I'm working on a Traveller product and I'm looking for guidelines for creating NPCs. More specifically, is there a standard method for making them that is easier than going through the careers and making the same choices and checks that you would have to make to create a full-on player character, or are there shortcuts?
Traveller NPCs
- Thread starter Morden
- Start date
Morden said:
Myself I decide what sort of character I want, assign some sort of appropriate statistics and slap in some reasonable skills.
Why bother going through full process when it likely generates skills you aren't going to need and might result in skills NOT appropriate for the character?
1-2 skills per term and you are good to go.
alex_greene
Guest
You can decide the number of terms they have lived beforehand, along with the rough number of levels of skills they might have based on a rough formula of
Number of levels = number of terms +/- 1d6
Roll 2d6. The first die is the number of extra skill points. The second die is to determine if these extra levels are added or subtracted. 1,3,5: subtracted. 2,4,6: added.
So, for instance, a character who is 35, has lived through 4 terms, has 4 levels of skills. Roll 2d6; they are 3, 2. 3 more levels are added to the skills tally. The character can divide them up to get 7 level-1 skills, or a single level-3 skill and four level-1 skills, etc.
Cash and benefits are determined on an ad hoc basis, especially if they're Patrons. They can't really have Contacts or Allies - that's your characters' mission - but they can have Secrets, Retainers, Rivals and Enemies - again, for your characters to deal with.
Number of levels = number of terms +/- 1d6
Roll 2d6. The first die is the number of extra skill points. The second die is to determine if these extra levels are added or subtracted. 1,3,5: subtracted. 2,4,6: added.
So, for instance, a character who is 35, has lived through 4 terms, has 4 levels of skills. Roll 2d6; they are 3, 2. 3 more levels are added to the skills tally. The character can divide them up to get 7 level-1 skills, or a single level-3 skill and four level-1 skills, etc.
Cash and benefits are determined on an ad hoc basis, especially if they're Patrons. They can't really have Contacts or Allies - that's your characters' mission - but they can have Secrets, Retainers, Rivals and Enemies - again, for your characters to deal with.
dmccoy1693
Cosmic Mongoose
For my home game, I just look at the example NPCs in the book and modify as appropriate. I'd probably do the same if I was making NPCs for a product.
CosmicGamer
Mongoose
Either I don't understand your method or it needs a little work. If I take the second die roll and make it a 3, I believe this leaves the four term character with one skill and depending on the die rolls, there is a good chance of having no skills?alex_greene said:
If first die is a 4,5, or 6 (50% chance) and second die is a subtraction 1,3,or 5 (50% chance). For a total of 25% chance? I'm no math wiz.
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Many NPCs that interact with PCs are not totally random. If they are part of a plot, I believe they should have the background and skills necessary for the story.
If you are creating a 'Product', you probably want your NPC's to conform to the rules in some way and not just pull some method out of your a.. :shock: out of thin air. People will notice if your NPC's have crazy stats. I would use the Select Skills or Point Allocation methods of character generation.
alex_greene
Guest
I reroll frequently.
The average is between 3 and 4 skills, either added or taken away.
Negative results I count as 0, meaning a person who has spent their entire life acquiring no discernible skills whatsoever. I have them run for office.
The average is between 3 and 4 skills, either added or taken away.
Negative results I count as 0, meaning a person who has spent their entire life acquiring no discernible skills whatsoever. I have them run for office.
alex_greene
Guest
That's only drawing NPCs at random. If I need to craft an individual, rather than draw randomly from dice, I actually sit down and draw up their characteristics and skills. Bear in mind that 1 = trained, 2 = skilled, 3 = expert, 4 = authority on the subject and 5 = master, it is rare that any NPC will have skills to rival those of the characters.
It is also useful to consider the skills sets the characters have, and craft NPCs whose skills sets avoid those of the PCs as much as possible, e.g. Gun Combat, Streetwise or Stealth. The Patrons need characters who are crack sharpshooters, honey tongued liars or sneaky bastards with flannel feet, after all.
The exception being Rivals and Enemies. You need NPCs who can match, and sometimes outrank, the player characters, making their victories all the sweeter for knowing that they have had to fight for their success.
It is also useful to consider the skills sets the characters have, and craft NPCs whose skills sets avoid those of the PCs as much as possible, e.g. Gun Combat, Streetwise or Stealth. The Patrons need characters who are crack sharpshooters, honey tongued liars or sneaky bastards with flannel feet, after all.
The exception being Rivals and Enemies. You need NPCs who can match, and sometimes outrank, the player characters, making their victories all the sweeter for knowing that they have had to fight for their success.
Madarin Dude
Mongoose
Mooks have the skill necessary and 7's for strength end and dex. Basically thugs for a firefight. Otherwise assign reasonable stats normal skills that will come into play for them too.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Some people have written complete books about character generation (albeit for fiction writers but it may be useful for RPGs)
I've got one book, "Dynamic Characters" by Nancy Kress and its given me some ideas. Haven't put it fully in to practice.
Slightly off topic ... there is a whole series of books titled "The elements of fiction writing" published by Writer's Digest Books. And there is a book called "How to write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card.
I've got one book, "Dynamic Characters" by Nancy Kress and its given me some ideas. Haven't put it fully in to practice.
Slightly off topic ... there is a whole series of books titled "The elements of fiction writing" published by Writer's Digest Books. And there is a book called "How to write Science Fiction & Fantasy" by Orson Scott Card.
alex_greene
Guest
IanBruntlett said:
Actually, Brian Stableford's by far the better author in this matter. OSC is hardly flavour of the month these days.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
What's the title of the book(s)?alex_greene said:
