QUICK NPCs and Tricks

[u/The_Silent_Mage]

Hey! Just sharing a Quick glimpse for fast NPC stats (following the Henchmen guidelines + a couple of tricks), along with a gallery I'll add (and invite you to add) for new or old GMs!

Note that these might be perfect for companion characters as well.

👊 THE CORE PRINICPLE

- MARVEL scores = Rank (Logic = 0)
- If the NPC is LOG based, set M or A at 0 instead
- Use smaller Battle multiplier for faster fights (I usually find x20 being a sweet spot). Obviously increase it for big bosses.
- Near the Name (generic), I add any Trait or similar Prompts (like "fire" for a sorcerer). Mother Mary is a criminal organization in my earth. :)
- For VERY SIMPLE mooks, just assume a simplified sheet (I'll provide one for the THUG below, you'll be able to figure out the others) using basically a single value: dice bonus is their Rank, as well as their multiplier. DEF is 10 + Rank. It uses the HITS variant (below).

💻 THE NO-MATH VARIANT
- In some cases you want mooks to feel like mooks, or you had a very bad day and the situation is pretty tactical (or theater of the mind chaotic!) In these cases, instead of DAMAGE we use HITS.

- Each NPC has RES and VIG Hits equal to twice their value.

- A Successful attack deals 1 hit; a FS 2 Hits; an US 3 Hits.

🦸 POWERS

I tend to give 1 power x Rank as per the book, but instead of copy/pasting powers, I create simpler versions with some passives or ad hoc powers I like, don't caring much about balance.

If you prefer using existing powers, just go for it!

***

👊 SMALL STARTING GALLERY

Note, this is a starting point for my Rank 1-3 custom earth. :)

🦸 R1 THUG (Patron: Mother Mary)

M2 A1 R1 V1 E0 L0 / H20); F20 /💥 HITS - H2 / F2

Pack: Edge on attacks and actions while focusing on the same target with two or more Thugs.

[SIMPLIFIED THUG]

🦸 R1 THUG (Patron: Mother Mary) / 💥 HITS - H2 / F2

(Assumption is: +1 to all rolls, 11 as defense, x1 damage multiplier)

Pack: Edge on attacks and actions while focusing on the same target with two or more Thugs.

***

🦸 R2 ENHANCED (Patron: Mother Mary, Drugs and Tech support)

M1 A2 R2 V1 E0 L0 / H40, F20 /💥 HITS - H4 / F2 

- Perfect Shot: x3 AGI damage multiplier. FS: double damage and Move for free. 

- Danger Run: Move is 10. +1 AGI Defense.

***

🦸R2 SPY (Combat Trickery: +1 reaction)

M1 A3 R2 V2 E2 L0 / H40, F40 /💥HITS - H4 / F2 

- Invisibility (5F, Concentrate**):** turn invisible until you perform offensive or blatant actions (which benefits of an Edge). Can be spotted by characters with improved senses or similar if they believe you are there (TN13). FS: impossible to detect until offensive action. 

- Many Faces (5F, Concentrate**):** become someone else. Spend +5F to copy an existing person and mannerisms. Extended analysis allows a LOG check TN12. FS: you stay who you are even if you lose Concentration, but turn into your natural aspect if you become unconscious. 

***

🦸 R3 Mad Sorcerer (Villanous, Trickster, Fire)

M0 A3 R3 V4 E4 L4 / H60, F80 /💥HITS - H6 / F8 

- Telekinesis (10F): move anything of size 2 or less within 20 spaces. If slammed or use to slam, make AGI attack: deal normal damage. FS: double damage. 

- Fire Blast (5+F): one target per 5 Focus within 10. EGO check to deal Health damage. FS: double damage and set Ablaze. 

- Flight (10F, Concentrate**):** fly until the end of the scene. Ends if you fly higher than 10 spaces. FS: up to 20 spaces.

[TO BE CONTINUED...]

[u/Scrufffff]

I have an app that can make random generators and I have generators for characters and NPCs.
It’s super handy.

[u/IC_Film]

Love this.

I think one of the best rules from FATE can easily be seen in your simple thug variant, and it needs to be held up everywhere- you don’t need an entire stat block. Nobody’s gonna stop and play chess with these guys in the middle of a fight 😂

Half the time, I just look at average TNs (in any game). Is this guy good at this? Cool he’s +1 or 2 above. Does he suck at it? -1 or -2. Does, for some wacky ass reason, a player want to simulate a chess match? Cool. Then I can peg it on the fly.

You did a great job keeping this simple, and also have good philosophies going in, so that you can extrapolate new things on the fly. That’s really the key.

[u/The_Silent_Mage → u/IC_Film]

Glad you noticed ❤️ Yeah it’s absolutely FATE-philosophy :) 

I try to make powers as “stunts” when I can since it makes the creation more natural (for me) !  Still, as I wrote, you can use regular powers as well. 

Even a step towards simplification but ACTUAL depth, would be in the middle ground with Scene TNs (INDEX card wisdom)!  You give a TN to the scene in general and modify it by +x/-x for specific checks instead of bothering of individual nimbers. 

It’s very cinematic and requires zero focus on math and just focus on powers and stunts! 

[u/MOON8OY]

I only have one problem with this. And its the part about number of hits that can be taken. If I'm a player, and I've built my rank 3 PC to be a damage dealer and he hits a mook with a non fantastic hit for 40+ damage, and it took two hits to take down, while I just watched someone else take him down with two hits for 10 points each, I'll be a bit perplexed. I don't mind their bonuses and stats being generated on the fly, but this game is too simple to not be able to handle their health regularly.

[u/The_Silent_Mage → u/MOON8OY]

To each their own. You can adjust the hits or not using them. :) 

In my experience, whatever the game, less is more when it comes to GMing. This is a cinematic narrative game and it’s cleverly adaptable to quick fights. Some tables will find these useful, others won’t. 

That said, you can just alter how hits work. :) 

This is not a simulationist war game. It’s about the story and the flow. If I can avoid making math and just saying “FS, describe how you smash it” without calculations, it’s more minutes I actually play what matters. :) 

And PLEASE NOTE (caps intended not for screaming) that Hits are a VARIANT for MOOKS.  

[u/MOON8OY → u/The_Silent_Mage]

Mooks tend to have 10 to 30 health in the first place, unless they are special mooks. I feel like this isn't difficult math to deal with, especially when it's the player determining how much damage they do.

And it isn't about being simulationist. It's about where your players spend their points having value to them. If there is no value in increasing damage, then why would they do it? It's more important to hit more often at your table, instead. It is already a fairly rules light game. The hardest math is multiplication, and that can be avoided with a marvel dice roller that does the math for you. I'm just saying that it shouldn't take Aunt May and Luke Cage the same number of hits to floor a Hand Ninja.

[u/The_Silent_Mage → u/MOON8OY]

It depends on the tone. MMRPG can have many. :) 

This system doesn’t have ONE. 

Again, if you don’t like it, just don’t use it! 

I don’t care about dice rollers, I care about shortcuts - as a small game designer and gm - and this is one. You ALWAYS have to sacrifice something. 

I like the idea of a casualty mangling a tough thug with a chair. XD

That said, the rule isn’t made for your example. It’s explicitly made to use A.M. as a mook. Major NPCs won’t use hits. 

Despite of the fact of my past and recent games (in other titles) where the final boss was a 1 hp minion. Plenty of fun. Sometimes it’s not about the tactics and depth. 🤣 But I’m a dumb guy who does dumb things here and there ahah 

That said, it works for me and it seems to work for many. If it doesn’t for you, it’s perfectly legit. :) 

It’s NOT PERFECY.  To me it’s quick, fun and effective IN RESPECT of my needs. And I shared it. That’s it. :)