Welcome! These forums will be deactivated by the end of this year. The conversation continues in a new morph over on Discord! Please join us there for a more active conversation and the occasional opportunity to ask developers questions directly! Go to the PS+ Discord Server.

NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?

7 posts / 0 new
Last post
Thu, 2011-12-22 23:15
#1
Azathoth Azathoth's picture
NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
Before you say anything, yes, I know I could just open up the character generator spreadsheet and figure this out myself. Guess I'm just lazy! :P Has anyone looked at the profiles in the NPC prime pdf to see if they are equivalent to characters as far as cp expenditure? I was just curious after comparing the different Async variants when I noticed the Overmind with all his skills over 60.
Top
Fri, 2011-12-23 00:10
Decivre Decivre's picture
Re: NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
Azathoth wrote:
Before you say anything, yes, I know I could just open up the character generator spreadsheet and figure this out myself. Guess I'm just lazy! :P Has anyone looked at the profiles in the NPC prime pdf to see if they are equivalent to characters as far as cp expenditure? I was just curious after comparing the different Async variants when I noticed the Overmind with all his skills over 60.
It wasn't designed for playable characters. The NPC File Prime lists NPC statblocks for use by GMs who want to introduce characters to fight. Consider it the equivalent of the Eclipse Phase Monster Manual... but holding back the TITAN and exsurgent threats.
—
Transhumans will one day be the Luddites of the posthuman age. [url=http://bit.ly/2p3wk7c]Help me get my gaming fix, if you want.[/url]
Top
Fri, 2011-12-23 02:52
Tyrnis Tyrnis's picture
Re: NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
I've wondered the same thing. Total CP would be a useful quick-glance metric to gauge the approximate strength/experience level for a given NPC. Not quite useful enough to warrant me taking the time to reverse engineer them, mind. :-p
Top
Fri, 2011-12-23 06:24
OneTrikPony OneTrikPony's picture
Re: NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
I have done this. I've got... I don't remember, about a dozen of them in Xcell format. I can give more specific info later if you're interested but what I found is that they have a broad range of power level. A couple exceeded 1000 cp by quite a bit. Most NPCs don't meet the minimum 300/400 cp for knowledge/Active skills and so end up to be way under the 1000 CP of a player character. The best way to judge is to look at the skill set. If the npc has several skills at 60+ in their field then they'll be character equivalent. Both the Jovian Soldier and the HOPLITE pilot turn out to be CP lite. but if you look at their skillsets they're fucking badass. As a GM I appreciate that most of them are not Fully statted. I use them as framework for my "named" NPCs.
—

Mea Culpa: My mode of speech can make others feel uninvited to argue or participate. This is the EXACT opposite of what I intend when I post.

Top
Fri, 2011-12-23 09:37
Decivre Decivre's picture
Re: NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
Tyrnis wrote:
I've wondered the same thing. Total CP would be a useful quick-glance metric to gauge the approximate strength/experience level for a given NPC. Not quite useful enough to warrant me taking the time to reverse engineer them, mind. :-p
The best way to gauge them is by their skill rankings, rather than overall value. An NPC that only has the skills fray and kinetic weapons, but both are at 99 is far more powerful in combat than an NPC that is built with standard character creation rules. PCs have to have broad skillsets so you can be the center-stage characters of the campaign. NPCs are built for a few encounters at most, one encounter most often. They only need the skills necessary for those few encounters. Nothing more.
—
Transhumans will one day be the Luddites of the posthuman age. [url=http://bit.ly/2p3wk7c]Help me get my gaming fix, if you want.[/url]
Top
Fri, 2011-12-23 09:41
Azathoth Azathoth's picture
Re: NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
Thanks Decivre, I know what the "N" in NPC stands for. :P Like Tyrnis says, I was just trying to compare relative strengths of the NPCs and pre-gen characters (which I also use for NPCs) to the PCs. Sounds like they're pretty comparable, but not all are created equal. It's good that a few are stronger, they can serve as "bosses". Guess I won't be throwing a whole group of Overminds at the party then! ;)
Top
Fri, 2011-12-23 10:57
Decivre Decivre's picture
Re: NPC Prime profiles. How much CP?
Azathoth wrote:
Thanks Decivre, I know what the "N" in NPC stands for. :P Like Tyrnis says, I was just trying to compare relative strengths of the NPCs and pre-gen characters (which I also use for NPCs) to the PCs. Sounds like they're pretty comparable, but not all are created equal. It's good that a few are stronger, they can serve as "bosses". Guess I won't be throwing a whole group of Overminds at the party then! ;)
My recommendation would be to use your PC skill ratings as a guide. Take your PCs, look at their key skills, and check the rating. My guess is that most skills will be around 60, maybe a bit more for focus skills. Subtract 20, and you have a good gauge for mooks and simple fights. Match it and you have a dangerous battle that the PCs might lose in. Add 20, and you have a boss battle the likes of which you can't imagine. Pick appropriate NPCs with proper skill ranges to make it work.
—
Transhumans will one day be the Luddites of the posthuman age. [url=http://bit.ly/2p3wk7c]Help me get my gaming fix, if you want.[/url]
Top