D&D 5E How common are magic, monsters, and NPC's with class levels anyways?

[Maxperson]

Massively depends on the campaign setting!

• Forgotten Realms is ruled by a number of powerful spellcasters in a MAD stalemate, but common adventurers can still have an impact by virtue of being able to act without triggering the MAD.

What does MAD mean in this context? I feel like multi attribute dependent doesn't fit right.

 

[Minigiant]

Based on the description of tiers, the base assumption of 5th edition assumes there are NPCs of tier 2 (level 5-10) scattered in every major nation.

The 5th edition knight NPC has 8 HDs. If you say this is average then the base assumption assumes at least 50% of knightly fiefs has at least one 8 HD buff dude on it.

 

[Minigiant]

What does MAD mean in this context? I feel like multi attribute dependent doesn't fit right.

I'm guessng Mutual Assured Destruction

 

[MatthewJHanson]

Agree than no consensus can or should be reached. It is one of many aspects of a setting that each group can customize to their liking.

Another guy says "well monsters are rare", to which my response is, then how to the PC's keep running into them?

Because that's there job. Kind of like how house fire are rare but firefighters keep running into them. At least that's how I've done it in my campaign. I've had people travel weeks looking for the PCs because nobody else can deal with the rampaging monster.

 

[Maxperson]

Again though, this thread is simply a reaction to how everyone has a different view of how things occur in a D&D world. One guy says "high level characters are rare", great, fantastic, so why don't monsters run amok? Another guy says "well monsters are rare", to which my response is, then how to the PC's keep running into them?

Fate. Look at the legend of Hercules. Monsters were practically non-existent, yet he ran into more than one. That and they go looking for them.

 

[bloodtide]

Well, the model is a bit more: A lot like 1400 Europe filter set in 1600 America After The Fall in a Post Magical Apocalypse.

That makes the easy answer that anything you think might have been discovered was lost in the fall.

 

[Krachek]

Based on the description of tiers, the base assumption of 5th edition assumes there are NPCs of tier 2 (level 5-10) scattered in every major nation.

The 5th edition knight NPC has 8 HDs. If you say this is average then the base assumption assumes at least 50% of knightly fiefs has at least one 8 HD buff dude on it.

It’s roughly what I use for my home brew.
Tier 2 npc, are what I call « professional », estimated around 1/1000, and are the backbone of a nation.
Tier 3+ npc, are elite, around 1/10 000, maybe more like 1/100 000. strong individual Character with a backstory, created on need. They are out of statistics.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Is it possible to reach some kind of consensus here?

Consensus on a single option? Probably not.

Consensus on a sliding scale for all those elements and maybe a half dozen common combinations? Probably.

If you think of Magic, Monsters, and CLNPCs (Class/Leveled NPCs) each ranging on a scale from None - Low - Moderate - High my own typical setting would be low in all three categories.

 

[Minigiant]

It’s roughly what I use for my home brew.
Tier 2 npc, are what I call « professional », estimated around 1/1000, and are the backbone of a nation.
Tier 3+ npc, are elite, around 1/10 000, maybe more like 1/100 000. strong individual Character with a backstory, created on need. They are out of statistics.

I could see that.
Tier 2 is supposed to be Heroes of the Realm. This would be the top professionals of their realm's culture.
Tier 3 would be the elite of them.
Tier 4 would be one of the best of them that ever lived.

If any class epitomizes a part of your realm's culture,, they would be the heroes of your realm and within Tier 2. Knights in militaristic feudal nations. Priests and paladins in dueling theocracies in crusades.

 

[ECMO3]

Technically none of the monsters in 5E have class levels, to inlcude the humanoid, NPC monsters. While "assassins", "priests", "Archmage" etc all have abilities that closely mirror class and subclass features, these do not get the breadth of or number of features available to PCs.

Unless your game has custom NPCs built from classes the real answer is the only creatures in the entire multiverse with class levels are the PCs.