Now that we've finally got the monster building guidelines, I'm not convinced that building NPCs as monsters is the better option, especially when you start applying grafts.
Here are two stats for the same NPC, one is built using the standard rules, the other one is built applying an actual class and level to the NPC. My interpretation of the class graft is that you adjust weapon damage and AC as if they were wearing the equipment. I know that isn't how NPCs in the AP and SFS mods have been built, but this line is in the class graft section (gear section under step 4 class graft on page 137): This entry gives guidelines for assigning weapons, armor and other significant equipment to members of the class. Gear has a minimum level of 1 and a maximum level of 20.....As mentioned on page 128, you can skew the creature's gear by a few levels, though you may need to make other adjustments to its statistics if you do so. The only way gear can require stats to be skewed is if you actually use the equipment's stats, therefore I adjusted the AC to match the equipment.
First question is: Did I create the "Standard" Vesk Soldier correctly, using the guidelines in the Alien Archive?
If I did, here's my notes on how I applied the class and level to the NPC: I didn't apply a theme, I ignored the stamina points and gave him 750cr worth of equipment.
Comparing the two versions of the NPC[ul]
Other than the above differences, the two versions are pretty much the same. So if I created the Standard Vesk correctly, I do not see any version being more dangerous than the other one. So for me I might as well build NPCs using levels and classes, although it may be worthwhile restricting myself to the following starting array: 15, 12, 12, 11, 10, 10; You then apply the race's ability score modifiers as appropriate. This would bring the two versions even more in line with each other.
Of course. You'd need to do these comparisons at several levels and with different classes. But I figured I'd see if I'd correctly applied CR 1/2 vs Level 1 for now.
I spent most of yesterday re-building a lot of the NPC I had drawn up for the game this weekend, and what I have been finding, mostly, is that they end up with ACs that are quite a bit higher than the normal CRs would indicate. My CR 4 big boss ended up with 20 KAC, for example, after his +5 dex bonus and a good suit of light armor (gave him a level 5 piece of armor, but he's built around smalll arms so his weapons are all level 1 tactical pistols dealing 1d6+6 damage)