Should NPCs Have to Follow the Same Rules as PCs?

[Snoweel]

I don't think they should.

I read somewhere (a designer's blog maybe?) that forcing NPCs to follow the same rules as PCs was an element of 3e that's been scrapped for the new edition.

I think it's a great idea.

PCs need to be balanced against each other for the entirety of the campaign (in terms of potential spotlight time) while NPC's only need to be balanced against the PCs per encounter. So why should they have to follow all the myriad of rules that apply to PCs?

Your thoughts?

 

[Wormwood]

100% agreement on this.

 

[rounser]

It's not really done in the way I'd have liked (heck, they suggest you need a software program to do it = not addressing the problem IMO), but the principle is sound.

You just can't satisfy both parties with the one set of creation rules:

1) The PCs want options and customisation, and powerups.
2) The DM wants speed and ease of creation in large numbers.

These seem to be mutually exclusive. Something has to give.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You just can't satisfy both parties with the one set of creation rules

Speak for yourself-as a DM and a player, I'm 100% in favor of one unified system covering both PCs and NPCs.

I'm thoroughly satisfied with the amount of time it takes to generate NPCs by standard rulsets, even in games like HERO, because I can see the balance, I can see where problems might arise, and I get exactly the NPC I want.

If I want to, I can always pare things down, use standardized equipment lists, etc.

 

[Cor Azer]

Yup, agree.

For one, it's a matter of depth - an NPC, on screen for a mere fraction of time as compared to PCs, doesn't need the same depth of mechanics (an argument could be made for depth of character as well, but I think that relies more on the NPCs role in the game as opposed to their status of NPC vs PC). Certain mechanical stuff is fine in rare doses, but becomes problematic in larger doses (this is the basic reason why more frequent/random criticals and the like hurt PCs, and why races capable of regeneration are usually unbalanced as as PCs).

I also see it as a matter of numbers. Sure, this is somewhat related to depth, but only tangentially. PCs get 1 person per character, the DM has 1 person to many characters. Logic would seem to dictate that you need different rules to run the NPCs than the PCs, for nothing else than logistical issues.

The key of course, is to make sure the two work together seamlessly.

 

[Henry]

Count me as one of the "Exception based design" DMs here. It bugs the heck out of me when I see some NPC in a module that's going to have about one hour's worth of mindshare time take up a half page to a page of an adventure by himself. I enjoyed monsters under 1E and 2E, but not so much under 3e, and now I'm liking monster stat blocks again. I've already long before now toyed with Spycraft-style "Minion" stat blocks before 4e hit the scene.

 

[Aria Silverhands]

No, they should not. They never have in my games. I have better things to do than sit around wasting time building npc's via pc rules when I can just jot down two or three stats and call it a night for each npc.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Not to the letter -- if you give an NPC an extra feat, or a few skill points, etc. that's perfectly reasonable. Rules are for players.

But I think it's important for the NPCs to behave within the confines of the rules in general. I think that's essential to the players sense of plausibility and continuity and fairness.

 

[pawsplay]

I think it's okay for NPCs to have different stats. In fact, I think it's okay for them to have different rules; I could easily imagine a roleplaying game in which NPCs are basically just a series of skill challenges.

However, my preference is for PC-like NPCs, with minor characters using a "notecard" stat block rather than specific point totals, extraneous skills, etc. But I really feel that a character sheet for an NPC improves their utility, especially when a scenario takes an unexpected turn. Creating an important NPC with a full sheet is not any more time consuming than painstakingly crafting them from whole cloth. I can save a lot of time walking about how they once served in the militia and were a blacksmith, yadda yadda if I just give them some fighting skills and a blacksmith skill anyway.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

NPCs needn't follow the same rules as PCs. They should have whatever powers the DM wants to define for them. PCs benefit from a structure to manage their advancement, etc. over a longer period. This kind of thing for NPCs and monsters is just a waste of time.