[nWoD] NPC Generation

I know WoD isn't level-based and has no interchangeability whatsoever with DnD in terms of XP-to-ECL, but my years of DnD playing have pretty thoroughly hammered in the idea that just winging it is a good way to get everyone killed, so I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to how much XP generic combatants of such-and-such a threat level should have to spend. The ability to guess at it from the book is quite difficult seeing as how some combatants have less points to start out with than you would get at CharGen.

Total experience spent isn't a great indicator of power. Most of a person's traits aren't geared directly toward combat, after all. Look at dice pools, instead. How many dice do you want them slinging around? Decide their skill/attribute/specialty/equipment bonuses accordingly.

NPCs in WoD tend to fall in two categories. Either they're low-level and relatively role-oriented (thugs, beat cops, lawyers, etc), and thus only really need to perform in a few specific areas and probably shouldn't be sporting more than 3 points in a skill or attribute anyway, or they're more significant characters with a well-rounded array who may be competent at a variety of things, which may or may not include combat. If they're supernatural, they might just have a few dots in some very good powers (Claws of the Beast, woo), or they might be far more broad even if not directly that much more powerful. Either way, XP total won't tell you much.

Also, starting NWoD characters aren't really like 1st level d&d characters. An NWoD character can, at character gen, be just about as good at his specialty as he's ever going to get. Once you've hit 5/5/specialty/maybe a relevant merit, or even 4/4/specialty, you're pretty well set in that field. Advancement tends to lead to broadening your horizons more than directly increasing your primary competence.

The breakdown of the game expectations in WoD are that you want people rolling 1-3 dice for dramatic reasons. More than that, the odds of success feel too high and failing hurts instead of being interesting. The fallout from this is that someone who does not suck rolls 4 dice; someone who is a professional rolls 6 dice; someone who is world clas rolls 8 dice; someone who is the best in their field, or top twenty at least, rolls 10 dice.

Someone with access to google and a bit of aptitude rolls 4 dice for Computers, say. Someone who works at a computer store and really loves their job rolls 6 dice, someone who designs software and mods hardware for it rolls 8, and someone like Dexter from dexter's Laboratory rolls 10 (plus equipment bonueses and the like).

As such, you can "wing it" with just these. a dangerous enemy, a professiona thug like a seasoned orc or hobgoblin, rolls 6 dice plus weapon minus defense. A big threat, like an underboss, would use 8 dice and be an honest to god scare.

I strongly suggest looking at the math charts for how d10 dice pools work, it really helps.

I have a few break downs.

First you have quick and dirty characters who you don't want to spend time building. You just roll a pool of die for how good they are at something, modified by their equipment.

0-1 horrid at this skill, doctor with a gun kinda thing
2-3 normal skill, not practiced
4-5 Good at the task, trained and effective
6-7 highly skilled
8-9 Worlds best competition material

Give resistance stats of 1, 2 and 3 based on what you want them to be better at, and a defense of 1, 2, or 3 based on how combat trained they are.

Gangbanger leader
Guns - normal
Socialize - normal
Presuasion - good
Subterfuge - normal
intimidate - good
drive - normal
Res 2 - con 3 - com 1 - def 2

Done

Generally I use the first three, with almost no great or better skills. Fill out all the rolls the NPC may end up in, and feel free to wing it.

Then I will make a starting character and fill in dots as I see fit for side characters who need more filling out, but are not worth a detailed tally.

Then I will make characters and add in EXP based on the starting as veterans charts from the various splats. This is for major NPC's that will be involved in a detailed way with the plot.