Treebore
First Post
I've always found classed NPC's to be the deadliest "monsters" around.
Do you roll monster/NPC hit points?
- Thread starter Water Bob
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I've always found classed NPC's to be the deadliest "monsters" around.
Ahnehnois
First Post
I roll my monster hit points. After I assign their ability scores, advance their hit dice, add a template or two, throw in some class levels, select all their feats, skills, and spells from a full range of sources, and equip them with whatever magic items they can use. I prewrite every monster and NPC, often weeks in advance.
Honestly, I had forgotten the concept of average hit points.
Honestly, I had forgotten the concept of average hit points.
Celebrim
Legend
I generally only roll hit points for wandering monsters. I usually use average to slightly above average (+1/2 to +1 hit points on the die) for placed monsters.
Some one mentioned that they always use maximum hit points for monsters and NPC's. As a PC it really annoys me when a DM does this reflexively. I personally think its always better to up the monster count by one (thereby increasing the number of actions for the monster team) if I'm having difficulty challenging the players. At the very least, the DM that does this should give the full XP award (if in 1e) or up the effective CR by 1 when awarding XP (if in 3e). The only time I go for maximum hit points on the die is when I place a legendary monster of some sort on the map.
Currently there is a legendary Peryton ("Swift Jack") and a legendary Dire Boar ("The Beast of Lougher") on my sand box map. Both are triple HD and maximum hit points, which I think is suitable for a unique named creature with a backstory. Individuals of PC's races IMO should never be given maximum hit points, and random creatures of no reknown ought to be playing by the same rules as the characters. When I find out I'm facing NPC's built with 48 point buy and having maximum hit points, I generally just get annoyed rather than thrilled.
Some one mentioned that they always use maximum hit points for monsters and NPC's. As a PC it really annoys me when a DM does this reflexively. I personally think its always better to up the monster count by one (thereby increasing the number of actions for the monster team) if I'm having difficulty challenging the players. At the very least, the DM that does this should give the full XP award (if in 1e) or up the effective CR by 1 when awarding XP (if in 3e). The only time I go for maximum hit points on the die is when I place a legendary monster of some sort on the map.
Currently there is a legendary Peryton ("Swift Jack") and a legendary Dire Boar ("The Beast of Lougher") on my sand box map. Both are triple HD and maximum hit points, which I think is suitable for a unique named creature with a backstory. Individuals of PC's races IMO should never be given maximum hit points, and random creatures of no reknown ought to be playing by the same rules as the characters. When I find out I'm facing NPC's built with 48 point buy and having maximum hit points, I generally just get annoyed rather than thrilled.
OnlineDM
Adventurer
I run D&D4e, which doesn't even seem to have RULES for rolling monster hit points. However, I remembered doing so in the short time that I played 3e about eight or nine years ago, and a few times I've tweaked the monsters around their average by rolling a die (maybe roll a d8 and add that much to one monster and subtract that much from another).
I've mainly thought about this when the players have started getting too "mathy" and figured out monster hit points within a very narrow range; I'd rather keep them guessing a little bit as to whether a normal attack would be enough to drop the bad guy, or whether they'd need to break out something special.
I've mainly thought about this when the players have started getting too "mathy" and figured out monster hit points within a very narrow range; I'd rather keep them guessing a little bit as to whether a normal attack would be enough to drop the bad guy, or whether they'd need to break out something special.
Tequila Sunrise
Adventurer
Yeah, this stuff adds character so I try to do this too.
But honestly, I don't see how an NPC having 7 hp rather than 9 hp adds character. Nobody'll ever know but me. So I don't roll hp, just like I don't roll for base attack bonus or skill points.
I can see the appeal of rolling NPC stats, but I rarely do it.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
I only roll generation statistics when absolutely necessary, I find it cuts down on prep time.
Of course, prepping for a campaign is a lot of rolls and generating the scenario for each session is a goodly number too. So, I'd say I do roll HP prior to a play session almost all the time.
HP totals alter the difficulty challenge of an encounter leading to combat, so having them pre-rolled allows me to place potential encounters in areas where they are level appropriate.
Let's take a somewhat big example for the amount of detail: Bandits
20d10 appearing = 115 (with additional leaders, M-Us, etc. generated from that roll's total according to the MM).
Then generate HP for each, a 1d6, and put them into teams. This differs by each monster's organization. In this case, let's say 10 groups, giving us 11-12 members per group. Normally grouping would be by the number of leaders, but 10 divides easily for later territorial distribution, as you'll see.
Organization is based on average and leader INT, Alignment, leadership personnel, and other factors. The columns above each account for a average team with strong and weak members with each team ending up more or less at the same challenge level.
For Bandits 20% will be in the lair / bandit camp, while the others are out roaming. Their numbers, speed, the terrain type, and a bunch of other factors determines just how large the claimed territory they roam is. With 20% at home, we keep the bandit king and probably the two most powerful groups in the lair. Or maybe they cycle them out with the other 80% attempting to steal goods based on their goals and strategies (basically what makes them bandits).
Anyone entering the overall region of terrain which includes this territory falls victim to potential encounters according to pre-rolled Wandering Monster checks which I then put on a timeline. Some of the monsters on the table are the bandits. If a band of them are rolled on this regional table, I'll roll for one of the 8 which are afield randomly and outfit it with the rest of the supplies, background, and information they should have - more generation rolls or just taking note of what already is generated in connection with them (commensurate treasure).
If the players run into these guys, they become named NPCs. Even if the encounter is avoided by the PCs (perhaps the party gains surprise and sneaks away), they still have knowledge of the bandits faces in this band.
Named NPCs are tracked by me beyond your basic wandering monster roaming the lands. They retain their history of "on screen" action and accumulate more. If it is possible in a scenario they will come up again, I can generate backgrounds for them too - beyond what has already been generated (i.e. they are bandits, they know their roaming area, they know the orders their leaders gave, etc.)
It may seem like a lot of work, but once you know your system, it moves quickly and leads to some very interesting outcomes one might not have come up with on his or her own.
EDIT: You'll see I'm not rolling ability scores or really *anything* else until it becomes necessary to know those variable statistics. I do them at the table, if need be.
Of course, prepping for a campaign is a lot of rolls and generating the scenario for each session is a goodly number too. So, I'd say I do roll HP prior to a play session almost all the time.
HP totals alter the difficulty challenge of an encounter leading to combat, so having them pre-rolled allows me to place potential encounters in areas where they are level appropriate.
Let's take a somewhat big example for the amount of detail: Bandits
20d10 appearing = 115 (with additional leaders, M-Us, etc. generated from that roll's total according to the MM).
Then generate HP for each, a 1d6, and put them into teams. This differs by each monster's organization. In this case, let's say 10 groups, giving us 11-12 members per group. Normally grouping would be by the number of leaders, but 10 divides easily for later territorial distribution, as you'll see.
Code:
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4
4 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1 1Organization is based on average and leader INT, Alignment, leadership personnel, and other factors. The columns above each account for a average team with strong and weak members with each team ending up more or less at the same challenge level.
For Bandits 20% will be in the lair / bandit camp, while the others are out roaming. Their numbers, speed, the terrain type, and a bunch of other factors determines just how large the claimed territory they roam is. With 20% at home, we keep the bandit king and probably the two most powerful groups in the lair. Or maybe they cycle them out with the other 80% attempting to steal goods based on their goals and strategies (basically what makes them bandits).
Anyone entering the overall region of terrain which includes this territory falls victim to potential encounters according to pre-rolled Wandering Monster checks which I then put on a timeline. Some of the monsters on the table are the bandits. If a band of them are rolled on this regional table, I'll roll for one of the 8 which are afield randomly and outfit it with the rest of the supplies, background, and information they should have - more generation rolls or just taking note of what already is generated in connection with them (commensurate treasure).
If the players run into these guys, they become named NPCs. Even if the encounter is avoided by the PCs (perhaps the party gains surprise and sneaks away), they still have knowledge of the bandits faces in this band.
Named NPCs are tracked by me beyond your basic wandering monster roaming the lands. They retain their history of "on screen" action and accumulate more. If it is possible in a scenario they will come up again, I can generate backgrounds for them too - beyond what has already been generated (i.e. they are bandits, they know their roaming area, they know the orders their leaders gave, etc.)
It may seem like a lot of work, but once you know your system, it moves quickly and leads to some very interesting outcomes one might not have come up with on his or her own.
EDIT: You'll see I'm not rolling ability scores or really *anything* else until it becomes necessary to know those variable statistics. I do them at the table, if need be.
Last edited:
I like doing it. The dice "tell" me something about the NPC. For example, I just rolled up a guard dog and 3 NPCs for tomorrow's game.
Just the way the dice went gave me impressions about the characters. One is a knife fighter. (1st level encounter.) He fights two-handed, using a stilletto in one hand and a dagger in the other. Those two weapons, he wears on his hips. There's a hidden knife under his pants leg on the right hand side. And, across his chest on a wide cross-chest holder, he wears four throwing daggers. They alternate and point to opposite sides. I gave him Point Blank Shot and Weapon Focus: Stilletto.
Another NPC, the dude with the dog, is watching the front of the cave entrance. He shaves 3/4s of his head, letting the hair on the back of his head grow long. He's got long side burns, but shaves his upper lip and chin.
He's bare chested, wears an animal skin vest, leather trews (pants), and moccasins. Half his teeth are sharpened to points (as if he hasn't finished filing the other side yet). And, he has a small tattoo at his left temple (it's a five leafed clover). His name is Farren, and he also fights two-handed, but he's not as good as Shivas. He's just trying to be like him--looks up to him (though they're both boys, Age 15 and 16, level 1 Barbarians). Farren hasn't been able to obtain daggers, so he uses two handaxes he took from the wood pile.
Little backgrounds like that help me put a lot of "umph" into the NPCs when the players encounter them. Sometimes I'll let the players overhear bits and pieces of dialogue between NPCs (when appropriate), and this type of background helps me ad-lib that. I think it's neat when the players try to figure out what the NPCs are talking about when they come in in the middle of an coversation.
Interesting. I've been creating a couple of encounters for tomorrow's game for about 4 hours now, and all I rolled was stats for those 3 NPCs I mentioned above. I didn't have to roll HP as they were 1st level characters--gave them max points.
The actual encounter design doesn't require a lot of rolls from me, though I did draw a not-to-scale map and make a lot of notes on it (for GM use only), allowing the players to explore the area. That took a lot of time. I kept getting creative with it, even developed some local history about the area (The banks of the Blood River, where the interesting thicket trees grow...).
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