So has anyone read the new rules of NPCs? Instead of having to write up a whole stat block for everyone. Based upon how much they interact with the PCs depends on how much you actually have to write about them.
I have no idea how to say this any nicer.: One never had to write up stat blocks for everyone. One always wrote enough information based apon the level of interaction that was predicted the PCs would care about. These rules are not new, they are refurbished for 4e.
Well there really was a nicer way of saying that. Any ways, I was pointing it out because as a Campaign Builder, I always try to compare myself to the books put out by Wizards. If you look in the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign setting they put stats to all sorts of NPCs (not just the main characters)
Right now, I'm looking through the Greyhawk Gazetteer and they add levels to EVERY person mentioned.
They do it like this: Theocrat Ogon Tillit, (LN male human Clr16 of Pholtus)
I was merely commenting on the better, more uniform way of presenting NPCs.
I don't bother with statblocks in 4E at all.
The PCs are there to do the heroic stuff and are not supposed to run back to some uber-NPC to handle the situation for them if they bite off more than they can chew.
For skills, I simply estimate if the NPC is able to know whatever the PCs want to know, and if yes whether or not the NPC would be "trained" in the relevant skill, and go with that (1/2 an appropriate level, +5 for trained, +2 or +3 for ability).
I have the bad habit of over statting most of my NPCs. Full blown stat blocks for everybody. This is something I'm trying to get away from, as it creates a lot more work for me.
I do like how quick and easy it is to put together NPCs in 4e. That's something I'm going t be trying to emulate with my system.
YEA! I really like the 7 sentence method.
It's not really that big of a deal for me; I usually use a few pre-written stat blocks ("Fire Priest" or "Defensive Warrior" and so on) and just whip them out if a given NPC needs to have combat stats, so I rarely stat out individual NPCs at all.
Mostly, I just make up numbers as I go. You folks are working too hard.
Unfortunately I'm not good at making stuff up on the fly. It's something I'm trying to work on though.
Making up stuff on the fly is difficult, but individually stating out every single NPC is an insane amount of work for nothing. A good trick is to keep a stock of stat blocks for common NPCs, just like you have a stock set of Orc Bandits, or Goblin Raiding Parties.
Commoners come in four varieties: Child, Peasant, Militia, Zombie. In D&D3.x, the forth is already in the Monster Manuel, so lets make the other three:
Child (Level 1 Humanoid) CR - (Non-combatant)
Size/Type: Small Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 1d8-1 (3 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 25 ft. (5 squares)
Armor Class: 12 (+1 Dex, +1 Size)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-6
Attack: Sling Shot 1d2 Bludgeoning (no-crit), Ranged (15ft inc.) non-lethal
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Evasion
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 6, Dex 13, Con 8, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 11
Skills: Hide +5, Listen +0, Search +1, Spot +0
Feats: Annoying, Skill Focus (Play)
Environment: Any civilization
Organization: Single, Pair, Gang (3-7), Orphanage (10+)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Usually Neutral Evil
Advancement: None
This is a human child. They are relatively harmless, but their Annoying feat makes them very difficult to subdue in a grapple. Consider kicking them, or owning an ornery dog to avoid/dissolve confrontation.
Note: Some children have the Run feat instead of Skill Focus (Play)
New Feat: Annoying [CHILD]
While harmless, this character is more trouble than is at first realized.
Benefit: During a grapple, as an attack action, the child bites, kicks or otherwise fights back in an unpredictable manner. By succeeding on a grapple check with a +12 bullshit bonus, the child attempts to Stun the grappler. A DC 15 Will save allows the the grappler to avoid being stunned. Mindless creatures or creatures without a metabolism are immune to this ability.
Special: Only a child may have this feat. Apon becoming an adult, they lose this feat in its entirety, and must choose another to replace it.
Peasant (Level 2 Humanoid) CR - (Non-combatant)
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 2d8-2 (7 hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 11 (+1 Dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+0
Attack: None
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: None
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +3, Will +0
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 13, Con 9, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +1, Listen +5, Search +1, Spot +8
Feats: Skill Focus (Spot), Run
Environment: Any civilization
Organization: Single, Pair, Gang (3-7), Mob (10-50)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any
Advancement: None
This is a common human peasant. It spends it's time working, drinking or avoiding work. If any form of danger is present, it will attempt to flee if possible, or plea for its life, unless it is part of a mob.
With an inspiring speech, a peasant can either become part of a mob, or be upgraded to militia.
A Militia unit is a Peasant with light armour proficiency and either weapon proficiency with a two handed simple weapon, or a one handed simple weapon and small shields. Militia have a CR of 1/2 on their own, but are usualy organized into squads or mobs.
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There you go. Emergency stats for plebeians and civilians. I'll come back and do Tavern Owners in a momnet.
Haha those are awesome (I love the annoying feat). Now lets see some statting for drunks. After all, whose ever heard of a classic crawl without a start in a tavern?
+12 bullshit bonus FTW!
Name
Age/Gender/Race/Occupation
Quirks
That's all I ever use.
AHHHH THE STAT BLOCKS ARE FROM 3.5!!! IT BURNS!!!
Oh no, Willett, you don't want to start that with him.
after all, it all smells the same.
I'm more like LC. While my adventures are WAY TOO detailed, there is so much that is good to do on the fly.
For Drunks:
Peasant (Level 2 Humanoid) CR - (Non-combatant)
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 2d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 25 ft. (5 squares)
Armor Class: 10 (+0 Dex)
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/+0
Attack: None
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Haymaker 3.x or "Swing for the Fences" 4e
Special Qualities: None
Saves: Fort -1, Ref +1, Will +0
Abilities: Str 11, Dex 9, Con 11, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8
Skills: Hide +1, Listen +2, Search +1, Spot +0, Knowledge: None +2 (you think you know everthing), Bluff +2
Feats: Stutterstep (encounter power for 4e)
Environment: Any civilization
Organization: Single, Pair, Gang (3-7), Mob (10-50)
Treasure: None
Alignment: Any
Advancement: None
This is a common human peasant stumbling out of the tavern. It has spent it's time working and drinking and is now avoiding the floor. If any form of danger is present, it will attempt to threaten or intimitate, or ask for help finding home, unless it is part of a mob, where it will yell incoherantly and rush the danger.
With an inspiring speech, a peasant can either become part of a mob, or to head to the store for more booze.
Hope you all Enjoy! :)
Oops forgot the stats for Stutterstep and Haymaker/Swing for the Fences:
Special Attack: Attack: +1 (Suprise Bonus) Damage: 1d4 + target makes a Fort save DC 12 or be Stunned and Knocked Prone. Drunk enters targets Square and pees either himself or on target, players choice.
Feat: 2/ Day or Encounter Power: Stutterstep
Move Action: When an enemy or nagging wife succesfully makes an attack roll on Drunk, the Drunk may negate the attack and shift up to 3 squares in any straight direction and fall prone. Enemy or Nagging Wife must make a Will save DC 15 or pity the Drunk. Nagging Wife gains a +5 Not this Shit Again Bonus.
For drunks, both guards and bar benders get the same treatment. I use poison rules. And by poison, I mean ability damage. Take a stab (hehe) at DEX and WIS for 2d6 each for random drunkenness, or just strait up -4 to every check DEX and WIS related for parties. If either score drops to 0, the character is out cold, which means that random guards actually do pass out from booze. But to each their own.
I'd like to note that I never have any non-human peasants. The societies of elves, dwarves and orcs makes for some very difficult living, and being a dirt farmer just isn't enough.
When I use elves, they area either woodland warriors, mighty mages, secretive sages, or articulate artisans. Dwarves come in a similar format, though they also have epic brewers and stonecrafters.
Peasants fill the ranks of drudgery and scum scrubbing, and only humans and goblins organize their societies in such a fashion as to require unskilled labourers doing the dirty work, and goblins are perfectly willing to burn their own house down when it gets too dirty.
---
There are two types of Human Tavern keepers. While you can have 'em be of any race, serving humans alcohol comes with a level of risk. A tavern hall at a hovel or hamlet is little more than the brewer's house that everybody gathers to every other night to numb to pain of being a crap covered churl and get laid. This tavern owner is the area's brewer, and he makes the moonshine for the folk as a form of barter to get fed by the people that grow the crops. He's an unskilled labourer (peasant) and an alcoholic, but he may have a story or two to distract an PC, so write up some gossip for him to blurb while sober.
PCs that somehow end up in these places can look forward to free ale in exchange for an epic tale, a cool swig for smooth jig.
The second kind of tavern owner is a formal business man in a more civilized area like a town or city. This character has class levels and skill points allocated to handling multiple drunk people. Because of the rules I use for alcohol consumption, a tavern doesn't have to be a very high level.
Town Tavern Owner Lv3 Human Rogue
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 3d6+3 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 16 (+4 chain shirt, +2 DEX)
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/+2
Attack: +1 Sap melee +4 1d6+2 Bludgeoning (20/x2) nonlethal
Special Abilities: Sneak Attack 2d6, Evasion
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Spot +12, Listen +9, Bluff +9, Diplomacy +9, Appraise +6, Sense Motive +9, Knowledge (Local) +6, Craft (Cocktail) +6
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Spot), Persuasive
Environment: Town Tavern
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Any
Tavern keepers keep all eyes and ears open. They try not to let their patrons drink themselves to death, and keep tabs of the social networks to keep trouble under control. When guests get rowdy, tavern keeps generally jump right into the brawl and try to dissolve it by knocking everyone out.
Town Tavern Owner Lv6 Human Rogue
Size/Type: Medium Humanoid (Human)
Hit Dice: 6d6+6 (27 hp)
Initiative: +3
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+4 +2 mythral chain shirt, +3 DEX)
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+5
Attack: +2 Sap melee +7 1d6+3 Bludgeoning (20/x2) nonlethal
Special Abilities: Sneak Attack 3d6, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, 4 AoO/round, Cleave
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +8, Will +4
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 16, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 10
Skills: Spot +15, Listen +12, Bluff +12, Diplomacy +12, Appraise +8, Sense Motive +12, Knowledge (Local) +8, Craft (Cocktail) +8
Feats: Alertness, Skill Focus (Spot), Persuasive, Horde Breaker (http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=33294)
Environment: City Taverns
Organization: Solitary, Pair, or Staff (3-10)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Any
This is a stereotypical city tavern keeper. As you notice, his class abilities and his one great feat Horde Breaker make him a potentially powerful warrior. He is not aware of this potential, as he spends most of his time dealing with large numbers of drunken town guards, rowdy rum runners of the boat, and more peasants that want to care less about how unattractive the girl/man/tree stump next to them is. This tavern keepers behaves much like his town cousin, though he can knock out many, many more drunks in a brawl.
Pandemonic Barmaid
"I can look like a nymph if you like. ;)"
The lower planes are made of pure Evil, but most of the denizens are not plane hoping, soul steeling monsters. Some of the souls that end up in hell become peasants in an ironic mirror of the material prime. They organize and behave in much the same manner as in life, even while the Blood War goes on a few kilometres away. There's just too many dretches in ratio to higher level demons for pit finds and balors to control them all, much as it's too much of a hassle for a king on the prime to micro manage all of his peasants into maximum productivity. Planer travellers will find that most of the inhabitants of the lower planes behave exactly like people on the prime do, aside from the fact that they "kill" each other way more often.
Lvl4 Dretch Brute
Small Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Evil)
Hit Dice: 2d8+4d10+24 (13 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 20 ft. (4 squares)
Armor Class: 18 (+1 size, +7 natural, +2 DEX), touch 13, flat-footed 18
Base Attack/Grapple: +4/+1
Attack: Claws +6 melee (1d6)
Full Attack: 4 claws +6 melee (1d6+1) and bite +1 melee (1d4)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Spell-like abilities, summon demon, Rend
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron or good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, telepathy 100 ft, Fiendish Invisibility, Harmless Form.
Saves: Fort +9, Ref +6, Will +4
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 6, Wis 11, Cha 10
Skills: Spot +11, Search +7, Disguise +9, Perform Dance +11, Bluff +9
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Skill Focus (Spot), Skill Focus (Dance), Extra Arms
Environment: Taverns and Bars of Pandemonium
Organization: Solitary, pair, Staff (3-10)
Challenge Rating: 4
Treasure: Standard
Alignment: Always chaotic evil
Pandemonic Barmaids work in bars, taverns and pubs in the lower planes. They never initiate confrontation, and are content to courteously serve the foulest of brews to their patrons. Once the guest leave, they will scour the facility to scrounge up every piece of loose change or knick knack a loaded patron may have dropped.
Unlike barkeeps of the prime, Pandemonic Barmaids will kill unruly patrons without mercy, and dump the body into the still to add flavour to the next batch of brew.
As a dretch, a Pandemonic Barmaid's natural weapons, as well as any weapons it wields, are treated as chaotic-aligned and evil-aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Spell-Like Abilities
1/day'"scare (DC 12), stinking cloud (DC 13). Caster level 6nd. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Summon Demon (Sp)
Once per day a Pandemonic Barmaid can attempt to summon a dretch with a 35% chance of success. This ability is the equivalent of a 1st-level spell.
Telepathy (Su)
Pandemonic Barmaids can communicate telepathically with creatures within 100 feet.
Rend
A Pandemonic Barmaid that strikes an creature with at least two claw attacks during a full attack action tears flesh and rips bones, dealing an extra 2d6+2 damage. She can only do this once per round.
Fiendish Invisibility (Su)
Naturally invisible, as with the spell [/i]Invisibility[/i], but only when standing perfectly still (not sitting or prone). If the Pandemonic Barmaid performs any action, other than breathing, she instantly becomes visible at the end of her turn.
Harmless Form (Su)
For entertainment purposes, a Pandemonic Barmaid can change shape into a medium-sized Humanoid appearance. This effectively gives them a +20 circumstance bonus to disguise checks to pass as random person, but the fiend's true form can be seen in their reflection.
Physical Traits
Every Pandemonic Barmaid is a unique entity. When the PCs encounter one in it's natural form, roll two d20s and describe the generated traits.
_1 Drips slime wherever he goes.
_2 Sheds excessive dust.
_3 Loose/cracking skin cover arms, legs, and face (no game effect).
_4 Has a stylized wound that never heals.
_5 Drools incessantly.
_6 Breathe steams.
_7 Boar Tusks.
_8 Walrus Fangs.
_9 Third Eye above brow.
10 Apparently dying of a disease (choose a disease, but it has no game effect).
11 Limb is rotted and skeletal (no game effect).
12 Tiny non-functional wings.
13 Has no legs, but hovers very close to the floor (no game effect).
14 Smells of ash or brimstone.
15 Hole all the way thru body in the centre of torso, or thru the head in the forehead. (no game effect)
16 Tentacles for fingers.
17 Appears as if worms or bugs are crawling under skin.
18 Runes and glyphs press up from under skin.
19 Erie flames instead of hair.
20 Translucent skin.
Lath that was so awesome I actually think it might constitute a crime in some countries.
Quote from: The Real NomadicLath that was so awesome I actually think it might constitute a crime in some countries.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. I just couldn't help myself. :)