NPCs: Stat Blocks or Backgrounds

[Nifft]

I want good statblocks.
I want round-by-round opening combat tactics.
I want clues on how to play the NPC in combat -- why s/he chose those particular powers, feats, skills, scrolls, whatever.

-- N

 

[Ahnehnois]

Give me a statblock and I can take a quick look and generate a story, a character from those stats.

Give me a story and it could take me hours to put together stats that fit that story perfectly.

IMO, one of the great things about D&D is the ability to be creative-to make numbers on a piece of paper into something more than numbers. Give me the stats anyday. I'll do the rest for myself.

 

[was]

I think the stats are more helpful than the backgrounds in most cases