Home-town Heroes

[RangerWickett]

On the local CBS station in my home city, every week they publicize a ‘home-town hero,’ someone who is notable for the good deeds they do. Flipping through the DM’s Guide, I decided to figure out just what levels these heroes ought to be. This is the write-up of my home city, of Beaumont, by D&D 3e rules. This could easily be used for any large-sized city, since it seems to fit a fantasy medieval setting better than it does a modern Earth setting.

Metropolis (pop: 125,000+)
GP limit: 100,000 gp
Ready cash available: 625,000,000 gp
Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Non-player Characters by Class:
Adept: (52) Two 17th level, one 16th level, one 14th level, six 8th level, two 7th level, twelve 4th level, four 3rd level, twenty-four 2nd level.
Aristocraft: (30) One 16th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level.
Barbarian: (62) One 16th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level, thirty-two 1st level.
Bard: (108) Two 17th level, one 16th level, one 14th level, six 8th level, two 7th level, twelve 4th level, four 3rd level, twenty-four 2nd level, fifty-six 1st level.
Cleric: (108) Two 17th level, one 16th level, one 14th level, six 8th level, two 7th level, twelve 4th level, four 3rd level, twenty-four 2nd level, fifty-six 1st level.
Commoner: (60) Four 20th level, eight 11th level, sixteen 5th level, thirty-two 2nd level.
Druid: (108) Two 17th level, one 16th level, one 14th level, six 8th level, two 7th level, twelve 4th level, four 3rd level, twenty-four 2nd level, fifty-six 1st level.
Expert: (60) Four 20th level, eight 11th level, sixteen 5th level, thirty-two 2nd level.
Fighter: (124) One 20th level, one 18th level, two 17th level, two 10th level, two 9th level, four 8th level, four 5th level, twelve 4th level, thirty-two 2nd level, sixty-four 1st level.
Monk: (62) One 16th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level, thirty-two 1st level.
Paladin: (62) One 15th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level, thirty-two 1st level.
Ranger: (62) One 15th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level, thirty-two 1st level.
Rogue: (124) One 20th level, one 18th level, two 17th level, two 10th level, two 9th level, four 8th level, four 5th level, twelve 4th level, thirty-two 2nd level, sixty-four 1st level.
Sorcerer: (62) One 16th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level, thirty-two 1st level.
Warrior: (124) One 20th level, one 18th level, two 17th level, two 10th level, two 9th level, four 8th level, four 5th level, twelve 4th level, thirty-two 2nd level, sixty-four 1st level.
Wizard: (62) One 16th level, three 14th level, two 8th level, six 7th level, four 4th level, twelve 3rd level, thirty-two 1st level.

That’s 1270 notable characters, counting only PC classes and those members of NPC classes that are 2nd level or higher. Out of the remaining 123,730 people:

• 91% (112,594) are 1st level commoners. This includes the adolescents of the community.
• 5% (6168) are 1st level warriors. This probably includes various thugs and gang members, and beginning members of the police force.
• 3% (3712) are 1st level experts. Such experts are probably managers of shops, teaching assistants, skilled cooks, and so on.
• Half a percent (618) are 1st level aristocrats. These rich punks went to the preppy high school that everyone made fun of.
• And finally, half a percent (618) are 1st level adepts. Imagine people in your neighborhood who tried to teach themselves voodoo or witchcraft. If they ever managed to pull off any spells, they were so minor you never noticed.

In a similar town, most people you’d meet would be commoners, but about one in a thousand would be higher-level. You’d think that you’d have heard of some of these high-level wizards, but apparently they’re all abjurationists who focus on hiding themselves. Many of these high-level “home-town heroes” might not even be heroic, but whatever moral code they espouse, you can be sure they go about most of their business in secret. Do you know a home-town hero?

 

[Kamard]

Do you know a home-town hero?

People here would need to do heroic things to be a hero. Unfortunately, Dixfield, Maine, 04224 is full of grasping imbeciles who constantly maneuver for power in a town with the population of an average dog food factory.

 

[med stud]

I have a friends grandfather at home that probably would qualify for hero; he was born in Estonia in the 1920s. When the Nazis invaded Estonia, he was in the opposition, commiting sabotage and propaganda against the invaders. The Nazis caught him and sentenced him to death. The days before he were to be executed, the Soviet union fell into Estonia, and chased away the Nazis.

Now, the prisoners were all saved, right? No. The Soviets didnt know what to do with all prisoners, so they killed them. My friends grandfather could hear the rifles from his cell window, rifles that were meant for him too in time.

Then his mother (my friends fathers grandmother) sold her jewelry, bought liqour for the money and got the guards drunk. Then she took the key and released all of the prisoners in the jail, who escaped.

My friends grandfather continued his underground resistance, but this time against the Red Army. After a while, the KGB was on his tracks, but then the friends grandfather managed to get to a boat destined to Sweden, which he entered as a free passenger. He got over the Baltic sea without getting noticed (if they would find him, he would be dead) and arrived in Sweden. Here he were put in quaranteen in a camp, and was released in a couple of weeks.

When he was released he immiediatly enlisted on the Finnish side of the Finnish Winter War, where he again fought against the Soviet Union, but this time as a soldier.

After the Finnish Winter War, where half of his friends died in the trenches, he moved to Gothenburg in Sweden, where he started a construction company which turned out well, and married a woman, and their son turned out to be my friends father.


When the immensly powerful nations of Nazi Germany and Soviet Union occupied a small country like Estonia, no one would blame him if he just played along and tried to survive, but instead he risked his life against the invaders.

When he got to Sweden, he could live in peace in sleep in a comfortable bed, but instead he chosed to fight his enemies again.


If he doesnt qualify for a hero, I dont think anyone does.

 

[Rybaer]

Wow, cool story.

It's nice to hear tales of ordinary folk doing extraordinary things for principles they believe in.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I don`t know any "real" heroes, but I know that my Grandfather (the father of my father) fought in the 2.World War (being a German, obviously on the wrong side), and he was also in Russian prison (somewhere near or in Sweden. I don`t remember the details, expect that it was Scandinavia). Where he found his own brother, who was very ill or injured. Well, both survived... Even it is not a "heroic" effort he made (but who knows? He doesn`t speak often about that tme. I can imagine that he has many bad memories of that time...), its at least a remarkable coincedence.

And I don`t live in a metropolis - perhaps a small town? (By D&D Standards)

Many "Heroes" today might actually be high ranking officers in military services (though today, none of them will have real combat experience - they are more experts than warriors or fighter), or politicians. (A D&D Aristrocat of 20th level might be a king. But today, some mayors "rule" more people than the standard D&D king...)

Mustrum Ridcully