Designing cool demihumans [Archive] - Wizards Community

Designing cool demihumans [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
heirodule
03-04-08, 12:30 PM I know the PCs are supposed to be a cut above the rest.

But I want to show them that Valenar horsemen are better/kewler than other horsemen, and give them a challenging encounter. I want to show them what a house Lyrandar captian can do to them.

Both of these (picked because I tried to make interesting encounters from them) can kinda do that. But i run into difficulty featwise. The best Valenar feat for showing off is Bladebearer of the valenar. One of the best Lyrandar feats is Storms Riposte.

But both of these require action points. Which, since these are NPCs, require the Heroic Spirit feat in addition to the regular feat. Which means that, say in the valenar example, a 7th level horseelf will have mounted combat, bladebearer, and heroic spirit. He'll be lacking in other useful feats. He will HAVE to take levels in fighter or ranger, when by other NPC conventions, he should just be a warrior.

I'm tempted to give any NPC who takes an action point cost feat a free action point along with it. Thoughts about the general case?
Syltorian
03-04-08, 01:22 PM One of the ways you could give them Heroic Spirit is by allowing Flaws (Unearthed Arcana and several Dragon Magazines - some here are pretty good for Valenar, such as Glory Hound).

For the Lyrandar captain, a dip into Dragonmarked Heir grants 2 AP.

I have actually thought just today about how to give NPCs action points. Unearthed Arcana/SRD recommends giving important NPCs 1/2 their level action-points.

Perhaps you could also treat them as PCs in all ways, including action points, to hammer home the point that these guys are exceptional. Just up the CR by +1 or so, and assume they spent half of their APs before (giving them full APs will be too much; unless they are recurrent enemies/allies, they have no reasons to hoard them like PCs have to).
Edymnion
03-04-08, 06:27 PM Rules apply only to the PCs. NPCs do not have to follow the rules, they just have to be cool and memorable. As a rule, NPCs do not have action points, true. But you aren't making Bob the Baker who burns an AP to get his bread the perfect shade of golden brown, you're making a kick ass represenative of the race. Give them action points, don't worry about Heroic Spirit or the rest, just do what is cool.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
heirodule 03-04-08, 12:30 PM	I know the PCs are supposed to be a cut above the rest. But I want to show them that Valenar horsemen are better/kewler than other horsemen, and give them a challenging encounter. I want to show them what a house Lyrandar captian can do to them. Both of these (picked because I tried to make interesting encounters from them) can kinda do that. But i run into difficulty featwise. The best Valenar feat for showing off is Bladebearer of the valenar. One of the best Lyrandar feats is Storms Riposte. But both of these require action points. Which, since these are NPCs, require the Heroic Spirit feat in addition to the regular feat. Which means that, say in the valenar example, a 7th level horseelf will have mounted combat, bladebearer, and heroic spirit. He'll be lacking in other useful feats. He will HAVE to take levels in fighter or ranger, when by other NPC conventions, he should just be a warrior. I'm tempted to give any NPC who takes an action point cost feat a free action point along with it. Thoughts about the general case?
Syltorian 03-04-08, 01:22 PM	One of the ways you could give them Heroic Spirit is by allowing Flaws (Unearthed Arcana and several Dragon Magazines - some here are pretty good for Valenar, such as Glory Hound). For the Lyrandar captain, a dip into Dragonmarked Heir grants 2 AP. I have actually thought just today about how to give NPCs action points. Unearthed Arcana/SRD recommends giving important NPCs 1/2 their level action-points. Perhaps you could also treat them as PCs in all ways, including action points, to hammer home the point that these guys are exceptional. Just up the CR by +1 or so, and assume they spent half of their APs before (giving them full APs will be too much; unless they are recurrent enemies/allies, they have no reasons to hoard them like PCs have to).
Edymnion 03-04-08, 06:27 PM	Rules apply only to the PCs. NPCs do not have to follow the rules, they just have to be cool and memorable. As a rule, NPCs do not have action points, true. But you aren't making Bob the Baker who burns an AP to get his bread the perfect shade of golden brown, you're making a kick ass represenative of the race. Give them action points, don't worry about Heroic Spirit or the rest, just do what is cool.