> [!info] Work In Progress Non-Player Characters (NPCs) are part of the scene, acting characters but not distinct entities. They do not have a full list of attributes and traits, instead they use a short list of traits that generalize their character and contribution to the scene. When NPC traits have values, the players should be able to see it. - **Concept/Power** This is the same as a PC's [[Core Rules#Concept||Core Concept]]. Power is used when interacting with PCs, it is the "power" of their personality and ability. - **Description** What the NPC looks like and how it acts. - **Motivation** Why is the NPC even here? What do they hope to gain from this situation? - **Tactics** How the NPC approaches difficulty, how they try to overcome challenges. - **Devotion** is a measure of how committed the NPC is to their current objective. Any stress the NPC receives reduces their devotion and when devotion runs out they disengage, surrender, or flee. - **Special Abilities** Champions and boss monsters have special abilities. These are often supernatural traits. NPCs can take actions but they don't roll action pools. Instead their concept/power is the number of hits used to resolve the action. ## Mooks Mooks are low importance characters, goblins and henchmen and other cannon-fodder. Mooks exist primarily to get in the way and slow PCs from achieving objectives. Mooks only have one trait: power and it is always the same value as the scene difficulty. Mooks also have a devotion but it is always 1. **Example Mook** - Concept: An ugly thug who likes to hit things with a club. - Description: Thick human in dirty clothes with a face full of scars and sneers. - Motivation: Follow orders and cause pain without suffering any pain. - Tactics: Hit things with club and curses. ### Mook Mob When two or more similar mooks are part of a scene they are treated as one NPC. - Power equal to scene difficulty +1 per additional member. - Devotion is ablative, the group loses members due to PC actions. ## Henchmen Henchmen are a little more important than mooks and can take actions that help or hinder the players. Henchmen are still normal characters without special abilities. They are employees, assistants, and everyday people with specialized skills. Henchmen can have a devotion more than 1 but it is still usually very low. If a henchmen is asked to do something that would be against their concept or self-interest they may refuse the order. Compare the difficulty of the task to the resistance of the henchmen, if the difficulty is higher then they refuse. ## Champions Champions are powerful NPCs, sometimes more powerful than a player character. They have the same traits as a henchmen but usually more specific and more powerful. In addition to **concept** and **devotion** champions have a **special ability**. Champions often have a high devotion. The level of devotion is how many successful actions are required to convince the champion that they should not remain involved in this situation. **Special Ability** : An ability, often a [[Supernatural Power]], that the champion can use to accomplish its goals. This trait can combine with another trait to increase the difficulty, similar to how players can combine two traits to build an action pool. ## Big Boss Monsters Many quests include a Big Boss Monster (BBM) as the ultimate challenge. The BBM is a champion with additional abilities and escalating danger levels. The BBM starts the encounter with a special ability that triggers whenever a face card is drawn from their devotion stack and every time their devotion is reduced to zero they change into a new, more dangerous form with a new special ability. Most BBMs have 2-3 stages before they are finally defeated. | Theme | Transformation | Narrative & Mechanical Evolution | | ------------ | --------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Enraged | Limit Break | The Boss discards all pretense of defense. Their power increases by 2 and their Resistance is reduced by 2. | | Eldritch | Subspace Breach | The Boss tears a hole into subspace. The zone becomes Hazardous Terrain and all supernatural actions are +2 difficulty. | | Tactical | The Final Trap | The Boss was leading you here. Part of the scene collapses or activates (lava pits, portcullis, gas). All PCs defend agains an attack and are separated into different zones. | | Supernatural | Corrupted Form | The Boss mutates. It gains a new Feat at Level 3 (e.g., _Shadow-Warping Tendrils_) and uses it immediately against the players. | ## Strengths and Weaknesses NPCs, especially Champions and Big Boss Monsters, may be weak to certain conditions and have attacks that apply specific conditions. ## Typical NPC Scaling **NPC Concept & Resistance ** | Level | Description | | ----- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | Minor – Unskilled, frail, or very small. A child, house pet, or exhausted civilian. | | 2 | Ordinary – Average adult, competent but not specialized. Farmer, laborer, clerk. | | 3 | Professional – Trained and experienced. Soldier, city guard, hunter, journeyman mage. | | 4 | Elite – Heroic-tier specialist. Knight-captain, master assassin, royal guard. | | 5 | Exceptional – World-class individual or dangerous magical creature. Ogre, griffon, war mage. | | 6 | Massive / Formidable – Very large, powerful, or magically reinforced being. Troll, war golem, young dinosaur. | | 7 | Terrifying – Huge battlefield threat. Giant, drake, siege beast. | | 8 | Legendary – Campaign-defining adversary. Ancient dragon, archmage, demigod avatar. | | 9 | Mythic – Reality-bending entity. Primordial horror, titan, living catastrophe. | | 10 | Apocalyptic – Existential threat. World-eater, cosmic intelligence, god-form manifestation. | **NPC Devotion Scale** | Devotion | Description | | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | 1 | Casual – Mild stake. Low personal cost. Easily redirected or distracted. | | 2 | Committed – A deliberate choice. Will tolerate risk or social pressure. | | 3 | Resolute – Professionally invested. Reputation or pride is on the line. | | 4 | Devoted – Personally important. Part of self-image or duty. Will endure hardship. | | 5 | Zealous – Identity-bound. Will sacrifice comfort, safety, or relationships. | | 6 | Indomitable – Heroic conviction. Will risk life, status, or legacy. | | 7 | Fanatical – Legendary resolve. Defies reason, fear, or overwhelming odds. | | 8 | Mythic Purpose – Fate-driven. Acts as if destiny demands it. Nearly impossible to sway. | | 9 | Absolute – Existential commitment. Nothing short of transformation, revelation, or annihilation ends this purpose. | ## License Asmythe TTRPG is published under the [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)