"Ability Scores: The creature's ability scores are listed here. Unless otherwise indicated, a creature's ability scores represent the baseline of its racial modifiers applied to scores of 10 or 11. Creatures with NPC class levels have stats in the standard array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8), while creatures with character class levels have the elite array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8); in both cases, the creature's ability score modifiers are listed at the end of its description."
By percentage of the population in Golorian, how common are creatures with the following ability score arrays?
base array: 11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10
NPC array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8
PC array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
Thank you.
I have no idea what percentage of the population has the PC array, but everyone else should have the NPC array since even the commoner class is an NPC class, and all humaniods have at least one class level.
PS:There is no creature with 10's and 11's, but monsters with racial HD would have their modifiers applied to that base array if it were listed.
NPC may have stats even beyond the "PC array" or whatever the PCs use for stat buy, there is no hard fixed limits, although CR calculations become an issue.
i think there is an assumption that straight 3d6 for all stats is equivalent to the actual distribution (although some bad rolls could lead to early deaths, and thus underreresentation), but there really is nothing official.
By the book and in all adventures they use the PC array or NPC array, unless the author ditches it for story reasons.
Thank you.
I just realized that the base array and the NPC array are both a 3-point buy, so they're really the same thing.
So, I guess my next question would be how rare are creatures with PC classes? Do they make up 1% of the population? 5%? 10%?
Thank you.
I would say 1% if I had to guess. I know the 3.5 DMG had a way to determine the number of PC classes in a city, and it was definitely 1% or less. I don't know if Pathfinder has that or not. If so it would probably in the GMG or Ultimate Campaign.
I will check to see what I can find.
Nope. It does not have the population breakdown in either book, that I could find.
And it's GOLARION, not GOLORIAN, GALORIAN, GOLARIAN or GUMMIBEAR. ;-)
But I like Gummibears. :(
You forgot the Elite Array: 15, 14, 12, 11, 10, 8
It's for critters like the infamous 1337 Pwnzorz.
and remember that NPCs can have both NPC and PC class levels, which muddies the issue.
Thank you, wraithstrike.
Sorry, Gorbacz. Never tried typing the name of the world from memory, before this thread. Golarion.
Gummibears... Mmmmmm... ED-209.
That elite array looks odd, to me, Porphyrogenitus. Never heard of the 1337 Pwnzorz.
And, yes, that muddies the waters, Quandary. So does the idea of higher or lower point buy for ability scores for heroes or villains.
That elite array looks odd, to me, Porphyrogenitus.
It is odd!
Ability Scores: The creature’s ability scores are listed here.
Unless otherwise indicated, a creature’s ability scores represent the baseline of its racial modifiers applied to scores of 10 or 11.
Creatures with NPC class levels have stats in the standard array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8), while creatures with character class levels have the elite array (15, 14, 12, 11, 10, 8); in both cases, the creature’s ability score modifiers are listed at the end of its description.
(emphasis added).
That should be "13, 12" rather than "12, 11" to match up with the ability score adjustments of "+4, +4, +2, +2, +0, -2" given in the advancement chapter of the Bestiary.
The PRD also uses "13, 12" in the section Factcat quoted, so it has apparently already been errata'd.
I realize that on this wonderful world of GUMMIBEAR we all choose to play Hercules/Houdini/Rasputin/Einstein/Confucius/Leonardo Decaprio. The normal Gummiursines rarely goes up to 15 in their best skill.
At the same time, I vaguely remember something called the "Darn Good Reason Rule." Basically, the idea is that if you are planning to stab owlbears in the throat or take on a horde of orcs with only a set of robes and a staff on a regular basis, you better have a darn good reason to believe you will survive (note to self: make a low stat array character with a death wish). There is a reason why parties get money and rewards on a regular basis for solving the problems of commoners.
I know what the book says about creating arrays, but in a world that makes sense, 75% of commoners should have 75% of their ability scores in the 10-11 range. That's one thing I didn't like about the 3e to 3.5 shift; the assumption of the NPC array rather than the base array.
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I would say 1% if I had to guess. I know the 3.5 DMG had a way to determine the number of PC classes in a city, and it was definitely 1% or less. I don't know if Pathfinder has that or not. If so it would probably in the GMG or Ultimate Campaign.
1% sounds about right, though I'd expect it to vary a bit regionally. A dangerous frontier should have a higher portion of PC classes than well-tamed countryside, and in some local areas you could see a very high percentage of PC classes (like in a small town with a large temple, monastery, or academy). Maybe up to 10% in such a settlement.
Is the frontier example because the extra difficulty toughens them up, or because the other 99% gets thinned out rather quickly?
I know what the book says about creating arrays, but in a world that makes sense, 75% of commoners should have 75% of their ability scores in the 10-11 range. That's one thing I didn't like about the 3e to 3.5 shift; the assumption of the NPC array rather than the base array.
The ability score arrays are for constructing standard CR'd NPCs, they make no claim that every person in the world has those arrays, it's just that people with ability scores outside the norm are not accounted for via the CR rules for NPCs (other than going to the fundamental CR guidelines for all creatures), but that doesn't mean they don't exist in the game world.
While most need little more than names and general descriptions, 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 as allies. Alternatively the PCs might find themselves relying on the skills and abilities of the NPCs.
I'm not sure what your problem is there exactly anyways, most NPCs (standard array) have 2/3 of their abilities from 9-12, I don't see the big difference there. All it does it make it so NPCs can be a bit more useful at whatever their schtick is, but the difference is just so slight it doesn't really matter. If you wanted it simplified further, probably just easiest to give them a flat 10 array.
A human warrior has gone from having a Strength 11 in 3.0 to a 15 in Pathfinder. An orc warrior now has a 17 strength, which puts his average damage way out of range for his CR.