NPC Designer - 3.5 NPC Generator Tour

NPC Designer - 3.5 NPC Generator Tour

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (Basic Features)

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator is the best and one of the most powerful npc generators that exists for the 3.5e (d20/OGL) game system ever created.  For the 3.5e game system a quality npc generation is critical for any dungeon master because of the amount of time it takes to create them if done by hand, this solves that problem.  Not only will it allow you to generate good solid npcs for your game but will then permit you to spend your time doing other things such as creating maps, working on the story line or even just mowing the yard.  One of the other areas it helps is at the table, adventure groups seldom do everything you expect or head into a direction you planned on, with NPC Designer you can easily adjust that and create needed npcs on the fly.

This will give you a guided tour of NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator and help you get the most out of it.  There is a lot on the screens, knowing how to use and get the most out of them will remove any chaos and confusion.  Don't be afraid to make NPC Designer fit your game.



Step 1:  NPC's need a name

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
You can either let the scripts handle name generation or if you have something in
mind you can type it here.  Clearing any mistakes just takes double click on "S".

Step 2: Adding some details

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)  
This section is used to either let the npc generation engine handle things randomly or  you can make selections based on the drop down.  Based on some selections you make other options will either become available or be removed, such as some races do not have paragons.  Some selections like region while have no game effects as in rules, is used during the npc's generation to select other elements (example: coastal region would gave a higher chance of knowing how to swim where a desert region would have a lower chance.

Advanced Note: In the scripts you can have these selections enhance the npc generation engine to alter the factors of different elements.  Each NPC can be unique just based off a few selections if you want to delve into the system.

Step 3: Classes and Prestige Classes

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
NPC Designer -  3.5e NPC Generator allows you to select 4 classes and 4 prestige classes, each of these can be a maximum of 50th level though this is not hard coded and can be changed in the scripts if there was ever a need.  For some monster generation you may find the need to have no classes, sometimes a hill giant is just a hill giant.  You can check "No Classes" for these situations and the npc generation system will only use the monster script and no class scripts during the process.  I am not a fan of cookie cutter monsters and this solves that problem for me.

Advanced Note:  When generating such high levels there is a chance of running out of feats and it will cause the system some problems.  I only hit it during testing and never while actually using it for the reasons intended.

Step 4: Rolling Stats

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
Stats are one of those systems that people seem to want to do their own way and in my case not only do I want to do it my way but also sometimes just enhance the current system.  On this screen you can select the stats you desire or you can use the point buy system or finally if you desire can select from the known array types used for NPCs.  If you wish to see the random results now rather then while the system is generating, press the "R" button and it will place the stats.  If you decide in the end you do not like it and wish to clear it all, press the "C" button. 

The basics of this tab is merely to allow you to select what stat you desire for the NPC, this is the base stat prior to any bonuses applied during the generation process.


NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
This stat screen allows you to set what minimun you would like during the stat generation process of the npc generation.  Like the previous screen if you wish to randomly role stats and have set at the minimum, then press the "R" button or if you wish to clear them all, then press the "C" button.


NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
This stat screen allows you to apply a bonus to stats, this bonus will go above and beyond any bonus applyed from the normal npc generation process.  If you know what you want a strong or smart npc and yet still want some randomness to the process, just add a bonus of say +5.  Then when everything is generated it will grant the npc the +5 bonus.  There are no limited and this bonus will stack with everything else done by the system, you control it.  If you wish to clear all of the bonuses, then press the "C" button.


NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)
The final stat screen is used to select the priority order for how the stats are applied, every class and even races have a natural order in which the important stats are the highest and least important stats are the lowest.  This is also used when figure out how stat bonuses are applied where needed.  The initial use of this is for when stats are generated, you can use the enforce check box to use this same list for when bonuses are applied and finally if wish it to be random then use the randomize check box

Step 5: Template, profession and stat block

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)

Template
This drop down allows you to select what template to apply to the NPC when it is being generated.  At this time you can only select 1 template to be applied however I am considering adding more to this if possible.  Another feature to keep in mind is you can apply bloodlines as well, to further enhance the NPC.
Profession
Professions are much like regions in the other selection, these are elements that allow you to further enhance the generation process and enable you to create NPCs exactly how you envision them.  Example, it is a good idea of sailors or pirates to have some skill with swimming.
Statblock Format
The final drop down allows you to select what format the NPC will be presented in, there are a few different flavors for this and some of them can be used by other programs such a DMGenie and Fantasy Grounds (V1 and V2)

Step 6: Displaying the results

NPC Designer - 3.5e NPC Generator (OGL - d20)

This is where the stat block is displayed, on the right is a list of each NPC you generate during the session by name.  If you wish to go back and look at a previous stat block you merely need to double click on the name.  Copying the stat block to the clipboard just by pressing the button.  You can also use the short cut keys if you wish this was just make things easier.