According to the DMG (187), NPCs in 4e seem to be run as a weird sort of template halfway between a monster and a PC – you don't generate an actual character with a full array of powers and feats. Is there a particular reason why I shouldn't create a fully-fledged character with PC levels to face off against the party, other than that this would make the encounter more challenging? The one issue I can see is that with more than one surge, depending on class the NPC's heals might make the battle drag on too long. Also, I can't seem to find the XP reward for an NPC as per the DMG – would it be the same as a standard monster of its level?
[RPG] n’t I use fully statted PC characters as NPC antagonists in D&D 4E
dnd-4enpc
Best Answer
There are many reasons why NPCs built as PCs work differently than those built as monsters. 4e is carefully balanced and designed to make encounters interesting, and PC-class NPCs disrupt this design. Some reasons:
If you want to build an NPC like a PC despite all of this, there's no game-breaking reason why not to. Just be aware of the tradeoffs.