DESIGNING NPCs

While running the game, you will sometimes find yourself in need of an NPC whose statistics aren't already provided by the bestiary. When this happens, you have two possible choices:

Reskin. The process known as “reskinning” consists of taking an NPC of the appropriate level and simply describing them as something different, with minor modifications. For instance, if you need a dragon for your session but your group is level 9, you could use a drake (which is level 10) and grant it the ability to fly since the rest of the monster's profile is already fitting.
Create from scratch. The alternative is to build your own NPC. This process normally takes ten to fifteen minutes, and possibly longer at high levels.

Over the course of this section, you will learn how to build a soldier-rank NPC from scratch; please keep in mind that, while this system gives you clear guidelines, the challenge posed by a given NPC will vary greatly depending on the Player Characters' Skills, equipment, and current resources!

Character Concept

Think about the NPC's role in the world and pick four Traits that make them unique: a personality, a need or instinct, or even a specific quirk of their nature. Much like a Player Character's Identity, Theme and Origin, an NPC's Traits help you portray them as a three-dimensional being. Villains may also invoke their Traits to reroll Checks (page 46).

Building the Profile

Distribute one of the following arrays among the NPC's Attributes:
- Jack of All Trades: d8, d8, d8, d8
- Standard: d10, d8, d8, d6
- Specialized: d10, d10, d6, d6
- Super Specialized: d12, d8, d6, d6
Upon reaching levels 20, 40, and 60, the NPC chooses one of its Attributes and increases it by one die size (to a maximum of d12).
Choose the NPC's level: From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 60.
Choose the NPC’s Species: beast, construct, demon, elemental, humanoid, monster, plant, or undead. Each Species has its own rules. You can find more information about Species on the upcoming pages.