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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 8396034" data-attributes="member: 29398">My take on it, having built a gajillion NPCs for 1e over the years, is to just assign numbers etc. rather than rolling them all and then put them to this key test: could what I've just dreamed up be a reasonable and-or achievable result if it had been rolled up in full?In other words, if I'd rolled it up properly could I have generated this character?&nbsp; If yes, all is good.&nbsp; If no, I've done something wrong.Example: Dwarves in my game can't be arcane casters.&nbsp; Therefore, if I've a need for an arcane caster in a Dwarven setting I either have to make it a non-Dwarf or come up with a plan B that doesn't require an arcane caster.&nbsp; I can't just decide &quot;Oh, this NPC Dwarf is an Illusionist even though PC Dwarves can't be&quot; because if I do I violate my own setting and the players would have every right to protest.Second example: Gnomes in my setting have a maximum possible strength of 16.&nbsp; If I want a Gnome NPC with Strength 19 I'm going to have to give it a magic item to get it there, in full awareness that if-when the PCs defeat said Gnome they're almost certainly going to loot it and get the strength-bestowing item.&nbsp; I can't just arbitrarily declare &quot;This Gnome goes to 19&quot;.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 8396034, member: 29398"] My take on it, having built a gajillion NPCs for 1e over the years, is to just assign numbers etc. rather than rolling them all and then put them to this key test: could what I've just dreamed up be a reasonable and-or achievable result if it had been rolled up in full? In other words, if I'd rolled it up properly could I have generated this character? If yes, all is good. If no, I've done something wrong. Example: Dwarves in my game can't be arcane casters. Therefore, if I've a need for an arcane caster in a Dwarven setting I either have to make it a non-Dwarf or come up with a plan B that doesn't require an arcane caster. I can't just decide "Oh, this NPC Dwarf is an Illusionist even though PC Dwarves can't be" because if I do I violate my own setting and the players would have every right to protest. Second example: Gnomes in my setting have a maximum possible strength of 16. If I want a Gnome NPC with Strength 19 I'm going to have to give it a magic item to get it there, in full awareness that if-when the PCs defeat said Gnome they're almost certainly going to loot it and get the strength-bestowing item. I can't just arbitrarily declare "This Gnome goes to 19". [/QUOTE]

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