October 17, 2020
In my games, NPCs often start as a name, a career and one or two skill values. For example, Rheo Scantus, a Techno-Shaman from the Endelon System, might have Oratory 80%, Deceit 70% and nothing more. Cardboard characters like this are a quick way to populate a setting.
If the NPC returns later, I add a few more skills and often a Passion. Rheo Scantus might get Politics 55%, Courtesy 75% and Insight 60%. His Passion Loyalty (AI Overlord) is at a whopping 95% - he’s a true believer. Over time, this gradual sedimentation of traits turn NPCs into quite well-rounded characters.
But sometimes you need a full NPC from the start. You can, of course, come up with any skill values that sound good. Or build a character with the same rules as you normally use for PCs, if you have the time.
But I wanted to find a better solution.
Pyramidal Development
So, I took the skill pyramid from Mythras Companion and reworked it into six tiers. And now I’ve added them to the new version of M-SPACE (v1.2), soon to be released.
So, I took the skill pyramid from Mythras Companion and reworked it into six tiers. And now I’ve added them to the new version of M-SPACE (v1.2), soon to be released.
This way, I can drop high-level NPCs into a scenario without any preparations - and with less guesswork about their skill levels. I will feel quite confident with a space station robot medic as an Expert, for example, and a professor in medicine as a Master. If the sub-sector’s young prodigy physician get involved, I would probably have him at the Epic level.
And while the new skill pyramids are a great addition to the game, there’s actually another update I’m even happier about.
I’ll tell you more in my next post.
Clarence Redd