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View Full Version : [3.5] Enemy NPCs and Magic Items



tahu88810
2010-06-10, 04:10 PM
Hey there playgrounders.
I've been Dming for some time now, and the entire time I've been wrestling with a very glaring issue:
1. In order for an appropriately leveled NPC(s) to be an effective challenge in combat, they need to have magic items.
2. Most enemy NPCs that fight eventually die. Those who escape can only do so for so long.
3. When the players search the corpse(s), the items they obtain will, normally, put them over WBL

In what means can this problem be circumvented? One can not avoid throwing humanoids with class levels at the party forever, and so eventually this issue will be raised. If the NPC is given sub-par equipment, they will easily be killed. If given good equipment, said problem will be raised. An overabundance of limited use items only helps for so long, as not every potion, salve, etc. does what, say, a pair of boots or a magic sword might be able to do.

NecroRebel
2010-06-10, 04:21 PM
You're the DM; fiat in bonuses that they "shouldn't" have if built solely by the rules. Or, if you dislike doing that, have the enemy forces have one or more Wizards or Clerics on retainer that cast buff spells on guards and patrols which "just happen" to give the bonuses the over-WBL equipment would. Either way, the result is much the same; the extra bonuses are linked solely to those particular enemies and can't be picked up once the enemies are dead.

The caster-on-retainer method also adds another element of strategy to the game; if the party can find and kill the enemy enhancer-mage, the whole enemy force will quickly experience a drastic drop in their power-level. In many ways, killing the mage(s) can be akin to blowing up an enemy armory in a more modern game, in that while enemies fought right afterward will be just as strong (because they still have buffs/ammunition available), longer expeditions will be much easier as your group can resupply and the enemy can't.

The only problem with this is the short duration of many spells; you won't be able to have 1 min/level buffs on for whole guard shifts, and even hour/level buffs aren't suitable for patrols outside of a base unless one of the mages is actually included in every patrol, which might not be suitable for flavor reasons. Still, you should be able to make much more threatening guards in dungeons and castles and the like if they have a few hour/level buffs on them, even if they're not suitable equipped for their level.

RandomLunatic
2010-06-10, 04:24 PM
Similiar to the mages proposed above, disposable items. Potions, scrolls, oils, feather tokens, and so on. Most will likely be used up prior to combat, and you can reward players smart enough to surprise their enemies with more loot.

Octopus Jack
2010-06-10, 04:24 PM
Have this awesome equipment be cured for any other people trying to use it. or have it self destruct on the NPC's death, the resulting explosion mysteriously caused the NPC's body to disappear... :smallwink:

gbprime
2010-06-10, 04:33 PM
This is what sorcerers are great for. You can beat one up and there's no spellbook to loot. :smallbiggrin:

You can sprinkle in "substandard" magic items as well. For example, goblin shamans make magic items for goblins to use and add the 30% cost reducer that only goblinoid races can make it work. So a PC who is not a goblin or who does not have a healthy Use Magic Device skill cannot use the item. Ditto for orcs, lizardmen, Githyanki, etc, etc.

Siosilvar
2010-06-10, 05:05 PM
Redundancy works too. What good is 30 Amulets of Natural Armor +1 if everybody already has one and the shopkeep is tired of buying them off you?

Lord Vukodlak
2010-06-10, 05:38 PM
You are remembering that the NPC wealth by level is much lower then the PC's right? A 10th level NPC should have around 16000gp. That's 32% of a PC's wealth at level 10.
Throw in the fact you'd sell magical gear for half market value and its only 8,000gp in profit for the PC's to split between them.

Starbuck_II
2010-06-10, 05:45 PM
Potions are the solution.

Harperfan7
2010-06-10, 08:08 PM
You are remembering that the NPC wealth by level is much lower then the PC's right? A 10th level NPC should have around 16000gp. That's 32% of a PC's wealth at level 10.
Throw in the fact you'd sell magical gear for half market value and its only 8,000gp in profit for the PC's to split between them.

I was going to mention this. Npcs have less than pcs.

PapaNachos
2010-06-10, 08:15 PM
True, but there are a lot more NPCs than PCs.

Runestar
2010-06-10, 08:26 PM
In what means can this problem be circumvented? One can not avoid throwing humanoids with class levels at the party forever

Unless you throw nothing but classed npcs at the party, it is unlikely they will be able to get enough loot to break the WBL, especially if the majority of the gear is inferior to their own (requiring them to sell them at 50% price).

As mentioned, the party won't need 30 +1 amulets of NA. After everyone and their mount/AC/familiar etc has one, they aren't much use except for sale.