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Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
NPC Core / Relationships and Advancement

NPC Advancemetn

Source NPC Core pg. 228
While the PCs are adventuring and growing in their skills, notable NPCs can do the same. Advancing an NPC allows for an adversary to maintain an equal footing or for an ally to continue to provide useful aid. Recurring NPCs serve an important role in campaigns by maintaining a sense of continuity. They also add to the feeling of a dynamic, changing world, particularly when they build skills in response to how the PCs are changing.

When to Advance NPCSs

Source NPC Core pg. 228
NPC allies typically advance at a slightly slower rate than PCs, and NPC enemies typically advance at the same rate. However, enemies might advance more slowly if they're building up alliances to face the PCs alongside or more quickly if they're achieving major accomplishments.

It's best to advance NPCs based on specific events rather than automatically. This way the players can recognize the progress of the character by hearing about the event or seeing the NPC with new equipment, different garments, scars, or other markers that show their story has continued “off stage.”

Some milestones an NPC might achieve to advance their level or abilities include:
  • The NPC accomplishes a significant goal. This might be a business milestone for a merchant, a major performance for an actor, or a lucrative kidnapping for a villainous rogue.
  • The NPC survives a major crisis. Usually this advancement also comes with a major change in their attitude and capabilities. Examples include a treacherous journey, a natural disaster, or a bloody battle. For enemy NPCs, this can include a battle against the PCs, after which it's usually best to both have the NPC level up and wait at least 1 level for the rematch so both sides come to the encounter with new abilities and counterplay tactics.
  • PCs help the NPC improve. This could involve doing a specific task for the NPC, helping them gain admittance to an institution, personally training them, or helping them realize their true potential. If you're using the connections system, these types of tasks usually overlap with favors, so you can use increasing their Connection Tier as a good point to advance the NPC.

Numerical Advancement

Source NPC Core pg. 228
You can upgrade an NPC's statistics and level using the Building Creatures rules. Usually you can find the creature's new level on the relevant stats tables and increase their stats by the difference between the current level and the next. However, you might want to add new abilities if the NPC started out at a low level and is now much higher, and you can update spells, items, and the like to suit the new level. You might also want to add more extreme increases at 11th level or higher.

If you expect the NPC will continue leveling up, you might save yourself some work by using the elite adjustments the first time they level up. Then you can level them up by 3 levels the next time and temporarily use the weak adjustments. Then repeat the process. For example, you'd use the following progression for an NPC as they advance from 1st level: 1st starting stat block, 2nd starting stat block with elite adjustments, 3rd creature increased to 4th level with the weak adjustments, 4th the 4th-level stat block.

Social Advancement

Source NPC Core pg. 228
You can follow the same process to increase an NPC's non-combat level to improve their social or skill-based abilities. Each time you advance such an NPC, decide whether the story better suits increasing their combat level, non-combat level, or both at the same time.

Special Perks

Source NPC Core pg. 228
The story of your game will often suggest other types of advancement beyond stat increases and new combat, magic, or skill abilities. Look for opportunities to add these perks, which can give the PCs a clear picture of the NPC's new capabilities and enrich the game world. These perks could come as part of the numerical advancement described above, as a separate benefit, or due to other actions of the PCs. For example, an enemy NPC might take advantage of a slip-up by the PCs to gain an advancement listed here that fits that theme.

Special Perk Examples

Ally EventPerk
A fence NPC receives a sterling artisan's toolkit.The NPC can erase notable features of stolen goods so they can be sold easily.
A playwright NPC stages an incredible play about the PCs.The attitude of all residents of a settlement or district improve by one step for the NPC and the PCs.
A student NPC graduates from an arcane academy.The NPC can automatically identify magic items for the PCs up to the NPC's level + 2.
The PCs help an innkeeper expand their building.The innkeeper provides room and board to the PCs when they're in the settlement (a comfortable standard of living).
Enemy EventPerk
A wealthy enemy colludes with merchants.The price of all goods in the settlement increase by 10% for the PCs.
A warrior enemy escapes a battle with the PCs.The enemy chooses one PC, trains against their techniques, and gains a +1 circumstance bonus to all defenses against any of that PC's abilities they're aware of.
A plotting enemy frames the PCs.The attitude of all residents of a settlement or district worsens by one step for the PCs.
The PCs show off their spells in a public place where the enemy's spies can see.The enemy gains resistance to the spells that were witnessed, using the minimum value.