My First NPC

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a simple non-player character (NPC) in Daedalus. We will create a farmer who stands in the market and has his own daily routine.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure that:

You have the Gothic scripts installed (Scripts/Content/ folder)
You understand the script structure
You know what an instance and prototype are in Daedalus

The C_NPC Class - What Defines a Character?

Every NPC in Gothic is an instance of the C_NPC class. The most important fields are:

Field	Type	Description
`name`	`string[5]`	NPC name (displayed in game)
`guild`	`int`	Guild (e.g., `GIL_MIL` - militia, `GIL_OUT` - guildless)
`id`	`int`	Unique NPC identifier
`voice`	`int`	Voice number (linked to audio files)
`level`	`int`	Character level
`attribute[]`	`int[]`	Attributes: HP, mana, strength, dexterity
`protection[]`	`int[]`	Protection against damage types
`fight_tactic`	`int`	Combat tactic (e.g., `FAI_HUMAN_COWARD`)
`daily_routine`	`func`	NPC daily routine function
`npctype`	`int`	NPC type (main, friend, enemy)
`flags`	`int`	Flags (e.g., `NPC_FLAG_IMMORTAL`)

The Npc_Default Prototype

Before creating our own character, we need to understand the prototype Npc_Default. This is a template that almost all characters in the game inherit from:

prototype Npc_Default (C_NPC)
{
    attribute[ATR_STRENGTH]      = 10;
    attribute[ATR_DEXTERITY]     = 10;
    attribute[ATR_MANA_MAX]      = 10;
    attribute[ATR_MANA]          = 10;
    attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS_MAX] = 40;
    attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS]     = 40;

    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_1H]       = 0;
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_2H]       = 0;
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_BOW]      = 0;
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_CROSSBOW] = 0;

    protection[PROT_EDGE]   = 0;
    protection[PROT_BLUNT]  = 0;
    protection[PROT_POINT]  = 0;
    protection[PROT_FIRE]   = 0;
    protection[PROT_MAGIC]  = 0;

    damagetype   = DAM_BLUNT;
    senses       = SENSE_HEAR | SENSE_SEE;
    senses_range = PERC_DIST_ACTIVE_MAX;
};

Field	Default	Description
`attribute[ATR_STRENGTH]`	`10`	Base strength
`attribute[ATR_DEXTERITY]`	`10`	Base dexterity
`attribute[ATR_MANA_MAX]`	`10`	Maximum mana
`attribute[ATR_MANA]`	`10`	Starting mana
`attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS_MAX]`	`40`	Maximum health
`attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS]`	`40`	Starting health
`HitChance[NPC_TALENT_*]`	`0`	Hit chance per weapon type - 0% means NPC cannot fight with it
`protection[PROT_*]`	`0`	Protection against each damage type - 0 means no protection
`damagetype`	`DAM_BLUNT`	Default damage type dealt by the NPC
`senses`	`SENSE_HEAR \| SENSE_SEE`	NPC can hear and see
`senses_range`	`PERC_DIST_ACTIVE_MAX`	Maximum perception range

info

The prototype sets default values. Each NPC instance can override any of them.

Creating an NPC Instance

Let's create a farmer named Konrad. Create a file BAU_900_Konrad.d in the Story/NPC/ folder:

instance BAU_900_Konrad (Npc_Default)
{
    name        = "Konrad";
    guild       = GIL_OUT;
    id          = 900;
    voice       = 90;
    flags       = 0;
    npctype     = NPCTYPE_MAIN;

    attribute[ATR_STRENGTH]      = 30;
    attribute[ATR_DEXTERITY]     = 15;
    attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS_MAX] = 80;
    attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS]     = 80;
    level                        = 5;

    fight_tactic = FAI_HUMAN_COWARD;

    EquipItem (self, ItMw_1h_Bau_Axe);
    CreateInvItems (self, ItMi_Gold, 25);
    CreateInvItems (self, ItFo_Apple, 3);

    B_SetNpcVisual (self, MALE, "Hum_Head_Bald", Face_N_NormalBart_Senyan, BodyTex_N, ITAR_Bau_L);
    Mdl_SetModelFatness (self, 1);
    Mdl_ApplyOverlayMds (self, "Humans_Relaxed.mds");

    B_GiveNpcTalents (self);
    B_SetFightSkills (self, 15);

    daily_routine = Rtn_Start_900;
};

Field / Call	Description
`name = "Konrad"`	NPC name displayed in game
`guild = GIL_OUT`	Guildless (farmer)
`id = 900`	Unique NPC identifier
`voice = 90`	Voice number (linked to audio files)
`flags = 0`	`0` = normal, `NPC_FLAG_IMMORTAL` = immortal
`npctype = NPCTYPE_MAIN`	Important character (quest-relevant)
`attribute[ATR_STRENGTH] = 30`	Strength (overrides prototype's 10)
`attribute[ATR_DEXTERITY] = 15`	Dexterity (overrides prototype's 10)
`attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS_MAX] = 80`	Maximum health (overrides prototype's 40)
`attribute[ATR_HITPOINTS] = 80`	Starting health
`level = 5`	Character level
`fight_tactic = FAI_HUMAN_COWARD`	Flees from combat
`EquipItem(self, ItMw_1h_Bau_Axe)`	Equips a farmer's axe
`CreateInvItems(self, ItMi_Gold, 25)`	25 gold coins in inventory
`CreateInvItems(self, ItFo_Apple, 3)`	3 apples in inventory
`B_SetNpcVisual(self, ...)`	Sets body mesh, head, face, body texture, armor
`Mdl_SetModelFatness(self, 1)`	Body fatness (0 = thin, 1 = normal, 2 = fat)
`Mdl_ApplyOverlayMds(self, "Humans_Relaxed.mds")`	Relaxed animation overlay
`B_GiveNpcTalents(self)`	Assigns default talent values
`B_SetFightSkills(self, 15)`	15% hit chance for all weapon types
`daily_routine = Rtn_Start_900`	Daily routine function (see below)

tip

Naming convention: BAU (Bauer = farmer), 900 (unique ID), Konrad (name). In the original Gothic scripts, each guild has its own prefix.

Daily Routine

Every NPC needs a daily routine - a function that defines what they do at each hour:

func void Rtn_Start_900 ()
{
    TA_Stand_ArmsCrossed (07, 00,  12, 00, "NW_CITY_WELL_01");
    TA_Sit_Bench         (12, 00,  13, 00, "NW_CITY_BENCH_01");
    TA_Smalltalk         (13, 00,  20, 00, "NW_FARM1_PATH_01");
    TA_Sleep             (20, 00,  07, 00, "NW_FARM1_BED_01");
};

Time	Function	Waypoint	Activity
07:00–12:00	`TA_Stand_ArmsCrossed`	`NW_CITY_WELL_01`	Stands by the well
12:00–13:00	`TA_Sit_Bench`	`NW_CITY_BENCH_01`	Eats a meal
13:00–20:00	`TA_Smalltalk`	`NW_FARM1_PATH_01`	Works at the farm
20:00–07:00	`TA_Sleep`	`NW_FARM1_BED_01`	Sleeps

warning

Waypoints (e.g., "NW_CITY_WELL_01") must exist in the game world (.zen file). If you use a non-existent waypoint, the NPC will appear at the (0, 0, 0) point.

Available daily routine functions:

Function	Description
`TA_Stand_ArmsCrossed`	Stands with arms crossed
`TA_Stand_Guarding`	Stands on guard
`TA_Sit_Bench`	Sits on a bench
`TA_Sleep`	Sleeps
`TA_Smalltalk`	Talks with nearby NPCs
`TA_Smith`	Smithing
`TA_Eat`	Eats
`TA_Practice`	Practices

Registration in Gothic.src

For the game to load the new NPC, you need to add the file to Gothic.src:

Story\NPC\BAU_900_Konrad.d

danger

File order in Gothic.src matters! The NPC must be declared after the Npc_Default prototype, but before dialogs.

Placing the NPC in the World

To make the NPC appear in the game world, you need to insert (spawn) them in the startup function of the corresponding world. In the Startup.d file (or the appropriate world file) add:

func void Startup_NewWorld ()
{
    // ... other NPCs ...
    Wld_InsertNpc (BAU_900_Konrad, "NW_CITY_WELL_01");
};

Wld_InsertNpc inserts the character into the world at the given waypoint. From this moment, the NPC will start following their daily routine.

Summary

Creating an NPC requires:

An instance inheriting from Npc_Default
Setting attributes (strength, HP, level)
Configuring appearance (model, texture, armor)
Defining a daily routine
Registration in Gothic.src
Inserting into the world in Startup.d

Prerequisites​

The C_NPC Class - What Defines a Character?​

The Npc_Default Prototype​

Creating an NPC Instance​

Daily Routine​

Registration in Gothic.src​

Placing the NPC in the World​

Summary​