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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RangerWickett" data-source="post: 5772076" data-attributes="member: 63">Chapter Eight: Creating NPCsThere are two main options for creating NPCs -- PC rules, where NPCs function mechanically identically to PCs; and Custom Design, where NPCs only have the stats they need for whatever role the GM expects to fill.The former option tends to help players know what to expect and may help some players feel more immersed. A 5th level wizard will always have access to the same sorts of powers, and he won't have any abilities a 5th level PC couldn't get. The drawback can be that if the GM wants an NPC to have an unusual suite of abilities it can become onerous to figure out how to pull it off using PC rules. Also, since hostile NPCs might only matter for a few rounds worth of combat, it's seldom worth the effort needed to make a fully-rounded character.The latter option has the benefit of being faster, and it might help some players feel a greater sense of wonder since they don't know what to expect from the world. Additionally, since players do always have the option of asking the GM to make changes to a class (see Custom Character Options, page xx), many players won't have a problem with NPCs who get a few special perks of their own. However, if the players take the game in a direction you don't expect -- like if they attack a knight when he's eating dinner out of his armor, but you only have stats for him in his platemail -- you'll have to make adjustments on the fly. And remember Rule 5 of GMing, Inconsistency Leads to Frustration.Usually you'll be fine to use the Custom NPC rules; your players probably won't even notice or care. But if you need to make a change due to circumstances in the game, the existing PC rules can provide clear guidelines for what to do. That knight caught in his dinner clothes? Well, cloth armor's AC bonus is +0, while platemail is +7, so you'd subtract 7 from his AC. But, since he's now in light armor, you might add 1 or 2 points based on the knight's Dexterity. It only takes a moment, and best of all you've got a solid mechanical reward for clever thinking on the part of the players.</blockquote>

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