How do you stat you average NPCs

[Khorod]

If I sit down and decide I want to make up five npc's of a mundane sort, I decide what they are like, and assign stats that average around 10 or 11. Sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more.

But if I just want 1-100 random npcs, the stats are either unimportant or can be randomly generated. The stats in that case don't help me remember little quirks about the character, like the guy who is light on his feat but who is also fat and unhealthy.

 

[Al]

I have a slightly interesting method (well, I find it interesting):

Ordinary NPCs (commoners, street thugs, farmhands, tavern wenches etc.) use what I call the 'low array'.

13 12 11 10 9 8

It's a 15 point buy.

Slightly tougher NPCs (veteran guards, cult wizards, dignitaries etc.) use the default array (25 point buy)

Elite but generic NPCs (high elite battlewizards, senior military officials, royalty etc.) use a 'high' array based on 32 points, though I usually have slightly different ones.

I tend to roll non-generic NPCs using the organic method, but I use either 3d6 (Bill the Barman), 4d6 (Sergeant Drayfus) or 5d6 (The Archlich of Kherem-Tol) depending on their relative importance and power.