Balance: Creating Creatures – NEWPROTEST Publishing

Creating Creatures and NPCs

The Narrator creates and control the creatures and non-player characters (NPCs) that the characters in the Story will encounter.

Similar to characters, creatures and NPCs have a Stat Grid which outlines their skill in attacking and defending. It is simplified for ease of use, using only the Core stats for game play:

Here is a sample low level creature:

Blight Wolf (CL:1)

Description: Blight Wolves have black matted fur and glowing yellow eyes. They carry the stench of death.

Brawn: 2
Reflex: 3
Discipline: 0
Wit: -1

Health: 3
Defense Rating: 3
Attack:

Bite (2)

Abilities:

Pack Tactics: While two or more Blight Wolves are within 20 feet of each other, they each gain +2 to Attack.

Because of the simplified Stat Grid, the Blight Wolf was created in this way:

A Defense Rating of 3 matches its Reflex Stat, so the creature gets +3 to Defense Rolls
The Bite (2) attack is derived from their Brawn (2) Stat. The 2-point attack class was chosen to be appropriate for low-level encounters.
Having 3 health points keeps the encounter appropriate for low-level.

Note: Creatures, unlike humans, do not suffer from Balance Shock, nor do they have Imbalance points.

Creating NPCs is similar, only their involvement in the Story might be greater than that of a Creature. Here is a sample NPC with characteristics that could be helpful for the characters.

Lorna Tendwill (CL:0)

Description: A kind but skittish herbalist who runs a small apothecary. She is known for her knowledge of medicinal herbs and remedies, but has become increasingly worried as her plants begin to wilt despite her best efforts. She is a helpful NPC, and can offer assistance if treated well. Lorna has no Weapons Familiarity.

Brawn: -1
Reflex: 1
Discipline: 2
Wit: 1

Health: 3
Defense Rating: 1
Imbalance: 2

Abilities:

Herbal Knowledge: Lorna has a bonus to rolls related to identifying plants, brewing potions, or other herbal remedies. Any player character attempting a Discipline or Wit action involving herbs can gain a +2 bonus when she provides assistance.
Medicinal Supplies: Lorna can provide healing potions that can restore a limited number of health points during an adventure. These potions can be traded for coin, or as part of a quest, depending on the Narrator.

Not every NPC needs to be given a detailed Description or Abilities, but the more interesting the NPCs are, the more interesting the encounters will be.

Creature Levels (CL)

Creatures and NPCs are rated on a challenge rating scale from 0 to 10, with 0 being the easiest, and 10 being extremely difficult.

Because Simplified Level 1 Stat Grids are a matter of 2d3 (half of 2d6, rounded down and spread between Stats), the average results are a spread of 4 points. Every subsequent level adds another 2d3, with one of those typically going to Health Points. A creature with a CL:3 should be expected to have about 12 Stat points (4 + 4 + 4) and 6 Health Points (4 + 1 + 1). A creature with a CL:4 would have 16 Stat points and 7 Health Points.

There’s room for variation, but this serves as a general guideline.

[Table of Contents] [Narrator’s Guide]