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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 4935004" data-attributes="member: 4937">It is worth noting though that especially in 2e and 3e, this sort of fluff was honored in the breach more than the observance.In 2e FR for instance, there were virtually no armies of 1st level fighters.  Most kingdoms fielded armies of 3rd or 4th level, and there are occasional references in the source material (for example Simbian cavalry unit IIRC) to armies of 6th level fighters.In 2e Dark Sun, average people were similarly high level (requiring PC's to start at 3rd level).In 3e, the needs of challenging mid to high level PCs consistantly outweighed in fluff text when it came to WotC's published modules, encounters, and campaigns.  Leveled humanoids abound and its hard to find mere 1st level warriors except in the background or when the PC's are similarly low level.  As soon as PC level increases, these 1st level warriors mysteriously fade away (presumably, 1st level warriors have 'detect high level PC' as an extraordinary ability).This is the reason I've always had a hard time seeing those statements about demographics as 'rules', rather than simply guidelines.  Given how frequently TSR/WotC have broken their own demographic guidelines, I'd have a good guffaw at anyone claiming that I'd broken the rules by having warbands of 2nd level goblin fighters (or some such).</blockquote>