Regular Mooks

[rgrove0172]

Im working up a scenario and have need for a few NPCs that are just typical city dwelling punks, not soldiers or thieves or anything so glamorous, just your run-of-the-mill low lifes, 1st and maybe 2nd level.

What do you guys use for these types? Is there a character class Im not familiar with such as a rogue or something that fits (Ive got all the books and modules but have promised myself not to dig into anything other than the corebook until familiar with the rules and having a few games under my belt)
or do you just wing an NPC with a Hit Die, some stats and a skill and feat or two?

 

[Netherek]

Use the commoner if you don't want to use the thief, that or the Bandit out of S&P/Compendium.

 

[bjorntfh]

Our GM makes them 2nd level commoner/thief or commoner/soldier (depending on skills) This makes them weak (very much so) but better than the averge schmuck in the bar.

 

[rgrove0172]

Do I need to be familiar with he multi-class rules or is there is simpler way to put this "Commoner/Soldier" guy into play?

 

[Netherek]

Should be standard multi-classing.

 

[urdinaran]

In city locales I generally have used Thieves. I have noticed there is no run-of-the-mill "Thug" class. One option would be to use the Bandit class.

 

[rgrove0172]

Im new to the system but it would seem easy to just alot a HD, BAB, SAVES, PARRY, DODGE , then add in a couple skills and maybe a feat. They are just cannon-fodder anyway. If you find you need to flesh out a "Thug" further, then could classify them, work them out in detail etc.

 

[Foxworthy]

What I would do if first determine Race. I'll go with generic Hyborians. Give them Thief 2 though Thief one is easier. Non Elite Scores (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8) Note: This is an SRD thing since I don't think the Conan AE has rules on stats for NPCs and such.

So for thiefs I'd go Str 10 Dex 13 Con 11 Int 9 Wis 8 Cha 12

Average Hitpoints 9

For skills I'd write down 7 skills and max them at five ranks. Probably for thieves go with Move Silently, Hide, Open Locks, Sleight Of Hand, Disable Device, Spot, Listen and two skills at four Bluff, Sense Motive

For time saving I know a thief can have 8+Int Bonus skills at the highest rank at any level due to the way the skill system woks. This works for any class and can save time for giving out skills. Background skills give out eight free skill points so I added that as two four rank skills for simplicity since the points would have been divided into the 7 max skills and the extra points left over from that had to go somewhere.

I'd give adaptability to Hide and Move Silently for sneaky thieves. For thugs I'd give it to Sense Motive and Bluff, Pick Pocjets would get Sleight Of Hand and Spot... All depends on flavor.

A second level thief would get two feats because of favored class. So I'd give one of the feats that adds a +2 bonus to two skills, depending on the type of thief and then give them Improved Initiave simple basic feats that would help but aren't out of genre for a thief.

I'd give them a club or dagger as a weapon, Sneak Attack Style in that weapon.

Then it comes out to just writting out things like Dodge and Parry which would be 12 and 11 respectively. Saves Fort 0 Ref 4 Will -1 Initiave Mod +8 and BAB of +1

It took me about three minutes to write that including the time it took me to type it.

I'm going to start a thread with some helpful advice on making NPC but I got to go take a shower. I'll be back in a little while and open up a diffrent thread.

 

[slaughterj]

Use the Thieves out of the NPC charts here: http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/npcsheets.zip

Note, I am in the process of updating these charts, and probably will have them up in the next month (completed base Barbarians, Borderers, Nomads, Pirates, Soldiers, and Thieves thus far, need to do Nobles and Scholars, as well as some variants in some of these categories (e.g., sword and shield versions rather than 2-handed weapon for some, 2-weapon fighter versions for some, etc.)).

 

[Majestic7]

I tend to make generic sword-fodder by giving them a level or two of some appropriate class and then extra hit-dices to make them endure more punishment - without changing their stats otherwise. Bit like multiclassing them as commoners, I guess.