Generic NPCs

[Guardian_A]

Has anyone around here ever considered putting together a collection of generic NPCs? Yeah, the WEG books have some Stormteroopers, Rebels, etc. However, I am looking for a one stop resource for prebuilt generic NPCs. Does anyone know of a compilation that already exists? If not, I've been toying with the idea of putting something together in my free time.

[jmanski]

I assume you're talking bounty hunters, paper-pushers, crime lords and the like?

If so that will most likely be homebrew kind of stuff- which, while useful, will be hard to get the community to agree on.

I think it sounds like something useful. More details, please.
_________________
Blasted rules. Why can't they just be perfect?

[garhkal]

+1. It is helpful to see what types you are lookin for.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Guardian_A]

Yeah, you're right about the kinds of characters I'm talking about. While there are a nice assortment of generic troops for both the Rebels/New Republic and Imperials, there isnt really a lot for most other groups.

For example: While Ewoks have stats for Wicket, Chief Chirpa, and Logray. There arent any stats for more generic Ewoks like a Ewok Warrior, or Ewok Scout.

With any game I play, I have a tendancy to put together a wide assortment of "Generic" characters that I can throw out whenever I need a quick character. This way you can either use the generic stats for an individual or group of NPCs, or you can make a couple of quick adjustments to create a unique character quickly.

[Whill]

NPC Collective

Is something like this what you are referring to?
_________________
*
Site Map
Forum Guidelines
Registration/Log-In Help
The Rancor Pit Library
Star Wars D6 Damage

[Bren]

My two creds (YMMV). While such a resource certainly does no harm, personally I find generic stats of only limited use since their value is highly dependent on the power level of the campaign. For example, while normal stormtroopers in the RAW work just find for mook opponents vs. starting PCs, against established PCs stormies either need vast numbers or stat upgrades to provide a real challenge. As an example on the other end of the scale, the stats of virtually all the NPCs in the WEG D6 Wretched Hives of Scum and Villany are way too inflated to my way of thinking and need serious downsizing to be of much use as NPCs in our campaign, and we played for 10 years real time and the most experienced PCs accumulated around 300-700 CPs of stat or skill increases.

Regarding NPCs in general, as the players can't see the stats, often a persona and maybe one or two key skills is much more important to personalizing NPCs than exact, but generic stats.

That being said, if you develop such a resource would I look at it and maybe steal useful ideas - quite probably.

[Guardian_A]

Yes and no.

While thats a nice assortment of NPCs, a large number of those are from the WEG books and many of those are from specific militant groups. What I am looking for is a place that has a wide assortment of generic characters. Stormtroopers, Clones, and Battledroids have all been done, and done well. On the other hand, the kinds of NPCs a character would meed on the street, or in a cantina have not been done quite as extensively.

While the books have a basic Tuskin Raider and a basic Jawa, there are several generic characters that could be made for each species. For Example:

Tuskin Raiders:
Tuskin Raider Warlord
Tuskin Raider Warrior
Tuskin Raider Shaman
Tuskin Raider Scout

Jawas:
Jawa Merchant
Jawa Tech
Jawa Scout


In a nut shell, if I had my characters assault a Tuskin Raider camp, or I wanted to recreate the Battle of Endor, I wouldnt want to make +100 NPCs that are about to be wiped out. But at the same time, I would really like to provide a little veriety to those NPCs.

To be honest, I posted in the hopes that someone had already taken up an extensive project of this type to save me some time. I'm starting to think I'll end up working on much of it myself. I'll start putting some thought into it tomorrow and start working up a list of useful NPCs in my free time.

[Guardian_A]

[Bren]

That helps clarify.

For generics, I tend to start with a base or average character and then adjust the stats up or down from there. However that is always a bit party/PC dependent. I/we exclusively run custom scenarios and since my goal is to provide an interesting but generally not an impossible challenge I always adjust (within the limits of the scenario and the intended drama) the opponents to the party.

So I would tend to start with say the basic Tusken raider (for which stats exist) and then adjust by something like the following:
Tuskin Raider Warlord (increase weapon skill and dodge, ground tactics, command, and riding by say +2D, search by 1D, increase PER and/or STR by +1D)
Tuskin Raider Warrior (increase weapon skill, dodge, and riding by say +1D and STR by +1D)
Tuskin Raider Shaman (not really sure what this is)
Tuskin Raider Scout (increase search and hide by +2D, riding by +1D, increase PER by +1D)

[Hellcat]

Just the standard cannon fodder or encounter type then if you have it try checking pages 209 and 210 of the 2nd Edition R&E corebook. Stats for the typical Stormtrooper, typical Imp Army trooper, typical Imp pilot, typical TIE pilot, typical Imp Naval Trooper, typical Rebel soldier, typical Rebel pilot, typical merchant, typical thug, novice bounty hunter, veteran bounty hunter, and advanced bounty hunter. These can also be found in the 2nd Edition R&E GM screen along with typical Seatrooper, typical Scout Trooper, typical Snowtrooper, typical Spacetrooper, typical veteran Imp Army trooper, typical Imp gunner, typical Rebel commando, typical enforcer, typical unaligned fighter pilot (that is not aligned with the Alliance or the Empire), typical huaghty smuggler, typical slick gambler, and the typical Wookiee sidekick.
_________________
FLUFFY for President!!!!

Wanted Poster

[Guardian_A]

I guess its just my nature to plan ahead. While its easy to upgrade many of the existing characters, or even create some simple stats on the fly. I personally like to have a resource I can turn to when I need a quick character.

For example: During my time storytelling Pathfinder, I had 5 versions of a generic prebuilt character for a highwayman. That way, when I needed a quick encounter I could pull the level one and the level two version of the character when the players encountered a group of 3 theives and their leader. Later in the campaign, the level two version of the character might be the underling while a level three version would be the leader. For that matter, when my players were around level 6, I used the level one character in the roll of a blundering, inexperienced theif.

I'm not planning to make several versions of the same Tusken the way I did with the highwaymen in Pathfinder, but having a Tusken Raider Warrior, Tusken Warrior Scout, and a Tusken Raider Warlord in a group brings a much wider range of skills to the table than just a basic Tusken Raider would, and if those characters are all pre built, you can pull them out whenever you need them instead of making things up on the fly.

[Guardian_A]

[Hellcat]

Understood. Of course you have to figure WEG was mostly thinking most folks were wanting to go Galactic Civil War when they started. But by the time the 2nd Edition R&E GM screen game out you really had three periods folks could play in. Galactic Civil War period, post-Endor NR period, and Tales of the Jedi. It might have been nice had they included typical NPC cannon fodder/encounter stats for ToTJ. Most of the typical stats still work in the NR period, though as the New Republic is the central government NR soldiers might be slightly different stats wise. Though I doubt that.

But in that kind of thinking you gotta say unless you get more specific what kind of NPCs are folks more likely to encounter
_________________
FLUFFY for President!!!!

Wanted Poster

[Guardian_A]

[Guardian_A]

After the comments last night, I'm assuming that no one has taken on this kind of project before. That just means that I'll have to do it myself in my free time.

Ok, I'll try to keep this short, but I'm going to try showing what exactly I am talking about.

In the books/movies/comics, there are many different versions of the Stormtrooper, each targeting a different roll. You have:
Standard Stormtroopers
Sandtroopers
Sandtrooper Officer
Snowtroopers
Scouttroopers
Seatroopers
Zero-G Stormtroopers
I'm sure that isnt a complete list, but it should give the idea of what kind of veriety there is available for a specific kind of character.

Some of the ideas I have had include (Keeping in mind that this is a quick list that only includes a couple of common races):

Ewoks
Ewok = Basic "civilian" version
Ewok Cheif
Ewok Hunter = An Ewok that excells in tracking and trapping
Ewok Scout = An Ewok that excells in stealth and getting places he shouldnt be
Ewok Shaman = A medicen man, possibly a low level Force user.
Ewok Trader
Ewok Veteran Warrior
Ewok Warrior

Jawas:
Jawa Merchant
Jawa Tech
Jawa Scout

Mon Calamari
Mon Calamari Deck Hand = Regular Naval Character
Mon Calamari Diplomat
Mon Calamari Ensign =Inexperienced Naval characer
Mon Calamari Knight
Mon Calamari Medic
Mon Calamari Musician
Mon Calamari Officer
Mon Calamari Tech = Technician

Tusken Raiders:
Tusken Raider Chieftain = Leader
Tusken Raider Warrior
Tusken Raider Veteran Warrior
Tusken Raider Scout = Focused on tracking
Tusken Raider Storyteller = Storytelling is an important part of their culture

Wookiees
Wookiee Bounty Hunter
Wookiee Elder
Wookiee Slave
Wookiee Smuggler
Wookiee Warrior
Wookiee Veteran Warrior
Wookiee Tech

Keep the thoughts, comments, and feedback coming!