Civilians and NPCs

[poulpox]

Hello!

This is a summary from a thread in the M2E beta forum which I thought some might find of use.

Sorry I just put the things I had saved before the forum went down, please feel free to add any ideas that have been missed, any contributions welcome!

Cheers!

Civilians (6-8 models for a 50ss encounter?):

Peon, Living

Wk 4, Df 4, Wp 4, Ht 2, 1 Wd

Abilities:

. Unlawful Kill: Killing or sacrificing a civilian costs -1 VP. All playing non-peon models gain the following Attack action: (1) Move, dammit!: 2” All civilian models are pushed 3” away from this model.

. Skinny: Killed civilians drop body parts. Two body parts may be joined by a model which can use corpse counters to make one corpse counter.

. Neutral: This model can never be controlled by a player. During the upkeep step, starting with the winner of the initiative, each player takes turn to move one civilian up to its Wk in any direction. This model cannot perform any action other than those written in its stats.

. Duck!: When this model is within 4" of a model targeted by a range attack, this model is pushed its Wk directly away from that model

. The Mob: When this model is killed or sacrificed, before it is removed from play the opponent of the player who killed the model must place one civilian model in b2b with the civilian model the furthest from this model

Attack actions:

. The Heart Revealed: When a model inflicts damage on another model with a melee attack while within 3" of this model, the controller of that model flips a card and apply the following result:

-> Ram, Crow: Get off her!: Push this model in base contact with the attacking model. This model performs a Ml 4, Rst: Df, Dg 0/1/3 attack controlled by a random opponent player of the target model. After hitting push the target 3" directly away from this model.

-> Tome, Mask: Survival of the Fastest: Push this model 3" directly away from the target of the melee attack.

Militia civilians

Peon, Living

Wk 4, Df 5, Wp 5, Ht 2, 1 Wd

Abilities:

. Unlawful Kill: Killing or sacrificing a civilian costs -1 VP. All playing non-peon models gain the following Attack action: (1) Move, dammit!: 2” All civilian models are pushed 3” away from this model.

. Skinny: Killed civilians drop body parts. Two body parts may be joined by a model which can use corpse counters to make one corpse counter.

. Neutral: This model can never be controlled by a player. During the upkeep step, starting with the winner of the initiative, each player takes turn to move one civilian up to its Wk in any direction. This model cannot perform any action other than those written in its stats.

. Investigate: When this model is unengaged and within 10" of a model making a range attack, push this model its Wk directly towards that model.

. Reinforcements: When this model is killed or sacrificed, before it is removed from play the opponent of the player who killed the model must place one civilian model in b2b with the civilian model the furthest from this model. At the end of the upkeep step, if at least one civilian has LoS to a model from any playing crew, place 2 civilians in b2b with the civilian furthest to that civilian, randomise if there are several locations possible.

Attack actions:

. Defend at all cost: When this model ends its walk within 1” of a player’s model, it immediately makes one Ml 5, Rst: Df, Dg 1/2/4 against that model, flipped by the player moving the civilian. Randomise if there are several possible targets.

Strategies ideas:

- Worker's protests/riots: have a bunch (6-8) of NPC minions clogging up the middle of the board where a common objective for both playing crews is situated and you have to get them out of the way to achieve the encounter's strategy. However as soon as any active player attacks any of the rioters, all the NPCs that have LoS to the aggressor get pushed their Wk or Ch toward it and attack when they get into melee range.

- Prison break: basically a set of Prisoner minions and Jailers; could even include a sleazy and corrupt named character director of the prison, that every turn automatically summons more guards after the alarm was set off... Anyway the specific strategy and schemes for this story encounter would probably revolve around how many prisoners you can free or count one specific prisoner as the objective for both sides (he has some information or knowledge that is important) and on the factions playing (Guild would most likely always play as the defender).

- Assault the train/caravan: Typical western scenario. Either have one gang protect the cargo and the other attack or have both crews attacking the train at the same time, while the NPC guards try to fend off the opposition. If both crews are assaulting I would give the train Perdita's Aura of 'if you charge or shoot we'll shoot you back...'.

Edited July 15, 2013 by poulpox

[Kalkris]

How about a few standalone NPCs?

like a rogue who works for neither side but works to sabotage scheme markers?

NPC Rogue (probably one to two in a 50ss encounter), 30mm base

Minion, Living, CIVILIAN

Wk 4, Wp 6, Df 5, Ht 2, Wd 3

Third Party: This model cannot make (1) Interact actions to place Scheme Markers. At the end of each of its activations, if it is within 4" of at least one Scheme marker and is not engaged, destroy one at random.

Poison Satchel: A model that kills or sacrifices a Rogue gains Poison +2. All playing non-peon models gain the following Attack action: (1) Move, dammit!: 2” All civilian models are pushed 3” away from this model.

Skinny: Killed Civilians drop body parts. Two body parts may be joined by a model which can use corpse counters to make one corpse counter.

Neutral: This model can never be controlled by a player. During the upkeep step, starting with the winner of the initiative, each player takes turns to move a rogue per player up to its Wk towards the nearest Scheme marker. If it ends this movement within melee range of a model or models, it makes a (1) Attack Action against each model in range.

Attack actions:

(1) Biting Blade: (Ml:4C/Rst:Df/Rg:CL1) Target suffers 1/2/3.

CM Bite of the Blade: After succeeding, Target also gains Paralyzed.

Is this too far out there?

~Lil Kalki

[poulpox]

Yey, I like this!

His paralyse is rather strong though?

What about he actually tries to avoid the players, so instead of striking if he ends his move in ml with a model he gets pushed 4" or something? Less of an assassin, and more of a sapping model.

[Kalkris]

Yey, I like this!

His paralyse is rather strong though?

What about he actually tries to avoid the players, so instead of striking if he ends his move in ml with a model he gets pushed 4" or something? Less of an assassin, and more of a sapping model.

I agree that the paralyze is a bit OP. I think that yes, he should be able to move his walk (not push, to allow for disengaging strikes) out of range. However, if he cannot get out of range he should be able to make that strike, as a "Fight or Flight" sort of mechanic.

Next idea, though!

NPC Vigilante, 30mm base

minion, living, CIVILIAN

Df 5/Wp 5/Wk 5/Cg 7/Ht2/Wd7

abilities:

Unlawful Kill

Neutral

Skinny

Investigate

Hired Hand: At the end of any non-Peon, non-Minion model's activation, if that model is within 3" of this model, that model's controller may spend 1 Soulstone to remove Neutral and Hired Hand from this model and control it for the remainder of the Encounter. Until the end of the encounter, this model gains "Hired: This model has the Mercenary characteristic."

Actions:

The Heart Revealed

some other attack action that can only be taken when it has the Hired condition. If you would like to come up with a suitable action, poulpox, be my guest

Also, I do think Unlawful Kill should be on this model when "Hired," to give a feel of "hey, i might be working for the Guild/Arcanists/what-have-you now, but I'm still townsfolk". Do you agree?

~Lil Kalki