What point buy do you use for your NPCs?

[Malaqai]

Hello playgrounders. I'm currently statting up NPCs for my party's first encounter tomorrow, and it occurred to me that I don't know what the commonly accepted practice (if there is one) is for statting out NPCs ability scores. Do you use the same point buy for everyone, or do your NPCs have different point buys from your PCs? I've given my players a 25 point buy and am currently considering giving NPCs anywhere from 10 to 25 depending on their background.

[Arael666]

Elite array for mooks an relatively important NPCs and the same points buy system the PCs used for important NPCs and bosses.

[hymer]

I agree with Arael, with one exception: NPCs who are NPC-classes get [13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8] or [3x10, 3x11].

[Curmudgeon]

I use the same point buy for everyone, for the simple reason that I don't want players to assume they're superior to everyone else in the game. PCs need to learn that sometimes the best way to approach :smallwink: an encounter is to run away from it. The rules already give the PCs greater resources than NPCs, and that''s as far as I want to go in reinforcing the players' assumption of superiority.

[bulbaquil]

Usually 10-point buy (under Pathfinder) for general mooks ("Town Guard #17", "Kobold Bandit #394"), 15-point buy for most named non-boss NPCs, 20-point buy for most bosses, 25-point buy for most "major" bosses.

The PCs themselves are on 20-point buy.

[thethird]

I treat pcs and npcs equally. The main distintion is that npcs have only npc wealth by level except for particularly special cases.

[The Insanity]

I use the same point buy for everyone, for the simple reason that I don't want players to assume they're superior to everyone else in the game. PCs need to learn that sometimes the best way to approach :smallwink: an encounter is to run away from it. The rules already give the PCs greater resources than NPCs, and that''s as far as I want to go in reinforcing the players' assumption of superiority.
Well, the default assumption of the game is that PCs ARE superior, at least to the common folk. Doesn't mean they're (have to be) in any way special, there's hundred thousands off adventurers like them in the world after all.

I use whatever pointbuy I need.

[Iwasforger03]

Any point buy I deem expedient, usually the same as the PCs but sometimes less. I also limit their gold.

[Urpriest]

I use the elite array. Yes, it makes NPCs by default weaker than PCs of the same level...but those same NPCs have a much easier time fitting monster races into their CR budget than PCs would with LA, and I find that generally balances out.

[Cyrion]

I don't. I custom craft my NPC stats to fit the role I need them to play in the encounter/campaign.

[StreamOfTheSky]

No set formula, but for basic random encounter monsters or mook NPCs I'll just use elite array / whatever is listed. For tougher NPCs, I'll either give them 2-4 points below the PCs' point buy or slightly buff the existing values. For important NPCs, I'll use the PCs' point buy or slightly higher. I always use fairly high point buy for PCs in my games (32 or more) and force summons and pets to use the values in the monster manual, likewise with hp I usually do 3/4 HD (maxed 1st HD) for the PCs and all but random encounter / mook NPCs, and force summons and pets to use average HD (1st not maxed) along with the mooks/randoms. In both cases the goal being to help out the martial classes a bit and make the caster minions feel a bit weaker.

[FidgetySquirrel]

For NPCs with NPC levels, I use non-elite, or whatever.
For NPCs with PC levels, I use elite.
Commoners get the standard array. It amuses me.
Certain, usually major, NPCs get whatever the PCs got.
I like to reinforce the concept that the PCs are exceptional. That's why they're the PCs. However, other people can be exceptional, too. They just happen to more often than not be important characters.

[Vhaidara]

I have a GM who uses a 3x16 3x18 base array for his bosses. And max HP, +100 extra. Mostly because he made a necromancer who got rushed down by a high initiative party.

[Jergmo]

Most people have the standard array, and I never give them more than five levels.

People who have PC class levels have the Elite array.

Important NPCs, or "boss" NPCs have a 32 point buy, same as my players. I also give them 75% of their possible HP results with max HP at first level.

[Pinkie Pyro]

PC array for anyone important (18 18 16 14 12 10)

NPC array for anyone unimportant (14 14 12 10 8 6)

keeps it quite simple :P

[VoxRationis]

I don't use point buy; I appreciate a degree of randomness, as I feel it helps make characters differ from one another and not just carbon-copies of successful, optimized builds. Therefore, I usually roll best 3 of 4d6 for my important NPCs. For those NPCs who aren't important enough to be different from one another ("Bandit Archer" and the like), I use the NPC array from the DM's Guide.

[heavyfuel]

I like to give PCs 32PB.

Regular folks get 25PB in Elite Array. These are town guards, merchants, soldiers, even commoners.

Major NPCs get 32 in no particular array. These guys are on par with the PCs. They are major military figures like bosses, guard commander, elite soldiers, the wizard in the tower, you get the gist.

The BBEG is the only one I give special treatment to. He gets 40PB. If the campaign has more than one BBEG, then they all get 40, but if there's a hierarchy between these guys, only the top one gets 40.

[erok0809]

I roll 4d6 and take the best three numbers 6 times for my unimportant NPCs, unless I just feel like using the Elite Array. Commoners and people who won't fight at all get 11's and 10's if they actually have to check something. More important characters, such as minibosses and the BBEG get the same as our characters do. My table likes to run pretty high-powered (stat-wise anyway, no one really tries to optimize too hard) campaigns, so players roll 4d6 and take the best three numbers 7 times, rerolling any 1's, and dropping the lowest total to get to 6 stats. This gets us an average roll of like 14, which is good for us.

[BWR]

I give them whatever ability scores I think is appropriate. Rolling for stats is reserved for PCs, and I don't go for point buy.

[Trasilor]

No-named NPCs get standard array.
No-named Mooks get the Elite array.
Named NPCs with NPC levels get Elite array.
Named NPCs with PC levels get what the PCs get.