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Hey all,
My campaign is now hitting the 11th-12th level mark, and something I'm finding challenging is building NPCs and monsters.
In the old days, I'd use DM Genie and cut and paste stat-blocks. However, I'm now faced with the double-dilemma that DM Genie can't output the new stat-block format (which I infinitely prefer for running a game) and it isn't built to handle all the funky prestige classes and abilities my npcs are starting to have and use.
So last night I was trying to build some foes for my players (human shadow-walker monk 6 / monk of the long death 1's), and I thought to myself as I tried scribbling on a scrap piece of paper 'there must be an easier way to build npcs'.
Can anyone out there share 'how' you build a stat block for an opponent? The mechanics of roughing out a foe on paper (or a spreadsheet, or whatever -- I need some way of doing things), I mean. If anyone can share a method of how they build advanced monsters, add templates, and build NPCs, I'd love some advice.
I still do things the old-fashioned way. If I'm doing anything more complicated than a low-level warrior-type, I just use a character sheet and write by hand. I tried using the character generator that came with the 3.0 PHB and found that it prints out an unwieldy 4 page character sheet, which I can't find what I need on because I'm unfamiliar with it. Then the shift to 3.5 made the situation worse. I spend too much time in front of the computer as is, so I don't mind hand writing too much, and I've found that the generic 3.5 character sheet is usually quite sufficient for a one-shot NPC. (I use the class-tailored 4-page ones for high-level PCs and DMPCs, because I can put more detail on it, and I often use the spell-sheets from that pack for high-level spellcasters of PC and NPC variety, because I like having room to jot notes on how long a spell lasts and what its effects are, especially for spells I don't use all the time).
Guess I'm a real luddite!
Director of Narrative
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I use a similarly basic method as well, but I use a file I found online called a character planner (which I cansend to anyone who wants it). It is essentially 20 lines that have spaces for BAB, Saves, feats, skills and ability score increases as they occur from lvl 1 - 20. None of it it automated, but it is very simple to fill out multiple lvls. Then I simply write it out as if it were a MM entry, adding templates at that time if needed. (as templates follow the same format and tell you what is used/changed/static).
If you're looking for a way to do stat blocks on the fly, Monte Cook's DungeonCraft articles in the past few Dungeon Mags have been helpful for coming up with balanced simple foes/NPCs without having to reference your books at the table.
Hope this helps.
For basic NPCs (like the bugbear captain the PCs will have some conversation with before a combat ensues), I just do a basic statcard much like what you'll get with D&D miniatures.
For big-time NPCs, like the lord of the PCs' hometown--who is the source of many quests--I use a multi-step, handwritten process.
First, I fill out a character sheet as though building a PC. I usually roll stats normally and let that determine what this NPC is capable of, but when I have an important NPC with very sepcific needs, I assign whatever ability scores I think appropriate (you have to be careful, of course, to maintain game balance). Once I have a full-fledged character sheet, I build a small statcard. On one side of the card, I have combat information (attacks, saves, combat skills like Tumble, and feats); the other side of the card deals with social info (social skills like Diplomacy, skill-augmenting feats, personality quirks and so forth). The card is what usually goes with me to games (I have all my NPCs and monsters in a recipe card holder), and it can sit easily behind a screen.
It's a bit time consuming, but I find it ultimately helps me hold important NPC info in my brain, since I went to all the trouble to deal with the character sheet. Hope this helps!
I have used eTools, word processors, character sheets and paper note pads.
I like technology and I found the updated, 3.5, eTools with all of the expansions to be really good at making character fast. You can get all the suppliments as additions to eTools so making a half-dragon, orc, samurai, kensai, blackguard is no sweat. I don't know why I don't use the program more.
I have build a blank stat block which i use in Word when I want to use that program. All I have to do is fill in the blanks and voila, character done.
Most of the time if I am making complicated characters I use a character sheet just as if I was making a PC. sometimes I will use an NPC from one game as a PC in another, or visa versa. I know it is cheeky, but it makes my life easier.
Paper note pad is great for one-off easy monsters or characters. All I record is the relevant info, e.g. hd, hp, ac, important skills, attack.
igi
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Can anyone out there share 'how' you build a stat block for an opponent? The mechanics of roughing out a foe on paper (or a spreadsheet, or whatever -- I need some way of doing things), I mean. If anyone can share a method of how they build advanced monsters, add templates, and build NPCs, I'd love some advice.
Jamis Buck's 3.5 Character Generator is always my base starting point. From there, I cut and paste into WordPerfect or Word. Then I tweak skill ranks and anything else that needs to be tweaked to apply a preferable prestige class. After that, I manually adjust everything as I add in the appropriate prestige class level (or perhaps even a non-core class.) Last, I check the DMG to see what the amount of starting gold is and add a little description/history and voila!
I use the DMGs pregen'd NPCs at various levels for generics. If I want to, I tweak them a little.
For your important guy, I do it the old fashioned way. Its fun, and you will remember all his goodies better if you actually take time to write them down yourself.
I have used eTools, word processors, character sheets and paper note pads.
I like technology and I found the updated, 3.5, eTools with all of the expansions to be really good at making character fast. You can get all the suppliments as additions to eTools so making a half-dragon, orc, samurai, kensai, blackguard is no sweat. I don't know why I don't use the program more.
I have build a blank stat block which i use in Word when I want to use that program. All I have to do is fill in the blanks and voila, character done.
Most of the time if I am making complicated characters I use a character sheet just as if I was making a PC. sometimes I will use an NPC from one game as a PC in another, or visa versa. I know it is cheeky, but it makes my life easier.
Paper note pad is great for one-off easy monsters or characters. All I record is the relevant info, e.g. hd, hp, ac, important skills, attack.
igi
I'd sure be interested in that Stat Block for Word...
I also do many of my more complicated NPC's on a character sheet. If I can remember where I saw them, I scan old enemies from Dungeon or Dragon mags into my Computer and save them to be reborn in another adventure.
Jamis Buck's 3.5 Character Generator is always my base starting point. From there, I cut and paste into WordPerfect or Word. Then I tweak skill ranks and anything else that needs to be tweaked to apply a preferable prestige class. After that, I manually adjust everything as I add in the appropriate prestige class level (or perhaps even a non-core class.) Last, I check the DMG to see what the amount of starting gold is and add a little description/history and voila!
I do the EXACT same thing. That Jamis Buck sure saved me countless hours with his online-easy-to-use-random-generators. I'd like to meet him one day and shake his hand.
Ultradan
I build my NPCs alot different from most people. I start with a name usually from the Cave on line random name generator. I'll make a list of the ones that I think sound cool. Then I assign each a gender and a race (One word after the name for each). THen based on name gender and race, I decide what their class and level will be, and in my head think of their personality and their quirks. If the Pcs aren't going to be fighting them, I don't bother with any stat blocks. With my bad guys, I've done a long spell list for both mage and cleric that I use fro running encounters, and have stats for base human soldiers, mages, clerics and assassins that I can raise ans lower the levels in my head as need be. Bigger bad guyes I will write up a paragraph on stats,ac, ht pts and equipment. But thats about all the prep I do. It takes me less than twenty minutes to build a town of twenty thousand, each with deep memorable NPCs that the players have interacted with over and over again. It's the joy of having played for twenty one years.
I do the EXACT same thing. That Jamis Buck sure saved me countless hours with his online-easy-to-use-random-generators. I'd like to meet him one day and shake his hand.
Yup, Jamis Buck is my hero as well. I'd give him a big ol' hug...and a beer.
I've been using PCgen. Its pretty good but comes with some significant weak points.
Weak point #1: Its not customizable enough. Pretty much anything not in the rules that you want to add theoretically can be - but the coding language is a nightmare. More often then not I fail in my attempts to add something - also I can't edit or delete the Core Gods. An example of this is that I house ruled that Clerics get the bonus spells from Every sphere they have access to every day so long as they renew their spells. I'm happy with the ruling and making Clerics a little more powerful is not an issue, but I can't get PCGen to implement my house rules.
Weak Point #2: Its limited in some ways - I found that I could not give my Minotaur Warriors Over sized Swords because, strangely enough, over sized weapons have not been added. Even when you buy a books from Code Monkey you don't necessarily get everything in the book - though get almost everything. They just seem to miss details here and there.
Weak Point #3: It really seems to break the system to use old 3.0 books and 3.5 books together. Generally I've not been able to use the Book of Vile Darkness, even though I bought it, because it sends the rest of the program nutty.
Weak Point #4: Its not possible to force things into the final product. Every field in the output of the character should have been made editable - that way I could implement non-standard effects into the final product - these days I just write one the printed out forms, but with my messy handwriting I'd prefer to have just been able to change this sort of thing on the saved form in PCgen.
Still for all its weak points its pretty powerful and versatile - I actually enjoy making the NPCs quite a bit - I've occasionally decided to level a creature simply because generating it in PCgen is much more entertaining then copying its stats from the Monster Manual.
What is the Jamis Buck's 3.5 Character Generator??? It sounds great. Is it something you download?
Thanks!
Try (www.dndadventure.com) and go to the "DM Ressources" section. There is everything a DM needs on that page, including a few of those generators you're looking for (Character, Terasure, Towns, etc...).
They're not perfect, but for all the time they save me, they're really appreciated.
Ultradan