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)
{
    // Basic attributes
    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;

    // Hit chances (0% — cannot fight with this weapon type)
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_1H]       = 0;
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_2H]       = 0;
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_BOW]      = 0;
    HitChance[NPC_TALENT_CROSSBOW] = 0;

    // Protection (0 — no protection)
    protection[PROT_EDGE]   = 0;
    protection[PROT_BLUNT]  = 0;
    protection[PROT_POINT]  = 0;
    protection[PROT_FIRE]   = 0;
    protection[PROT_MAGIC]  = 0;

    // Default settings
    damagetype   = DAM_BLUNT;
    senses       = SENSE_HEAR | SENSE_SEE;
    senses_range = PERC_DIST_ACTIVE_MAX;
};

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)
{
    // --- Basic information ---
    name        = "Konrad";
    guild       = GIL_OUT;              // guildless (farmer)
    id          = 900;                  // unique number
    voice       = 90;                   // voice number
    flags       = 0;                    // 0 = normal, NPC_FLAG_IMMORTAL = immortal
    npctype     = NPCTYPE_MAIN;         // important character

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

    // --- Combat ---
    fight_tactic = FAI_HUMAN_COWARD;    // flees from combat

    // --- Equipment ---
    EquipItem (self, ItMw_1h_Bau_Axe);     // farmer's axe
    CreateInvItems (self, ItMi_Gold, 25);   // 25 gold coins
    CreateInvItems (self, ItFo_Apple, 3);   // 3 apples

    // --- Appearance ---
    B_SetNpcVisual (self, MALE, "Hum_Head_Bald", Face_N_NormalBart_Senyan, BodyTex_N, ITAR_Bau_L);
    Mdl_SetModelFatness (self, 1);                      // body fat
    Mdl_ApplyOverlayMds (self, "Humans_Relaxed.mds");   // relaxed animation

    // --- Skills ---
    B_GiveNpcTalents (self);
    B_SetFightSkills (self, 15);    // 15% hit chance

    // --- Daily routine ---
    daily_routine = Rtn_Start_900;
};

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 ()
{
    // From 7:00 to 12:00 — stands by the well
    TA_Stand_ArmsCrossed (07, 00,  12, 00, "NW_CITY_WELL_01");

    // From 12:00 to 13:00 — eats a meal
    TA_Sit_Bench         (12, 00,  13, 00, "NW_CITY_BENCH_01");

    // From 13:00 to 20:00 — works at the farm
    TA_Smalltalk         (13, 00,  20, 00, "NW_FARM1_PATH_01");

    // From 20:00 to 7:00 — sleeps
    TA_Sleep             (20, 00,  07, 00, "NW_FARM1_BED_01");
};

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:

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