NPC XP Values

[klofft]

Didn't see this in the errata, but on p. 453 of 1st printing, there is a number of standard NPCs.  I didn't go through all of them, but I couldn't get a single one that I tried to match the listed XP figure.  Can anyone pick one and parse it out for me? (Even the 8 XP Academic didn't figure right for me.)

[Mister Andersen]

A number of them were deliberately fudged, if I recall the discussion back on the old board correctly, to make them cheaper than they should have been.

[mouthymerc]

Yes, many of them were fudged since it was felt that some shouldn't confer XP or should confer less XP.  The XP amounts really amount to just guidelines.  Also, some may be legitimately off as I was just getting a handle on the NPC system.

[Crafty_Pat]

We have a lot more experience with the NPC system now, so the Mastercraft values should flow cleanly, without need for adjustment.

[klofft]

We have a lot more experience with the NPC system now, so the Mastercraft values should flow cleanly, without need for adjustment.

But Mastercraft isn't replacing SC 2.0, is it? Is the focus going to turn to MC, while SC becomes the big, awkward dinosaur in the corner?

[Morgenstern]

Its more six of one, half dozen of the other - the NPC systems are both basically the same in execution. The 2.0 version is probably a little more finely tuned, as its all about making human opponents for human characters - there's a lot of common ground between the PC and most NPCs. Animals were a little hit and miss on the first try because I'm not entirely sure we fairly weighted the limitations of not having hands and being extremely limited in what gear you can use.

The other difference that is being described is that the original 2.0 critters were done when the system was brand new - nobody had done lensing NPCs that way in d20 and some of the rules were being reworked as the example critters were being done. Now we all have a few years practice creating NPCs with a scaling system and we know a lot better how to tag a manuscript so we can update a stat block correctly if a rule changes after the block is done but before the book goes to print. Most if not all of the mismatches that are in the 2.0 core book aren't from willful errors or "fudging", they are from the base rules getting tweaked at the last second without being able to smoothly update the examples to match.

[Crafty_Pat]

We have a lot more experience with the NPC system now, so the Mastercraft values should flow cleanly, without need for adjustment.

But Mastercraft isn't replacing SC 2.0, is it? Is the focus going to turn to MC, while SC becomes the big, awkward dinosaur in the corner?

We'll continue to support Spycraft 2.0 alongside Mastercraft. No worries there.

[klofft]

We have a lot more experience with the NPC system now, so the Mastercraft values should flow cleanly, without need for adjustment.

But Mastercraft isn't replacing SC 2.0, is it? Is the focus going to turn to MC, while SC becomes the big, awkward dinosaur in the corner?

We'll continue to support Spycraft 2.0 alongside Mastercraft. No worries there.

Good to hear.  I'll admit I was a little concerned.