NPC Advice
Bishop
Narrative Role
- Bishops are advisors, strategists, and mystics. They can be wise counselors, cunning manipulators, or zealous religious figures. In a darker setting, bishops might be cult leaders, sorcerers, or shadowy schemers pulling the strings behind the scenes.
- They are the NPCs that deal with knowledge, guidance, or corruption, often moving events forward from behind the curtain.
Combat Role
- In combat, bishops are support roles. They provide healing, buffs, or crowd control for allies.
- Bishops can also be powerful spellcasters who dominate with area effects, curses, or summons.
- Removing a bishop from combat weakens enemy synergy, making them key targets.
Examples
Necromancers, high priests, druids, warlocks, cult leaders, sages.
King
Narrative Role
- Kings are the heart of power. They act as final bosses, supreme rulers, or figureheads. In a group of NPCs, the king is the leader holding everything together.
- A king might be a tyrannical warlord, a wise elder dragon, or a figure shrouded in myth and legend. Defeating or saving the king often changes the world profoundly.
Combat Role
- Kings are centerpieces in combat. They are often tough to kill, either because of immense durability or strategic protection.
- Kings rarely act alone. They command minions, summon reinforcements, or wield overwhelming powers.
- Taking down a king often requires disrupting their support systems and exploiting weaknesses.
Examples
Elder dragons, lich kings, dark overlords, emperors, ancient titans.
Knight
Narrative Role
- Knights represent mobility, skill, and unpredictability. They are elite warriors, scouts, hunters, or agents with personal agendas. Narratively, knights are versatile—they can be loyal champions, cunning assassins, or relentless trackers.
- They add narrative excitement by being dynamic and dangerous opponents. A knight might appear, challenge the heroes, and then retreat for another day.
Combat Role
- In combat, knights are fast, mobile threats. They specialize in hit-and-run tactics, flanking, and bypassing defenses.
- They often target weaker party members, such as casters, with their mobility.
- Knights may have unique abilities like mounted combat, teleportation, or ambush tactics.
Examples
Cavalry captains, bounty hunters, elite assassins, war beasts, harpies.
Pawn
Narrative Role
- Pawns represent common NPCs with little individual significance. They are the faceless masses—peasants, townsfolk, or foot soldiers. In a villainous role, they might be minions, lowly henchmen, or creatures like skeletons, rats, or goblins.
- Their narrative function is often to populate the world and set stakes, showing how a larger force or threat is growing.
Combat Role
- Weak and easily defeated, pawns are ideal as swarm enemies or cannon fodder.
- They rarely act alone and rely on numbers to be effective in combat.
- Pawns may act as distractions or wear the party down before stronger enemies appear.
Examples
Skeletons, wolves, rats, peasants with pitchforks, guards, zombies.
Queen
Narrative Role
- The queen is the most versatile and dangerous NPC. She can act as a powerful leader, cunning tactician, or overwhelming force.
- Narratively, queens drive major plots. They might be rulers, generals, or monsters of immense power that can shift the entire course of the story.
- A queen is often the mastermind or executioner, whether benevolent or malevolent.
Combat Role
- Queens combine power, mobility, and versatility. They dominate the battlefield with a mix of offense, defense, and utility.
- They can strike hard, cast devastating spells, or command their allies with deadly precision.
- Queens challenge players tactically, forcing them to adapt their strategies.
Examples
Dragons, archmages, powerful generals, dark queens, celestial beings.
Rook
Narrative Role
- Rooks embody stability and fortification. They are the protectors, guardians, or defenders of specific places—think fortress captains, temple guards, or imposing gatekeepers.
- In a story, they are obstacles to progress. Players must deal with rooks to access restricted areas, obtain key items, or bypass fortified positions.
Combat Role
- Rooks excel in defensive combat, often as tanks with high health or armor.
- They guard choke points, defend objectives, or hold a line while others attack.
- A rook can be stationary, such as a turret or magic statue, or slow-moving but relentless.
Examples
Golems, castle guards, siege beasts, shieldbearers, living statues.