[Donjon] Selecting abilities for NPC's

[Hans]

This selecting abilities things seems to me like it would be easy, but as I sit here fooling around with different ideas, it turns out to be giving me more trouble than I thought.  A few questions, not really about rules, more about how people actually do things:

* Do NPC's have a main ability and supporting abilities, like PC's?   Or are all their abilties roughly equivalent?  From looking at the write-ups in the rule book for the sample adventure, I would say it does break down into main and supporting, but I'm not completely sure?

* Here is an example: A Pirate Commander's Bodyguard

Bodyguard 5
- Intimidate pirates 3
- Brawl 3
- Heavy Crossbow 3
- Beafy frame 2

Now, I'm thinking "Bodyguard" could be used in any test that involved actually protecting the Pirate Commander.  Is this a reasonable interpretation of the "all of one type of roll" rule?  Or does it need to be more closely defined?  Also, there is significant overlap between Bodyguard and some of the other abilities...would you consider this a weakness, a strength, or just something that happens?

* Here is another example, for a space opera type game, the abilties for an Internal Defense Turret:
Targeting Computer  5
- Detect Intruders 3
- Gatling Plasma Projector 3
- Alert! 2
- Metal Casing 2

Since the Turret cannot move, my intent was to set its Adroitness to zero...is it reasonable to change the attribute used for a normal attack roll (for example, Discernment or Cerebrality), but otherwise treat the attack roll normally?  Also, for the purpose of getting an extra die on a damage ability (say, a Gatling Plasma Projector) through a weakness, would you say it is enough that the ability not be able to do flesh wounds, only ability damage?  Would it be enough it could only damage one ability?

[Hans]

A couple of new questions, as I have been playing around:

* If the GM loses a test for an NPC that doesn't really have a player opposing it [say, a Gather Magic Power test, or a Leap test (like the Toads in the first adventure)], do the PC's get the facts/dice that might result?  How do you usually manage these losses?  My instinct is to take them as minus dice on an action, but I'm seeing how you could always have somebody other than the GM roll the opposing dice (pick a PC, or the nearest PC, or the one most likely to benefit from a loss) and let them state facts or get the dice.

* Has anyone ever dealth with an NPC that rides on another NPC?  An NPC that rides on a possession (a horse, for example)?  This especially comes up when someone wants to damage an item mount; I suspect you could let them use a fact, then roll as destroying the item mount as described in the resolution section about items being damaged.