Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Derro" data-source="post: 4338496" data-attributes="member: 51010">Case for caseIt really depends what the NPC is being used for. Mooks/minions/grunts whatever. They serve one purpose, disposable speedbumps. Why give them any depth when their life-span is so short. Make sure they are balanced, yes, but not with the meticulousness that is required of NPCs that have more screen time and serve more of a function than simply a one-time adversary. I've been using a version of minion rules for a long time and it has never given me any problems.Mid-grade villains or henches get a bit more detailed treatment but never to the degree of PCs or major antagonists. Make sure they have some schtick and can fulfill their role as tougher challenges.Arch-villains, long-term allies, and major foils are created pretty much as PCs but with the caveat that they don't need to follow the rules slavishly. They need to serve their purpose and fulfill the role that I require, not adhere to a vague and largely incorrect assumption of mechanical balance.I found a very useful tool for creating quick and dirty NPCs that don't require a goat-load of books to cross reference. Over at the <a href="http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">D&D Wiki</a> there are 3 alternate NPC classes to create fast and effective villains with. I like these guys a lot. Check out the Villainous Fighter, Sneak, and Spellcaster on <a href="http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/All_NPC_Classes" target="_blank">this</a> page. They have all sorts of attendant abilities and powers that can be applied and are useful in the situations that you would most likely place them. The special abilities are very simple and easy to expand upon.I think that the simplest rule of thumb for NPC creation is get the job done. Don't worry as much about balance vs. PCs as is implied in the RAW. NPCs generally have very little screen time and limited opportunities to showcase a multitude of powers or schticks. Get in, get it on, and get on with it. Don't rely on things like CR to tell you what is balanced. Look at their abilities. Figure out what the effect is likely to be. Remember what weaknesses of the party you can exploit and what weaknesses just lead to a massive slaughter.   The mechanical balance between PCs and NPCs created by the same systems is largely, in my experience, a fallacy. There are two different types of effectiveness being measured with the same scale and it just doesn't work.I run a pretty fast and loose game so this may not be applicable to everyone. All I can really say is that there is no hard rule to making a balanced encounter and unified PC/NPC creation implies that there is. It really comes down to the perception of the GM and the players. Rules are guidelines not laws of gaming.</blockquote>

Verification