NPCs
Non-Player Characters, or NPCs, are managed by the GM. They are contacts, enemies, and everyday people you might see on the street.
NPC Traits
NPCs have three traits: [Wits], [Fort], and [Threat].
Wits and Fort
[Wits] represent the NPC's intelligence, awareness, and critical thinking. When a player uses a trick to manipulate or deceive an NPC, they roll against the NPC's [Wits].
[Fort], short for Fortitude, represents the NPC's willpower, grit, and determination. When a player uses a trick to intimidate an NPC, they roll against the NPC's [Fort].
[Wits] and [Fort] are each expressed as a [Difficulty Level] based on how hard or easy it is to manipulate or intimidate the NPC. For example, a snooty maître d' who notices everything but who is also a coward might have a [Wits] of Hard (20) and a [Fort] of Easy (8).
Threat
[Threat] represents an NPC's overall competence and the danger they pose to the player characters. As its name implies, the more capable the NPC, the higher their [Threat].
[Threat] is expressed as a bonus of between +1 and +20. When the GM rolls for the NPC, they add [Threat] to get the result. [Threat] is used for all NPC rolls.
The GM can assign a [Threat] based on the table below, or they use the rules for Calculating Threat to derive a bonus from the NPC's [Wits] and [Fort].
| NPC Tier | Threat Range | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Typical | +1 to +6 | Street Vendor, Patrol Cop, Gang Member |
| Professional | +7 to +12 | Forever Wars Veteran, Megacorp Security, Yakuza Bodyguard |
| Elite | +13 to +17 | Megacorp Elite Guard, Chromed Yakuza Assassin |
| Ultra | +18 to +20 | Megacorp Ultra Elite Guard, Unstoppable Killer Robot. Godlike |
NPC Hit Points
NPCs have hit points equal to their [Threat] x 5. For example, an NPC with a [Threat] of +1 has 10 HP, a [Threat] of +7 yields 35 HP, and a [Threat] of +13 gives the NPC 65 HP.
NPC Health Levels
An NPC has four health levels, as described below.
| NPC Health Level | NPC Hit Points | Penalty | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninjured | Max HP | None | NPC has full hit points. No penalties. |
| Hurt | At or Below 50% HP | DLs Raised by one | NPC has half (or less) of their hit points remaining. DLs are raised by one. |
| Defeated | At or Below 10% HP | Cannot Make Rolls | NPC has 10% (or less) of their hit points remaining. NPC is dead or nearly so. They cannot make rolls, though they may be able to take actions like crawling or speaking, at the GM's discretion. |
NPC Health Array
To make it easier to track NPC health, the GM can use an NPC Health Array, which looks like this (for an NPC with a [Threat] of +13): 65/33/7. This represents the NPC's max hit points, the level at which they are [Hurt] and have their DLs raised by one, and the point at which they ae [Defeated], respectively.
NPC Skills and Tricks
NPCs don't have skills (or skill bonuses) like player characters do. They use [Threat] instead.. However, NPCs do use tricks. Just like a player, an NPC can make a roll using any of the core tricks presented in these rules. If the NPC knows a signature trick, it should be listed in their stat block.
NPC Gear
NPCs have access to gear, including armor and weapons. An NPC's gear should be listed in their stat block.
NPC Augments
NPCs often have augments, which the GM is encouraged to describe (assuming the augments are visible), but they do not alter the NPC's traits. An NPC who has a [Threat] of +7 does not "get stronger" and see an increase to +8 if the GM describes them as having muscle replacements. Augments that provide other types of functionality, including those which modify the DL of a roll, can be used by NPCs as normal and should be noted in their stat block.