NPC's, Adventures, and Levels

[MedievalMan]

So I am not new to writing adventures, I am however new to writing higher level adventures. In this current short one I am writing the main villain is a 9th level magic-user (maybe necromancer). What level do you think sounds appropriate for the party to face him at? He only has a few bodyguards directly defending him (an ogre skeleton, a couple normal skeletons, and a few common zombies) but I am not so sure at what level the party should be at. Any suggestions?

[SmootRK]

It is an art, not a science. If you are doing this for your own group of adventurers, then the whole process would probably be pretty intuitive.

For others, I would suggest writing it out as best you see fit. Then guestimate player levels. Only some playtesting can really sort it out. Then after a little bit of playtesting, go back and redo some stuff...

tweak up/down antagonists numbers, hp, gear
tweak up/down the proposed level of the adventure
tweak up/down rewards, magical items, treasure

then do it all over again with more playtesting.

This is a very big reason that I don't really go into trying to make 'adventures' for the general population. Others are better at doing this sort of process than I am, and I just limit myself to my own player group's adventures... for which I do an amazing amount of winging it at the table.
I am much better with class/ability/spells/monsters/etc. and other such mechanics development.

[MedievalMan]

Well I am in the process of making ol' Kel'Thazar (the necromancer in question). Poor chump didn't get any sort of magical gear and I highly doubt even with his undead guards he will last more than a few rounds. Pity the poor necromancer. I am almost thinking about giving him some more bodyguards because with what he has now he isn't going to last long.

[jcm]

Give him genius intelligence and metagaming knowledge and tactics.

[MedievalMan]

The funny thing is I randomly rolled his ability scores. I kid you not this is what he got in order.

Strength 11
Intelligence 10
Wisdom 12
Dexterity 11
Constitution 12
Charisma 7

Its like the universe hates this guys guts and he isn't even real. Perfectly average scores + No magic items, oh! and get this. This is like icing on the proverbial fail cake. His army of darkness? His legion of undead minions?

10.

He has 10 undead minions.

He must be wondering where he went wrong with his life, 9th level magic-user and he has nothing to show for it but pasty white skin from all those hours spent reading in his mom's basement and the ability to raise enough undead to put the fear in a party of maybe 2nd level adventurers.

Sound career decision, becoming a necromancer. Maybe the universe really does hate this poor guys guts.

At least he won't have to suffer in his ineptitude for much longer at least, that is unless the player characters are cruel enough to let the poor dude live.

[Solomoriah]

Oh, no. No, no, no.

Random NPC generation is for random encounters. And not always even then.

You want a big bad, you create a big bad. I'd start by rolling stats, but then I would change them to suit my needs. At the very least, he needs to be credited with a 13 INT, and maybe a bonus CON too just for good measure.

He's a villain. He gets a magic weapon, and some sort of protection item. Since it's likely your players will kill him and steal his stuff, don't make them too powerful. Besides that, he needs something... interesting. Hopefully something the PCs can't fully use.

Minions? How many do you want him to have? Okay, that's what he's got. Give him twenty zombies if that works for you. Maybe throw in a ghoul he's buddies with. How about a thiefly character, a human or half-orc perhaps, to be his Igor? That guy gets a magic weapon too, shortsword +1 maybe, to help with the backstabbing he should be doing (if at all possible).

I mentioned an interesting magic item, right? You're going for a necromancer, so give him a Doom Horn. Each time the horn is blown, it casts Animate Dead affecting a 30' radius around the caster. You can't reanimate a slain zombie or skeleton, but hey, he's a necromancer, maybe he lives in a catacomb... anywhere he blows his horn, he gets a spate of fresh skeletons. The Doom Horn has charges, so even if the players get it and are unsavory enough to use it, it won't last forever.

Dice are tools for the GM. Use them, but don't let them use you.

[MedievalMan]

Solo have I ever told you how much you rock? That was exactly what I was looking for. Maybe old Kel'Thazar will stand a chance now!

Though it was funny seeing how random rolls were treating him.

Thanks Solo!

[SmootRK]

I never, ever, never rely on total random rolls for GM'ing. Perhaps in combat, but not for bad guys abilities, HP, magic item and treasure determination, or whatever. I might roll just to see what I might get (when I don't have any ideas yet), but the roll is more for finding ideas and moving on from there.

I control the stuff that appears in my games, not the dice. That is a different concept than the 3e and later editions where much of the gaming "power" is in the hands of players where they can buy their choices of magical items, expect their encounters to be balanced properly against their levels, and so on. In my games, if the players absolutely insist on heading into the dragon's lair while they are just 2nd level (even against my strong advice), then so be it. They can expect a wipe-out.

[Solomoriah]

... expect their encounters to be balanced properly against their levels, ...

This always just floors me. The real world is not "balanced against your level," why should the fantasy world be different?

There is no guarantee of fairness in the combat system, or random encounters for that matter. Players must learn that sometimes, running away is a valid tactic.

[MedievalMan]

Alright I finished old Kel'Thazar, and I thought I would post his stats just to see what people think. He also comes with a free magic item! Horray!

Kel'Thazar 8th level Human Necromancer:
AC 16, HD 8d4 hp, #AT 1 weapon, Dam 1d4+2, Mv 40', Sv MU 8, ML 7
Abilities: Str 10, Int 16 (+2), Wis 12, Dex 13 (+1), Con 13 (+1), Cha 10
Hit Points: 32

Spells: 1st level – Corpse Servant, Cause Fear, Stoneskin 2nd level – Ghoulish Hands, Invisibility, Minor Warding 3rd level – Darkvision, Dispel Magic, Summon Spirit 4th level – Animate Dead, Dimension Door

Magic Items: Dagger +2, Death Shroud, Potion of Healing x2, Bone Chimes (new item)

Bone Chimes: This item appears to be wind chimes constructed from the bones of a humanoid creature. As long as the chimes can be heard all undead within 30' gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls, armor class and saving throws.

I am trying to figure out what sort of henchman I should give him. he needs some sort of intelligent bodyguard. Skeletons and zombies can only do so much after all.

EDIT
And here is the henchman for those who care. As a note, those ability scores were rolled randomly.

Ivan 6th level Human Fighter:
AC 14, HD 6d8 hp, #AT 1 weapon, Dam 1d6+2, Mv 40', Sv F 6, ML 9
Abilities: Str 16 (+2), Int 15 (+1), Wis 3 (-3), Dex 12, Con 14 (+2), Cha 14 (+2)
Hit Points: 45
Possessions: spade, dagger, flask of oil x6

Magic Items: Leather Armor +1, Boots of Speed, Potion of Giant Strength, Potion of Healing