Character levels of competency

[JLV]

Yep. We actually did the same thing -- I quoted 30 points because that's what ITL says, but I agree that it's probably too high for your average peasant or shop keeper.

[larsdangly]

I have always run TFT assuming that NPC's head off into their lives with the same capabilities as PCs (32 points and whatever talents and so forth that they can manage, rising with experience as seems appropriate). That means the players are the focus (from their perspective at least) but they are not assumed to be exceptional (until/unless they earn it!). I understand that isn't a universal approach, but it's what I've always done and it is one of the things I like about the game.

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I have always run TFT assuming that NPC's head off into their lives with the same capabilities as PCs ...

Hi everyone, Larsdangly.
The book said that the average normal person was 30 attributes, which means that some would be above that and some would be below that number. So you might see 27 attribute shop keepers, 34 attribute candle makers, 29 attribute guards, etc.

Long ago in an old campaign, there was one farmer who had survived and prospered in a very dangerous area. The PC's moved in and started throwing their weight around, and the farmer and his men (who were trained better than most platoons), kicked their butts. The farmer was 44 attributes, and a really tough fighter. Total party kill.

The players were outraged, "He is just a FARMER!"

I had no sympathy.

Warm regards, Rick.

[Skarg]

Yes, we played it as described in ITL and exemplified in the published characters in the microquests, etc.

32 points is an above average human.

30 is an average human. (Also ITL page 8: "Average strength for a human female is 9 to 11; average male ST is 10 to 12."

Fighter-types often favor ST & DX over IQ though, and fighter NPCs in dangerous places tend to hover in the 30-35 range, often 32 points though also often IQ 8, as in many of the microquest examples etc.

Typical non-fighter types tend to be about 30 points but vary maybe 26-36 though not designed to be adventurers so may tend to have more points in IQ, not have weapon talents or weapons/armor, etc.

Of course, there are also more experienced / capable NPCs, but they're remarkable people and so not the norm.

One thing I'm still not clear about though is what the averages would be for the non-32-point races such as Goblins and Hobgoblins (who are pretty weak at the starting values listed, so are non-PC average goblins/hobgoblins even weaker?). Also curious about personalizing gargoyles, giants and dragons... I realize I can do whatever I want but it could be fun/nice to have some official guidelines on how much they can be expected to vary without players possibly getting justifiably(?) annoyed that the GM made a special one.

[JLV]

We always assumed they (the "average" ones) were a couple of points weaker than their "adventurer quality" compatriots -- just like Humans were...

[Jim Kane]

Originally Posted by Skarg

...30 is an average human. (Also ITL page 8: "Average strength for a human female is 9 to 11; average male ST is 10 to 12."

Right, and what we interpreted that to mean was the average human female and male *Adventurer/Warrior* - and not a non-combatant NPC - like the local shopkeeper and his comely and doting wife; that was the key difference in our game-world.

The other thing we inferred, that in order to reach those stated averages in the RAW, there must be a roughly equal population of PCs with ST above *and below* that suggested average range - from whence the stated average ST was culled.

And, those folks (32 and up) belonged to the *adventurer* world; and thus, the folks who were non-combatant NPCs - the shopkeeper and his wife - did not enjoy participation in those stated ST averages.

Most of the non-combatant John Q. Public types, we built on the lower side of 24-30 points - usually 24-27 for the typical citizen - where a 32 point non-combatant NPC was *not* be the norm, but would be a stand-out person in a crowd of non-combatants.

So, rightly or wrongly, that's how and why we divided our world into 2 distinct groups:

• Adventure/combatant-types (32 points and up), intended for the arena and labyrinth, etc.
• and the Non-Combat NPC-types (30 points and downwards to 24), intended for the home, shop, and farm.

JK

[JLV]

That looks pretty standard to me, Jim -- it's more or less the way we interpreted and played the rules too.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

Hi everyone, Larsdangly.
The book said that the average normal person was 30 attributes,

Page number?

Thanks...

[Rick_Smith]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

Page number?

Thanks...

It is on ItL, page 7 near the bottom of the second column.

[ak_aramis]

Originally Posted by Rick_Smith

It is on ItL, page 7 near the bottom of the second column.

Ahh... I'd missed that... but...

It has "average"... average is in the text inside scare-quotes, which generally indicates that it's a misnomer.

If one truncates, 32/3 = 10 2/3, which makes 10 likely the modal value, not the average.