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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Primal" data-source="post: 5719301" data-attributes="member: 30678">What approach do your players prefer? Are they FR experts or casual fans? Do they care passionately about consistency or does it matter at all? I don’t think there’s anything wrong – from a mechanical or story perspective – about using Heroic level NPCs as trusted agents of Epic villains. For example, several apprentices of Manshoon and Sememmon were statted as (if I recall correctly) around 6th to 9th level characters. Then there was a major Dragon Cult wizard called Asbras Hlumin, who was 6th level and yet already a significant agent who worked for the upper echelon of that organization. And what about “the Three”, all barely 6th or 7th level assassins (thieves) and yet they were favored by the leaders of the Zhentarim themselves? If you ask me, it comes down to how competent, intelligent and talented one is; something that is not always comprehensively represented by powers, spells or magic items. You could always think of and describe, say, an 8th level NPC as a “rising star” that has already impressed his/her superiors; maybe (s)he’s been given his/her assignment in Neverwinter as a chance to prove his/her worth to the organization, a final test of sorts?     I’m not so sure about de-leveling Epic adversaries, because that might feel inconsistent and awkward to long-time FR fans, but if your players feel that “narrative power” and story is more important than actual game mechanics (i.e. they don’t care if Fzoul is 6th or 28th level when encountered), I don’t see any problem with running Neverwinter CS as is. As for what sort of impact should Heroic level PCs have on the world, I guess that's also up  to the DM. Knights of Myth Drannor had a lot of power and influence  from the start -- unless I'm mistaken, KoMD members had, for example,  saved Azoun and became rulers of Shadowdale by the time they were 6th or  7th level.          I’m a Pathfinder GM, and although I’ve read the 4E rulebooks, I can’t really discuss 4E mechanics in fine detail; furthermore, I don’t have the Neverwinter book. However, I’ve run campaigns in FR for over 20 years, and I’ve never had any problems with players complaining about lower level NPCs having personal relationships with high-level villains.</blockquote>

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