Non-Player Characters and Monsters, Animals and Creatures

Two types of non-Player entities populate the world of Zailister. NPCs (Non-Player Characters) are characters in the world with their own story, role, and purpose, like quest givers, faction leaders, vendors, traders, and other story-driven figures that inhabit the world. MAC (Monsters, Animals, Creatures/Critters) refers to any living entity in the game world that is not an NPC or Player Character (PC), including; beasts, monsters, flora and fauna, and everything in between. Both NPCs and MAC interact with and react to a character, and each carries a Rank that reflects their power and the challenge they represent. Given their stats, the GM narrates their behaviors and rolls dice to determine outcomes between Player characters and whatever it is they are interacting with. Unlike a Player Character, a MAC's Character LVL, Growth (Age), and Rank are all assigned directly by the GM or module author rather than earned. Character LVL and Growth are separate systems: Character LVL governs the MAC's calculations for Hit and damage output, while Growth determines Life. See MAC Creation, GM Codex Ch. IV, for the full procedure.