Two Questions

[Krensky]

No, a NPC is considered to have ranks equal to the higher of their skill bonus from skilled or their competence bonus. This effects both their rolls and their caps.

Examples?

I was summarizing this:

Skills: When making a skill check, an NPC uses his Competence bonus or the bonus granted by the skilled quality, whichever is greater. This number is also used as the NPC's ranks in the skill when determining result caps and other effects. Finally, an NPC’s class skills are those targeted by the skilled NPC quality; all other skills are cross-class skills for the NPC.

[Bill Whitmore]

No, a NPC is considered to have ranks equal to the higher of their skill bonus from skilled or their competence bonus. This effects both their rolls and their caps.

Examples?

So using the previous numbers from Krensky and iconoplast:

   TL = 3

   NPC has Competence VI = +2 bonus
   This NPC effectively has 2 ranks in every skill.  This does not afford any synergies, but it does give him a result cap of 20 (instead of the 15 it would be were it 0)

   NPC has Skilled V = +5 bonus
   This NPC effectively has 5 ranks in whatever the skill is that is listed with the Skilled trait.  That means his result caps are 25 when using this skill.  It also means that he could gain a synergy from this skill if applicable to another check he was making.

[iconoplast]

That totally explains it.

[Golden Dragon]

   NPC has Skilled V = +5 bonus
   This NPC effectively has 5 ranks in whatever the skill is that is listed with the Skilled trait.  That means his result caps are 25 when using this skill.  It also means that he could gain a synergy from this skill if applicable to another check he was making.

I was unaware that NPCs got skill synergy bonuses. I thought their competence and skill bonuses were designed to sweep under the rug most modifiers that PCs get (ability scores, synergy bonuses, insght bonuses, etc.).

[Bill Whitmore]

   NPC has Skilled V = +5 bonus
   This NPC effectively has 5 ranks in whatever the skill is that is listed with the Skilled trait.  That means his result caps are 25 when using this skill.  It also means that he could gain a synergy from this skill if applicable to another check he was making.

I was unaware that NPCs got skill synergy bonuses. I thought their competence and skill bonuses were designed to sweep under the rug most modifiers that PCs get (ability scores, synergy bonuses, insght bonuses, etc.).

Actually, I was unaware, too, until I reread the sections for this thread, but when it said "[w]hen making checks [snip] an NPC's ranks in a skill are considered to be equal to his skill bonus or Competence, whichever is higher" I took another look at it.  I belive from that statement, that they would get synergies.

However, if I had never noticed that and never used synergies for them, I doubt I would have ever cared.