Favored Classes and NPCs
- Thread starter pawsplay
- Start date
IronWolf
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They can take either according to the FAQ:
What creatures get favored class bonuses to hit points or skills?
I also saw this discussed in the final installment of the Kingmaker AP discussion thread where James Jacobs said they were choosing a succinct stat block as opposed to a complex stat block. (linking to that post in the spoiler tag below, as the portion of the thread is talking about a critter in the final module of Kingmaker, so I don't want surprises ruined. You've been warned.)
I typically don't reverse engineer the stat blocks of things as I run across them so I certainly appreciate the falling on the succinct side of things, though I know others want to see *all* the information for the PC including favored class choices.
[sblock=possible spoiler thread for Kingmaker]
paizo.com - Paizo / Messageboards / Paizo Publishing / Pathfinder® / Pathfinder Adventure Paths / Kingmaker / Sound of a Thousand Screams (GM Reference)
[/sblock]
pawsplay
Hero
I would prefer they show their work. I was trying to advance a goblin warrior, and I noticed:
1) It's easier if you know what favored class advances they took, and
2) I can't tell if his stat block includes armor check penalty for his shield without using maths
I'm all for simple stat blocks, but I think I am going to make a habit of showing my work.
1) It's easier if you know what favored class advances they took, and
2) I can't tell if his stat block includes armor check penalty for his shield without using maths
I'm all for simple stat blocks, but I think I am going to make a habit of showing my work.
IronWolf
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I cruised some of the Paizo threads a bit more. It seems a lot of the Bestiary entries do not have it factored in, though they should. A goblin warrior was also one of the ones mentioned frequently by the folks taking time to reverse engineer the stat block.
As for the shield thing it seemed the consensus was not factored in either. Some thought maybe his stats were figured while using the short bow.
Certainly some confusion arises when the info isn't shown. I tend to fly more by the seat of my pants and don't sweat the small 1hp differences here or there - but I know some people don't like that and want the NPCs/critters to reverse engineer exactly as they should.
pawsplay
Hero
Oh, lovely. Hopefully something that will get cleaned up, by and by.
As for the shield thing it seemed the consensus was not factored in either. Some thought maybe his stats were figured while using the short bow.
They would kind of have to be, since he can't use the bow in conjunction with the shield. But he is probably using the shield more often. His Stealth certainly seems to be 0 ranks +2 Dex +4 size +4 racial = +10.
I don't sweat it much during play, but it IS annoying when I try to advance a critter or try to use something like the goblin to interpret Paizo's "best practices" in writing stat blocks.
IronWolf
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After doing the above looking on Paizo forums and seeing the confusion that surrounds whether the favored class bonus was included and what it went to I am starting to think one more line added to the statblock to mention it wouldn't hurt that much! Something like fc: +1hp or something like that.
pawsplay
Hero
I think adding that line and listing what ACP had been applied to skills would streamline using the statblocks dynamically.
Friend of the Dork
First Post
Hmm in my Pathfinder book it says NPCs don't get favored class bonuses....
IronWolf
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I was answering according to the FAQ on the Paizo boards. Can you reference the page number where the book says NPCs do not get favored class bonuses?
Starman
Adventurer
I just searched my pdf of the core book and I couldn't find a reference to this. Maybe it's in the Bestiary?
