Appendix: NPCs
Source: Tome of Beasts 1 (2023 Edition), p. 405
This appendix contains statistics for various humanoids. From dastardly bandit lords to city watch captains to fiend-powered devilbound gnomes, these NPCs can be found across the world, breathing new life into the places they appear. This appendix also includes a table for using these statistics, and other similar, general-use humanoid statistics, such as the knight or thug, with the various humanoids found in this book.
NPC Features Table
When an NPC’s statistics include the note “Humanoid (Any Race)” as the creature type, you can adjust those statistics as described in the NPC Features table to create an NPC of the humanoid race detailed in the table. In this way, you can fill a city, town, or village with a particular humanoid type while still using variable statistics and differing challenges.
To use the table, choose a set of NPC statistics, such as the bandit lord, and reference the Race column for the humanoid you want to rework as that NPC. The Ability Modifiers column details how to change the ability scores in the NPC statistics, and the Features column lists which features from the chosen race you should add to the chosen NPC statistics. For example, a group of bandits might be led by a noctiny bandit lord seeking to build a small empire in honor of its patron. To create a noctiny bandit lord, use the statistics of the bandit lord as the starting point. Increase the Charisma by 2 and the Strength by 1 and give it immunity to the frightened condition. In addition, the bandit lord gains the Eldritch Fury attack and the Eldritch Weapons and Magic Resistance traits of the noctiny.
NPC Features and CR. Adding new traits and features to a creature’s statistics can increase the creature’s Challenge Rating. When adjusting statistics by using the NPC Features table, use the higher of the two CRs between the statistics you are adjusting and the lowest-CR version of the humanoid you are using. In the above example, the noctiny bandit lord’s Challenge Rating is 4 (1,100 XP), as the bandit lord’s CR is higher than the noctiny’s CR.