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View Full Version : Bob, the Gate Guard, and other NPCs [NPC]



Yakk
2007-06-15, 12:09 PM
A thread to stick completely-average and generic NPCs that players will brush up against.

Such characters are useful if you don't want players to contantly go "Aha! An NPC with a personality! It must be important."

Unmentioned stats are average (10 or 11).

Bob the Gate Guard
L 1 Warrior, Human

A scruffy looking man leaning on a Halberd, dressed in studded leather.

"Can I see your permit?"

Str 12/+1
Wis 8/-1
Cha 8/-1

Feats: Skill Focus Profession(Guard).

Skills: Profession(Guard) 2(5), Intimidate 2(3), Sense Motive 2(3), Spot 1(2), Appraise 1(1)

Profession(Guard) 5 grants a circumstance bonus of +2 to Intimidate, Sense Motive and Spot when he is "on the job" guarding an entrance. (stats and circumstance reflected above).

Weekly salary (including bribes): 7 gold 7 silver per week. Varies from 3 to 12 gold per week.

Equipment:
Halberd, Studded Leather, Crossbow(light)&10 bolts -- all battered, but serviceable

Wineskin (cheap wine)
Bag (cheese, bread)
Purse: 42 silver, Dice, Debt-stick (20 gold 3 silver -- that's in debt, not in value!).

Combat:
+0 initiative
Melee: Halberd +2 to hit 1d8+1 damage (can be set to recieve a charge)
Range: Light Crossbow: +1 to hit 1d6 damage
AC: 13, Touch 10, Flat-footed 13 (Studded Leather)
HP: 5
Saves: +2 fort, -1 will, +0 reflex
CR: nil: Bob can be easily bribed, and would be trivial in combat.

Bob's salary sucks, and Bob gets no reward for doing his job well, and he has to pay for his own gear! Bob earns most of his salary by stopping merchants or other likely marks and asking them for permits, papers, and taking a long time to verify any papers produced. Coin will speed you on your way.

The wealthier you look, the more Bob will charge.

Bob is, however, really bad at determining how wealthy you are.

Assuming the players aren't hiding their equipment (spot check)...

Roll an appraisal check:
20+: If players have non hidden magic/mastercraft weaponry, Bob is scared ****less. Players roll spot to see that the guard is scared ****less by them.

15+: If players have visible magic/mastercraft equipment, Bob recognizes it as valueable: at least 10+1d6 gold before he lets you by.

10+: Anyone with that many weapons or books must have money. 1d6 gold will get you past.

1-9: 1d8 silver will get you past.

Naturally he doesn't tell you how much you gotta pay. He never actually asks for money or mentions it. If given money that isn't sufficient, he'll take it, and either not mention it and keep talking about papers, or start talking about "That wasn't a bribe -- bribing a guard could get you in trouble, you know. I can tell it wasn't a bribe because it was so small -- now, did you have any other documents that could speed this up?"

It is relatively easy to Bluff your way past Bob -- he isn't very literate, so he can't read any papers produced. :)

Beat Bob by 6+: He is intimidated by you. He might mumble about having to see the Captain, but doesn't delay the party long.

Beat Bob by 0 to 5: he thinks your papers are valid, but still wants graft. He hums and haws, and talks about needing to get it checked with the captain. But he does hate having to bug the Captain -- do you have any more ... documents ... that could make this go by faster?

Bob won: Bob figures out you are shiftless, but he doesn't care much: he just wants the graft. He hums and haws like above. If refused graft, he actually calls the Captain, because you look shiftless.

Douglas
2007-06-15, 12:21 PM
If you want Bob to get synergy bonuses from Profession (Guard), he needs to be level 2. You need 5 actual ranks to get synergy, a +5 total bonus is not sufficient (or necessary).

Edit: Wait, profession isn't on the Warrior class skill list. That means he can't get synergy from it until level 7 without multiclassing.

wingover gimble
2007-06-15, 12:25 PM
That seems like a really good encounter for a fun little thing in your encounter i think that people should use that.

Fixer
2007-06-15, 12:40 PM
What a chaotic gate guard. Definitely not lawful. If I ran into him at a gate as a PC I'd laugh at him and walk by. If he raised a fuss I'd simply let him bring it to his captain's attention.

Of course, if the all the law enforcement was chaotic I'd have a field day. :smallamused:

Ditto
2007-06-15, 01:26 PM
Since he can't get the Prof: ranks, just call it a circumstance bonus of +2 to those three skills. Circumstance: Guard duty. Same difference.

Yakk
2007-06-15, 03:41 PM
There, cleaned up. :)

Anyone else have any cute, mundane NPCs to share?

Xuincherguixe
2007-06-16, 12:00 AM
Nice. I may just have to use Bob. Possibly as a recurring character :P

Might not work so well if the party just murders him which is kind of likely, but hey, Zombie Bob is always a possibility. Or even better, just shows up again later looking none the worse for wear.

"Didn't we kill you?!"
"Did you? Well in that case since I shouldn't exist that's going to make this check slower. *yawn* Even with the dirt nap I'm still tired."

Matthew
2007-06-17, 04:14 PM
Good stuff. Pity the NPC Thread in the Homebrew Forum has died a death. Bob the Guard would have been a perfect fit there.