Creating NPCs

Aside from the players, everyone else in the game world is a non-player character (NPC). These characters are designed and controlled by the GM to fill every role from noble king to simple baker. While some of these characters use player classes, most lack any form of class and have base stats, allowing them to be easily generated. The following rules govern all of the NPC classes and include information on generating quick NPCs for an evening’s game. A list of pre-made NPCs can be found here.

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The world that the player characters inhabit should be full of rich and vibrant characters for them to interact with. While most need little more than a name and general description of their personality and abilities, some require complete statistics, such as town guards, local clerics, and wizened sages. The PCs might find themselves in combat with these characters, either against them or with them as allies. In either case, the process for creating these NPCs can be performed in seven simple steps.

Quick-Start Rules:

Select a race, class, assign the stat array of 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8, do not input any Limit Breaks, calculate average HP including 1st HD (unless they have PC classes, in which case the first is maxed), find their level and give them gear based on the table.

Step 1: The Basics

The first step in making an NPC is to determine its basic role in your campaign. This includes its race, class, and basic concept.

Step 2: Determine Ability Scores

Once the character’s basic concept has been determined, its ability scores must be assigned. Apply the NPC’s racial modifiers after the scores have been assigned. For every four levels the NPC has attained, increase one of its scores by 1. If the NPC possesses levels in a PC class, it is considered a heroic NPC and receives better ability scores. These scores can be assigned in any order.

Basic NPCs: The ability scores for a basic NPC are: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8.

Heroic NPCs: The ability scores for a heroic NPC are: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and 8.

Table: NPC Ability Scores

Ability Score	Melee NPC		Ranged NPC		Wisdom Caster		Intelligence Caster		Charisma Caster		Skill NPC
	Basic	Heroic	Basic	Heroic	Basic	Heroic	Basic	Heroic	Basic	Heroic	Basic	Heroic
Strength	13	15	11	13	10	12	8	8	8	8	10	12
Dexterity	11	13	13	15	8	8	12	14	12	14	12	14
Constitution	12	14	12	14	12	14	10	12	10	12	11	13
Intelligence	9	10	10	12	9	10	13	15	11	13	13	15
Wisdom	10	12	9	10	13	15	9	10	9	10	8	8
Charisma	8	8	8	8	11	13	11	13	13	15	9	10

Preset Ability Scores: Instead of assigning the scores, you can use Table: NPC Ability Scores to determine the NPC’s ability scores, adjusting them as necessary to fit.

• The Melee NPC ability scores for characters whose primary role involves melee combat, such as beastmaster, fighter, monk, and all types of knight.
• The Ranged NPC ability scores are for characters that fight with ranged weapons or use their Dexterity to hit, such as fighter, archer, gunner, thief and ninja.
• The Wisdom NPC ability scores for characters with Wisdom spellcasting capabilities, such as astrologian, cleric, white mage, and geomancer.
• The Intelligence NPC ability scores should be used by characters with Intelligence spellcasting capabilities, such as black mage, blue mage and time mage.
• The Charisma NPC ability scores should be used by characters with Charisma songcasting/spellcasting capabilities, such as bard, illusionist, and summoner.
• The Skill NPC ability scores should be used for characters that focus on skill use, such as bard, gambler, ninja, and thief.
• Some NPCs might not fit into one of these categories and should have custom ability scores.

Step 3: Skills

 

To assign skills precisely, total up the number of skill ranks possessed by the character and assign them normally. Remember that the number of ranks in an individual skill that a character can possess is limited by his total HD.

For simpler skill generation, refer to Table: NPC Skill Selections to determine the total number of skill selections the NPC possesses. After selecting that number of skills, mostly from the class skills lists of the NPC’s class, the NPC receives a number of ranks in each skill equal to his level.

If the NPC has two classes, start by selecting skills for the class with the fewest number of skill selections. The NPC receives a number of ranks in those skills equal to his total character level. Next, find the difference in the number of selections between the first class and the other class possessed by the NPC. Select that number of new skills and give the NPC a number of ranks in those skills equal to his level in the second class. For example, a hume fighter 3/red mage 4 with a +1 Intelligence modifier can select six skills for his fighter class (since it receives fewer selections). These six skills each have seven ranks (equal to his total level). Next, he selects a number of skills equal to the difference between the fighter and the red mage classes, in this case two skills. These two skills each have four ranks (his red mage level).

If the NPC has three or more classes, you must use the precise method for determining his skills.

The NPC chooses one class, NPC or PC, to be their favored class, and may gain the normal favored class benefits. NPCs never gain favored class benefits for racial hit die.

Once all of the NPC’s ranks have been determined, assign class skill bonuses and apply the bonus or penalty from the NPC’s relevant ability score.

Step 4: Feats

After skills have been determined, the next step is to assign the NPC’s feats. Start by assigning all of the feats granted through class abilities. Next, assign the feats garnered from the NPC’s total character level (one feat for every two levels beyond 1st). Remember that humes receive an additional feat at 1st level. For simplified feat choices, select feats from the lists provided for the following character types.