These characters are run by the GM in any way he wishes but are subject to the same rules as player characters. Their skills are figured the same way and are subject to the same limitations as everyone else.

However, because there are so many of these characters run by one person (the GM), it is usually wise to cut some corners. All one really needs to know in most cases are a character's skills, the related percentages and his hit points. Anything else that must be known about a character can be rolled when it becomes necessary.

The skills that an NPC will have are usually indicated by the situation. For instance, a random guard will be likely to have some training in his weapon and perhaps some other trivial skills. An elite guard may be excellent with his weapon and perhaps have some other useful skills (like Awareness) that he will be better than average at. A baker will have, well, skill in bakery.

Skill percentages for NPC's should be guessed at rather than actually figured. It can be an educated guess though. The average aptitude in any skill is 5. By multiplying this by the number of skill points the NPC is assumed to have in the skill you came quickly come up with his skill percentage. The average hand-to-hand skill for an untrained character then, is 20%.

Although its easy enough to say that the average hit points of any character is 10, it is recommended that this number always be rolled. Otherwise the player characters will always know exactly how badly off a wounded NPC is.

You may wish to go into more detail with NPCs that are encountered often. Feel free to roll them just as if they were player characters. Just be sure that the added detail it will bring will justify the break in the action. Some Example NPC's.