NPC vs Monster encounters

[Tiew]

I've just realized that I like making enemy NPCs and NPC encounters a lot more than I like making monster encounters. Is this ok? Are there things I should watch out for? Any suggestions for making monsters more interesting and believable?

I think the main reason might be that I can picture meeting an NPC anywhere, and I can picture them using intelligent tactics to make things interesting. With monsters I always wonder, what does it eat? Why is it here? What is it's motivation for fighting the PCs?

Maybe that's another part of it. NPCs are basically human, you can actually despise them for their evil actions, and killing them feels like it means something. Monsters a basically of an alien mindset. Fighting them seems kind of meaningless.

Any warnings or tips on how to make monsters more interesting would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Liquidsabre]

I'd watch out as NPCs tend to have a higher value of treasure on them as Mwk/magic weapons & armor, and magic items than the typical monster encounter. A group of PCs fighting NPCs all the time will find themselves with alot more treasure than average.

As for monsters, there are the occasional predator types that stumble upon the PCs but there are also lairs, dens, tracks, previous kills, etc. that PCs come across and will investigate leading to an encounter (or try to avoid if the signs look like something big and nasty). Out in the wilderness where there is little to no traffic it really doesn't make sense to run into an NPC and would likely stretch believability there if that was all they met out in the boonies.

If not in the wilds but simply traveling on well-used roads, then yes, it doesn't make any sense to run into a deep-woods dragon or other nasty beast. Things like that would be more of a rarity with road-patrols about and would create quite a bit of news if it did happen. Nonetheless you can roll up the encounter ahead of time and plan ahead by having incoming traffic battered and hurt after an attack, or rumors/news of the beast ravaging trade along the road or perhaps even a reward out.

Just some notes off the top of me head, hope it helps a little.

Cheers!

 

[MerakSpielman]

There's no reason you can't combine the two. To make Treants tougher, slap on a handful of monk levels. Give phase spiders rogue and assassin levels. Who cares if it doesn't make sense? It makes exciting encounters!

 

[derelictjay]

Naw, there's no problem with falling in love with the NPCs. But you really should apply the same methods you use for creating the beasties. Who says that a beasties's stat block has to come from the Monster Manual. I love at the very least playing with the beasties's stats. My player's never now what I'm tossing at them, even though the beastie looks like, and is named like that beastie thier looking at in Monster Manual.

As to some tips. Change the feats list, role the stats, give them new skills (a jumping elephant might be fun, you think). And of course give these special beasties some unique features (a jagged scar runs down the face of the large tiger, its eye a milky white color), that always makes fights more memorable.