Friday, August 03, 2007

Why I Like C&C

Well, for one thing, NPC generation is dang easy. Check this out -- I wrote up this NPC at lunch yesterday, in between bites of a Subway club sammich:

Jonar of 7 Fingers (He is a chaotic evil, dwarven, 6th level fighter whose vital statistics are: HP40, AC 18. His prime attributes are: Str, Cha. His significant attributes are: Str 16, Con 17. He is specalized with the warhammer, and attacks with it at +9. He wears chainmail +2 and carries a warhammer, a Helm of Horrors [see below], 3d10 gp, 4d8 gp and 5d20 cp. He has a secondary skill of Bullying.)

Jonar is the leader of a band of raiders who operate out of [nearby hills]. He is a callous and ruthless leader whose sense of responsibility to his men extends no further than his need for their sword-arms. He leads not by example but by fear -- even at 4' 8" he is quite imposing. Wearing the Helm of Horrors, he can create fear in enemy alike, 3/day, as per the spell.

He is husky and solidly-built, with unkempt black hair and a wild, forked beard. His bulbous nose has been broken many times and his teeth filed down to points. He delights in the terror he creates.

There. Mostly description; no feats, no skills, no saves. That's all pretty much encoded in the above. That leaves most of the write-up for description and motivation; we get a sense of who he is, what he looks like and what he's good for in your campaign without having to fiddle with stats.

Oh, and the helm is totally made up on the spot. Yeah, I know, you can do that with any game, but somehow it just seems easier now.