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From: Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.dnd
Subject: Re: NPC classes
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2024 20:02:53 +0200
Organization: Campaign Wiki
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On 4/2/2024 4:14 PM, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> On Tue, 2 Apr 2024 10:58:10 +0200, Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I recently was rethinking the use of NPC classes in my (mostly
>> OSR-style) games. Previously I had dismissed them as unsuccessful
>> attempts at making overpowered PC classes. But reading them "as written"
>> they make much more sense as human boss monsters in a lot of cases.
> 
>> What are your preferred NPC classes, if any?
> 
> Generally, I don't 'class' NPCs unless I fully expect them to go up
> against the players (at which point, at least in my mind, they
> transition from 'NPC' to 'monster' ;-). But when I do, I stick with
> RAW and limit the NPCs to the same choices as the players. It adds
> consistency to the world, and makes things more fair in terms of
> gameplay.
> 
> One of the problems I've found with 'classing' NPCs is that it leads
> to power creep. The king has to be a level 15 warrior, the blacksmith
> is 4th level rogue, etc. etc. Superficially this makes sense, except
> D&D classes are largely ranked around their combat effectiveness, and
> that's not the only way to achieve power. So I try to avoid giving
> levels and classes to the NPCs.
> 
> 

I was mostly thinking about using them as specific sort of monster NPCs 
because they would be basically boss monsters with special powers that 
just happen to be human.

And I noticed a lot of them are kind of... lame. I mean things like the 
Necromancer is fine, especially with a bit of a backstory that's an 
amazing character to deal with...

(Pulsipher published that one as a pdf on his website a while ago: 
https://pulsiphergames.com/DandD/NECROMANCERAnAD&DCharacterClass.pdf)

....but then there's stuff like the Bandit. Ok, that's basically Robin 
Hood or another named outlaw. But the Thief-Acrobat. I mean, wut? The 
Scout? The Sentinel? The Jester?