Loving what im reading. Can't wait to try this out when my copy from EF gets here.
Any advice on designing enemies/npcs? even just a basic stat block to get the ball rolling would be super helpful.
Hey glad to hear it! and yes!
Part of the logic behind character creation came from my frustration with enemy combatants in DnD where bland prebuilt nobodies were pitted against heroes. In A Grim Hack making an NPC is as easy as... rolling up a character!
But here are some suggestions based on what have done:
- Quick Basic NPC: Start all stats at base 30. Roll 1d10 for 2 chosen Stats. Roll or Pick 1 Occupation. Roll 1 Ancestry and pick a trait . 0 Grit
- Quick Tough NPC: Same as Basic. 5 to selected Stat. Hone 2 Skills. Pick additional Trait. 1 Grit (Use only when taking action against a PC).
- Quick Reoccurring NPC: Same as Tough. 1 Grit (Can be be used to hurt PCs or get away).
- Villainous NPC: Same as Reoccurring: but add 1-3 levels of advancement.
Tweak for what feels right but the basic idea is that NPCs should be similar to the characters without bogging down the game with everyone having Grit used constantly. In the system above I always start with that base of thirty because I can make up NPCs on the fly if I need to. Those that do well (and survive) in an encounter may grow along that progression if it seems appropriate and they stick around.
Another trick I like is to approximate Stress for NPCs.
At the start of an interaction roll a d10 9. If the NPC has a setback or gets hurt roll against that score. Failure means they want to extricate themselves from the situation. Critical failure may result in panic (your discretion).
I really haven't Codified these but, I am using these as a model for the mini-setting for A Grim Hack which will have a short Bestiary (because of course), and NPCs including agents for different factions.
I Hope this helps