D&D 5E How many adventurers are in your world?

[The Crimson Binome]

In my world, there are exactly 108 potential adventurers, of which the party might encounter a handful during their trek across the globe. All such adventurers have inherent magical abilities (they are "blessed by the crystals"), which allow them to take a hit from a greatsword without dying, and which lets them recover from any injury over the course of a long rest.

On an unrelated note, I recently finished playing Suikoden.

 

[JohnLynch]

I run the Forgotten Realms so adventurers are a known thing and their deeds are immortalised in the tales of bards. However most people who set out to become adventurers, are more likely to end up as a mercenary or treasure hunter. A rare few successfully carve out a kingdom for themselves and use the law of might to hold onto that kingdom. So despite the fact that adventurers and heroes make up a significant portion of legend, most people don't end up being those heroes.

As for the non-heroic adventurers? I couldn't try to estimate how much of the world's population count as them. Compared with the PHB races there are less adventurers than there are any single PHB race in the world (with the exception of Dragonborn, only because the majority of dragonborn who didn't return to Abeir were bodyguards and mercenaries). Arabel's chief industry is adventurers, however if the players were to travel to Suzail (only two days ride from Arabel) they could very easily find no adventurers in the entire city. Waterdeep is somewhere between these two extremes.

So it just depends on where the players are as to how many adventurers are nearby.

 

[Lanefan]

Is adventuring a fairly common profession? Are there adventurer's guilds and taverns

Common enough, in some areas anyway; and there's guilds in most major centres for most classes. The more peaceful the area, the fewer adventurers there are.

bulletin boards posted with adventuring jobs

It's more by word of mouth and rumour.

laws and conventions governing adventurers' conduct?

In theory yes, in some parts, but of course what self-respecting adventurer pays attention to those anyway?

Lanefan

 

[NotActuallyTim]

In my setting, no one is really 'an adventurer.' However, there are plenty of positions in the various societies that lend themselves naturally to encountering danger fairly regularly. Some regions are simply dangerous in and of themselves, while other pockets of civilization need skilled individuals to keep those pockets civilized.

The closest person to being 'an adventurer' is a statesmen who only got into politics to keep himself alive and intends to exit the city he's hiding out in as soon as possible-with the loot from the cursed tomb he looted, of course, to fund a life of luxury. Too bad stepping outside the city wards will see him beaten to death by GHOST MUMMIES FROM SPACE!

 

[the_cowley]

i wonder if you mean actully out there exploring ruins, or npcs with class levels? My general stance is that about a 3rd of any given population probably has class levels. Or at least the equivalent power of class levels. IM not going to roll full stats for every town guardsmen, but its safe to say that most are about equal to a level 1 or 2 fighter/rouge. After that it all just depends.

As for people that go out there and look for things, probably a fair amount. Most adventurers are similar to sell-swords and other mercenaries. So if you want a total percentage of world population, probably about 1-5%, from sellwords to traveling merchants

 

[delericho]

Adventurers are the rock stars of my world.

Is adventuring a fairly common profession?

1st level adventurers are like a group of kids getting together to form a band - it's not something the majority do, but you probably know someone who's had a go at it. The ones who make it out of the first tier are equivalent to the ones who do well enough to get an actual contract. And those who make it to the highest levels are equivalent to Queen, the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones - virtually nobody makes it that far, and virtually everyone has heard of them.

Of course, all of this is pre-"American Idol"/"The X-Factor".

Are there adventurer's guilds and taverns, bulletin boards posted with adventuring jobs, laws and conventions governing adventurers' conduct?

Not as such. But there is a network of people out there who want things done. So low-level adventurers probably can find adventure if they ask the right person. Or they can just head out into the wild.

Once they get past the low levels, the PCs will find themselves much more in demand, with people coming to them with work. They won't need to be so self-motivated... but they will then need to be a bit more choosy in what they do.

(Also, there aren't any laws or conventions as such, but if you get a reputation for being 'difficult', don't be surprised when people stop booking your band!)

Is their lifestyle precedented at most by heroic myths and legends? Does the rest of society not quite know what to do with these heavily armed wanderers?

It's not unheard of for adventurers to hire bards to go around spreading their legend far and wide, or otherwise self-publicising (see: Gilderoy Lockhart). Of course, that can all go wrong: when danger reared its ugly head and they bravely turned their tails and fled...

And, yeah, society may well have difficulties dealing with the arrival of a band of adventurers - in exactly the same way as if a big-name rock star rolls into town. Which may be great and all... but what happens if said rock star starts making demands, or his entourage start abusing people, or...

 

[delericho]

i wonder if you mean actully out there exploring ruins, or npcs with class levels? My general stance is that about a 3rd of any given population probably has class levels. Or at least the equivalent power of class levels.

IMC, you don't qualify for 1st level until you start on that very first adventure - it's the equivalent of Luke Skywalker's declaration "I want to come with you... I want to learn the ways of the Force and become a Jedi like my father.", or Sam's "If I take one more step, this will be the furthest I've ever been from home."

And it's that decisive step that makes you a 1st level adventurer, and everything before that is background.

 

[Lanefan]

Adventurers are the rock stars of my world.

1st level adventurers are like a group of kids getting together to form a band - it's not something the majority do, but you probably know someone who's had a go at it. The ones who make it out of the first tier are equivalent to the ones who do well enough to get an actual contract. And those who make it to the highest levels are equivalent to Queen, the Beatles, or the Rolling Stones - virtually nobody makes it that far, and virtually everyone has heard of them.

This is actually a brilliant analogy. Bar bands and garage bands are everywhere. Top-40 or big-name bands are much fewer and farther between; and many who tried to become such have failed miserably along the way.

And, yeah, society may well have difficulties dealing with the arrival of a band of adventurers - in exactly the same way as if a big-name rock star rolls into town. Which may be great and all... but what happens if said rock star starts making demands, or his entourage start abusing people, or...

Meanwhile all the local hotel rooms would run and hide, if they could.

Lan-"lead vocalist"-efan

 

[Caliburn101]

My Campaign Demographics - I like it reasonable...

CAMPAIGN HUMANOID PC/NPC LEVEL/HD DEMOGRAPHICS (In my campaigns)

Levels/HD 1-2 (~30% of demographic; just under 2 in 3 people)
These are the apprentices, neophytes and uninspired peasants et al in the general population. This level range is for the young and inexperienced adventurer, or the run-of-the-mill commoner.

Levels/HD 3-4 (~66% of demographic; just under 1 in 3 people)
Trained, competent and/or sufficiently experienced, it is within this range that a person has solidly established their place in the world. Not many people move beyond this level, as they do not lead lives which challenge them sufficiently to do so.

Levels/HD 5-6 (3.95% of demographic; just under 1 in 25 people)
Mature journeymen, the supremely well-trained and/or widely experienced are in this range. Generally well regarded and sought out for their abilities, people in this range command good prices for their services and find as much work through personal recommendation as self-promotion. Adventurers of this level are relied upon to tackle dangerous challenges.

Levels/HD 7-9 (~0.045% of demographic; around 1 in 2,500 people)
Hardened veterans or those immersed for a lifetime in their craft or profession, this level range is for those who, for the vast majority of normal people, have reached the fullest extent of their abilities, or for the more heroic – those who have accomplished deeds worthy of widespread and significant recognition, and who are expected to succeed against the odds.

Levels/HD 10-12 (0.004% of demographic; 1 in 25,000 people)
Exceptional masters of their professions recognised far and wide, or renowned heroes whose deeds live on in songs the Bards sing. This level is nearly always the shining pinnacle of a persons’ career even if they started life gifted. Potentates will offer rich rewards to secure their services.

Levels/HD 13-16 (0.0009% of demographic; less than 1 in 100,000 people)
Famous heroes whose deeds are immortalised in poems, tapestries, statues and folktales. They are frequently on a first-name basis with Powerful Monarchs, Kingmaking Cardinals, Arch Magi or Elder Dragons alike.

Levels/HD 17+ (0.0001% of demographic; 1 in 1,000,000 people)
These are the rare legends whose sagas will live a thousand years or more. The world shakes where they tread and the greatest powers of the world take pause at the mention of their names.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*