[PF] PC vs. NPC creation

[Spore]

Hello playground,

how does NPC creation differ from PC creation? I am asking specifically for encounter creation because I want to take up the DM torch after the main campaign of my old DM ended. He has many exams to finish his school and I always wanted to DM. I feel comfortable with my group and know the players.

They're mid optmizing (using the "fitting" races, keeping characters within useful parameters) but tend to take flavorful choices (Orcish Ranger using Adamantine gear instead of more advantageous Mithril gear, Barbarian dumping her AC for damage, Magus choosing Fire Attacks over Shocking Grasps to represent her demonic heritage).

So I am relatively free to not extremely optimize and as the characters aren't rolled yet I can still think about general encounter creation. The Power DM kind of wants my party to struggle a bit because most of our fights are over in under 5 turns making most monsters a push-over. I kind of think that the villains need many HP, solid defenses and a few weak spots. I generally enjoy exploitable weaknesses (I won't go as far and put a white dragon next to lava) but I want knowledge and logic not powerbuilding and powergaming to dictate the game.

I want the players to struggle when they ignore a clue and I want even the skill monkey rogues to be great in battles when they figure out the "boss pattern" as video gamers would say. As PF needs a knowledge check to succeed, I need a plausible way to insert knowledge checks when they're not covered. I am thinking about DMPCing an intelligent item, basically an amulet, a paladin mount or an familiar convey a bit of information if the PC's should struggle too hard or give false info to make the encounter harder. Basically an imp or evil sorcerer that can only be freed if the party either dies or succeeds.

[Tad30s]

The only difference between PC and NPC creation is flaws. In general most players try to make their characters "as good as possible" - not from a power perspective, but rather personality.
Even if they pick a flaw, it's not usually their defining characteristic.

NPC's on the other hand can be KNOWN for being racist, stupid, overly greedy, short tempered troglodytes. You can go as far as to "roll" for their personality! I found it to work quite fine for everyone, aside from the most important NPC's (Quest leads, BBEG and his cohorts etc.)

From a mechanical (combat) perspective the one "flaw" that i always keep as an option is Pride.
The characters in D&D did not read 30 handbooks advising them what to take
They believe that it is their build that is the right one. This one is an illusionist who thinks his images to be impenetrable, this one a dedicated charge monkey, and their friend actually believes that monks have a place in the world.

You can remove all the restrictions if you go for the unoptimized, and never fear that the party has little chance of winning.

[watchwood]

The big mechanical difference is that NPCs typically have slightly lower stats and a lot less gold. Beyond that, it's really up to you.

[Spore]

What I actually fear is that I put time and effort into an major BBEG and then the group whoops his ass in 3 turns. That happens, I have done it myself.

Any options to ensure survival for NPCs I intent to use frequently without fiating their exit? You can't give a 3rd level thug contingencied teleport. I like the general idea of a rival organization and I MAY have them sic several low members after the group.

I might have read the sentence: Don't give anything stats that you do not want to be murdered by the group. And I really do not care about minions and lower evil guys to be killed (where I can theme unoptimized characters and still provide satisfying encounters) but I do not want a hyped up evil guy to be kicked in the groin so badly.

[watchwood]

Smoke bombs, body doubles, trap doors leading to secret passages, tanglefoot bags, attack dogs, regular traps, potions of vanish/invisibility/etc.

Cheap gear can do a lot of things, if you're creative enough.

[Urpriest]

In general, always use multiple foes. It's always going to be harder to kill multiple enemies than a single BBEG of the same encounter level.

[Vanitas]

NPCs only need to be effective for one encounter. Some choices are a lot better for NPCs than they are for PCs.

[ericgrau]

Which is why you're supposed to multiple the cost of expendables by 5 when calculating NPC WBL. Still worth it though.

Mainly they have a lot lower wealth which sucks for gear dependent classes, and yet they give way more treasure than monsters which makes PC wealth balloon way beyond WBL. So don't use too many and you may want to blend class levels with monstrous races to reduce the wealth dependency a bit.

[Spore]

In general, always use multiple foes. It's always going to be harder to kill multiple enemies than a single BBEG of the same encounter level.

That's quite smart but also multiplies the work. I guess the villain will still be one or two working together (because you can hate a single person moreso than a faceless entourage of NPCs) and he will send out groups of henchmen on the group's level.

With the occasional doom encounter thrown in (because it is not believable if the PCs murder troops effortlessly that the BBEG sends in troops video game style that are all easily defeatable). A valid reason should be if two groups have been deflected effortlessly I shall hand them an encounter of CR +2 or so.