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Do you build NPCs to live or to die?
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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 4768936" data-attributes="member: 19675"><p>It depends upon the NPC.</p><p></p><p><strong>Commoners, Mooks & Minions? </strong> AC, HP and equipment will be as variable as their stature would suggest (IOW, regulars would have standardized equipment, brigands would have a hodge-podge). I may or may not fudge/nerf their rolls for storytelling purposes.</p><p></p><p><strong>Important NPCs? </strong> They're set up to be normal for their type. If that means tough, they'll be tough. If that means paper kittens, then paper kittens they shall be. I may or may not fudge/nerf their rolls for storytelling purposes.</p><p></p><p><strong>BBEGs? </strong> Tough. Intelligent. Crafty. Prepared. They'll use equipment and tactics sufficient to let the players know they've been in a fight, up to and including a possible TPK. This also means that they will NOT get fudged or nerfed unless it is absolutely critical to do so, and that's rare.</p><p></p><p>How rare? In a campaign I ran a few years ago, the players conspired while I wasn't around. They tracked down the BBEG to a meeting with a Master Weaponsmith, and approached him. (This was an unscripted encounter- I run a pretty big sandbox style of game.) In fact, it was an ambush...and a well thought out one. On top of everything else, the party rolled obscenely well and the NPCs couldn't get out of single digits. The BBEG went down in just a couple of rounds. AND they escaped the BBEG's guards with barely a scratch!</p><p></p><p>All of a sudden, I had no BBEG for the final encounter of the story arc...</p><p></p><p>I was flummoxed, and with the players laughing their collective <strong>[DONKEYS]</strong> off, I called the evening short so I could regroup.</p><p></p><p>Fortunately when we reconvened 2 weeks later, the BBEG's consort turned out to be nearly his equal in matters arcane...and she and her entourage rolled a bit better, resulting in a nice, dramatic encounter with plenty of give & take.</p><p></p><p>I didn't fudge rolls for the sake of the plot- the players planning and execution (heh, nice choice of words) was rewarded- even though it meant more work for me.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 4768936, member: 19675"] It depends upon the NPC. [B]Commoners, Mooks & Minions? [/B] AC, HP and equipment will be as variable as their stature would suggest (IOW, regulars would have standardized equipment, brigands would have a hodge-podge). I may or may not fudge/nerf their rolls for storytelling purposes. [B]Important NPCs? [/B] They're set up to be normal for their type. If that means tough, they'll be tough. If that means paper kittens, then paper kittens they shall be. I may or may not fudge/nerf their rolls for storytelling purposes. [B]BBEGs? [/B] Tough. Intelligent. Crafty. Prepared. They'll use equipment and tactics sufficient to let the players know they've been in a fight, up to and including a possible TPK. This also means that they will NOT get fudged or nerfed unless it is absolutely critical to do so, and that's rare. How rare? In a campaign I ran a few years ago, the players conspired while I wasn't around. They tracked down the BBEG to a meeting with a Master Weaponsmith, and approached him. (This was an unscripted encounter- I run a pretty big sandbox style of game.) In fact, it was an ambush...and a well thought out one. On top of everything else, the party rolled obscenely well and the NPCs couldn't get out of single digits. The BBEG went down in just a couple of rounds. AND they escaped the BBEG's guards with barely a scratch! All of a sudden, I had no BBEG for the final encounter of the story arc... I was flummoxed, and with the players laughing their collective [B][DONKEYS][/B] off, I called the evening short so I could regroup. Fortunately when we reconvened 2 weeks later, the BBEG's consort turned out to be nearly his equal in matters arcane...and she and her entourage rolled a bit better, resulting in a nice, dramatic encounter with plenty of give & take. I didn't fudge rolls for the sake of the plot- the players planning and execution (heh, nice choice of words) was rewarded- even though it meant more work for me. [/QUOTE]
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