Support for NPCs to be built similarly to PCs


General Discussion


I believe that a more Pathfinder 1e-style version of NPC building (as in, any ancestries that are/can become valid for players) would be better than more arbitrary versions.

1) Promotion of an NPC to PC for narrative reasons. Something similar has happened in at least my group and I've seen some talk of it elsewhere.
2) While I don't see Leadership in 2e yet, it was in 1e and not having the option would either severely hinder later introducing a more-balanced version of the feat or, if such the feat is brought into 2e in some manner, would take agency from the player taking the option.
3) NPCs that work with the players for extended periods of time
3a) leveling the NPC.
3b) because they can work better with a more PC-esque skillset.
4) The option for a GM to, as arbiter, hold themselves to the same standard players are held to in a field where players operate.

Note: In this, I'm not asking this for monsters, just the player-available ancestries (and likely-to-be-available-later, like Darklands and Planetouched).

While this could take longer than the current system, it feels like a variant of the set of guidelines for NPCs in PF1, such as feats or skills to take, could streamline it a fair bit.


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NPCs can already be built in two ways; exactly like monsters, or exactly like PCs.

Playtest Rulebook Glossary, page 422 wrote:
Nonplayer Character (NPC) Nonplayer characters are a type of creature. They can represent a friendly, beneficial, or challenging person in the game world, in addition to an adversary the player characters fight. Their mechanics can be built like that of a monster or a player character, depending on the GM’s preference for the particular NPC.

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