Difference between revisions of "FrivYeti/NPCGuide"

Latest revision as of 19:45, 8 June 2010

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What can I say? I'm bored. So as much for my own benefit as anyone else's, I'm sticking down my rough guidelines to NPC construction.

This system uses the Age categories from the Exalted 2e Experience Tables as a baseline, but goes a bit further in order to create easy-to-slot-together Exalted elders and mid-levellers. Rather than spending every experience point, I'm averaging scores out and assigning based on the theory that most NPCs are not focusing on experience efficiency (thus giving PCs a slight advantage), as well as that they're spreading out (given focused PCs another advantage). That said, the older they get, they more they start to fall behind the truly staggering XP tables.

The following NPC guides use my personal experience rules. They should still work for general NPCs.

EXPLANATION NOTES: Attributes: Spread of each rating (for example, 4/4/3 means two Physicals at 4 and one at 3).
Abilities: As Attributes, but "Other Abilities" may include unused Caste Abilities.
Charms: Listed as "How Many Charms for the highest-rated Ability, then for the next highest, and so on." Many NPCs tend towards Excellencies, as these are easy to use in play.

SOLARS AND ABYSSALS

Youngster

A character who has been Exalted one year or less, roughly character creation level.

Primary Attributes: 4/4/4, Secondary Attributes: 3/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/2/2
Caste Abilities: 4/3/3, Favoured Abilities: 3/3/3/2/2, Other Abilities: 2/1/1/1
Virtues: 3/3/2/2, Willpower: 6, Essence: 3
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 4/3/1/1, Other Charms:: 1, Combos: None
Backgrounds: 3/2/2

Experienced

A more skilled Exalt, with up to 10 years of experience. Generally top-line for a Solar or Abyssal (100-200 XP).

Primary Attributes: 5/4/4, Secondary Attributes: 4/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/2
Caste Abilities: 5/4/3/2, Favoured Abilities: 5/4/3/3/2, Other Abilities: 3/2/1/1/1
Virtues: 3/3/2/2, Willpower: 6, Essence: 3
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 6/5/4/3/1, Other Charms: 2, Combos: 3-Charm x1
Backgrounds: 4/3/2/2

As a rule, I don't actually have much in the way of more skilled Solars or Abyssals than this, so building them is not an issue.

LUNARS

Special note: The following section assumes that Lunar NPCs always favour one Attribute in their secondary category, which is the highest Attribute in that category. It also assumes a flat number of Knacks; many Lunars will have some Charms shifted over into Knacks, instead.

Youngster

A newly-Exalted Lunar, with a year or less of total play time.

Primary Attributes: 5/4/4, Secondary Attributes: 4*/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/2
Favoured Abilities: 3/3, Other Abilities: 3/3/3/2/2 /2/2/2
Virtues: 4/3/2/1, Willpower: 7, Essence: 2
Knacks: 1, Caste Or Favoured Charms: 3/2/2, Combos: None Backgrounds: 3/2/2

Blooded

A Lunar who is getting her wings, and has between 10 and 20 years worth of experience.

Primary Attributes: 5/5/4, Secondary Attributes: 5*/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/3
Favoured Abilities: 4/4, Other Abilities: 4/3/3/2/2 /2/2/2/2
Virtues: 4/3/2/1, Willpower: 7, Essence: 3
Knacks: 3, Favoured Charms: 4/3/2/1, Other Charms: 1, Combos: 3-Charm x1 Backgrounds: 3/3/2/2

Experienced

A typical Lunar coming into her own, with over a hundred years of experience.

Primary Attributes: 5/5/5, Secondary Attributes: 5*/4/3, Tertiary Attributes: 4/3/3
Favoured Abilities: 5/5, Other Abilities: 5/4/4/3/3 /3/3/3/2/2 /2/2/1
Virtues: 5/3/2/1, Willpower: 7, Essence: 4
Knacks: 5, Favoured Charms: 8/7/6/5, Other Charms: 4/3/2/2/1, Combos: 3-Charm x2 Backgrounds: 5/4/3/3/2/2

Elder

A powerful and dangerous Lunar, with around seven hundred years of experience.

Primary Attributes: 5/5/5, Secondary Attributes: 5*/5/4, Tertiary Attributes: 5/4/4
Favoured Abilities: 5/5, Other Abilities: 5/5/5/4/4 /4/3/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/3 /2/2/2/2
Virtues: 5/4/2/1, Willpower: 8, Essence: 5
Knacks: 8, Favoured Charms: 13/12/11/10, Other Charms: 6/6/5/5/4, Combos: 5-Charm x2, 3-Charm x2 Backgrounds: 5/5/5/4/3/3/2/2

Shogunate Elder

A devastating survivor of the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate, with over a thousand years worth of experience at their disposal.

Primary Attributes: 6/6/6, Secondary Attributes: 6*/5/4, Tertiary Attributes: 5/4/4
Favoured Abilities: 6/6, Other Abilities: 5/5/5/4/4 /4/3/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/3 /2/2/2/2
Virtues: 5/4/2/1, Willpower: 8, Essence: 6
Knacks: 10, Favoured Charms: 15/14/13/12, Other Charms: 7/6/6/5/4, Combos: 5-Charm x2, 3-Charm x2 Backgrounds: 5/5/5/5/5/4/3/3/2/2

First Age Elder

The greatest of the Lunars, a survivor of the First Age, around 2000 years old. This covers characters such as Leviathan, Raksi, or Lilith; certain Lunars may exist with up to 1000 more experience.

Primary Attributes: 7/7/7, Secondary Attributes: 7*/6/5, Tertiary Attributes: 6/5/4
Favoured Abilities: 7/7, Other Abilities: 6/6/6/5/5 /5/4/4/4/4 /3/3/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/3 2/2/1
Virtues: 5/5/3/1, Willpower: 9, Essence: 7
Knacks: 15, Favoured Charms: 20/19/18/17, Other Charms: 12/11/10/9/8, Combos: 6-Charm x1, 5-Charm x2, 3-Charm x2 Backgrounds: 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/4/3/3/2/2

SIDEREALS

Note: Most Sidereals fall into age 'categories', making them easiest to handwave.
Sidereals have a special "Extra MA or Sorcery" category for those Charms, as all Sidereal elders must go down one of those two routes. These Charms are in addition to either of those if they are Caste or Favoured.

Earnest Apprentices

Sidereals fresh out of training, with under two years of experience.

Primary Attributes: 4/4/3, Secondary Attributes: 3/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/2/2
Caste And Favoured Abilities: 5/4/3/3/3 /3/3/2, Other Abilities: 3/2/2/2/2 /2/2/2/2
Virtues: 3/3/2/1, Willpower: 6, Essence: 2
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 3/3/3/2, Other Charms: 1, Combos: None Backgrounds: 4/3/3/2/2 /2/1
, Colleges: 3/2/2

Young Agents

The 'New Batch', Sidereals who have under 40 years of experience - built on roughly 360 XP.

Primary Attributes: 5/5/4, Secondary Attributes: 4/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/2
Caste And Favoured Abilities: 5/4/4/4/4 /3/3/2/2, Other Abilities: 4/3/2/2/2 /2/2/2/2/2, Specialties: 3
Virtues: 4/3/2/1, Willpower: 6, Essence: 3
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 5/4/3/3/3 /2, Other Charms: 2/2/1, Combos: 3-Charm x1 Backgrounds: 5/4/4/4/3/3/2/2/2/1
, Colleges: 4/3/2/2

Veteran Agents

Experienced Sidereal, characters who have around two hundred years of experience - built on roughly 900 XP.

Primary Attributes: 5/5/4, Secondary Attributes: 4/4/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/2
Caste And Favoured Abilities: 5/5/5/5/4 /4/4/4/4, Other Abilities: 3/3/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/2 /2/2, Specialties: 5
Virtues: 4/3/2/1, Willpower: 7, Essence: 4
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 6/5/5/4/4 /4/3/2/2, Other Charms: 4/4/3/2/2, Combos: 3-Charm x2, MA or Sorcery: +6 Backgrounds: 5/4/4/4/3/3/2/2/2/1
, Colleges: 5/4/4/3/2 /2

Middle Management

Those Sidereals who Exalted in the aftermath of the Great Contagion and the Balorian Crusade. Between 700 and 800 years, with around 1600 XP.

Primary Attributes: 5/5/5, Secondary Attributes: 4/4/4, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/3
Caste And Favoured Abilities: 5/5/5/5/5 /5/5/5/5, Other Abilities: 4/4/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/2 /2/2/2, Specialties: 8
Virtues: 4/3/2/2, Willpower: 7, Essence: 5
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 7/6/6/6/5 /5/4/4/4, Other Charms: 5/5/4/4/3 /3/2/2/2/2, Combos: 5-Charm x1, 3-Charm x2, MA or Sorcery: +10 Backgrounds: 6/5/5/5/4 /4/4/3/3/2 /2/2/1
, Colleges: 5/5/4/4/3 /2/2/1

Old Guard

Sidereals who Exalted after the Usurpation, over 1500 years old, with well over 2300 XP to play with.

Primary Attributes: 6/6/5, Secondary Attributes: 5/5/4, Tertiary Attributes: 4/4/3
Caste And Favoured Abilities: 6/6/6/5/5 /5/5/5/5, Other Abilities: 5/4/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/3 /2/2/2, Specialties: 10
Virtues: 5/3/3/2, Willpower: 8, Essence: 6
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 8/7/7/7/6 /6/6/5/5, Other Charms: 5/5/4/4/3 /3/3/3/3/3 /3/2/1, Combos: 5-Charm x2, 3-Charm x2, MA or Sorcery: +20 Backgrounds: 6/6/5/5/5 /5/5/5/4/4 /4/3/3/2/2 /2/1
, Colleges: 5/5/5/5/4 /4/3/2/2/1

Hidden Masters

Sidereals who are descendants of the First Age. There are only a handful of 'em, but damn are they strong. The following stats are for baseline First Agers; those who are approximately 2000 years of age and have around 3000 XP. Sidereals such as Chejop Kejak can have as much as a thousand more experience than that.

Primary Attributes: 7/7/6, Secondary Attributes: 6/5/4, Tertiary Attributes: 4/4/4
Caste And Favoured Abilities: 7/7/7/6/6 /5/5/5/5, Other Abilities: 5/4/3/3/3 /3/3/3/3/3 /3/2/2/2, Specialties: 10
Virtues: 5/3/3/2, Willpower: 9, Essence: 7
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 8/8/8/8/7 /7/7/6/6, Other Charms: 6/5/5/4/4 /3/3/3/3/3 /3/3/2/1, Combos: 5-Charm x3, 3-Charm x3, MA or Sorcery: +30 Backgrounds: 6/6/6/5/5 /5/5/5/5/5 /5/4/4/4/3 /3/2/2/2/1
, Colleges: 5/5/5/5/5 /5/5/4/4/3 /3/3/2/2/1

DYNASTIC DRAGON-BLOODED

Dynastic sorcerers and Immaculate Martial Artists both tend to be special cases; sacrifice enough out-of-caste Charms for all non-starting characters to increase Essence by one, and combine two (or in extreme cases, three) of the character's Caste or Favoured Charm totals (usually the highest for Immaculates) into a single Martial Arts or Spell total Charmlist. (For example, an Aspiring Power would have only 2/1 as non-Favoured Charms, Essence 4, and anywhere from 6 to 9 Charms in their prime area.)

Eager Dynasts

Dragon-Blooded who are just marking their mark on the world. Character-creation level, about 25 years old.

Primary Attributes: 4/4/3, Secondary Attributes: 4/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/2/2
Caste Abilities: 4/3/3/2/, Favoured Abilities: 4/3/3/, Other Abilities: 3/3/2/2/2 2/2/2/1
Virtues: 3/3/2/1, Willpower: 6, Essence: 2
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 3/2/2, Other Charms:: 0, Combos: None
Backgrounds: 3/3/3/2/1

Aspiring Powers

Dragon-Blooded of up to 60 years of age, taking positions of authority.

Primary Attributes: 4/4/4, Secondary Attributes: 4/3/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/2
Caste Abilities: 5/5/4/3/2, Favoured Abilities: 5/5/4/, Other Abilities: 4/3/3/2/2/ /2/2/2/2/1
Virtues: 4/3/2/1, Willpower: 6, Essence: 3
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 5/4/4/3/3, Other Charms:: 3/2/1, Combos: 2-Charms x1
Backgrounds: 5/4/3/3/3/2/1

Movers And Shakers

Leaders of Groups and Households, powerful Dragon-Blooded of over 100 years.

Primary Attributes: 5/4/4, Secondary Attributes: 4/4/3, Tertiary Attributes: 3/3/3
Caste Abilities: 5/5/4/4/3, Favoured Abilities: 5/5/4/, Other Abilities: 4/3/3/3/3/ /3/3/3/2/1
Virtues: 4/4/2/1, Willpower: 7, Essence: 3
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 6/5/4/3/3/3, Other Charms:: 3/2/2, Combos: 3-Charms x1, 2-Charms x1
Backgrounds: 5/5/4/3/3/3/2/1

House Leaders

Mighty Dragon-Blooded, between 200 and 250 years of age (any Dragon-Blood past 250 is a signature character worthy of having specialized stats.)

Primary Attributes: 5/5/4, Secondary Attributes: 4/4/4, Tertiary Attributes: 4/3/3
Caste Abilities: 5/5/5/5/4, Favoured Abilities: 5/5/4/, Other Abilities: 5/5/4/3/3 /3/3/3/3/3 /2/1
Virtues: 5/4/2/1, Willpower: 8, Essence: 4
Caste Or Favoured Charms: 8/7/6/5/4 /4/3, Other Charms:: 4/3/2/2/1, Combos: 5-Charms x1, 3-Charms x2, 2-Charms x2
Backgrounds: 5/5/5/5/5/4/3/3/3/2/1