From a DMing point of view, I’ve never personally thought it important to consider demographics in that way. Whenever I’ve needed an NPC of a particular species, that’s what I’ve included in my game. Demographic percentages have existed since World of Greyhawk (at least), alongside things like calendars and weather patterns, and they’ve just seldom been a major thing in any campaign I’ve ever run.That's the kicker - it actually implies very little - other than the fact that those character options are present in the setting. Present in what proportion or numbers?That's anybody's guess.
D&D 5E (2024) WotC Should Make 5.5E Specific Setting
- Thread starter Reynard
- Start date
They aren't mentioned in the book so they don't exist. That's the same justification for the Dragonborn mercenary. Nothing unmentioned exists in the Realms.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
First, I agree with you to an extent. It would be nice if they mentioned a company of Dragonborn in the Flaming Fists and an embassy to Sembia or something. I don't think enough non-mercenaries would have travelled that far from home to set up a Dragonborn Town or a village, but some mentions would be nice. I also don't think that every major population center needs a mention.
With regard to the team roster, we have no roster of the Flaming Fists. Not even close to one. The "roster" varies from 500-1000 members and we have what, a dozen or two dozen names? The idea that there wouldn't be Dragonborn, who are known to be fine mercenaries, in that company if they aren't among those dozen or two names isn't really credible to me.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Dragonborn mercenaries are mentioned in the books. Just not in specific mercenary companies. The mercenaries are known, though, to have "spread throughout the Realms."
Hussar
Legend
Well, put it this way.
If you knew the CEO and CFO of a hundred different companies, and they were all white, would you assume that there are non-white CEO's and CFO's? Because that's far closer to what we have for Forgotten Realms. Hundreds and hundreds of named NPC's. And zero (or close to zero) named NPC's who are Dragonborn. Heck, I have more DROW named NPC's in Waterdeep than Dragonborn. And nobody is suggesting that Drow are commonly found in Forgotten Realms.
Hussar
Legend
Missing the point.
If I want to LEVERAGE EXISTING LORE, then I NEED EXISTING LORE.
How can I leverage existing lore that does not exist?
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
That's a bad analogy. The more accurate one is, "If I knew the CEO and CFO of a hundred different companies and they were white(elvish), hispanic(human), native american(halfling) and so on, I'd assume that there were some whatever race(dragonborn) out there, too.
Maxperson
Morkus from Orkus
Why can I leverage existing lore in Baldur's Gate with what is written, then? Dragonborn being fine mercenaries through the Realms is existing lore. The Flaming Fists being a very large mercenary company is existing lore. I'm perfectly capable of leveraging those two lore facts to insert my dragonborn PC into the Sword Coast as a member of the Flaming Fists. Then I can look around Baldur's Gate at existing Baldur's Gate lore and link him to NPCs and places. That PC has a great deal of depth by leveraging only existing lore.
Hussar
Legend
What lore? That there's a Dragonborn in the Flaming Fist? Whoopee. What rank? Where does that dragonborn come from? When did he/she join the Flaming Fist? What has he/she done for the Flaming Fist? What can you tell me about that Dragonborn? Where does he/she live? What are his/her duties? What can you tell me about that Dragonborn?
Right. Nothing. Because other than, "There are Dragonborn in them there hills" there is absolutely NO actual lore. I could just as easily have ANY species in the ranks of the Flaming Fist and it would be equally valid and leverage exactly the same amount of lore. In fact, that same NPC could be transplanted to any city in Forgotten Realms and nothing would change. Heck, that same NPC could be transplanted to nearly any setting and nothing would change.
IOW, that NPC has absolutely ZERO connection to the Forgotten Realms. Which means that my PC has no actual material in the setting to leverage.
No one is saying you can't make stuff up.
Let me repeat that.
No one is saying you cannot make up lore.
But "stuff I make up" is not leveraging setting material.
Paul Farquhar
Legend
Aren’t these all details the player normally decides? If I was a player creating a human PC with a background in the Flaming Fist I would expect to have to answer the same questions.
And if they are just some NPC guard, then you need to know different things about them. What it’s their personality? Are they honest or corruptible? Are they perceptive or gullible? Where they live is irrelevant (but most likely in the barracks), since it’s not going to come up when the players interact with them. Again, the same questions needing answers, irrespective of species.
