This item would be a huge tool for DM's looking to make a random encounter less work or to design their own adventures.
I would like to head this up, but I cannot do it alone- I am an accountant, not a miracle worker. So I am hoping that I would be able to call upon the community for some volunteers- each will be assigned a race and be able to start stating up NPC's for this project. All you need is some time, the current DS material, core books, and a good knowledge of character/NPC creation.
If anyone is interested- just PM me with your e-mail address and I will be in touch.
We, of the board, are almost if not all GM in our respective DS campaign. We ALL have already created at LEAST one NPC for our campaign that is probably very well described. Just by adding these NPC we probably would have more than 10.
Just write it to computer and start a project. That's it!
You're not the first to come up with that idea. Flip has been playing with the concept of a "Faces of Athas" project for several years.
Mm, Jon, reread Kal's proposal above, as I don't think he's proposing a FoA, but rather a repository of sample NPCs for use as part of adventures.
In this style...
Raamin Soldier, Human Fighter 2: [color=Navy]CR 2; Medium humanoid (human); HD 2d10+4; hp 23; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +2; Grp +4; Atk/Full Atk +5 melee (1d6+2, shortspear) or +5 melee (1d6+1/
I think that this idea has merit and I will start it- I can handle it on my own but it will just take a bit longer but I really think it is worth the effort- I came up with the idea when I was looking for some stats on basic guards men and other such NPC's.
Anyway- I have not problem doing it myself- I already have some done in fact- but I think I will steal the soldier that Penn posted :D - another check in the box!! Thanks Pennarin.
Mm, Jon, reread Kal's proposal above, as I don't think he's proposing a FoA, but rather a repository of sample NPCs for use as part of adventures
.
He didn't specify whether there would be fluff included or just stats. Thanks for the clarification.
We, of the board, are almost if not all GM in our respective DS campaign. We ALL have already created at LEAST one NPC for our campaign that is probably very well described. Just by adding these NPC we probably would have more than 10.
And when you do, please make sure you use the same format as Pennarin did. Be meticulous (and remember the SQ and SA entries). It will make the editing work a lot easier.
PS: Make sure you use the latest iteration of the DS 3.5 Core Rules.
And when you do, please make sure you use the same format as Pennarin did. Be meticulous (and remember the SQ and SA entries). It will make the editing work a lot easier.
NPC creation, even mundane, generic NPCs such as soldiers, captains, and bodyguards, comes hard for me, but there is a strange enjoyment in their creation, in the careful choice of skills, ranks, feats, scores, and equipment. And a few lines of Tactics is all that is needed to bring these - otherwise fluffless - creations to life.
I love reading NPC entries in pdfs like DA and CSoD, to try and discern the soul of their creator, just behind the page...
It's not a product -- not in our traditional sense. I was actually considering it as an online (edited!) browsable database of NPCs of all levels. Good, bad, ugly. These weren't intended, necessarily, for villians, or allies either ... just "people" who live in various areas of Athas. Some NPCs would know others, and motiviations, likes, quirks ... much more fluff than stats.
Online, community populated, searchable ... you can select entries and generate a PDF of those NPCs on the fly (PDF generation isn't actually that hard). Entries would screened for quality, so it needs a couple of editors who can commit time to it. Probably comments and such as well.
I just havn't had a chance to DO it.
As a matter of fact, I should have time this weekend, if anybody cares to "prod" me to start working on this.
/me prods Flip with a hot poker
Well, here's what I had in mind for Faces of Athas.
It's not a product -- not in our traditional sense. I was actually considering it as an online (edited!) browsable database of NPCs of all levels. Good, bad, ugly. These weren't intended, necessarily, for villians, or allies either ... just "people" who live in various areas of Athas. Some NPCs would know others, and motiviations, likes, quirks ... much more fluff than stats.
Online, community populated, searchable ... you can select entries and generate a PDF of those NPCs on the fly (PDF generation isn't actually that hard). Entries would screened for quality, so it needs a couple of editors who can commit time to it. Probably comments and such as well.
I just havn't had a chance to DO it.
You should get with Jon- he said that, if approved by the Senate, something like the NPC Guide would be an official document (passing all normal criteria).
That being said, while I do like the idea of having an item that was web-based like the piece-meal armor calculator set up by Bengeldorn- that you could use drop down options and make the NPC- but I still think a document is the best way to go- I just do not see how something like a web generator could handle all of the variables.
I have been wanting to do something like this for a while due to the hassle of trying to find stats when I wanted them for encounters or whatever.
You should get with Jon- he said that, if approved by the Senate, something like the NPC Guide would be an official document (passing all normal criteria).
That being said, while I do like the idea of having an item that was web-based like the piece-meal armor calculator set up by Bengeldorn- that you could use drop down options and make the NPC- but I still think a document is the best way to go- I just do not see how something like a web generator could handle all of the variables.
Jon and I occasionally have differing views on what should constitute a "product" ... Part of the reason I havn't started FoA is that it's a proving ground for the approach I'd like to take for certain types of products. It needs to be done right.
I'm not talking about a random generator, I'm talking about hontest-to-ral NPC entries. Which may mean a very large freetext field, but it certainly does NOT mean that entries are randomly generated on the fly. It's the same stuff that goes into a published product, only online-browsable, and without a page limit.
Not a problem through- I think that between the two of us, we should be able to cover all of the major races and make up plenty of generic NPCs.
Thanks
Jon I believe you said there was a new 3.5 DS core rules will be released soon correct? If so could you send a copy to me, at least the races and feats I would appreciate it. I want to be as accurate as possible.
It's in progress. Probably in two weeks or so.
Even if the project exists in an online database, I still think extracting the contents into a periodic document would make a nice asset.
Yeah, but that part's not difficult. I've been doing enough with data transforms lately that generating a document isn't even a daunting idea ....
Especially since the base part of that was something I was mentioning anyway.
Jon I believe you said there was a new 3.5 DS core rules will be released soon correct? If so could you send a copy to me, at least the races and feats I would appreciate it. I want to be as accurate as possible.
Thanks
No, I can't. You'll have to wait for the official release, just like everybody else.
No, I can't. You'll have to wait for the official release, just like everybody else.
LOL ok if its a week or so I can wait just didn't know if it was like a month or so away lol
and remember the SQ and SA entries
ok help me out here kinda slow on the pickup tonight SQ and SA?
ok help me out here kinda slow on the pickup tonight SQ and SA?
Special Qualities (SQ) and Special Attacks (SA).
If you have seen the entry that Pennarin made near the top of the thread, you will see the exact format that we will be following for every NPC- Any spells or psionic powers memorized or known will be entered after the skills and feats.
When Attack and Full Attack are the same, combine the entries as such: "Atk/Full Atk xxx".
These are small details you need to know by heart, or at least know to look for when you do the entry; also all entries need to use the same rules. Look in the NPC sections in the DMG, City of the Spider Queen (even though its 3.0), CSoD, and DA. DMG is your best resource for current 3.5 formats, and City of the Spider Queen is your best resource for nit-picking since its NPC section is 28 pages long... (If you have doubts as to how the NPC format treats a spellstitched half-fiend drider vampire, that book is your friend.)
In the entry I made, the one thing I did not include, and that is clearly marked as such, is the bow: in the DMG its clear a mighty +X composite bow most say it is mighty +X in the "Atk/Full Atk" entries, like this: "+5 melee (1d6+1/
In the entry I made, the one thing I did not include, and that is clearly marked as such, is the bow: in the DMG its clear a mighty +X composite bow most say it is mighty +X in the "Atk/Full Atk" entries, like this: "+5 melee (1d6+1/
I need to look for the spider queen book... 28 pages.. mmm mass npc carnage.
:heehee
Laugh on, bozo, I'm well on my way to NPC zen mastery :P
Laugh on, bozo, I'm well on my way to NPC zen mastery :P
Well if the Zen Master has some free time on his hands he could do some more write ups on the Pterrans and e-mail them to me- commoners, merchants/traders, druids, psions, ect... :D
I will be off-line all day today
. I am actually having to work today and later I will be going to a book signing in Ann Harbor (MI) for George RR Martin's new book "A Feast for Crows" .I don't know if anyone understands what I'm writing...
*snort* Huh? What? Is it the weekend yet? Who stole my socks!?
:D
Nothing but love for ya Penn...
*snort* Huh? What? Is it the weekend yet? Who stole my socks!?
:D
Nothing but love for ya Penn...
:D
Enjoy!
Psion Adept, Human Psion 6; CR 6; Medium humanoid; HD 6d4; hp 15; Init +1; Spd 30ft.; AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +3; Grp +2; Atk +2 melee (1d4-2, obsidian dagger) or +4 ranged (1d4-1, bone dart); SA psionics; SQ psionics; SV Fort +2, Ref +3, Will +7; AL LN; Str 8, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 15, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: All: Concentration +9 , Knowledge (psionics) +7 , Craft (various) +7 , Psicraft +10 , Egoist: Autohypnosis +5, Balance +6, Heal +5, Kineticist: Autohypnosis +5, Disable Device +6, Intimidate +5, Nomad: Climb +4, Jump +4, Ride +6, Survival +5, Seer: Gather Information +5, Listen +5, and Spot +5, Shaper: Bluff +5, Disguise +5, and Use Psionic Device+5, Telepath: Diplomacy +5, Gather Information +5, and Sense Motive +5; All: Combat Manifestation, Extend Power, Imprint Stone, Iron Will, Psionic Meditation, Egoist: Psionic Fist, Kineticist: Power Specialization, Nomad: Up the Walls, Seer: Psicrystal Affinity, Shaper: Boost Construct, Telepath: Psionic Endowment.
Powers Known (Power Points 41, Save DC 12 + power level):
• Egoist: 1st – dissipating touch, empty mind, hammer, thicken skin, vigor; 2nd – animal affinity, biofeedback, body equilibrium, elfsight; 3rd – body adjustment, body purification, ectoplasmic form, hustle.
• Kineticist: 1st – cast missiles (ds), control object, deflect strike (ds), far hand, force screen; 2nd – concussion burst, energy missile, psionic levitate, thought shield; 3rd – energy bolt, energy cone, dispel psionics, telekinetic force.
• Nomad: 1st – burst, deceleraton, detect teleportation, float, skate; 2nd – dimension swap, energy push, psionic levitate, thought shield; 3rd – danger sense, psionic blink (ds), telekinetic thrust, time hop.
• Seer: 1st – aura reading, defence precognition, destiny dissonance, energy bolt, offensive precognition; 2nd – clairvoyant sense, detect hostile intent, id insinuation, psionic locate object (ds); 3rd – fate link, mental barrier, psionic sight (ds), solicit psicrystal.
• Shaper: 1st – astral construct, crystal shard, ectoprotection, empty mind, entangling ectoplasm, inertial armor; 2nd – id insinuation, psionic repair damage, swarm of cystals; 3rd – energy wall. greater concealing amorpha.
• Telepath: 1st – disable, empty mind, mind link, mind thrust, missive; 2nd – calm emotions (ds), ego whip, hush (ds), mental disruption, read thoughts; 3rd – hostile empathic transfer, mind trap, psionic blast.
Possessions: headband of intelligence +2, 2 power stones (1st level random power), dorje (2nd level random power, ML 3 15 charges), masterworked obsidian dagger, 4 bone darts, waterskin, 4d10 Cp,
Tatics: The discipline of the psion will dictate their actions in battle. They will usually take a round to buff themselves with a protection power and then target the most powerful or largest group to make the most of their area effecting powers.
Vokash: Male human wizard (defiler) 8/royal defiler 1/monarch’s chosen 6; CR 15; Medium humanoid; HD [...]
Raamin Soldier, Human Fighter 2: CR 2; Medium humanoid (human); HD [...]
Note the difference in the use of bold and capital letters...
Sex is only important for major or unique NPCs. The generic nature of sample NPCs requires that the sex be not listed, unless its such obvious sex-related NPCs as nibenese templars.
In an adventure where there are 4 raamin soldiers in an encounter, the NPCs can be listed as such:
Raamin Soldiers, Human Fighter 2 (4): CR 2; Medium humanoid (human); HD [...]
...or as such...
Raamin Soldiers (4): hp 14 each, NPC Guide 29.
I really do not know who that spells thing got in there but I fixed it.