How do you design NPCs?

[Mercurius]

One of the things I dislike about 4E (and 3.5E)--and, consequently, one of the things I most look forward to about Next--is the complexity of making higher level characters from scratch, having to pick dozens of powers and feats from lists of hundreds, not to mention magic items. This has proved to be a problem lately in that I'm running a high paragon adventure and wanted to incorporate a couple NPCs that would travel with them for a bit and wanted to have a full character sheet for them so they could participate in combat, but was struggling with designing them. Designing an 18th level deva psion from scratch is...well, difficult.

Designing it is one thing - and could take an hour or more to do it well - but playing it would be even worse.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post. How do you do it? Design NPCs, that is? And how do you do it in such a way that the NPC is relatively detailed - more than your average monster - but without all the unnecessary details of a PC and thus easy to play and fit into a combat round? In other words, I want something somewhere between a monster stat block and a full-blown PC. Maybe half a dozen powers and a few feat-like adjustments or features, some trained skills, crucial magic items, etc. And I want the NPC to actually be as powerful as their level equivalent.

Any good resources for this? Online NPC creators? Etc.

Thanks1

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

I have a guide that I wrote that I use to make NPCs. My NPC blocks are only one degree removed from monster blocks though, so probably not what you're looking for.

If I wanted more detail without going all-out PC, I'd load an NPC up with generic powers (another invention of mine that makes my DMing job simpler), and passive feats (feat taxes, weapon/implement focus, toughness, improved initiative, etc.). Oh, and I use inherent bonuses so there'd be no necessity for magic paraphernalia.

 

[S'mon]

One of the things I dislike about 4E (and 3.5E)--and, consequently, one of the things I most look forward to about Next--is the complexity of making higher level characters from scratch, having to pick dozens of powers and feats from lists of hundreds, not to mention magic items.

Eh... ...If you read the 4e DMG and DMG2, you'll see that that's not how you make NPCs in 4e. You make them like monsters, with attributes defined by their level and role. You can give them a couple PC-type abilities if you want, but there's no picking feats at all, and they only get maybe two-three powers, whatever their level.

NPCs that travel with the party should use the 'Companion NPC' rules in DMG2. They are still built like monsters; no feats or magic items. The main difference from monsters is fewer hp & more healing surges. You are not supposed to use the PC rules to make them.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

One of the things I dislike about 4E (and 3.5E)--and, consequently, one of the things I most look forward to about Next--is the complexity of making higher level characters from scratch, having to pick dozens of powers and feats from lists of hundreds, not to mention magic items. This has proved to be a problem lately in that I'm running a high paragon adventure and wanted to incorporate a couple NPCs that would travel with them for a bit and wanted to have a full character sheet for them so they could participate in combat, but was struggling with designing them. Designing an 18th level deva psion from scratch is...well, difficult.

That's because you're using the wrong set of rules. If you're equating 3e and 4e NPC design, you're doing it wrong.

There's two accepted ways of designing NPCs, post DMG2/MM3.

1) Use the DMG2/MM3 rules to make a monster that is "flavored" like a class-using character. Generally, this means building the basic creature, and then adding special abilities taken from the PH1, Heroes of the Fallen Lands, or what have you.

A simple, generic fighter looks like this:


Fighter, Hammer
Level 5
Soldier
Medium natural humanoid, human
XP 200
HP 63
Bloodied 31


Initiative +5
AC 21
Fortitude 19
Reflex 16
Will 16
Perception +8
Speed 5
Traits
Defender Aura (martial) * Aura 1: While in the aura, any enemy takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls when it makes an attack that does not include the fighter among its targets. Marked enemies are not subject to this aura.
Standard Actions
(mb) Warhammer (weapon) * At-Will. Atk: +10 vs AC. Hit: 1d10+7 damage.
Tide of Iron (martial, weapon) * At-Will. Atk: +8 vs Fort. Hit: 1d10+7 damage, and the fighter pushes the target 1 square. The fighter can shift 1 square into the space that the target occupied.
Dizzying Blow (martial, weapon) * Recharge if the fighter misses. Atk: +8 vs Fort. Hit: 1d10+10 damage, and the target is immobilized (save ends).
Minor Actions
Glowering Threat (fear, martial) * Recharge when first bloodied. Effect: Close burst 2 (enemies in the burst). The target takes a -5 penalty to attack rolls against any creature other than the fighter until the end of the fighter's next turn.
Triggered Actions
Battle Guardian (martial) * At-Will. Trigger: An enemy subject to the fighter's defender aura either shifts or makes an attack that targets a creature other than the fighter. Atk (Opportunity Action): The fighter uses warhammer or tide of iron against the triggering creature.
Skills Athletics +11, Intimidate +7
Str 19
Dex 12
Wis 13


Con 15
Int 11
Cha 10


Alignment any
Languages Common
Equipment scale mail, heavy shield, warhammer

I don't use the Monster Builder, but you could easily use it to make such a character too. It follows the monster rules, because it's using the monster rules.

2) The companion rules. There's no good reason for that 18th-level deva psion to use any other set of rules. If I didn't have to make 7 or 8 NPCs for a session I'm running tomorrow, I'd make such a companion for you, just to show you how easy it is.

For the purpose you're describing here, you'd rather have a companion than a regular "monster" NPC. If only because anything accompanying PCs could really use healing surges.

The companion rules are in the DMG2. The math is easy, although the layout of the rules could use a little work. Still, the hardest part is just picking which abilities the character gets. For a paragon-level psion, you just pick 2 encounter or utility powers and add them to the package. Because of how psionic encounter powers work, I would have to do a little extra work to add on power points; this is an unfortunate circumstance of WotC making the psionic rules too experimental If you don't like that idea, make an 18th-level deva psion monster first, and then convert it into a companion. (I can do this in one step, to save time. But I have some experience with this.) That way you can avoid power points entirely.

Companions do not have feats. They do not have magic items. They have far fewer choices than regular PCs, and that's for a reason - to save you time and complexity once play starts.

They're not as powerful as PCs. They're not supposed to be. They cannot be. That way lies madness, or at least the perception that a "DMPC" is more powerful than a PC.

Which brings me to the purpose of this post. How do you do it? Design NPCs, that is? And how do you do it in such a way that the NPC is relatively detailed - more than your average monster - but without all the unnecessary details of a PC and thus easy to play and fit into a combat round?

You can't have it all. I frankly find solos less detailed than a PC, so I don't think what you're looking for is possible. Although companions are close; they're a little more complex, if only due to the healing surge rules

In other words, I want something somewhere between a monster stat block and a full-blown PC. Maybe half a dozen powers and a few feat-like adjustments or features, some trained skills, crucial magic items, etc. And I want the NPC to actually be as powerful as their level equivalent.

Half a dozen powers results in an overly-complex NPC. I think three's a few epic solos that are more complex, but then, that's an epic solo! You're running this guy (and maybe more than one companion!) at the same time you're probably running full encounters, trying to keep track of the RP of various NPCs the PCs engage in skill challenges with, etc. Magic items eventually become outdated, and you don't want companions taking magic items that the PCs also want. Among other things, keeping track of loot to give out to PCs takes up more work. (While class differences tend to segregate items, both a cleric companion and a fighter PC might want to wear that sweet new scale mail you just dug up.)

Save yourself time and stress. Use a companion. One reason I jumped from running 3e (or, more accurately, d20 Modern) to 4e is the ease of designing NPCs. Yesterday, wasting time when I should have been prepping for my upcoming campaign session, I converted the entire supporting cast of a Warhammer Fanstasy novel into 4e. Took me less than 2 hours. That was 14 NPCs, although to be fair, six of them were identical flagellants, so that's more like doing up 8 or 9 NPCs instead.

 

[S'mon]

How do you do it? Design NPCs, that is? And how do you do it in such a way that the NPC is relatively detailed - more than your average monster - but without all the unnecessary details of a PC and thus easy to play and fit into a combat round? In other words, I want something somewhere between a monster stat block and a full-blown PC. Maybe half a dozen powers and a few feat-like adjustments or features, some trained skills, crucial magic items, etc. And I want the NPC to actually be as powerful as their level equivalent.

For a companion NPC that is as powerful as a PC of that level, I make them as an Elite, so they have an Action Point and Elite Monster level of damage output, but use the Companion NPC hit point rules, which give roughly PC-equivalent hp. It would be silly and pointless to spend an hour worrying about Feats and umpteen Powers, so don't. They have maybe Three Powers, four tops. They get an appropriate number of Trained Skills, typically four. I might give them a magic item or two for flavour, but it's completely unnecessary and it won't affect their stats, which are determined by level & role.

Here is a very detailed 'Elite NPC' IMC, built per Companion rules. It's an Inherent Bonuses campaign, so no magic items. In a high-magic campaign I'd assume he had baseline magic '+' items appropriate for his level:

Sir Jorah Blackthorn, Ranger of Tavysburg Level 11 Elite Skirmisher, Companion NPC
Medium natural humanoid (human) XP 1,200
HP 78 Bloodied 39 Healing Surges 8 Surge Value 19
AC 25; Fortitude 21; Reflex 24; Will 24
Speed 6
Action Points 1 Initiative +9
Perception +16

Standard Actions
m Sword (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: +16 vs. AC
Hit: 2d8 + 6 damage.
r Longbow (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Ranged 20/40; +16 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 10 damage.
R Nimble Strike (weapon) • At-Will
Attack: Ranged 20/40; +16 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 10 damage; May shift 1 before or after the attack.
R Splintering Shot (weapon) • Daily
Attack: Ranged 20/40; +16 vs. AC
Hit: 3d10 + 10 damage, and the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.
Miss: Half damage, and the target takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls until the end of the encounter.
Minor Actions
Hunter's Quarry • At-Will
Effect: May designate the enemy nearest to him as his quarry. Once per round, he deals +1d6 damage to his quarry. This effect remains active until the end of the encounter, until the quarry is defeated, or until he designates a different target as his quarry.
Triggered Actions
R Disruptive Strike (weapon) • Encounter
Attack (Immediate Interrupt): When an ally is attacked. Ranged 20/40; +16 vs. AC
Hit: 1d10 + 10 The target takes a -6 penalty to its attack roll.
Weave Through the Fray • Encounter
Effect (Immediate Interrupt): When an enemy moves adjacent. May shift 3 squares.
Other Powers
Defensive Mobility • Encounter, Minor action
Effect: Gains a +4 bonus to AC against opportunity attacks until end of his turn
Skills Nature +14, Endurance +13
Str 15 (+7) Dex 18 (+9) Wis 18 (+9)
Con 16 (+8) Int 13 (+6) Cha 12 (+6)
Alignment lawful good Languages Common, Elven
Equipment, longsword, longbow, 20 arrows, hide armour
Sir Jorah is 35 years old, red beard, lean, weathered complexion, well muscled and in his prime. Second born of three brother Rangers from the Blackthorn family of minor gentry, traditionally the Stewards of Tavysburg for the Travys family. Sir Jorah was once an adventurer, then Master of Arms to the Lady Eclara Travys, cousin to Lady Moonfire, but became bored with his post and took to heavy drinking. On the night the raiders sacked Tavys Manor (M6 1479 DR) he was carousing with his brothers Sir Michael and Sir Arren at the White Wolf Tavern in Tavysburg. He returned next morning to find Travys Manor a smoking ruin, the inhabitants dead or taken. Disgraced, Jorah foreswore alcohol and has flung himself into hunting bandits, raiders and worse across the southern High Forest and beyond.
Jorah is unmarried. His father Jorah the Elder died five years ago (1475), his mother Lady Aryn Blackthorn heads the Blackthorn family, administers their estate and acts as Steward, aided by her eldest son Sir Michael. With the apparent demise of the Travys family, the Blackthorn are now directly lieged to Lady Moonfire, the High Lord of Loudwater, but she is known to think little of them.

 

[Mercurius]

Thanks for the replies. I forgot about the companion rules in DMG2 - I'll check it out.

And S'mon, just to be clear, I know that I'm not "supposed to" design NPCs as PCs - but the statement you quoted was referring to making characters, ANY characters, from scratch - not specifically NPCs. Given that I wanted something more than your garden-variety monster, and that I forgot about the companion rules, I went for making a PC and found it too tedious and stopped when I realized that I'd have to sort through powers and such while also running encounters. Not fun.

Anyhow, I'll hit the companion rules.

 

[Sunseeker]

They're basically monsters.
They have an at-will melee.
They have an at-will ranged.
They have an encounter that is one or the other, depending on their style/theme.
They have a daily that again, is either ranged or melee, depending on their style/theme.
They have a couple traits or passive auras.
-Attacks generally have a few riders depending on the condition of the characters: IE: if the first attack weakens will, the second attack is more powerful because the target's will is weakened.

Defenses are simply assigned based on what my party is capable of dealing, and offense is tailored to what my party can make.

All of these things are custom-made by me based on what I feel I need out of that opponent.

There are no feats chosen, no power lists to rummage through, no magic items unless I want them to drop something specific.

As I explained earlier in another thread, the idea is to use the various powers and abilities of the NPC to emphasize their desires. Lets say Luke the Demon Disciple wants to convert you to his cause?
Well, his at-will is pretty weak, dealing low damage, but lowing your will defense.
-if he attacks a player with a lowered will defense, it deals higher damage, and increases the penalty to will.

His encounter is a burst, dealing low damage, penalizing your will, and knocking you away from his position.

His daily does a simple burst for high damage...except that if your penalty to will is greater than your will mod, he does no damage and dominates you.

For Luke I only need to track one condition, a player's will penalty. It also gives me an order in which I want to use my powers. I hit players with my at-will until their penalty is lower, I blast them away if they get too close, and attempt to dominate them when the time is right. Luke's goal is to control the players, not kill them, so he toys with them until he is sure he can gain the upper hand.

My NPCs are different from my run-of-the-mill monsters not in what they can do, but how they do it. They're played like characters, with personalities and motivations and so on and so forth.

 

[sabrinathecat]

Yeah, I build them as monsters based on the race&class. They get those at-will powers as basic attacks (so, frequently slightly better).
Take the highest level encounter attack power. Yep, that's an encounter.
Take the highest level daily power. That is now also an encounter.
Take 1-3 utility powers for minor actions, reactions, or triggered action.
Yes, Elite for the Action point.
Most fights I've been in only last 3-4 rounds--sometimes less, so the loss of the other encounter powers is not that big a deal.
Base all stats and bonuses on what the PCs have. Or one of your characters in a game.

Simplify the process as much as possible. You want your NPC to be part of the story, not the center of it. If the NPC isn't quite as good as the regular PCs, so be it. Not supposed to be. In fact, that very short coming might make the PCs seem even more heroic.

So, keep it simple, seriously. KISS.

 

[Trit One-Ear]

Having just made a companion character for the heroes to run with in our last two sessions, I can highly recommend them over a more complicated stat block. You can also pass the running of such characters off to a player, since their simplified stat block doesn't usually confuse and bewilder a player like staring at two character sheets would. I had 8 different monster types to run last session, including an elite with several reaction powers, so being able to give the fill-in healer companion to the monk to run was a life-saver.

Now, I would probably make my next companion slightly more complicated next time, following some of the examples listed above. He quickly became a less-valued ally after he blew his encounter power and resorted to at wills (which mixed with poor rolling), and proceeded to miss a lot. A little more variety would have made his inclusion in the combat more interesting, vs. him being a story element that had little impact on the flow of battle.

Trit

Ps. The only adventure tool is a great way for looking up suitable powers, as is stealing them from the character builder.

 

[Uller]

I reskin a monster that roughly fits what I'm looking for in the NPC. Maybe change some of the keywords on powers or link powers toan interesting magic item. My players have no idea what the mechanics are behind an NPC or monster