The Opposition
Characters find themselves arrayed against a multitude of foes. People and creatures that stand against them use the following rules. Opposition is divided into NPCs - GM-controlled characters that behave similarly to player characters - and monsters - powerful foes that have deadly advantage during combat.
NPCs
Most sentient creatures are NPCs. They function as simplified versions of player characters. You should avoid any rolls or mechanics for an NPC that do not directly impact the characters.
If not otherwise noted, NPCs test against a TN of 7. Adjust the TN as needed to match the NPCs strengths and weaknesses. They have 2 AP. They do not have wounds, but instead fall unconscious or die when reduced to 0 HP.
Foes without a limit may not draw. They may attempt a gambit by testing with disadvantage.
Foes with a limit may draw against it as players do.
When running NPCs, be aware of the dangers of action economy! Numbers make all the
difference in a fight.
NPC Stats
This is an example NPC stat block:
Skurling Fire-Belcher (Difficulty 0). Quick: -2, Grit: +2. HP 10, Armor 1, Speed 15.
Strengths: Immune to fire.
Weaknesses: Difficulty becomes +2 when doused with water.
Weapons: Fiery seed-pod (TN 13, D8 fire in 1 meter burst, 15 meter range), sharpened root (TN 11, D6 stabbing).
Personality: Chitters non-stop in a nonsense language. Entranced by any fire bigger than a bonfire. Enjoys things that smell good when burned.
Carrying: D6 fire-seeds, charred stinkroot.
A forest sprite made up of vines studded with smoldering seeds. Common where forest fires have crossed over from the Lower World.
Difficulty
All NPCs and Monsters have a difficulty. This is a modifier to the TN of all tests against them. In addition, certain tests against them may have a separate difficulty.
The Skurling Fire-Belcher is fast and weak, so Quick tests targeting it are Hard (-2), while Grit tests are Easy (+2).
George the Barbarian, swinging against the fire-belcher with his axe, has the following TN:
12 (Grit) + 3 (Axes and Clubs skill) +2 (Skurling's Grit difficulty) = 17
HP, Armor, Speed
These function identically to players. If an NPC is reduced to 0 HP, they are defeated.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Most creatures have some strengths and weaknesses that make encountering them interesting. GMs are encouraged to emphasize these traits, particularly to players attempting to gain an advantage during combat.
If a player wants to check for pre-existing knowledge, a skill might be used (Woodcraft, Cultures, Science, Astrology, etc). A successful roll might reveal a single piece of information about a creature.
Weapons and Spells
These are used as they would be with players. The NPC must make the listed Test to hit and has the same options and limitations that a player would.
Gambits
A NPC may use a Gambit by rolling with disadvantage. This is negated by certain weapon modifiers.
Personality
These are suggestions for the GM how an NPC might behave. They are not universal truths.
Carrying
What interesting things a player might find on the person of one of these creatures, be it by trade, theft, or murder.
Monsters
Certain horrifying creatures - monsters - use a different procedure during combat.
Instead of rolling Tests and taking actions as players do, monsters generate Threat each turn and spend it on monster attacks. Monster attacks always hit, though they may be defended against as normal.
Threat
Threat is the number of actions a monster may take during a combat round. Some monsters may have ways to generate additional Threat during combat.
Monsters spend Threat at any time before or after any player turn to perform actions as indicated by their monster attacks. In addition, monsters may spend 1 Threat to perform any of the following actions:
- Reduce damage by their Defense.
- Move their Speed.
- Force a player to re-roll a Test.
TODO: Example
Monster Stats
This is an example monster stat block:
Tentacled Quigling (-2). Threat: 4. Quick: +2, Wits: +4, Grit: -4. HP 35, Armor 3, Speed 10.
Strengths: Can breathe underwater, leap its Speed vertically. Its tentacles are very sticky. +1 Threat in the water.
Weaknesses: Endlessly hungry, vulnerable to fire.
Personality: Communicates only with a bone-shaking, belching croak. Looks for the largest edible thing and tries to eat it. Prefers insects and slimes.
Carrying: A barrel's worth of quigling adhesive, D100 ((coins)) deep within its belly
An enormous frog-like creature with four massive tentacles extending from its back.
Monster Attacks
1 Threat
1 - Sticky Tongue
2 - Deafening Croak
2 Threat
3 - Crushing Tentacles
4 - Thundering Leap
3 Threat
5 - Swallow Whole
6 - Tentacle Rampage
Giant Banana Slug
Gorewolf
Shoveltusk
Inkbat Flock
Timber Snake
Feral Thornback
Khorsine Mauler
Rocklug
Creating NPCs
Generating TNs
To generate a TN for an NPC's ability, invert the NPCs difficulty (or difficulty of the most relevant attribute, if listed) and add 10. Adjust up or down by 1 or 2 to account for special skill.
The Skurling Fire-Belcher typically throws fiery seed-pods. Its Quick difficulty is -2, so a good TN would be 12. I adjusted it up to 13 to account for its skill in throwing the seeds.