Arkhandus
First Post
Well, since I name most NPCs in my games even if they'll only be around for a single encounter (and most of the time it's before they even show up in the game), named NPCs aren't uncommon in my campaigns..... On occasion, high-level NPCs aren't obvious at all, like a spy or someone going around incognito.
However, likely high-level NPCs are usually noticeable (or at least suspicious) to some extent in my games. The appear out of nowhere, disappear in a blink of the eye, are renowned even among PCs and NPCs from foreign countries, carry obviously very expensive equipment, have overwhelming or just numerous significant magical auras under the Detect Magic spells of any cautious/curious/generally-suspicious PC mages, fling around powerful spells, wear dragonhide or dragonscale armor, wear adamantine or mithral full plate, hold important titles recognized in the region like high priest or archmage, or are the subject of rumors and stories about powerful or dangerous folks.
For an example, in my old Rhunaria campaign...... Duke Baram was a well-known retired adventurer who was very successful at that profession as evidenced by the fact that he founded his own independant Duchy of several towns (and had moderate or strong magical auras from items on him under Detect Magic scans). The Archmage of the Academy of the Arcane in one of Baram's towns was obviously high-level from his title and the fact that his Academy was obviously formed from a single mass of granite (or was it basalt? I forget) that could only have been Stone Shaped into its current form and was layered in magical wards, with a magical door and an internal space that was notably larger than the exterior.
The Green Lord was a kobold druid claiming part of the region for himself and causing problems for the PCs and other folks in the region, with many minions including dire animals, mid-level kobold mages, bronze serpents (large electricity-wielding constructs from MM 2), and mid-level orcish warriors as hired muscle. Martus was an old local wizard of questionable but powerful reputation in the Free City of Trelg.......his tower had obvious magical wards, like the Lightning Bolt trap that reduced a would-be thief to a smoking corpse after the PCs visited earlier and left Martus' door open. Martus was known for crafting magic items for sale and occasionally taking on temporary apprentices to teach, he had a decent personal library of arcane texts, he had magical staves and rings, he left the PCs with a few one-use Talismans of Summon Monster V or VI (Large Earth Elemental) as free gifts, and he had a sealed basement vault of significant magical warding and thickly lined with lead and a massive lead door......
His Majesty's Royal Dragoons and His Majesty's Royal Magi, from the Majestic Kingdom of the Gilded Throne, were noticeably high-level Paladins and Wizards from the auras PCs could detect on them and the kinds of equipment they carried (that and the Magi teleporting away after a visit to the fort that the PCs helped defend; and the stories among the soldiers about the kind of magical fire support the Magi lended during the siege-breaking). The leaders of the Sterling Golemist Arcanaeum were so obviously high-leverl that it wasn't even funny; their headquarters was a big mithral fortress/academy, they were more or less entirely covered in mithral grafts, they cast spells like Teleport and had a system of permanent magic portal devices......
Of course, all of these NPCs had a place in the setting and didn't really interfere with or outshine the PCs, they were more like background pieces that the group heard about, interacted with briefly, or helped out a bit. Some helped out the PCs a bit, but generally, they had their own concerns and didn't have the time or inclination to deal with the PCs' problems (Martus had his research and possibly sinister experiments, the Golemists had their personal ascension and efforts against the local giants and evil dragons and the oppressive dwarven government to deal with, Duke Baram was retired and running his little country, the Green Lord was trying to conquer a personal fiefdom and reclaim it "for nature," high priests were busy running their churches and protecting their parrishes, His Majesty's elite servants were busy protecting their King and the rest of the royal family and dealing with major issues across the kingdom, the Archmage of the Academy of the Arcane was busy running his little school and protecting its students and conducting his research, etc.).
By the time the campaign fell apart from scheduling problems (hopefully to resume at some point in the future), the PCs were approaching the level of some of these NPCs and starting to make a reputation for themselves. And more actively than the rather stationary or duty-bound NPCs that weren't very actively adventuring or making a difference abroad. Had the campaign continued for another year or two (past the year or two that it lasted), the PCs would've exceeded them by reaching 20th-level and beyond, and probably become even more famous. I like PCs gradually achieving fame, glory, and international influence over a good, long campaign......
However, likely high-level NPCs are usually noticeable (or at least suspicious) to some extent in my games. The appear out of nowhere, disappear in a blink of the eye, are renowned even among PCs and NPCs from foreign countries, carry obviously very expensive equipment, have overwhelming or just numerous significant magical auras under the Detect Magic spells of any cautious/curious/generally-suspicious PC mages, fling around powerful spells, wear dragonhide or dragonscale armor, wear adamantine or mithral full plate, hold important titles recognized in the region like high priest or archmage, or are the subject of rumors and stories about powerful or dangerous folks.
For an example, in my old Rhunaria campaign...... Duke Baram was a well-known retired adventurer who was very successful at that profession as evidenced by the fact that he founded his own independant Duchy of several towns (and had moderate or strong magical auras from items on him under Detect Magic scans). The Archmage of the Academy of the Arcane in one of Baram's towns was obviously high-level from his title and the fact that his Academy was obviously formed from a single mass of granite (or was it basalt? I forget) that could only have been Stone Shaped into its current form and was layered in magical wards, with a magical door and an internal space that was notably larger than the exterior.
The Green Lord was a kobold druid claiming part of the region for himself and causing problems for the PCs and other folks in the region, with many minions including dire animals, mid-level kobold mages, bronze serpents (large electricity-wielding constructs from MM 2), and mid-level orcish warriors as hired muscle. Martus was an old local wizard of questionable but powerful reputation in the Free City of Trelg.......his tower had obvious magical wards, like the Lightning Bolt trap that reduced a would-be thief to a smoking corpse after the PCs visited earlier and left Martus' door open. Martus was known for crafting magic items for sale and occasionally taking on temporary apprentices to teach, he had a decent personal library of arcane texts, he had magical staves and rings, he left the PCs with a few one-use Talismans of Summon Monster V or VI (Large Earth Elemental) as free gifts, and he had a sealed basement vault of significant magical warding and thickly lined with lead and a massive lead door......
His Majesty's Royal Dragoons and His Majesty's Royal Magi, from the Majestic Kingdom of the Gilded Throne, were noticeably high-level Paladins and Wizards from the auras PCs could detect on them and the kinds of equipment they carried (that and the Magi teleporting away after a visit to the fort that the PCs helped defend; and the stories among the soldiers about the kind of magical fire support the Magi lended during the siege-breaking). The leaders of the Sterling Golemist Arcanaeum were so obviously high-leverl that it wasn't even funny; their headquarters was a big mithral fortress/academy, they were more or less entirely covered in mithral grafts, they cast spells like Teleport and had a system of permanent magic portal devices......
Of course, all of these NPCs had a place in the setting and didn't really interfere with or outshine the PCs, they were more like background pieces that the group heard about, interacted with briefly, or helped out a bit. Some helped out the PCs a bit, but generally, they had their own concerns and didn't have the time or inclination to deal with the PCs' problems (Martus had his research and possibly sinister experiments, the Golemists had their personal ascension and efforts against the local giants and evil dragons and the oppressive dwarven government to deal with, Duke Baram was retired and running his little country, the Green Lord was trying to conquer a personal fiefdom and reclaim it "for nature," high priests were busy running their churches and protecting their parrishes, His Majesty's elite servants were busy protecting their King and the rest of the royal family and dealing with major issues across the kingdom, the Archmage of the Academy of the Arcane was busy running his little school and protecting its students and conducting his research, etc.).
By the time the campaign fell apart from scheduling problems (hopefully to resume at some point in the future), the PCs were approaching the level of some of these NPCs and starting to make a reputation for themselves. And more actively than the rather stationary or duty-bound NPCs that weren't very actively adventuring or making a difference abroad. Had the campaign continued for another year or two (past the year or two that it lasted), the PCs would've exceeded them by reaching 20th-level and beyond, and probably become even more famous. I like PCs gradually achieving fame, glory, and international influence over a good, long campaign......
)
, if the king is 0-level he most certainly is sorrounded by 10th level monsters in that 10th level of the dungeon (city).
