multiple encounters per day and be in the thick of things for many days. MOST NPCs will be in one fight, and that's it. So, daily powers, healing surges they have a limited access to during the fight and other "resources" that the PCs have to manage don't "fit" for the NPC. Thus they get a small number of cool powers instead of a ton of powers they may not be able to all use before they die, they get a lot of hit points instead of having to use surges to keep themselves alive, etc. Ultimately an NPC's at-will power will see less play at the table than a PCs daily power in the long run. Similarly, the NPC power has to work well against the PCs, while the PCs have a lot of different NPCs to go up against ... so versatility is great for the PCs ... not so much for NPCs.</blockquote>

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