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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kinak" data-source="post: 6119761" data-attributes="member: 6694112">I mean, you can say that it's a function of how much screen time and attention they're getting, but I think that's splitting hairs.If I had an NPC that had as much screen time as a PC and I was controlling them with my complete attention, then it would make sense to build them like a PC. I'm with you a 100% in that case. But that's certainly not what I expect to be doing as GM.In my last three-hour session, which was basically all combat, I ran 22 enemies with 7 different stat blocks.  The session before that, 15 enemies with 5 different stat blocks and 2 non-violent NPCs. Tonight I'm probably running 17 enemies with 4 stat blocks, 9 friendly NPCs with 6 having stat blocks, and some number of friendly red shirts.In that time, each of my players is handling one stat block. I'll be handling seventeen (some of mine repeat between sessions too).And you know what? Of those seventeen stat blocks, the least useful are the 6 friendly NPC stat blocks built using PC rules. I didn't even have to put in the work for them, just copy/paste from published sources, and they're less transparent and harder to run than if they were built without PC rules.Which brings us to how many blocks we're using at once. My players are each running one character with one stat block. I ended up running fourteen characters with three blocks last time. If the PCs do their jobs well, I'll only end up using two blocks at a time tonight... otherwise, it could get messy.Now, even pretending there's no overhead for running multiple characters and play doesn't speed up as people get used to their characters, I'm looking for running an NPC to be a third as complicated as the most complicated PC. Realistically, they need be far simpler than that.I'd be perfectly happy with building monsters like PCs if PCs were so simple I could run a dozen at once. But that leaves my players, who're looking for a lot of options and customization, completely in the lurch.If the baseline complexity for a PC is small enough that a DM could run a combat's worth at a time, you have a point.I mean, back in 1st/2nd you could throw non-caster PCs in as enemies and not have it eat up time at the table. Even back then, though, any sort of caster built as a PC was a useless statblock.So, in a world where every character concept can start as complex as a 2nd edition fighter and stay that way throughout the power scale, but also scale in complexity for people who like the fiddly bits, you're absolutely right. Cheers!Kinak</blockquote>

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