Configuring FS3 Combat - NPC Skills

[config]

You can configure the skill levels used by NPCs in FS3 combat.

Select Admin -> Setup.
Edit fs3combat_npcs.yml

Table of Contents

npc_types
default_npc_type

npc_types

You can define the NPC types available in your game. The standard ones are Goon, Henchman, Miniboss and Boss.

Big Bads

Some games try to have a “big bad” type of NPC level with dice pools of 15+. However, giving somebody a ton of dice to roll does NOT make them unstoppable by any stretch. Many a game has thought they had a “Big Bad” beastie ready to give the PCs a hard time, only to have it felled in a single turn. The numbers just don’t scale for beyond-human abilities.

default

The default rating is what the NPC rolls for skills by default.

Tip
This is a total dice pool, encompassing skill plus attribute. So if you want a boss to be equivalent to an “Expert” PC with a “Good” attribute, you need to give them a die pool of 9 (6+3).

Goon:
    Default: 4
Henchman:
    Default: 6
Boss:
    Default: 8

Fine-Tuning Skills

You can also fine-tune dice pools for specific skills. This is helpful if you want to make a Boss tough to take down without making them extraordinarily deadly (or vice-versa). You can also make specialist NPCs who are good with some weapons but not others.

Goon:
    Default: 4
    Firearms: 6
    Gunnery: 6
    Piloting: 4
Henchman:
    Default: 6
    Firearms: 8
    Gunnery: 8

Any skills not expressly listed will use the ‘Default’ value.

wounds

Finally, there is a setting for ‘Wounds’ which is a lethality bonus (or penalty) added to all damage they take. To make goons easier to damage and bosses harder, you could do:

Goon:
    Default: 4
    Wounds: 30
Boss:
    Default: 6
    Wounds: -10

default_npc_type

You can set what the default NPC type is. It must be one of those specified in the npc_types list.