Known High Level Characters In Each Campaign Setting

[Quasqueton]

The thread debating whether the Forgotten Realms is “High Magic” prompted me to check this:

Adding up all the numbers from the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, the total "official" population of the Flanaes is around 26 million (just counting PHB races).

[The land mass is roughly the size of the United States (if I remember the measurements I once made).]

I also counted up the number of named characters of 15th level or higher: 60. Of these 15+ level characters, 13 are 20+ level.

Ratio of 15+ level characters to total population = 1 : nearly half a million.

Ratio of 20+ level characters to total population = 1 : two million.

What is the population numbers of the Forgotten Realms, and how many high-level characters are named/known in that setting? I’m curious of the comparison.

I’m also interested in seeing these numbers from the other current campaign settings: Scarred Lands, Midnight, Kalamar, etc.

Quasqueton

 

[Katerek]

I have nothing of substance to add here, other than this is something I would also like to see.

I remember in the 2nd Edition rules High Level Campaign Options they had an interesting table that discussed demographics. I vaguely remember it working out to a 20th level character per million of the population or somesuch.

 

[d4]

wow, only 26 million people? i'd have thought it would be much higher than that.

26 million people over an area the size of the United States is about 7-10 people per square mile; even modern-day Afghanistan has a population density nearly 10 times that. even countries like Algeria and Saudi Arabia, which are almost entirely deserts, have population densities around 20-30 people per square mile.

medieval France had about 105 people/square mile; Germany and Italy were around 85, and medieval Britain was around 40 or so.

i know Greyhawk's got a lot of wilderness area, which will lower the average density of the continent, but 7 people per square mile is almost uninhabited...

 

[Greyline]

i know Greyhawk's got a lot of wilderness area, which will lower the average density of the continent, but 7 people per square mile is almost uninhabited...

Well, that's seven humans, elves, halflings, gnomes, or half-breeds. Throw in all the other sentient races, the orcs, goblinoids, elven subspecies, etc., and it gets pretty crowded pretty quick.

Greyline

 

[BobROE]

wow, only 26 million people? i'd have thought it would be much higher than that.

26 million people over an area the size of the United States is about 7-10 people per square mile; even modern-day Afghanistan has a population density nearly 10 times that. even countries like Algeria and Saudi Arabia, which are almost entirely deserts, have population densities around 20-30 people per square mile.

medieval France had about 105 people/square mile; Germany and Italy were around 85, and medieval Britain was around 40 or so.

i know Greyhawk's got a lot of wilderness area, which will lower the average density of the continent, but 7 people per square mile is almost uninhabited...

Note: Canada's area is larger than the US (2nd largest country in the world) and only has a population of 30million.

 

[d4]

Note: Canada's area is larger than the US (2nd largest country in the world) and only has a population of 30million.

yep, and most of it is darn empty.

i just pictured most of the Greyhawk world to be a bit more populated than that.

Greyline has a good point about the humanoids, though.

i wonder what the population density would be if you just considered the "civilized" areas?

 

[Kichwas]

Given the kevel of technology and lack of refrigeration and trucking, Greyhawk's population is too small to sustain agrarian cultures. Especially given that the people are not concentrated in key locations that themselves have higher concentrations (Canada and pre 20th century USA).


You need around 40 or so people per mile to sustain medieval food supply. The norm was closer to 80.
http://www.io.com/~sjohn/demog.htm

If the humanoids added any notable amount they would sweep aside the humans and demihumans with ease given the numbers Greyhawk tries to put forth. Greyhawk's population is lower than that of pre-columbian North America - wild animals would threaten it's stability.

That said, if you're getting 26 million from city counting consider that only 8% of the people live in urban settlements. If 26 million is just adding cities the real population is 325 million.

 

[Oaken25]

As I posted on the FR thread, the info below was taken from the link below.

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=141179

"Thomas M. Reid
Member

Registered: Aug 2002
Location: Austin, Texas

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Amon Hok
Does anyone know or care to guess what the total population of all of Toril is? including all races i figure it must be gigantic like in the billions do to the greater deities needing millions of worshipers to be a greater deity. any guesses?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 98 of the FRCS (opening paragraph) states that Faerûn has over 68 million people. So let's extrapolate, with a few assumptions: 1) the rest of Toril's population density is roughly equivalent to Medieval Earth's, and 2) Faerûn's population is roughly equivalent to Medieval Europe/Mediterranean/Middle East, and 3) by "people," we mean humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and half-elves.

Based on >> this site, << Medieval Europe/Mediterannean/Middle East had a population of 73.5 million people around 1340 A.D. And, based on >> this site, << the population of the entire planet around 1350 A.D. was 300 million people. So, since "over 68 million" is pretty darn close to "73.5 million," I'd say Toril's population is around 275 million people.

Of course, that wouldn't include all the humanoids, who at least double, if not triple, that figure.

Aren't you glad you asked this question?

Thomas
__________________
A knight is not truly virtuous, only truly resolved to be so.

www.thomasmreid.com"

 

[johnsemlak]

Adding up all the numbers from the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, the total "official" population of the Flanaes is around 26 million (just counting PHB races).

I also counted up the number of named characters of 15th level or higher: 60. Of these 15+ level characters, 13 are 20+ level.Quasqueton

Where are you getting the number 60 from? Just the LGG.

I think some more are mentioned in the Epic Level Handbook, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and other places.

Then there's all the old modules, plus Dungeon Magazine, etc.

Are you including the Underdark? What about high-level undead characters, like Asberdies (sp?) the Lich (Level 20, IIRC).

 

[Zappo]

Ratio of 15+ level characters to total population = 1 : nearly half a million.

Ratio of 20+ level characters to total population = 1 : two million.

What is the population numbers of the Forgotten Realms, and how many high-level characters are named/known in that setting? I’m curious of the comparison.

I don't think this would be much useful - if the FR count of named high level spellcasters is higher, it doesn't prove that FR has more high level spellcasters, only that more of them have been given a name. Considering that FR is substantially more detailed than GH, I think that's to be expected.