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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5754483" data-attributes="member: 92305">This post is written for the Conan RPG, but, I suppose anyone playing vanilla D&D might find it an interesting read.     Page 11-12 of the 2nd Edition Conan RPG Core Rulebook is a gem for GMs because there it is described what NPC character levels make up the default Conan game universe.What does it say, exactly, on those pages?1. It says that Level 1 characters are young and untried--those who have just completed basic training in their chosen professions. A 1st level Barbarian is an unseasoned young brave. A 1st level Pirate is a lowly deckswab. A 1st level Noble has barely come of age and is still not worthy to inherit the authority of his birthright.2. Level 4 characters are described as well with examples: A 4th level Nomad is one of the finest warriors in the warband; a 4th level soldier has been on the frontlines of a battlefield several times.3. There, it also says that 8th level characters are skilled adventurers, famed across the land. An 8th level thief, for example, can kill even the strongest man with a single well-placed blow and has the skills to sneak through a whole temple full of worshippers without being seen. 8th level Scholars have the ability to master three different forms of magic and can invoke potent magics like demon summoning.4. That small section of the core rulebook also flat-out states that "12th level or higher characters are exceedingly rare--these are legendary figures whose deeds will be remembered for generations to come."So, what is all this really saying?It's saying that the Conan RPG, by default, is meant to be played as a low level game (level 10 and below). Every town the PCs encounter should be comprised of NPCs, level 1-10 or so, and only a few would be 8th level or above.What does that mean about levels above 12? The game has a level cap at Level 20. By deduction, the character levels above 12th are reserve for the truly gifted. If a 12th level character is a legendary figure, then a 17th level character is truly a hero of demi-god like proportions. The second half of the character level scale (those level 11-20) should be reserved for larger-than-life heroes, demi-gods, avatars, demons, and the like.More evidence that supports this deduction is the Commoner class level cap at Level 10.This all points to the default setting of the game to be focused on Level 10 and below, with the Level 11+ range reserved for the supernatural and true masters of their fields.Deduction can take this line of reasoning a step further to say that NPCs earn, roughly, one XP point a day, on average, depending on their environmental conditions (an Aquilonian Soldier stationed near the Pict border will likely advance faster than a counterpart stationed as a city guard in Tarantia.If your PCs meet an NPC, then meet that NPC again, during the normal course of the campaign, but the meeting takes place several years after the PC's initial encounter with the NPC (and the GM wants to account to the NPC's character growth during that period), it is quite logical to give the NPC 1 XP for each day in between the meetings with the Player Characters.Given all of the above, this chart may be useful when GM's populate their worlds.Level 1 - Represents the experience of a novice. On average, a character begins at age 15, thought this number can vary widely depending on the character's background and culture.Level 2 - Thsi represents the experience of a character in his late teens (17-18 is about right). The character has spent 2-3 years at level 1, finally gaining enough experience to improve to Level 2.Level 3 - This level represents a character in his early 20's. Age 23-24 is about right. The character has spent 2+ years at Level 1 to obtain Level 2 status, and then spends another 6 years at Level 2 attempting to become Level 3.Level 4 - This level corresponds to characters in their early 30's. Age 31-32 is about right.Level 5 - This level corresponds to characters in their early 40's. Age 42-43 is about average.Level 6 - This level represents a lifetime of experience for a character in his mid-to-late 50's. Age 56-57 is about average.Level 7 - This level represents the highest level an average NPC can obtain without having excelled at some experience-rich endeavor in the past. This level represents average characters in their early 70's. Age 72-73 is about right.How to use this information: Keep all of this in mind as you design encounters for your players. For example, let's say that the PCs happen upon a bandit band. The GM may envion a 40 year old leader with the rest of the men either in their late teens or early 20's. Looking at the chart, we see that the leader is probably a 4th level character with the other bandits falling in the Level 1-3 range. Maybe the band's best warrior is level 3, and the rest are Level 1-2 NPCs.</blockquote>

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