Do you Assign NPC stats?

[Tinker Gnome]

When making an NPC's stas do you just assign them, or do you roll them.

E.X. I want the BBEG to have 28 Strength, so he will. Or roll for it and find that the BBEG has only 16 Strength.

 

[Thanee]

I assign them as it befits the character in question, but I keep them somewhat within the realms of the PCs for major NPCs and lower for other NPCs.

I sometimes roll stats, if I only have decided about some but not all stats, and only assign those, which are necessary, like giving the strong smith a Str of 16 instead of having him end up with a 7 after a dice roll.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Usually I'll do point buy:
28 or 32 pts for a major villain or other powerful NPC
25 pts for elite soldiers
15 pts average joe

Sometimes though I'll just make up stats (ranging from 3-18 I try to make the stats fair though and not overpowering) or increase the pt. buy up as high as 36 or 38. A couple times when making up random NPCs I've rolled.

Ofc I add ability pts. for every 4 levels and equipment/magical bonuses normally.

 

[Crothian]

Assign NPC stats? what is this??

Most of the NPCs never get stated in my game, and when they do I give them the numbers they should have, rolling and point buy are for players. NPCs fill the role they are meant to fit.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

Heck, I rarely hand out stats to any but the most important of NPCs. If there is a fighter that they go up against and needs stats, I doubt it matters what his Dex is but I might say he has a +2 (or higher if he is high level or something).

 

[caudor]

I only fully stat NPCs that I think might be involved in combat at some point in the game (either by the players or other NPCs).

Sometimes, I'm even wrong about that, so I do stand ready to come up with stats on the fly if needed.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Assign NPC stats? what is this??

Most of the NPCs never get stated in my game, and when they do I give them the numbers they should have, rolling and point buy are for players. NPCs fill the role they are meant to fit.

What he said. Life's too short to spend a lot of time obsessing over every last detail for NPCs. Make 'em so they can do what you want, and move on. So long as they are ballpark legit, it's no big deal if it's got an extra +1 or skill point or feat.

 

[IronWolf]

I don't stat out many NPCs at all. Many of the NPCs never see combat with the PCs, so there isn't really a great need to stat them out, my time is spent better elsewhere. If the bad guy NPCs come into play it depends on how likely the party is to actually enter combat with them. If the probability is high then they get whatever they need to fit what I have in mind for that NPC.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Usually I'll do point buy:
28 or 32 pts for a major villain or other powerful NPC
25 pts for elite soldiers
15 pts average joe

Ditto.

 

[painandgreed]

Point buy, but if I want to fudge it to fit a certain part, I do so. If I don't have the books handy, I might just roll the stats. But in general for major NPCs, I point buy (32) and then build the NPC up through their levels then flesh out with magic items.