Charlaquin
Goblin Queen (She/Her/Hers)
I really like the idea of one Rival party (probably the hostile group going after Blackrazor) and two lesser “rival” parties who are more distraction than threat, thank you for that!
D&D 5E Rival adventurers - should they be built like monsters or PCs?
Paul Farquhar
Legend
If you expect them to be fighting, then it is probably better to have monster style stat blocks. Because managing six PCs at the same time and using all their abilities effectively in a fight is - challenging.
What you can do is create them as if they where PCs, then distil their key abilities into stat blocks, leaving out anything unlikely to come up.
When it comes to establishing them as rounded characters, then ideals/bonds etc from a PC background is very useful.
What you can do is create them as if they where PCs, then distil their key abilities into stat blocks, leaving out anything unlikely to come up.
When it comes to establishing them as rounded characters, then ideals/bonds etc from a PC background is very useful.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
I use the PC rules if the characters in question are full-on adventurers like the PCs: leading intense, active lives filled with travel and danger and new experiences that tend to cram their stat block full of abilities.
I use NPC/monster rules for characters who, while potentially still very capable, don't have the career paths that sharpen them to the same fine edge as PCs, and so only have one or a handful of special tricks. Your typical soldiers, knights, barbarian warriors, hedge mages, et cetera.
From the sound of it, here we're looking at the former.
Regarding the disagreement between @Lanefan and @Leatherhead, I should point out that using the PC rules doesn't mean you are limited to the exact classes and feats and spells enumerated in the Player's Handbook. Want a "Red Dragon's Revenge" attack? Call it a bespoke feat, or eldritch knight spell, or subclass feature. For me the PC/NPC distinction is pretty strictly about ability density (and some system math), rather than what rules you can and cannot use. Because you're the DM. The rules answer to you, not the other way around.
I use NPC/monster rules for characters who, while potentially still very capable, don't have the career paths that sharpen them to the same fine edge as PCs, and so only have one or a handful of special tricks. Your typical soldiers, knights, barbarian warriors, hedge mages, et cetera.
From the sound of it, here we're looking at the former.
Regarding the disagreement between @Lanefan and @Leatherhead, I should point out that using the PC rules doesn't mean you are limited to the exact classes and feats and spells enumerated in the Player's Handbook. Want a "Red Dragon's Revenge" attack? Call it a bespoke feat, or eldritch knight spell, or subclass feature. For me the PC/NPC distinction is pretty strictly about ability density (and some system math), rather than what rules you can and cannot use. Because you're the DM. The rules answer to you, not the other way around.
Paul Farquhar
Legend
Have to agree with the above. I have just created a major villain I expect the players to fight, who is a draconic sorcerer 15 / dragon patron warlock 5. Rather than use a homebrew dragon patron warlock I have simply given them a couple of unique abilities that I think will make for an interesting fight.
Like PCs.
In my greyhawk campaign the orcs are built a bit like PCs, they got no feats or such but they are basically plain fighters with different equipment and class levels.
Be warned though, this alters the combat math a bit. Some aspects make them tougher e.g. armor class
eventual feats and such, spell selection if you go for rival party spellcaster PC e.g.
some are weaker mainly e.g. Hitpoints.
To give you a feeling, those are some of my PC like orcs, I hope you see the differences to orcs from the MM
In my greyhawk campaign the orcs are built a bit like PCs, they got no feats or such but they are basically plain fighters with different equipment and class levels.
Be warned though, this alters the combat math a bit. Some aspects make them tougher e.g. armor class
eventual feats and such, spell selection if you go for rival party spellcaster PC e.g.
some are weaker mainly e.g. Hitpoints.
To give you a feeling, those are some of my PC like orcs, I hope you see the differences to orcs from the MM
| Type | St | De | Co | In | Wi | Ch | AC | Armor | HD | HP | #At | Att | damage | weapon |
| Archer | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 13 | Padded | 2w8+2 | 4 - 18 | 1 | +4 | 1w10+2 | Heavy Xbow(24) |
| Orc | +2 | +2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | -1 | 1 | +4 | 1w6+2 | Long Knife | ||||
| Polearm | 16 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 17 | Halfplate | 2w8+6 | 8-22 | 1 | +5 | 1w10+3 | Glaive |
| Orc | +3 | +2 | +3 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +5 | 1w6+3 | Long Knife | |||||
| Leader | 18 | 14 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 17 | Halfplate | 5w8+20 | 25 - 60 | 2 | +7 | 1w10+4 | Heavy Mace 2h |
| Orc | +4 | +2 | +4 | +1 | +1 | +2 | 2 | +7 | 1w6+4 | Long Knife | ||||
cbwjm
Seb-wejem
I vary it a bit. I will normally monster building rules and give some class abilities to them, even then though, I tend to follow the class hit dice so that a human ranger NPC would have d10 hit dice instead of d8 for being medium.
Sometimes though I'll do up an NPC using PC classes all the way, easy to do with a character building tool.
Benefits of either, if I think there will be quite a large fight I'd probably go the simplified build like monster route since I'm likely not going to use all of the PC abilities anyway.
Sometimes though I'll do up an NPC using PC classes all the way, easy to do with a character building tool.
Benefits of either, if I think there will be quite a large fight I'd probably go the simplified build like monster route since I'm likely not going to use all of the PC abilities anyway.
Ovinomancer
No flips for you!
If you go with PC build rules, you're going to have two sets of glass cannons going off 9n each other. PCs are damage heavy, hitpoint light. When a 10th level battlemaster fighter (no feats) can be expected to lay out 8d6+4d10+40 damage with a greatsword in a surge round but only have around 90 hitpoints, you can see the problem.
Monster builds go lighter on the damage and heavier on the hp to extend fights while remaining a threat. They do less damage but can absorb more. If you build the other parties to PC rules, then it's going to be rocket tag if a fight breaks out. You'll need to heavily foreshadow this or you will catch your players off guard.
I recommend NPC/monster builds accordingly.
Monster builds go lighter on the damage and heavier on the hp to extend fights while remaining a threat. They do less damage but can absorb more. If you build the other parties to PC rules, then it's going to be rocket tag if a fight breaks out. You'll need to heavily foreshadow this or you will catch your players off guard.
I recommend NPC/monster builds accordingly.
