NPCs for easy use behind the screen (or how I learned to prepare for being unprepared)

There are a couple of good resources for preparing to improv. I recommend putting this in a blender, making a digestible soup out of it - pour it in a bath and absorb it through osmosis.

One of my favourite parts of this, is Robin D. Law's essay: Improvising Dialogue Sequences. Summary: Every meaningful interaction with an NPC has both a Petitioner (someone wishing to get something) and a Granter (someone who has the power to fulfil those wishes)

In order to satisfy the criteria a Granter imposes, the Petitioner needs to use leverage. Robin list several useful methods - I figure that each NPC will have a preferred method of leverage, that will unlock their ability to grant the petitioners wish. We can go further than that, why not give each NPC a secondary preferred method of leverage - using this will unlock their ability to grant wishes, but with a cost or at a reduced efficiency. Also they should have a method of leverage that will make unlocking their wish fulfilling potential harder - or - impossible.

Here's a rough example:

Village Burgomeister
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Primary Leverage
Appeals to Duty

Secondary Leverage
Seeking Approval

Adverse Leverage
Threaten

So now we have a quick guide how to run this guy when he meets the players, these rules work if the burgomeister is both Petitioner or Granter. You could create two lists for each, but for my purposes this is simple enough. Furthermore i've put together a nice randomiser, so should I need motivations on the fly I can get them. *If you get multiples (you-will) re-roll*

NPC Motivations

: If you like this check out random NPC descriptions here :

Alius Inviso : Goblins

The 5e Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual doesn't have enough subtle variation on monsters, rather than improv them at the table - i've done tried to fix this ahead of time. Here's Goblins.

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Goblin Soldier

Small Humanoid, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class : 17
Hit points : 11 (3d6)
Speed : 30ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	10 (0)	10 (0)	8 (-1)	8 (-1)

Skills : Stealth +6

Senses : Passive Perception 9,

Languages : Common

Challenge Rating : 1/2 (100XP)

Cunning Footwork. If the goblin warrior has moved at least 20ft, it deals an additional 1d6 damage to its next attack made during its turn.

Actions

Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10ft, one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 80/320ft., one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

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Goblin Sneak

Small Humanoid, Chaotic Evil
Armor Class : 14
Hit points : 11 (3d6)
Speed : 30ft.

STR	DEX	CON	INT	WIS	CHA
8 (-1)	14 (+2)	10 (0)	10 (0)	8 (-1)	8 (-1)

Skills : Stealth +6

Senses : Passive Perception 9,

Languages : Common

Challenge Rating : 1/2 (100XP)

Backstab. Once per turn the goblin sneak can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature it hits with an attack if it has advantage on the attack roll or there is an ally within 5ft of it.

Actions

Crooked Shank. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft, one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, 80/320ft., one target.

Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.

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Fluff

Goblin Soldiers are the 'lucky' ones who prove themselves and survive the harsh conditions conscription into a Hobgoblin horde submit them to. Many never survive the camp, let alone the first conflict - those that do quickly pick up the militarised and regimented tactics common to Hobgoblin and other Humanoid armies. They trade their makeshift crude blades for the weapons of a soldier, a spear and shield - and learn to use them with great effect.


Goblins who live long within their tribe are often referred to, in the common tongue as 'sneaks'. Size will get you noticed, weakness will ensure you serve. In order to remain free, or as free as a goblin can, one must avoid the attention of the malicious tribal leaders. The strongest goblins are thrown against the tribes enemies, better they die than the boss, and those that survive are often taken by Hobgoblins to swell their ranks. This leaves only the cunning and the ones willing to wait in the darkness for the right moment to strike.

My D&D 5e Morale System

*Reader beware, I have given this homebrew an overhaul - I recommend reading this next*

There are plenty of Morale systems, whilst I like the simplicity of the OD&D d6 roll I want something thats more cohesive with the 5e rules. That means I want a d20 roll, no modifiers and something that's easy to remember.

Fortunately we have a static DC scale that I can use all the way to level 20, i'll use that to determine a combatants 'flee' threshold, or quality of their morale.

DC5   = Virtually unbreakable
DC10 = Resolute in the face of danger
DC15 = Strong willed
DC20 = Weak willed
DC25 = Craven
DC30 = Mortally afraid

Like most systems theres a few conditions that will provoke a morale check, even though i'm usually good at sensing when the tide of battle has turned. These are borrowed and modified from the Metzner Basic set (my favourite old-school edition)

When the creature is first hit (taking 1 or more hit points of damage)
When the creature is reduced to 1/2 of its starting hit points

Groups of creatures, a Morale check is made for the entire group :
When the first death occurs
When half of the monster are not free to act - killed, magically asleep or controlled, etc.

A morale check is an ability score check, either wisdom or intelligence - possibly even constitution for 'non-intelligent' creatures. Also should a creature be a minion or servant of another combatant, its master may make a charisma DC10 ability check, if successful the creature making the morale check does so with advantage. If its master is killed, it makes all morale checks with disadvantage.

As always YMMV and i'll no-doubt tweak in play, but should be solid enough as is.

'till next time.

5e PHB

So i've purchased the D&D Players Handbook, i've had an afternoon to read and partially ruminate and what follows here are my initial thoughts. Im tempted to do an in depth review however Rob Donahue will do a better version that I. I haven't through linked here as as far im aware he been doing the reviews 'blind' with no prior knowledge or spoilers of the product - you'll have to do a google search for 'The Walking Mind' blog.

So.

Books solid, hardcover - looks like it could take a beating. Cover illustrations is gorgeous - that pretty much goes through out, and thats at the centre of my initial reaction. Wow. This thing looks amazing, and not just the cover - everywhere is sprinkled with interesting pieces of art. Looking at the art direction for the book you cant really see the philosophy of the designers to cherry pick all the editions. The layout is akin to 3e, a faux book (where 3 went as far as to create a faux fantasy cover) The illustrations are digital paintings, they remind me of artwork that featured on the covers and pages of the TSR era AD&D (2nd to my mind) The rules, well they're basic with traces of 2nd 3rd and 4th

Im surprised at the number of classes. The earlier editions had less, if I recall - 4th I know for sure, ill maybe check 2nd and 3rd but, anyways - they've got pretty much every major class - even warlocks and monks. This brings me hope that we'll see less option based splat books and more adventure/campaign/fluff.

My major hope is for the DMG. This is where i'm hoping we'll see major elements (the modularity Mearls talked about) that mutate the game and allow us to turn it into what we want to play. Thats really what i'm looking forward to.

GM Kit: Dungeon Room Generator

Dungeon Room Description

Based on this post here

The the next major NPC your players come across will be...

Click Here

Based on :

Image by Tom Gauld 

GM Kit : NPC Generator

Here are all the necessaries for random npc's

Names

Human Name
Elven Name
Dwarven Name
Half-elf Name
Half-orc Name
Halfling Name
Gnome Name
Tiefling Name
Dragonborn Name

Description

Appearance

Combat Stats

For Minions - Divide HP by 4 and damage by around 50%, For Large Creatures - Double the HP and Damage, Huge creatures - Triple HP and Damage.

Level 0

*i'll add more levels as i get time, will be done before next weeks game*