Supplement Four
Mongoose
In the game, there are two types of arrays used for NPCs.
Elite Array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
Average Array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8
I dislike every average NPC the PCs come across to have stats 13-12-11-10-9-8.
So, here's a quickie trick to make individuals out of the standard. Roll 1d6, looking for a result of 0-5. And I roll 1d5 +1 (1d10, halved, plus 1) looking for a result of 2-6. The first throw tells you how many points must be removed from one stat and applied to another. The second throw tells you how many stats are involved in the process.
For example, I'm in the middle of a game where the players are role playing with a shopkeep. I have the shopkeep say something insulting during the bargaining process to one of the PCs, and that player decides to take much offence to it. Now, I have an impromptu fight on my hands.
I decide quickly that the shopkeep has a curved-point knife under his robes. He pulls it in response to the player's character unsheathing his sword.
I use the Average Array for the shopkeep: 13-12-11-10-9-8. I quickly roll a d6, getting a 4, then I roll 1d5 +1, getting a 3. So, I've got to remove 4 points total, and then add those 4 points--only using 3 of the stats to do so.
So, I can take 4 points away from one stat and spread those points among two stats (-4 on 1 stat; +1/+3 on two stats, or +2/+2 on two stats). Or, I can take away 4 points from two stats and raise one stat by 4 (the reverse of the first option).
Here's the shopkeep before the individualization. The 13 goes into CHR because Bluff would be a major skill for the shopkeep. Also, I think Slieght of Hand would be useful, so the 12 goes into DEX. In my head, I picture the shopkeep young and healthy, maybe in his early or mid-twenties, so the 11 goes into CON. Sense Motive is important to the field, so the next number goes into WIS.
STR 8
DEX 12
CON 11
WIS 10
INT 9
CHR 13
Now, to individualize this shopkeep, I'm going to remove points from two stats and raise the shopkeep's DEX by 4 points to 16. CON -1 and CHR -3.
So, our shopkeep now looks like this:
STR 8
DEX 16
CON 10
WIS 10
INT 9
CHR 10
And, from the stats, this is what they are telling me about him: He's 24 years old, the son of a wealthy merchant. I can tell that because of the picture in my head, his low STR (he doesn't do his own lifting of heavy merchandise) and brashness in how I roleplayed him earlier (he's "privledged", thinking that he is better than his average stats). Plus, though no idiot, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, either (he did allow his bargaining situation to blow out of control with an armed patron).
The one thing he's got going for him is his quickness--probably from getting out of trouble before and cheating at dice (Slight of Hand).
Given his age, he's about 3rd level (Commoner/Shopkeep).
Therefore, he will be hard to hit but not a formidable foe at all.
Except that the hot headed player is playing a 1st level, 15 year old Cimmerian Barbarian...the shopkeep could get lucky...
Elite Array: 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
Average Array: 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8
I dislike every average NPC the PCs come across to have stats 13-12-11-10-9-8.
So, here's a quickie trick to make individuals out of the standard. Roll 1d6, looking for a result of 0-5. And I roll 1d5 +1 (1d10, halved, plus 1) looking for a result of 2-6. The first throw tells you how many points must be removed from one stat and applied to another. The second throw tells you how many stats are involved in the process.
For example, I'm in the middle of a game where the players are role playing with a shopkeep. I have the shopkeep say something insulting during the bargaining process to one of the PCs, and that player decides to take much offence to it. Now, I have an impromptu fight on my hands.
I decide quickly that the shopkeep has a curved-point knife under his robes. He pulls it in response to the player's character unsheathing his sword.
I use the Average Array for the shopkeep: 13-12-11-10-9-8. I quickly roll a d6, getting a 4, then I roll 1d5 +1, getting a 3. So, I've got to remove 4 points total, and then add those 4 points--only using 3 of the stats to do so.
So, I can take 4 points away from one stat and spread those points among two stats (-4 on 1 stat; +1/+3 on two stats, or +2/+2 on two stats). Or, I can take away 4 points from two stats and raise one stat by 4 (the reverse of the first option).
Here's the shopkeep before the individualization. The 13 goes into CHR because Bluff would be a major skill for the shopkeep. Also, I think Slieght of Hand would be useful, so the 12 goes into DEX. In my head, I picture the shopkeep young and healthy, maybe in his early or mid-twenties, so the 11 goes into CON. Sense Motive is important to the field, so the next number goes into WIS.
STR 8
DEX 12
CON 11
WIS 10
INT 9
CHR 13
Now, to individualize this shopkeep, I'm going to remove points from two stats and raise the shopkeep's DEX by 4 points to 16. CON -1 and CHR -3.
So, our shopkeep now looks like this:
STR 8
DEX 16
CON 10
WIS 10
INT 9
CHR 10
And, from the stats, this is what they are telling me about him: He's 24 years old, the son of a wealthy merchant. I can tell that because of the picture in my head, his low STR (he doesn't do his own lifting of heavy merchandise) and brashness in how I roleplayed him earlier (he's "privledged", thinking that he is better than his average stats). Plus, though no idiot, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, either (he did allow his bargaining situation to blow out of control with an armed patron).
The one thing he's got going for him is his quickness--probably from getting out of trouble before and cheating at dice (Slight of Hand).
Given his age, he's about 3rd level (Commoner/Shopkeep).
Therefore, he will be hard to hit but not a formidable foe at all.
Except that the hot headed player is playing a 1st level, 15 year old Cimmerian Barbarian...the shopkeep could get lucky...
