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Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 5719045" data-attributes="member: 463">The 4e Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting places the 'big name' NPCs at very high power levels, in accordance with the traditional FR approach they tend to be Epic level.  Eg:Fzoul Chembryl - Level 28 eliteJarlaxle Baenre - Level 21 eliteSzass Tam, ruler of Thay  - Level 30 eliteThe 'sample NPCs' tend to be Paragon level, eg Naramus, a Netheril Knight of Shade, is Level 11 elite.By contrast, in the Nevewinter Campaign Setting the 'big names' are only Heroic tier:Lord Dagult Neverember - Level 7Valindra, Thayan BBEG - Level 9 eliteClariburnus, Netherese Prince of Shade - Level 10 elite - toughest guy in the book. Monster levels are also much lower, typically 5-15 levels below 4e standard.  So you get a situation a listed where eg level-21 Jarlaxle is served by level 6 drow; level 10 Valindra is a major servant of level 30 Szass Tam.For GMs who are running Forgotten Realms or other settings, and who give some thought to a consistent or semi-consistent NPC power level*, whether or not you use the NCS, I was wondering how you handle NPC power demographics?  Do you level down the Epic FRCS NPCs?  Do you add 10 levels to the Neverwinter NPCs?  Do they both exist at the listed levels?More broadly, what sort of renown/impact do you think FR PCs should have at Heroic, Paragon & Epic tiers?  The FRCG seems to think you should be Epic level before you can take on Manshoon, Fzoul or Szass Tam.  At Paragon you're just getting started as a renowned character - if Cormyran at 11th level you might get to be a Purple Dragon Knight or War Wizard, for instance.  The NCG seems to think you should be defeating any BBEG while in the Heroic tier, and doesn't really seem to envisage play beyond 10th.  I'm personally leaning to something between these two extremes, which would potentially require both up-levelling and de-levelling the given NPCs.  How do you handle it?*I'm less interested in the "tie all enemies closely to current PC level/only matters when PCs fight them" approach, for purposes of this discussion.  I'm interested in questions of eg the relative power of NPCs; how Valindra relates to Szass Tam, which a purely subjective approach doesn't deal with.</blockquote>

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